Vanilla Bean Sugar
Make your own vanilla bean sugar from scratch with only two ingredients. I will show you two simple ways to make this staple ingredient in less than five minutes with only two ingredients! There are also free printable labels for your homemade vanilla sugar jars.
I love how the subtle sweetness of the vanilla sugar balances out the tangy flavor of sourdough when I make sourdough chocolate chip cookies. But I can’t count the times when I craved something sweet only to learn mid recipe that I was short of vanilla bean sugar. That is why I created the perfect recipe I can make in bulk, so this never happens again.
What is vanilla sugar?
Vanilla bean sugar is granulated sugar infused with vanilla beans. It is one of my favorite baking ingredients and a staple ingredient in European dessert recipes. In the Netherlands and other European countries like Germany, you can buy it in packets, but it is super easy to make at home, plus homemade vanilla sugar tastes much better than store-bought.
Why you will love making vanilla bean sugar at home.
- Vanilla bean sugar is amazing in your favorite dessert recipes like cookies, cake, and ice cream. Vanilla sugar is perfect for when a liquid will ruin the texture, but you still want to add vanilla.
- You can use it to give extra flavor to beverages. Add it to coffee or cocktails instead of granulated sugar.
- It will last for months. In an airtight container, this pantry staple has a long shelf life, so you can make a large batch and keep it at hand for months.
- Perfect hostess gift. A jar of homemade vanilla bean sugar decorated with a handwritten note makes a great gift this holiday season.
You can also use a scraped vanilla bean after using the seeds for your favorite dessert!
Ingredients you need to make vanilla bean sugar
Vanilla: The flavor of the sugar really depends on the type of vanilla you use. If you’re lucky, you have access to a few different types of vanilla, and you can pick the best flavor for your dessert or drink. Madagascar Vanilla is the best available in most countries and is often regarded as the best vanilla to use in dessert recipes. It adds a rich, creamy flavor without being overpowering. For a mild floral flavor with a hint of anise, you want to use Tahitian vanilla. I’ve never been able to find it in the stores, but you can find it online. If you’re looking for a rich, almost spicy flavor to add to our bakes or drinks, you need Mexican vanilla. The strong flavors won’t work with every recipe, but they’re perfect for rich chocolate flavors. If that’s your goal, try our sourdough chocolate cookies and double chocolate sourdough muffins, or any recipe made with chocolate sourdough starter!
Sugar: For the best flavor you use granulated sugar. This doesn’t have a real flavor of its own, so the vanilla will be stronger. If you don’t want to use regular sugar, you can also make it with other types of sugar.
Other types of sugar you can use
- Brown sugar: The molasses in brown sugar gives it a rich caramel flavor. That, combined with the warm floral notes of the vanilla, makes vanilla sugar made with brown sugar the perfect combination for chocolate and winter desserts. Did you know you can also make brown sugar at home?
- Coconut sugar: Using coconut sugar gives your creations a tropical flavor! It is also a great option if you don’t want to use refined sugar.
- Powdered sugar: To make powdered sugar vanilla sugar, you can use store-bought powdered sugar or confectioners’ sugar, but because the crystals are so small, they are more prone to clumping. That is why I like to make it with granulated sugar and pulse it in a food processor until the sugar is fine enough. You can put it through a sieve to take out any larger crusts if you want the sugar to be extra fine.
- Sugar-free vanilla sugar: If you don’t want to use any type of sugar, you can still enjoy your favorite desserts. Use any granulated sweetener to make sugar-free vanilla bean sugar. Depending on the brand or type, it can take a little longer for all the flavors to develop.
How to make vanilla bean sugar
Making vanilla bean sugar from scratch is definitely one of the easiest recipes on our blog. I like to cut my vanilla bean in half. This way, you have more surface for the sugar to extract the flavor from, but you can add the vanilla bean whole if you want to. You can also cut the beans into smaller pieces to fit your container, but I like to keep them long because you can use them to make vanilla extract when the sugar is done!
Once that’s done, all you have to do is add the sugar and vanilla bean halves to a container. I like to use a glass jar to keep moisture out and to make it easier to see whether I still have enough vanilla bean sugar or need to make more. Glass is also easier to clean than a plastic container! No matter what you end up using, make sure it has a tight lid.
How long does it take?
Making vanilla sugar by adding a whole vanilla bean to a jar of granulated sugar takes at least 2 weeks, but it yields the best flavor. It takes this long because the vanilla’s essential oils need time to be absorbed by the sugar crystals. The longer the vanilla sits in the jar, the more flavor the sugar will absorb. That’s why I like to make a big batch and add vanilla beans and sugar when I’m running low or when I make a dessert where I only need the seeds.
Quick methods
If you need a batch of vanilla sugar and you don’t have time to let the vanilla infuse into the sugar, there are a few ways to make a fresh batch of vanilla sugar in just a few minutes. Keep in mind that, with these methods, the vanilla flavor will be less strong because it hasn’t had the time to infuse into the sugar. That’s why I prefer using whole vanilla beans if I have the time.
Method 1: Vanilla bean seeds
If you want your sugar to have little black specks, like when you scrape a vanilla bean, you want to use this method. To do this, you cut the beans in half and scrape the seeds (vanilla caviar) out of the pods with a knife. Add the sugar and vanilla seeds to a food processor. Pulse until the vanilla caviar is completely incorporated into the sugar. This method also works with vanilla powder, but when you use powder, you don’t have to add it to a food processor; you simply stir the powder into the sugar.
Method 2: Vanilla bean paste
You can also make vanilla sugar with vanilla bean paste. It is much like the previous method, but it has a stronger vanilla flavor. Add the sugar with one tablespoon of vanilla paste to a food processor and Pulse until combined. Because vanilla paste contains more moisture, the sugar can clump, so stir it every now and then to break up the clumps.
Method 3: Vanilla extract
When you use vanilla extract, there is an extra step. like with paste or seeds you want to mix the sugar and vanilla extract in a foor processor to make sure the vanilla extract is evenly distributed trhouought the sugar and there are no clumps but because these is a lot of moisture in the extract it is a good idea to let the vanilla sugar dry on a baking skeet before adding to a air tight container. This will prevent the sugar from clumping and add to its shelf life.
How to reuse a vanilla bean
I’ve mentioned it above, but you can also reuse a vanilla bean after you remove the seeds when you make a dessert, or leftover beans after making vanilla extract. This is a great way to make it more cost-effective, and it helps to reduce food waste! It does take a little more time when you make this recipe with reused vanilla beans, but the flavor will be just as good.
When you have pods that you’ve used to make vanilla extract, you need to let them dry before adding them to the sugar. Just rinse them off and lay them on a cooling rack in a well-ventilated place for a few days until dry before you start.
The perfect ratio
European vanilla sugar has a strong vanilla flavor. That’s why I like to add 1 or 2 vanilla beans per cup of sugar. This comes close to the flavor I’ve grown up with, without the slightly artificial taste of the packets at home. If you want a more subtle vanilla flavor, add 1 bean to 2 cups of granulated sugar. When you want to replace sugar with vanilla sugar in a recipe, I recommend using a milder ratio because vanilla can be a bit overpowering.
Create the perfect hostess gift by adding the sugar to small 4 oz jars! To make your homemade vanilla bean sugar extra special I’ve created labels you can print and add to make your gift extra special.
How to use vanilla bean sugar
You can use it to replace granulated sugar in bakes, as a crust topping when you make your favorite apple pie, use it to roll your cookies in to give them a crunchy texture like sourdough sugar cookies or snickerdoodles, in pie crust to give it extra flavor, to sweeten srinks like coffee, thee or cocktails, and to balance out the flavor of your favorite sourdough recipes like sourdough chocolate chip muffins, sourdough banana pancakes and sourdough bundt cake.
tips
- Use used vanilla pods. When you scrape out the seeds for your favorite dessert, you can still use the pod! Just stick it in your sugar jar and let the flavors infuse for at least two weeks.
- Make sure the sugar and your jar are completely dry. This will prevent the vanilla sugar from clumping together.
- Rub the vanilla into the sugar. This will extract more flavor, like when you make lemon sugar or orange sugar!
You Asked, I Answered
Yes! You can replace granulated sugar 1:1 with vanilla bean sugar. For a less strong flavor, I recommend replacing half.
When your vanilla sugar forms small clumps, it means there is moisture in the jar. This can be the result of adding the vanilla bean, paste, or extract, but it can also be due to moisture in your environment. Let the sugar air dry and press out the small lumps, or add the dried sugar to a food processor before adding it back to the jar.
The black specks you often see in vanilla-flavored desserts come from the seeds or vanilla caviar. Because we let the flavor infuse into the sugar, it won’t have those little specs when you use a whole bean, paste, or extract.
When you run out of vanilla bean sugar and you don’t have time to make it from scratch, the best option is to replace it with granulated sugar and a vanilla extract or vanilla paste.
How to store homemade vanilla bean sugar
Homemade vanilla bean sugar will keep for at least a year, but mine never lasts that long. I don’t see why you can’t stay fresh after that, but you should check the sugar package for an expiration date. It is important to store it in an airtight container to prevent the sugar from forming clumps. You don’t have to remove the vanilla pods, but they will lose most of their flavor after a while. If you want to can take out the old bwans and replace them with fresh ones.
More ways to use vanilla bean sugar
Vanilla Bean Sugar
Equipment
- 1 glass container
Ingredients
- 1 vanilla bean
- 1 cup granulated sugar
Instructions
- Cut the vanilla bean in half.
- Add the bean and a cup of granulated sugar to an airtight container and mix until the vanilla is covered.
- Let it rest in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks so the vanilla can infuse into the sugar. Give it a stir every once in a while to prevent clumping.
So much better than store bought! And I love that I can reuse my vanilla beans with this recipe, since vanilla beans are almost more expensive than gold, haha!