This Cheffy Ingredient Makes All My Baked Goods Taste So Much Better

One of the things I love about baking (besides the delicious treats I get to eat) is the magic of humble ingredients coming together to make something far greater than the sum of their parts. Flour, butter, eggs, sugar, baking powder, sometimes chocolate or fruit, and, very often, vanilla can be combined in countless ways to make an endless array of cake, sweet bread, pastry, pudding, custard, and cookie recipes. 

While I adore some good butter (especially if it’s salted butter!), and I’m loyal to one brand of flour (King Arthur, for consistency purposes if nothing else), none of these ingredients are fancy. You can find them in every baking aisle across America. But, there’s one ingredient I’ll go the extra mile for because I think it makes such a powerful difference: vanilla bean paste.

What Is Vanilla Bean Paste?

It’s basically a concentrated vanilla extract, says Gesine Bullock-Prado, author of the upcoming My Harvest Kitchen. “It includes vanilla bean seeds, a bit of sugar, and a thickener that gives it the characteristic thickness of paste.” 

I used to have to order these little pots of thick, dark jelly-like stuff online or head to a specialty baking store to find it—and it was totally worth the effort. But, these days vanilla bean paste is available at more and more grocery stores. A few of my favorite brands include Simply Organic, Nielsen-Massey, Heilala, and McCormick. You can sometimes find it at Trader Joe’s too.

Why Vanilla Bean Paste Improves Baked Goods

Pastry pros know that there are three ways to get that vanilla flavoring we all desire in our desserts: extract, paste, and beans. Splitting and scraping the seeds from a vanilla bean into a batter offers unmatched flavor, but it’s a little fussy and spendy. “Whole vanilla beans are incredible, but they’re expensive, and usually, you only get one or two uses out of them,” says Justin Burke, author of Potluck Desserts. Vanilla extract, on the other hand, is ubiquitous and couldn’t be easier to use. One bottle can flavor countless bakes. 

Think of vanilla bean paste as the best of both worlds, says Burke. “It’s thicker than vanilla extract, has a deeper, more layered flavor, and those little black vanilla specks make everything feel a little more special.” And, like extract, it’s easy to measure and will keep for a year or two on your pantry shelf.

When and How to Use Vanilla Bean Paste

Bullock-Prado reaches for vanilla bean paste when she’s seeking maximum vanilla flavor, since it’s stronger than extract. “I use it in meringue, pastry cream, and Swiss buttercreams, recipes that can really showcase added flavors. You also get the characteristic flecks of the vanilla seeds, so it provides a visual impact as well.”

Burke agrees that it’s all about how key the flavor is in the bake. “If I’m making something where vanilla is the star or where the color is light enough to let those specks shine—think custards, ice cream, sponge cakes—I’ll reach for the paste every time. It’s not just about taste; it’s about signaling that vanilla is present in a visual, sensory way,”

I also like it in many cookies, including chocolate chip. While vanilla isn’t the first flavor you think of in the classic cookie, it’s an important background player. Bumping up the intensity of the vanilla adds an appealing, almost mysterious, quality to the cookies.

As for how to use it, it’s just a one-to-one swap with the amount of vanilla extract called for in any recipe. “There’s no math, no stress,” says Burke. “It’s probably the most cheffy ingredient I always keep in my pantry.”

When to Reach for Vanilla Extract Instead

If Burke is baking something where the vanilla isn’t the star—like a deeply spiced cake—he’ll often stick with extract, since it’s less expensive. And Bullock-Prado skips the paste in recipes that boast other big flavors. “For instance, anything with chocolate as the main component isn’t the best use of paste because chocolate overwhelms the impact of the vanilla flavor and you won’t see those beautiful flecks,” she says.

I, too, keep both vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste on hand and choose which to use based on the recipe I’m making. The paste is a little more of an investment, but it’s more than worth it for how much it elevates the flavor of my favorite baked goods. Every time I open a jar and get a whiff of the intense fragrance, it reminds me that I’m in for a treat.