Can You Substitute Different Types Of Vanilla In Your Recipes?

For those moments when you're putting together a recipe and read that the printed set of instructions call for vanilla paste and not extract, is it okay to use the liquid form, instead? "Absolutely!" Jennifer Boggiss, the CEO of Heilala Vanilla, assures us. We spoke to Boggiss for tips on how to go about switching up and swapping vanilla ingredients at home without botching up our favorite recipes in the process.

"At Heilala, all our products; vanilla extract, paste, and pods can often be swapped 1:1," she encourages. "For example, one teaspoon of extract is equivalent to one teaspoon of paste or the seeds from one vanilla bean." Whether you are looking to exchange vanilla extract to caramelize vegetables for vanilla bean pods, you can keep Boggiss' guidance in mind. Before getting too enthusiastic with other brand names and vanilla ingredients, however, you'll want to carefully look at the packaging label of whatever vanilla products you are thinking about using.

Check ingredient labels for whole ingredients as you look to make comparable recipe modifications. "Just keep in mind that many vanilla products are loaded with sugar, which can dilute the flavor," Jennifer Boggiss warns. "Heilala's extract is pure and sugar-free, so it's highly concentrated." If in doubt, use a gentle hand when adding vanilla to your recipes, as it is always easier to slowly build flavors within a dish than try to course correct and adjust for an overpowering taste due to an overzealous pour.

Additionally, if using ground vanilla to replace vanilla extract or paste, you will want to reduce the called-for amount by half then make any adjustments to suit your palate once you have sampled your culinary creation. In its purest form, ground vanilla is made from vanilla beans, but instead of pressed into an extract or paste, the beans are found into fine powder. The ingredient is delicious when sprinkled onto muffins or stirred into oatmeal, but a little can go a long way.