How to Make Vanilla Powder

Name: How to Make Vanilla Powder
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 10 min
Ingredients: 5 vanilla beans

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Close your eyes for a second and imagine the sweet smell and taste of vanilla. If you’re looking for a more intense way to enjoy that sensation, you are going to want to give vanilla powder a try.

The good news is, you can infuse your baking and beverages with more of that sweet vanilla aroma and taste if you switch from vanilla extract to powder.

Vanilla powder in a glass jar with cork top.

Unadulterated, pure vanilla powder (without the alcohol found in extract) is the secret ingredient used by a lot of professional bakers. Follow this tutorial to learn how to make vanilla powder at home!

Table of Contents

Step #1. Gather Ingredients

In this tutorial, we will teach you how to make vanilla powder for immediate use or for storage. You will need only one ingredient: vanilla beans. You will also need something to process the vanilla beans into a fine or coarse powder (depending on your preference), like a coffee grinder.

One vanilla bean pod is only going to make enough vanilla powder for a few recipes, depending on what you are using it for. I suggest grinding a few vanilla beans at one time and then storing the rest for later use, as the powder can last for a long time.

Step #2. Cut a Slit into the Beans

Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Cut a slit into the beans lengthwise and open them slightly.

Step #3. Bake the Vanilla Beans

Vanilla beans pods sitting in a baking tray.

Place the vanilla beans on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes.

Step #4. Let Them Cool

Take them out of the oven and wait until they cool.

Step #5. Cut into Small Pieces

Chopping vanilla bean pod with a serrated knife on cutting board.

Cut the vanilla pods into small pieces.

Chopped vanilla bean pods on a cutting board.

Step #6. Grind into a Powder

Process the baked vanilla pods in a coffee grinder or blender until you get a fine powder.

Step #7. Store

Your vanilla powder is now ready to use. You can store it in an airtight container, tightly closed, in a cool, dark place like a cupboard or pantry.

Ways to Use Vanilla Powder

Now that you know how to make vanilla powder, have a little fun with it.

1/2 teaspoon vanilla powder = 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

You can replace vanilla extract in your recipes with vanilla powder.
Mix it into buttercreams and frostings.
Just a pinch of vanilla powder mixed with sea salt creates the perfect topping for cookies or caramels.
You can also add it to your sugar jar for some vanilla-flavored sugar. It is a great way to coat fried items like doughnuts or churros.
Add it to your homemade ice cream or whipped cream.
You can add it to cake batter and cookie dough.
Stir it into your coffee, tea or other hot beverages.
Combine it with ground coffee. Or, take your dried vanilla bean pods and add them to your grinder with coffee beans. Simply grind them up together and the result is homemade French vanilla coffee.
Blend it into smoothies and shakes.

Health Benefits of Vanilla Powder

Not only does it taste and smell great, it has some health benefits too.

rich in antioxidants
anti-inflammatory
contains vanillin, which has shown to lower bad cholesterol and reduce depression
contains fiber and trace amounts of essential minerals like magnesium, manganese, calcium, zinc and potassium

Tips

Once you are done experimenting, store your vanilla powder in a plastic or glass jar. Typically, it is best to keep ground vanilla in a dark area like a closet or cupboard that is not too close to the stove or microwave. You never want to refrigerate vanilla powder because it will dry out the mixture and ruin the oils.

If stored correctly, vanilla powder should last for about 2 years, so you can make one large batch and save yourself some future hassle.

Some of Our Recipes you can use this ingredient in: