How to Use a Vanilla Bean

Nothing beats the flavor of using real vanilla beans in your desserts and treats. Vanilla beans deliver an unmatched depth of flavor and aroma. Whether you’re making pastry cream filling, pudding, crème brulée, cheesecake or homemade vanilla ice cream, knowing how to use vanilla beans can elevate your kitchen creations with incredible flavor.

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What Exactly are Vanilla Beans?

Vanilla bean pods are the fruit harvested from a type of orchid originating around the Gulf of Mexico, where some of the first vanilla beans were domesticated by the Totonac from at least the 12th century.

What looks like a paste of sticky dark specks inside of each vanilla pod are thousands of tiny seeds covered in resin. Vanillin, along with other compounds, contributes to the complex and distinctive full flavor of natural vanilla, and are found both in the pods and seeds. Vanilla bean pods are cured to develop their characteristic aroma and flavor, as well as for preservation.

But first comes pollination of the orchid flowers, which is done today by hand. It’s also harvested by hand. Growing vanilla beans is an expensive, labor-intensive endeavor. Indeed, vanilla is the world’s second-most expensive spice after saffron. It’s easy to see why vanilla is often seen as a luxury ingredient. In fact, the paste of seeds inside have been referred to as vanilla caviar.

Whether you’re using vanilla beans in desserts, to enhance drinks, or make vanilla extract, vanilla beans are worth their weight in gold for their valuable flavor and aroma.

(More about vanilla beans here.)

Buying Vanilla Beans

To help you buy vanilla beans, it helps to know a little about the various kinds out there, as well as the different grades, so that you can buy accordingly.

In general, look for shiny, oily, sleek beans with a rich aroma. Avoid beans that have little to no aroma, or are dull, dried out or brittle.

I use both Tahitian vanilla beans and organic Madagascar vanilla beans.

Main Kinds of Vanilla

Vanilla bean is now grown in tropical regions around the world, with the majority of today’s vanilla coming from Madagascar and neighboring islands such as the French island of Reunion (formerly Île Bourbon), followed by Indonesia.

Here are some of the main cultivars, all originating from the Mexican vanilla bean. Each has its own flavor profile influenced by different climates, land and curing techniques.

• Mexican Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia orchid) – The original vanilla. (The area of Veracruz in Mexico continued to be the chief producer of Vanilla until the mid 19th century.) Known for its smooth, creamy sweetness with notes of wood and spice.
• Madagascar / Bourbon Vanilla (Indian Ocean) (from the Vanilla planifolia orchid) – Makes up most of the world’s vanilla today. Madagascar Vanilla beans are prized for their superior vanillin ratio, and known for a creamy, sweet and rich flavor profile. Great for custards, baking and making vanilla extract.
• Tahitian Vanilla (French Polynesia) (from Vanilla tahitensis orchid) – Tiny production. Tahitian vanilla is known for its fruity, floral sweetness.
• Indonesian Vanilla: (from Vanilla planifolia orchids) The world’s second-largest producer. Known for its smoky, woody and subtly earthy profile.

Vanilla Grades

Each country has its own grading system, which takes into consideration attractive qualities such as high moisture content, oily sheen, plumpness, darkness and length, as well as any blemishes or presence of splitting. Madagascar Vanilla Beans, the majority of the market, come in 3 grades: A, B, C.

• Grade A – “Gourmet” – Considered first quality. They are the longest, 6 inches+ (15cm), and have the most moisture. Black or brown. Plump and supple with shiny oily luster.
• Grade B – “Red” – Second Quality. 4 to 6 inches long (10-15cm), with less moisture. Brown with red streaks. This is the grade commonly used for vanilla extract.
• Grade C – “Cuts” – Shorter cuts/fragments of 4 inches long (10cm). Often split, and have the least moisture.

Notice how the amount of vanillin and flavor is not a determinant of grade. So which grade to buy really depends on your intended use.

Storing Vanilla Beans

Double wrap: First wrap the dry vanilla beans tightly in plastic wrap or parchment, then inside of an airtight container such as a glass jar. Store them at a cool room-temperature, away from light. Storing vanilla beans in the refrigerator or freezer can dry them out, however, they may retain their moisture well if wrapped airtight.

You may also consider storing them in a jar of sugar, or adding them to homemade vanilla extract — especially halves, as vanilla beans dry out quickly after cutting.

Substitutions

How to use vanilla beans instead of pure vanilla extract?

• Half a vanilla bean can replace 1 to 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
• 1 vanilla bean can replace 1 Tablespoon, or 3 to 4 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
• Another way to think of it: A 2-inch (5cm) section of vanilla bean can replace 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Note, this is a general rule of thumb, as it depends on the kind, condition, size and aromatics of the vanilla bean — you may find you need half the amount. However, one of the advantages of using vanilla bean is that, unlike vanilla extract, vanilla bean does not give a bitter taste when used in excess.

How to substitute pure vanilla extract for vanilla beans?

• Around 1 Tablespoon, or 3 to 4 teaspoons, of pure vanilla extract can replace 1 vanilla bean.
• Around 1 to 2 teaspoons of pure vanilla extract can replace half a vanilla bean.
• Another way to think of it: 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can replace about a 2-inch (5cm) section of vanilla bean.

Delicious Ways to Use Vanilla Beans in Recipes

• Cream-Based Desserts – Infuse deep flavor into whipped cream toppings, crème brûlée, flan, pastry cream, and homemade ice cream.
  • Tip: To infuse extra vanilla aroma and flavor into milk and cream-based desserts: the night before using, immerse vanilla bean seeds along with their pod in the milk/cream and refrigerate.
• Baked Goods – Enrich cakes, muffins, and cookies.
• Warm Beverages – Stir into coffee or chai for a cozy upgrade. Or whisk into hot chocolate or cocoa, one of vanilla’s first uses in the Americas, as well as in 16th century Europe, when Hernan Cortez is thought to have brought vanilla and chocolate to Europe.

How to Split and Scrape a Vanilla Bean

Although this is simple, detailed instructions and tips to help you get all you can out of each precious vanilla bean are included in the recipe card further below. But first, here is a quick illustrated overview:

Tip: if you only need half of the vanilla bean, cut the bean crosswise into two halves first, so that you can better preserve the unneeded half.

First, make a slit in the vanilla bean through its entire length.

Variation: Instead of a slit, cut the bean (or segment) completely in half lengthwise. Some find it easier to flatten and scrape this way.

Then, flatten the bean open as you scrape out the paste of seeds.

Aww at the thousands of amazing vanilla seeds.

Uses for Leftover Vanilla Bean Pod Shells

• Make Vanilla Sugar – Bury used vanilla pods in a jar of sugar to store, and to give subtle vanilla flavor and aroma to your sugar.
• Vanilla Extract – Steep pods in a jar of vodka, Bourbon or rum for homemade vanilla extract.
• Infused Creams & Milks – Add split vanilla pods to milk or cream and bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat, cover and let steep for around 15 minutes to develop a vanilla flavor before using in stirred, baked or frozen custards: such as pastry cream and puddings, flan, or ice cream. Or add to hot cocoa or hot chocolate.

Recipe Card

Nutrition Info: Click to Expand

Nutrition Facts

Calories

12

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

1

g

2

%

Carbohydrates

 

1

g

0

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is an estimate and varies according to the products used.