Vanilla bean paste is a thicker mixture of vanilla beans, vanilla powder or extract, and sweeteners. It is the star ingredient of many baking products and desserts to make them even tastier and mouth-watering. But at the same time, vanilla bean paste is a little expensive to afford. Or, if you are allergic to its flavor, you can use substitutes for vanilla bean paste.
Vanilla bean paste goes great in a wide range of desserts such as waffles, vanilla ice cream, cupcakes, and vanilla custard. It also gives a lovely sweet touch to recipes making them more delicious and stunning to present.
However, it is not the ultimate option to go with. You can use plenty of other best replacements for vanilla bean paste. So, here we will tell you the best vanilla and non-vanilla alternatives that you can use instead of vanilla bean paste. So, keep reading and bring the best substitution out of this article.
Substitutes For Vanilla Bean Paste
Vanilla extract, vanilla essence, vanilla powder, and vanilla ice cream are the best options to go with in place of vanilla bean paste. Because, these substitutes will bestow the same flavor and texture to your sweet treats, like vanilla bean paste.
In addition, there are also some other non-vanilla substitutions including almond extract, maple extract, molasses, and honey. These alternatives will not give a similar flavor as vanilla bean paste, but their final flavor is also not too far from the real craving flavor of vanilla beans.
So, you can use any of these ingredients in your recipes if you don’t have vanilla bean paste on hand. And, if it is too expensive to add to your shopping cart, or maybe you are not a fan of actual vanilla bean flavor.
1. Vanilla Extract (The Best Substitute For Vanilla Bean Paste)
Vanilla ExtractTo get a similar flavor to the vanilla paste, you can use vanilla extract in your food dishes. In contrast to the vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract is cheaper and easily available in the market.
Moreover, as the vanilla extract is in the liquid form, like bean paste, so it replaces vanilla bean paste entirely in your favorite vanilla recipes. But the only thing you lack is tiny black specks that are the characteristics of vanilla paste.
However, the final flavor and mouthfeel of vanilla extract is quite similar to the paste as it is also prepared by vanilla bean pods. By the way, pure vanilla extract is also the best alternative to bean paste in recipes where you are craving an intense vanilla flavoring.
Substitute 1 tbsp vanilla extract instead of 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste in your recipes to get a similar flavor.
2. Vanilla Essence
Vanilla essence is also another vanilla product getting its flavor from vanillin. It enhances the overall flavor of the recipes, and thus you can bring more flavor out of them.
Moreover, it is often used as a star ingredient in desserts, usually in ice cream and custard. Unlike vanilla bean paste, vanilla essence is affordable and easily available. So, it could be a substitution for vanilla bean paste.
But vanilla essence has a mild flavor than the paste, so use 2 tbsp vanillas to replace 1 tbsp of bean paste in your sweet dishes.
3. Vanilla Powder
Vanilla powder is nothing but a ground form of dried vanilla beans and seeds. And, unlike vanilla extract and essence, there is no artificial flavor, sweetener, or a thickener in the preparation process of vanilla powder.
Therefore, it makes its place among the best substitutes for vanilla bean paste in the recipes that call for pure vanilla flavor. Moreover, it also doesn’t add extra liquid to your recipe ingredients, that sounds great.
Similar to bean paste, it also adds intense deep flavor to desserts. Thus, use 1 tbsp vanilla powder in place of 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste to enjoy a similar mouthfeel.
4. Vanilla Ice Cream
You may surprise to know that vanilla ice cream is also the best vanilla bean paste alternative in various dessert recipes. As it gets its whole flavor from vanilla flavoring, so it gives your desserts all they need.
So, substitute vanilla ice cream for the paste in your routine smoothies, milkshakes, and frozen desserts. And at the same time, vanilla ice cream also gives a thick creamy finish to your desserts that tastes too delicious.
So, use as much vanilla ice cream as your desserts call for, and enjoy the sweet cold vanilla flavor.
Non-Vanilla Substitutes For Vanilla Bean Paste
In addition to the vanilla flavored substitutes, there are also some other options to go with. For instance, maple extract, almond extract, molasses, and honey are non-vanilla alternatives. Thus, you can get almost the similar flavor as vanilla bean paste by using them in your favorite food dishes.
1. Maple Extract
Maple extract is a baking condiment and also an essential ingredient for star bakers. It gives a concentrated sweet but complex flavor to baked creations, making them worth eating.
Although maple extract has no similar flavor and texture to vanilla bean paste, it would be an alternative when you get short on vanilla bean paste. For me, pure maple extract goes great instead of vanilla bean paste as it has a more intense flavor.
So, use maple extract in 1:1 ratio or according to your taste in recipes.
2. Almond Extract
If you are a fan of nuts and love the nutty flavor in your baking products, then the almond extract is the best alternative to go with.
Moreover, the flavor of almond extract in baked goods is much similar to vanilla bean paste. So, use it in your recipes as it gives a subtle sweet flavor and aroma similar to the bean paste.
Substitute 1 tbsp almond extract instead of 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste.
3. Molasses
Molasses is a dark viscous paste obtained as a by-product in refining sugarcane and sugar beets. It has a rich sweet flavor, and therefore widely common as a flavoring ingredient or sweetener.
As molasses is a thick paste similar to bean paste, you’ll find it among the best substitutes for vanilla bean paste. It gives the same texture to your recipes, and its flavor is also not far from the real thing.
Replace vanilla bean paste with molasses in 1:1 ratio in your baking products and enjoy.
4. Honey
Honey is another best vanilla bean paste substitute, as it has almost a similar taste or flavor. It is a thick brownish paste rich in sweet flavor. Therefore, it replaces the bean paste completely in your recipes.
Almost everyone loves to use honey in their routine diet. It also goes great as a flavoring food in various sweet desserts. But do you know that it is also a great vanilla bean paste replacement.
Use honey in the same quantity as the vanilla paste in your recipes.
Ways Of Using Substitutes For Vanilla Bean Paste
Vanilla bean paste not only gives a vanilla flavor but also bestows tiny black specks to your favorite desserts. More precisely, vanilla bean paste is common in such recipes where these black specks really matter.
So, if you want these speckles in your final food dish, you have to use either vanilla bean paste or bean seeds. It goes great in smoothies, pastry cream, and vanilla ice cream.
However, you can replace vanilla bean paste with other suitable alternatives that provide almost the same recipe finish.
Vanilla flavored substitutes such as vanilla extract, powder, and essence go well in custard, pudding, frosting, milkshake, and drinks.
Whereas non-vanilla substitutes for vanilla bean paste such as maple extract, almond extract, molasses, and honey go well in cupcakes, cookies, brownies, pies, and ice cream.
FAQs
How Much Vanilla Bean Paste Equals One Vanilla Bean?
There is no hard rule of using vanilla bean paste in your recipes. As 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste equals a vanilla bean. So, substitute one vanilla bean with 1 teaspoon of bean paste in your favorite dishes.
Vanilla bean paste goes best in puddings, frosting, smoothies, and sauces.
Can I Use Vanilla Bean Paste Instead Of Extract?
Yes, you can use vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla extract. As both vanilla products get their star flavor from vanilla bean pods. And, the only difference is the consistency and the presence of black bean specks.
However, you can use it in place of extract where the appearance of these specks doesn’t matter. For instance, use it in cookies, brownies, cakes, and bread loaves.
Use vanilla bean paste in the same quantity as you would use extract to your recipes.
1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste Equals How Much Vanilla Extract?
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste equals 1 tbsp vanilla extract. Therefore, you can use them interchangeably in your food dishes. And, both give the similar star vanilla flavor making your sweet treats more delicious and aromatic.
Wrap Up
Can you substitute vanilla bean paste in your recipes? Yes, you can. The best alternatives are vanilla extract, powder, essence, and vanilla bean pods or seeds.
However, you can also use maple extract, almond extract, molasses, and honey to your dishes as the great substitutes for vanilla bean paste. So, use these replacements to bring best out of sweet creations.
