Imitation vanilla vs vanilla extract Reddit

Imitation vanilla is basically vanillin and coloring in alcohol. Sometimes ethylvanillin is also used, which has a stronger flavor.

True vanilla extract is dozens of compounds in alcohol. While vanillin is the primary flavor, there are secondary organics in there that add complexity and depth to the flavor.

For things where the vanilla is a background or supplementary note (brownies, etc) vanillin is an ok substitute. For things where vanilla is a primary flavor, I would never use the fake stuff.

Personally, I find the fake stuff to be pretty cloying, and avoid it as much as possible.

In a commercial setting where cost is a huge factor, I'd probably be more willing to compromise... but if I'm putting in the effort to make a batch of something, then I don't want low-quality ingredients to bring the dish down. Why settle for mediocre -- it'd be cheaper to buy mediocre at the store.

I need vanilla, but the truth is that extract is kind of pricey and the biggest bottle I can find is only about 4 ounces which runs up in most places to anywhere between 7 - 10 USD. On the other hand, "Imitation Vanilla Flavoring" is commonly sold in 8 ounce bottles and is only ~3 USD. I'm usually skeptical about these things being so much cheaper and having so much more in them. Is there any downside to using imitation vanilla? Why is it so much cheaper than actual vanilla extract? Does it taste better or worse? Is there any difference at all? I've never tried using it before but I really, really want to bake some cookies, lol.

hi all, this is my first time posting in this sub, so not sure if my question belongs here or maybe another sub, but lmk!!

In my area pure vanilla extract tends to be pretty expensive and hard to find, especially over the last year. However I really like baking with vanilla extract or adding vanilla flavorings to my coffee, yogurt bowls, etc. My local grocery store sells an 8oz bottle of Baker’s Imitation Vanilla Flavor (see below) for 98¢ and the ingredients didn’t look that bad. But, maybe I’m just naive? Will this work okay in baked goods and such or is it a waste?

Bakers Imitation Vanilla Flavor

I always fancied myself as someone who knows their way around the kitchen and while browsing Facebook i happened across someone baking chocolate chip cookies for a culinary presentation and using artificial vanilla instead of the real deal. I poked some light humor at them about it since they were a "culinary management" major and they absolutely lost their shit on me which i did not expect, going on a long rant about how it doesn't matter.

i really didn't think about reading much into it but them losing their mind over something like that got me curious so i began to look it up on the internet. the internet seems fairly split on opinions on using it, with some write ups saying people couldn't tell the difference, while others would state that the artificial stuff has an off flavor and should only be used in case of emergencies.

personally, I've stayed away from the artificial stuff for the most part, as growing up we always used the real extract in the kitchen and it's a habit that has stuck with me. i have tried using artificial in the kitchen, but i feel that i lack a discerning tongue to tell a difference in most dishes, and I've yet to make any recipes which would have the vanilla be the primary taste.

some of these comments on discussions always asked about using vanilla beans and paste, which i am also curious interested in learning about if anyone has any experience using these.

so i guess in summary for my question, is there a significant difference in taste and results of recipes between using the artificial and real vanilla?

So growing up we always had pure vanilla from Mexico, and that is what my mom used. I have a bottle and use it in place of extract, but I am wondering if that is right. Should it be a one to one ratio or should I change it? Nothing has ever tasted funny, but I am wondering if it could be better if I used it correctly.

level 1

You can use the "fake" (artificial) or lower-quality real (cheaper but natural) stuff for any high-heat application. I think of it similar to olive oil: if you wouldn't use a good extra virgin (because it would burn or be unnoticeable), don't use the expensive vanilla. The "good part" of the expensive real brands, those real nice aromatics you can smell in the bottle, burns off easily at any high heat. So I don't use "the good stuff" in batters to bake or sauces to boil. I do use it in almost-finished products where no heat will be added: Add to custard or sauce at the final moments once it's chilling; add to mousses or icings that are never heated. This works well for me and does save money, since I bake a lot! Edit: Yes, one-to-one if you're talking liquid. Same strength.

level 2

Thank you. This is really helpful.

level 1

I wonder if there is any difference?

The thing that I would call "pure vanilla" would be just a big knife-full of bean seeds scraped from a moist vanilla bean pod.

Anything in liquid is an extract by definition, although many could be weaker or stronger than others or made with different alcohols.

level 2

Indeed. I think what OP is asking (?) is about artificial vanilla flavor, which just ain't the same. There's also double strength vanilla at Penzey's.

But /u/NinjaMom728, unless I had a compelling reason otherwise, if a recipe calls for vanilla or vanilla extract, I'd use vanilla extract. A recipe that calls for vanilla bean contents will so specify, as will a recipe that calls for double-strength vanilla (which I've never seen such a recipe). I tend to like the flavor so I'd bump up the vanilla quotient as a general rule.

level 2

I am really not sure there is a difference. It's just one of those things I have always done, because that is how it was always done. :)

level 1

the difference between vanilla from Mexico and vanilla sold in the US can be huge. Does that mean it is the wrong type? No. Many of the Mexican vanillas seem to have many more floral notes making them more like a Tahitian vanilla extract. What is typically sold as vanilla in the US is a Bourbon extract and they generally do not specify that it is a Bourbon extract but if it is Tahitian, they will specify and upcharge for it.

The only other thing to be careful with Mexican vanilla, it can contain coumarin which is toxic.

level 1

This is what Taste of Home has to say...

Pure vanilla extract contains a defined level of natural vanilla and a minimum of 35% alcohol, by FDA standards. Imitation vanilla extracts are made with synthetic vanilla, called vanillin, a manufactured flavor that replicates the natural vanilla flavoring agent. Tip: Alcohol in Extracts - Taste of Home www.tasteofhome.com/cooking-tips/ask.../alcohol-in-extractsTaste of Home

Now a guy at the county fair at the watkins booth was on this side too. He said the only difference was the alcohol content. Real has more.

level 1

Just FYI, you can buy cheap, excellent quality vanilla beans on eBay. Even make your own extract if you want!

level 1

I read a particularly interesting book on food science, What Einstein Told His Cook.

The writer is actually a chemist AND a chef, and he says there is no practical difference between artificial vanilla and the extract.

Unlike the much more complex chocolate... only one chemical is responsible for vanilla's smell and taste. That chemical is called, not surprisingly, vanillin, and we synthesize it perfectly. :)

TMYK.

level 1

If it's a liquid in a bottle, it's an extract. The only thing that might vary is the strength. The only "pure" vanilla is the beans, whole or ground.

According to my friend and longtime supplier Patricia Rain, nearly everything sold as "pure Mexican vanilla" is imitation. I have a bottle of the OP's brand in my kitchen (I keep it to educate people with side-by-side sniff tests with the real deal) that a well-meaning friend gave me; it's got "pure" all over it and it reeks of nothing but coumarin.

That aside, both pure and artifical extracts vary in quality. If you've got got an artificial flavouring with a high concentration of vanillin, it's probably better for many applications than crappy-quality pure extract, as others have noted in this thread.

Edit: typos

level 1

Serious eats tested this a while back. As I recall, there wasn't a noticeable difference between extract, pure and the really cheap 'vanilla flavouring'.

level 1

For the record this is the brand I have at home. I have the dark vanilla, but I have used both this and the clear.

Is imitation vanilla as good as vanilla extract?

Is there a big difference between imitation vanilla extract and pure vanilla extract?

What happens when you drink imitation vanilla extract?