Vanilla Bean Paste
Never heard of it? I didn’t either until I embarked on my vanilla rabbit hole. I LOVE vanilla bean paste, and you will, too!! Easy to make slightly better with a high powered blender like a Vitamix, but instructions for a Food Processor & standard Blender is included as well. Replace 1 for 1 for vanilla extract. Uses the entire bean, but creates a vanilla product that is ready immediately (unlike extract). And its like wine- it gets better with age!
If you love our recipes- check out our divine confections we make on our storefront (we ship!)
Ingredients
This recipe is for paste using extracted beans with no seeds (caviar)
- 8 oz empty, extracted vanilla bean pods (weighed after extraction)
- Notes: if using fresh beans, use 4.5oz of beans if; using ground vanilla bean powder use 2.5 oz of powder, if using extracted beans with caviar use 7.5oz (weighed after extraction).
- 8 oz sugar
- 14 oz of alcohol (fluid oz I prefer dark spiced rum)
- 2 oz of invert sugar (fluid oz, most easy to find is corn syrup- at Rosemallow we make our own invert sugar and use that instead)
- 1/2 tsp of xantham gum powder (can be excluded, but paste will be much more runny)
- Note: xantham gum & invert sugar can be replaced with 2 oz of honey
Yield is approximately 32 oz
Note: I strongly suggest borrowing or using an extremely high powdered blended like a Vitamix. It will pulverize the beans almost immediately and create a beautiful paste. We borrow our good friends Lisa & Manuel’s when we make it.
Instructions for a Vitamix
- Put all ingredients except xantham gum in the blender. Put the top on and make sure its sealed tight.
- Slowly increase the speed of the blender until it is on high.
- Blend on high for 1-2 minutes until the beans are completely ground up.
- Turn blender off, slowly add in the xantham gum at a low speed.
- Make sure blender is sealed up completely and grind it again on high speed for 1-2 minutes.
- Jump to storage instructions for final steps.
Instructions for a Food Processor used with a standard Blender
- in a food processor add the vanilla beans. Grind for approximately 1-1.5 min.
- Add 2 oz of alcohol to vanilla beans. Grind for approximately 1-1.5 min.
- Scrape sides, add 2 oz more of alcohol to vanilla beans. Grind for approximately 1-1.5 min.
- Scrape sides, add 1/2 the sugar to the bean mixture. Grind for approximately 1-1.5 min.
- Scrape sides, slowly add 4 oz of alcohol to the mixture. Grind for approximately 1-1.5 min.
- Scrape sides, add other half of sugar to the mixture. Grind for approximately 1-1.5 min.
- Scrape sides, add invert sugar or honey to mixture. Grind for approximately 1-1.5 min.
- Transfer mixture to standard blender. Add the remaining alcohol. Blend for 3-7 min checking the consistency every minute or so to see if the consistency is VERY smooth and has VERY little fibers/chunks.
- Follow Storage Instruction steps.
Storage Instructions
- Pour into a large, wide mouthed mason jar, put a lid on it. DO NOT water bathe or pressure cook these to SEAL- it is VERY dangerous AND unnecessary!!!
- Label with date.
- It will last on the counter for multiple months.
- Like extract it will get better with time.
- Look at the GF recipe blog for other recipes to maximize use of these precious beans
If you love our recipes- check out our divine confections we make on our storefront (we ship!)
8 comments
I’d like to make the vanilla bean paste recipe. I’ve got the beans, but am confused. What do you mean by empty ones? Do I squeeze out the caviar? If so, can you suggest a use for it.
Thanks!
Where` can one find “invert” sugar? I’ve never heard of it. Also you said the invert sugar and xanthum gum can be replaced with honey. It that 2oz. honey for each item it replaces, or 2oz. total please? Thanks so very much!
When you say “empty” extracted pods, do you mean I should squeeze out the liquid caviar inside the bean before weighing the beans and making paste?
Just made this for the first time today! I wonder why I was scared to try—your steps were so easy to understand. I used whole extracted beans and question if I should have reduced the liquid a smidge? My yield was 34 oz. I’m sure it will be fine! Thank you.
I have three different vanilla pastes. Tonight I did a taste test with the family and made vanilla mug cakes. They all were good but this Rosemallow recipe was the hands down winner. No one could really explain why, it just was a little deeper and more vanilla forward tasting. Looking forward to trying the updated version with honey! Lani you are the best!