With just 2 ingredients, this vanilla sugar recipe is so simple and easy to make at home. Only 5 minutes needed! Tips shared for choosing the right vanilla bean for making incredible homemade vanilla sugar.
What is Vanilla Sugar Used For?
Vanilla sugar is incredibly versatile.
I keep a small jar in my baking cabinet (next to the spices) and use it for just about anything: sprinkled over juicy, ripe strawberries, stirred into oatmeal, and mixed into strong coffee and tea. It’s great on waffles,apple tarts and panettone, and it makes the best cinnamon toast on warm sourdough bread. Every time I open the jar, I’m hit with the most wonderful, sweet aroma…
But here’s the best part: vanilla sugar is practical enough for everyday use but equally as impressive to give as gifts. It’s easy, fast and incredibly satisfying to make.
Another important factor to consider is cost. Vanilla beans are pricey! To save a few bucks, Native Vanilla has some bulk price options (i.e. 10 vanilla beans for $12.99 with free shipping!). The quality is excellent.
What’s the difference between Grade A & Grade B vanilla?
Grade A vanilla beans are considered high quality or “gourmet” because they’re soft, plump, shiny and have a high moisture content. They’re also expensive.
Grade B is typically best because of its low moisture content- the sugar won’t clump up when the mixture is combined. The vanilla beans still pack plenty of pure vanilla flavor, and as an added bonus, they cost less than Grade A beans.
How tO store vanilla Sugar & Vanilla Beans
Vanilla sugar will keep indefinitely when stored in an airtight jar. In fact, the longer it sits the better it will taste!
As for the vanilla beans, cover tightly in plastic or wax wrap. This is important so they don’t dry out.
TIP: As your vanilla sugar supply dwindles down, top it off with more sugar and deseeded vanilla pods as you collect them.
Where Can I Buy Those Cute Jars?!
This recipe fits perfectly into 4 oz (125 ml) latch top jars (pictured here).
Here a a few options to choose from, similar to mine. You can also purchase in bulk from a restarant supply store.
*This post contains affiliate links. Thanks for the support friends!
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Author:Emilie Raffa
Prep Time:5
Total Time:5 minutes
Yield:2 cups
Category:Dessert
Method:One-Bowl
Cuisine:American
Diet:Vegan
Print Recipe
Description
Using only 2 ingredients, this vanilla sugar recipe is so simple and easy to make at home. All you need is 5 minutes! It’s perfect to spice up your everyday oatmeal, yet impressive enough to give as homemade gifts. For best flavor allow the sugar to infuse for up to 2 weeks or more.
2.) I use a food processor to infuse the vanilla into the sugar- it’s the quickest way to infuse the flavor. Alternatively, it can be mixed by hand.
Instructions
Slice the vanilla beans in half lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds in a downward motion using the back of a small paring knife. Reserve the empty pods.
Add the sugar to the bowl of a food processor. Add the vanilla seeds.
Pulse until well incorporated. Pour into jars or a large airtight container. Submerge the reserved vanilla pods into the sugar (cut in half to fit, if necessary). For best flavor, allow the sugar to infuse for up to 2 weeks or more.
Substitute vanilla extract for vanilla in a 1:1 ratio for the vanilla flavor however add some extra sugar. To mimic the flavor and texture of vanilla sugar, mix ¼ teaspoon of vanilla extract with one tablespoon of granulated sugar and substitute it for one tablespoon of vanilla sugar.
Vanilla sugar is a simple recipe of granulated sugar infused with vanilla beans. There is nothing quite as simple or versatile as homemade vanilla sugar. Vanilla sugar in baking can be utilized in a variety of desserts; from apple pies, snickerdoodles and crème brûlée to light and airy pavlova's.
Using Vanilla Extract Instead of Vanilla Sugar: One teaspoon of vanilla extract is the equivalent of 1 1/2 teaspoons of homemade vanilla sugar, or 1 teaspoon of commercially made vanilla sugar.
You can replace one sachet of vanilla sugar with 1-2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Vanilla sugar is less common in the UK and the US, but is easy to make at home.
However, as a general guideline, most recipes call for between 1 and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract per batch. Using more than 2 teaspoons can result in an overpowering flavor that may be too strong for some tastes.
About 1.5 teaspoons of homemade vanilla sugar equals a packet, which is typically what is called for in German recipes. You can easily round up to 2 teaspoons, if you want a sweeter, stronger taste. Technically, 1.5 teaspoons is 0.25 ounces and 2 teaspoons is 0.33 ounces. Most packets contain 0.28 to 0.32 ounces.
Vanilla sugar is actually a pretty simple one, in that it should theoretically never go “bad.” Neither sugar nor vanilla contains any ingredients that will go rancid or bad, in a traditional sense, so if nothing else creeps into your storage container then you should be safe to eat vanilla sugar forever!
While vanilla sugar is made of sucrose (household sugar) and crushed vanilla beans and/or vanilla extract, vanillin sugar is a mixture of sucrose and vanillin [3]. The latter is considerably more favorably priced and can be found as a standard baking ingredient in almost every supermarket.
Vanilla sugar can be kept indefinitely when stored in an airtight container or jar. in fact, the vanilla flavor will get stronger the longer you let the mixture sit just like it does with vanilla extract. For the best flavor, allow the sugar to infuse for at least 2 weeks.
If a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, you can swap in 2 teaspoons of imitation vanilla or vanilla flavoring to get a similar flavor. So, no matter what extract you haveon hand, it should be easy to get that warm, vanilla flavor you love in your baked and non–baked treats!
My go-to substitute for vanilla extract is maple syrup. It has the same sweet aroma, and it does a pretty good job of mimicking vanilla's mellow flavor. Use the same amount of maple syrup as you would vanilla, and you'll barely notice the difference. (This is why vanilla is so expensive.)
Besides using it to sweeten your coffee and tea beverages, I recommend using homemade vanilla sugar as a 1:1 replacement for regular granulated sugar in recipes where vanilla is the prominent flavor and not overshadowed by more flavorful ingredients.
How to Use: Add 1 to a few teaspoons of vanilla extract to your favorite sweet batters and custards before baking. While vanilla extract works in almost every recipe, it's most ideal for cakes, brownies and cookies.
You can use 1 Tablespoon of vanilla paste or vanilla extract per 1 cup of sugar, but both add color and quite a bit of moisture to your sugar. This moisture will affect your baking recipes. You could dry spreading the wet and clumpy sugar on a baking sheet to help it dry out, but the results won't be the same.
In baked goods - Substitute plain sugar with vanilla sugar in bakes. You can make a 1:1 substitution in any recipe that calls for sugar. Cakes, cookies, pies...you name it! It's best used in recipes that don't have another flavor component that will overpower the flavor of the vanilla.
Introduction: My name is Van Hayes, I am a thankful, friendly, smiling, calm, powerful, fine, enthusiastic person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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