From our kitchen to yours

Vanilla recipes.
Something delicious.

Four ways to put real vanilla to work—from a quick finishing touch to a slow-steeped pantry favorite.

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Tap a recipe title to open or close it. Photos show serving inspiration; your finished dish may look different.

Vanilla Whipped Cream

About 10 minutes · About 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cold heavy cream
  • 2–4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
  • ¾ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Method

  1. Chill a mixing bowl and whisk for at least 5 minutes.
  2. Whisk the cold cream and vanilla until foamy, then sift in the sugar.
  3. Continue whisking until the cream holds soft, billowy peaks. Stop before it turns grainy.
  4. Spoon over berries or dessert. Serve promptly, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Vanilla tip: Our oak-barrel-finished extract adds a warm aromatic note.

Recipe adapted from David Turner / King Arthur Baking.

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Buttery Vanilla Shortbread

15 min prep · 35–40 min bake · About 16 pieces

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (227 g) salted butter, cool room temperature
  • 1 cup (113 g) confectioners’ sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon table salt
  • 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour

Method

  1. Heat oven to 325°F. Grease and parchment-line an 8-inch square or 9-inch round pan.
  2. Beat butter, sugar, vanilla and salt together. Mix in flour until a firm dough forms; if needed, add up to 1 tablespoon water.
  3. Press evenly into the pan and prick all over with a fork.
  4. Bake 35–40 minutes, until lightly golden with darker edges. Cool 5–10 minutes, cut while warm and transfer to a rack.

Serve with tea, coffee or fresh berries. Store well wrapped for up to a week.

Recipe adapted from PJ Hamel / King Arthur Baking.

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Vanilla Panna Cotta

15 min prep · 4+ hr chill · 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons powdered unflavored gelatin
  • 3 tablespoons cold water
  • Fresh berries, to serve

Method

  1. Sprinkle gelatin over the cold water in a heatproof bowl. Leave 5–10 minutes to soften.
  2. Warm cream and sugar in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
  3. Pour the very warm cream over the softened gelatin and stir until completely dissolved.
  4. Divide among four dessert glasses. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, until set. Add berries just before serving.

Keep chilled. This is a convenient dessert to prepare up to two days ahead.

Recipe scaled and adapted from David Lebovitz, based on Judy Witts’ panna cotta.

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Homemade Vanilla Extract

10 min prep · 12 weeks or longer · Starts with 8 fl oz alcohol

Ingredients

  • 1 oz (28 g) whole vanilla beans, weighed
  • 8 fl oz (1 cup / about 240 ml) 80-proof vodka
  • Clean, dry glass jar or bottle with a tight lid and space for beans and alcohol

Method

  1. Split each bean lengthwise to expose the seeds. Cut into shorter pieces if needed to fit the jar.
  2. Add beans and vodka. Keep every bean submerged, close tightly and label with the start date.
  3. Store in a cool, dark cupboard. Shake regularly; check that the beans stay covered. Do not heat the alcohol.
  4. Begin checking aroma after about 12 weeks. A fuller flavor takes longer—often 6–12 months. Use when the flavor suits your baking.

Scale by weight: 1 oz beans per 8 fl oz alcohol; 4 oz beans per quart; 16 oz beans per gallon. Bean counts vary, so a scale is more dependable.

The Vanilla Love USA classic, reorganized for easier use.

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Recipe & photo credits

The three added recipes are concise adaptations linked to their original authors above. Serving photographs are illustrative, not photographs of our own recipe tests.