What's the Difference between Vanilla Extract and Vanilla Flavor?

Vanilla is one of the most popular ingredients in baking and dessert. Its distinctive aroma and flavor can give a special touch to cakes, drinks, and ice cream. However, when reading recipes or buying baking ingredients, Peekay Pals may be confused when they see two different terms: vanilla extract and vanilla flavor. Then, what exactly is the difference between the two? Let's see the full information below.

1. Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is the result of the process of soaking real vanilla beans (vanilla pod) in alcohol and water for some time. This process extracts the natural flavor and aroma of the vanilla bean, resulting in a dark brown liquid with a deep and complex characteristic aroma.

Due to the use of natural ingredients and the long extraction time, vanilla extract has a complex, delicate and distinctive flavor. The color of the liquid is generally dark brown, and is used by many professional chefs to produce an authentic vanilla aroma in cakes, pastries, or desserts.

2. Vanilla Flavor

Vanilla flavor, also known as vanilla essence, is an artificial product designed to mimic the taste of vanilla. It is usually made from synthetic chemicals such as vanillin, the main compound that gives vanilla its flavor.

Vanilla flavor does not go through the process of soaking real vanilla beans, so production is faster and costs less. Although the aroma resembles vanilla, the flavor tends to be simpler and less profound than the original extract.

Which is Better to Use?

Vanilla extract is suitable for premium recipes that rely on authenticity of flavor, such as sponge cake, custard, or homemade ice cream.
Vanilla flavor is more suitable for everyday use, such as making homemade sponge cakes, pancakes, or drinks, especially if you want to keep costs down.