Best Ground Vanilla

Ground Vanilla 411: Tips, Advice and Recipes

Let’s talk ground vanilla!

Ground vanilla is a relative newcomer to the vanilla category; most folks are more familiar with the more popular vanilla types for baking: vanilla extract, for example.

In fact, there are five basic types of vanilla for use in baking. Here is a quick 411:

1. Vanilla Extract: alcohol based. This is the least expensive option. To make extract, vanilla beans are soaked in alcohol for a period of time. Best in baked goods as the alcohol cooks off. Not very intense flavor. Our round-up of the best vanilla extracts is here.
2. Vanilla beans: seed pods of vanilla orchids. The best vanilla beans should be soft and flexible. In baking, vanilla beans are split open and the interior seeds and pulp are scraped out—this can be added to baked goods, ice cream and more. The pod itself can be used in liqueurs or to flavor sugar. Vanilla beans are the most expensive option. We ranked the best vanilla beans in this article.
3. Vanilla powder: extract is sprayed onto sugar or maltodextrin and then dried. Vanilla powder can be a substitute for extract in baking and can be added to coffee, tea, hot cocoa, smoothies, etc. More expensive than extract. Our picks for vanilla powder are in this article.
4. Vanilla paste: combination of vanilla beans and vanilla extract ground into a paste. More intense than extract or vanilla powder. When used in ice cream, you can see the flecks of the bean. Expensive. We wrote an article about vanilla paste here.
5. Ground vanilla: the entire pod is dried and ground into a fine powder. Grown vanilla can be substituted for extract, paste or powder. Has very intense vanilla flavor and gives the flecks of vanilla bean people like. Can be sprinkled on food (like oatmeal, French toast), used in spice rubs or added to food like smoothies and even savory dishes for a unique flavor. Has a very long shelf life. 

We did a blind taste test with 8 brands of ground vanilla to find the best bets.

Here are a couple of the brands we tried in our test kitchen:

Before we get to a winner, here is a recipe for Vanilla Bean Coconut Dream Ice Cream. You’re welcome!

Recipe: Vanilla Bean Coconut Dream Ice Cream

Ingredients 

• 2 14-oz. cans coconut cream
• ½ cup maple syrup 
• ½ tsp Native Vanilla bean powder
• 2 tsp Native Vanilla paste 
• A pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. Put your ice cream churning bowl in the freezer to chill overnight.  
2. The next day, add the coconut cream, maple syrup, Native Vanilla powder, Native Vanilla paste, and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Add extra vanilla and/or syrup to meet desired sweetness. 
3. Transfer this mixture to the churning bowl and churn for about 45 minutes. It should look like soft serve when it is done churning. 
4. Add the mixture to a freezer-safe container. Smooth out the top. 
5. Cover the container and freeze until ice cream is firm – about 5 hours. 
6. Enjoy by itself or on top of a warm brownie!
7. Pro-tip: For best results, limit the amount of time the ice cream is left out at room temperature!

Recipe and photo credit: Native Vanilla

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

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