Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste
Want to know every good baker’s secret weapon? It’s Vanilla Bean Paste! This 3-ingredient Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste is way healthier than storebought versions and so much more flavorful.
Vanilla paste is far more flavorful and luxurious than vanilla extract. While both have great uses in baking, vanilla bean paste adds something special.
Unlike Vanilla Extract, which is a smooth and consistent brown liquid made from soaking vanilla beans in vodka for 8+ weeks (which you can make at home too!), Vanilla Paste is made from grinding the actual vanilla bean pods. Vanilla Paste is thicker than Vanilla Extract, provides a more intense vanilla flavor, and is full of those fancy luxe vanilla bean flecks that you’ll see in expensive, sophisticated desserts.
This Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste recipe does take some prep work, but it is SO so worth it. It’s much more potent in flavor than plain old vanilla extract and doesn’t contain any of the refined sugar or corn syrup typical to storebought brands (their first ingredient is usually sugar, not vanilla).
I know, you probably think I’m crazy. When 1 teaspoon of Vanilla Paste is spread out over an entire cake batter or marshmallow mix, that teaspoon of sugar is basically negligible! You’re right. But I still try to avoid processed white sugar whenever I can. The days of eating three Hersheys bars and a Snickers on a daily basis are over… so here I am, having made this AWESOME Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste and could not be happier!
Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste
Ingredients
- 30 Vanilla Beans
- 6 tbs Vanilla Extract (I used homemade!)
- 1⅔ cups Agave Nectar (or Vegetable Glycerine for a sugar-free version)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth (you can chop up the vanilla beans if you want to save some time).
- Place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the mixture inside.
- Press on the vanilla bean "pulp" to get as much liquid out. Pour the strained vanilla paste liquid into a jar and seal tightly (discard the pulp, or you can reuse it to steep in homemade vanilla extract). Store the vanilla paste in the fridge.
I am pleasantly surprised by the end result of this recipe. It looks and smells exactly like the storebought brands, but tastes soooo much better.
I love knowing exactly where my ingredients are coming from and how the final product is made. Get peace of mind knowing that you’re adding this quality vanilla paste to your baked goods, not a corn syrupy mix, along with the satisfaction of making such a great recipe at home!
If you’ve already made my Homemade Vanilla Extract and don’t know what to do with the leftover vanilla bean pods, DON’T THROW THEM AWAY! They are precious, precious gold. Use them to make this Homemade Vanilla Bean Paste!
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– Jess
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Indulge − no strings attached!
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Question… ive got some left over used vanilla beans from a bottle of vanilla i made several years ago, ran completely out just recently, tried adding some new vanilla to the beans to get more flavor out of them, then realized i was better off (for the vanilla’s sake heh) keeping it with the new beans, but i havent got the heart to just toss the old beans… they smell so GOOD! Ive got plenty of fresh beans for vanilla sugar, what i really want is something like vanilla paste, BUT im on a low carb diet. Im a severe brittle type 1 diabetic (i know, why am i on a dessert site? Found you searching for “vanilla paste” heh) soooo, if i just ground up what i have and pressed it through a sieve.. what would i have? Or maybe added a bit of sweetener like stevia? Or if i cooked it down to make it thicker? (prolly ruin it right?) glycerine is high carb, as is agave syrup (and actually my research says its not nearly as much better than refined sugar as most think.. its a highly processed product itself.. sorry, but if thats ok with you and you knew it, thats fine too, everyone has their own choices and knows whats best for their OWN bodies, in my opinion 🙂 just letting you know what ive read 🙂 ) so anyway, any ideas for me?
I totally understand! Tossing out vanilla beans seems like such a waste! I agree, you should definitely swap the glycerine and agave when you are worried about your blood sugar (although vanilla paste is usually used in tiny amounts spread throughout an entire recipe). I’m not sure of a great substitute for the syrup, but maybe try the following recipe:
-6 Vanilla Beans
-1 tbs + 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
-1/4 cup Water
-Sweetener equivalent to 1/2 cup (like 1/2 tsp liquid stevia extract)
The texture definitely won’t be the same, but it will get the job done in recipes! You’ll still get vanilla flavor and the pretty vanilla bean flecks 🙂
Hope this helps Marie!
-Jess
THANK YOU FOR SHARING!! HOW LONG WOULD YOU SAY IT WILL LAST AND HOW WOULD YOU STORE IT?
Alycia @ Food BlogIt-
This lasts quite some time as long as it’s stored in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge… I’d say ~6 months?
Happy baking! 🙂
-Jess
The vanilla beans I get are SO PLUMP and JUICY! Not too bad on the price either 🙂
Your site is really nice and unique. This is one of the best ideas that you had come up for the people and I do hope that they can have a better future.
I have never used vanilla bean paste before, but I just made a batch using your recipe. Vanilla bean paste is my new favorite thing! I looked at other recipes, but kept coming back to this one. Boy, am I so glad I used this one. The recipe is super simple and the result is something you just want to eat. My only advice is to keep pushing on the strainer to make sure you get every possible bit of vanilla bean paste goodness. I probably pushed and scrapped my strainer 15-20 times after I thought I got everything out only to find more vanilla paste. I’m going to the store today to get more agave nectar to use my remaining vanilla beans. Thank you a million times over for sharing your recipe!!!
Shenese-
YAY!! I’m SO glad to hear that 😀
Yes, definitely keep scraping away at that strainer because this Vanilla Paste is like GOLD! 😉
-Jess
Do you put the vanilla bean, pod and all in the food processor or do you scrape them first?
G.Smith-
Yup, you use the pod and all! No wasting involved, plus, it’s a lot easier 😉
-Jess
I added organic vanilla bean to my raw agave…is it still safe on the counter or should I refrigerate? YUM?
I would refrigerate it. Always be on the safe side! 😀
-Jess
Hi, can’t wait to make my own vanilla bean paste. Thanks for the recipe ? Could you use rice malt syrup instead of agave nectar?
Absolutely! Malt syrup would work just fine in place of the agave 😀
Hope you like the vanilla paste!
-Jess
I make my own vanilla extract at home.. could I use those beans that have been soaking in vodka to make this? Usually I just toss them after I use up the bottle – but this would be a perfect alternative! Quality vanilla bean paste for $14? I’d MUCH rather make it!
Yes you can! I make my own Vanilla Extract at home too, and I use the beans from that in this DIY Vanilla Paste 😀
-Jess
How long is the shelf life for your homemade vanilla paste??
If it’s stored in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge, then the vanilla paste will last quite some time… probably ~6 months or longer. Make sure to check the expiry date of your agave to double check how long that lasts 🙂
-Jess
Ahhh most delicious.
I make my own extract and a yummy vanilla liqueur, now to try paste.
I came here looking to make vanilla syrup, now it’s going to be a vanilla project weekend!
Hi
Looks amazing!
Can I use maple syrup instead of the agave nectar?
Thanks
Absolutely! Maple syrup will work just as well 🙂
When you say that we can save the pulp to steep, does that mean we can use the pulp instead of whole vanilla beans in the extract recipe? Or do we still need full beans?
I would always use fresh vanilla beans when making vanilla extract, but the vanilla bean pulp will definitely add a more intense flavor 🙂
Hi there –
How long does this last in the fridge? Would leftovers freeze, too? Any futures posts on what to do with it? I made this specifically for a scone recipe but don’t know what to do with the leftovers 🙂
This vanilla paste will last about 3 months if stored in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge. I use vanilla paste quite often in my recipes — it’s perfect in frostings, cheesecakes, and ice creams. This Healthy Strawberry Cheesecake Dip is probably one of the quickest recipes I have, and it’s delicious too! 🙂
-Jess
I like to get my vanilla beans at saffron.com aka Vanilla Saffron imports. They have great prices and quality for both of these expensive ingredients!
How long will this last? Do you have to store it in the refrigerator?
Yup, in the Instructions I say to store the vanilla paste in the fridge. It should keep for about 3 months if stored in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge 🙂
Hi there. Thank you for this great recipe! I have one question, please: In your footnote you say ‘I used the vanilla beans that I used to make my Homemade Vanilla Extract,” do you mean that you used them to make extract FIRST, or that you, as some of the other comments say, used the the pulp resulting from this recipe to then make your extract? Please advise. Thanks!
I make big batches of vanilla extract and after removing the beans from the bottles of finished product, I then use those beans to grind up and make this vanilla paste 🙂
Your recipe calls for Agave nectar which as someone who has to watch sugar doesn’t work. The only “no sugar” that doesn’t show up in your blood sugar are, Stevia and Erythritol granules.
Did you see the note marked **? Use vegetable glycerine if you’re avoiding sugar.
How much does the recipe make?
The recipe yields 2 cups 🙂
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Do you know if just ground vanilla will work? Can’t wait to try, I am famous for my cinnamon rolls because of my vanilla bean icing, but sick of the price AND the ingredients!
I doubt a blender or food processor could handle the hard, thick, and fibrous vanilla beans without the addition of any liquid ingredients. This DIY recipe yields vanilla paste just like the storebought kind, which is usually in a sugar syrup or corn syrup.
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I am a professional pastry chef, and must tell you that agave “nectar” is not healthy nor is it “natural. As a matter of fact, it actually identical in fructose to sucrose ratio to high fructose corn syrup (which is completely different from regular corn syrup). Agave syrup is a by-product of tequila distilling, and is very highly processed. There is absolutely nithing healthy about it and it is processed by the liver and behaves in the body just the way HFC does.
I must also point out that the chemical make-up of your mixture can affect baking outcomes because of tbe added sugar used in the paste (yes, a teaspoon too much CAN affect baking/confectionery results).
Also, you suggested a commentor swap out maple syrup or honey in your recipe. Again, this can affect product outcomes and also really affect taste.
How long will it store for?
Almost indefinitely! I’ve made huge batches before, stored it all in airtight jars in the fridge, and use them all throughout the entire year.
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I made homemade vanilla last year and left the vanilla beans in it. Can they still be used?
As long as the vanilla beans were stored in vodka or alcohol (a natural preservative) for the entire time, they should be fine to use! 🙂
Thank you so much for these recipes! I am allergic to corn, so can’t use commercial vanilla extract or paste. You have just given me a real boost!
What would be a good substitute for agave nectar?
I used agave because it has a very neutral flavor, but you can also use honey, pure maple syrup, brown rice syrup, or vegetable glycerine (for a sugar free/low carb version) 🙂
Would maple syrup would in place of agave or would that alter the taste too much?
You can definitely use maple syrup instead of agave, and at a 1:1 ratio… they’re equally as sweet 🙂
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Hi! At $18.99 for one small vanilla bean pod, may I ask how you source yours?
$18.99?? Where are you looking?! I get mine in bulk on Amazon.com — 25 beans for $60!
EDIT: I just rechecked the price and it went up to $90 (probably just temporary). But still, that’s better than $19/bean.
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AGAVE????? NEVER USE AGAVE!!!! IT CAN CAUSE DIABETES TO BE WORSE. I USE TO USE IT AND I GAINED A LOT OF WEIGHT AND I ONLY USED A FEW TEASPOONS A DAY AND IT’S HORRIBLE FOR A PERSON WITH DIABETES
Which is the exact reason why I provided ANOTHER option right there in the recipe (Vegetable Glycerine) if you don’t like agave.
30 vanilla beans??? That’s uber expensive. The Amazon link listed is only for 25 vanilla beans, meaning I would need to get 2 packs, for a total of $110. For vanilla paste. Really? Yeah I’m probably never going to make this. Sounds amazing, to be honest. But there is no way that I’m spending $100 on vanilla beans.
Or you could just look around on Amazon for the amount of beans you need. Or halve the recipe.
And if you go through as much vanilla extract and vanilla paste as I do, you’d know that this is actually SAVING you money in the end. Not only do you get 2 CUPS of vanilla paste, but if you first use the 30 beans to make Vanilla Extract, then you get 3¾ cups of extract too.
Doing the math:
3¾ cups of Nielsen Massey vanilla extract costs $187.
2 cups of Nielsen Massey vanilla paste costs $123.
…
3¾ cups of homemade vanilla extract costs roughly $195 (if you buy 2 packs of the 25 vanilla beans and use affordable vodka).
2 cups of homemade vanilla paste costs less than $10 (if you use the vanilla beans used from making vanilla extract and organic agave)
So $310 for store-bought vs. $205 for homemade. Homemade is clearly cheaper.
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You substitute sugar with agave nectar or glycerine because it’s more natural? That logic is flawed. Both of those products are more processed than sugar. If you’re tying to lessen the processed ingredients, evaporated cane juice or honey (although it gets processed inside a bee) would be better. Agave nectar is aguably worse than sugar and hardly better than HFCS.
No, actually I used agave because it’s a liquid and helps blend the vanilla beans into a paste better. I didn’t use honey because honey has a very strong flavor and agave is neutral. Obviously you can use whatever you want in this recipe, it’s your vanilla in your kitchen. But for me, I used agave because it doesn’t take away from the vanilla bean flavor 🙂
Hi! I was wondering if you could subsititue the agave nectar with a different sweetener such as honey or maple syrup? Thanks!
Of course! Any liquid sweetener will work here 🙂
Hope you like the vanilla paste Taylor!
This looks fantastic! How long does it last in the refrigerator?
I don’t have an exact expiry date, but I know it lasts QUITE some time since none of the ingredients expire quickly (and there is also a bit of alcohol remaining from the vanilla extract, which is a natural preservative).
I made a HUGE batch over 2 years ago and still use it to this day 🙂
So I use the entire pods, Right?
I don’t have to scrape out the beans?
And can I use a different sweetener
like honey?
Yes, you blend the pods! And also yes, you may use honey 🙂
Hope you like the recipe Carol!
Our vanilla vine are flowering! First time in 2 years the vines have been put in- so exciting.
I’m so jealous, I wish I was growing my own vanilla!!! That is so exciting 🙂 🙂 🙂