31 Vanilla Recipes That Are Anything But Boring

By Emily Shepherd
Updated November 23, 2020
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Perhaps the most humble of all flavorings, vanilla imparts a sweet, yet earthy, richness to just about any food, but is especially indulgent in quick breads, cakes, ice cream, custards, and other homemade desserts. From Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies to Ginger-Vanilla Milk Punch, these recipes all showcase the incredible flavor of pure vanilla.  Whether you reach for pure vanilla extract (or make your own), or prefer vanilla paste or fresh pods, this much-loved flavor is sure to shine. 

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Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée

Credit: Photography: Karry Hosford

Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée Recipe

Steeping a vanilla bean in the milk used to make the custard, and scraping seeds from that bean into the milk, gives this easy brûlée a wonderfully intense vanilla flavor. If you don't have a blow torch, check out our simple stovetop sugar topping.

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Vanilla Custard Crumble with Mixed Berries

Credit: Photography: Karry Hosford

Vanilla Custard Crumble with Mixed Berries Recipe

While the custard is made with a vanilla bean, the crumble topping is a simple mixture of crushed vanilla wafers, butter, egg white and vanilla extract. It's easy to make up both in advance and then add berries or any seasonal fruit.

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Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner

Vanilla Bean Angel Food Cake Recipe

Made with cake flour and a dozen egg whites, this moist cake is fragrant with vanilla. That's because the sugar for the cake is infused with the seeds of a whole vanilla bean before being added to the batter.

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Vanilla Cream Sauce

Vanilla Cream Sauce Recipe

Drizzle this easy cream sauce over fresh berries, bread pudding, or any dessert that needs a special finishing touch. It's a slam-dunk over chocolate ice cream, and the fact that it's made with vanilla extract keeps things simple.

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Bottomless Vanilla Extract

Credit: Hector Sanchez; Styling: Buffey Hargett

Bottomless Vanilla Extract Recipe

Homemade extract is something every baker should have. It's more flavorful and generally less expensive than store-bought versions. Cooking speeds up the infusion, but you can omit the process by letting the mixture stand an extra week. Then use it in frostings and baked goods.

 

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Vanilla Ice

Vanilla Ice Recipe

This ice will remind you of making ice cream out of snow. While many commercial vanilla desserts are too cloying to let the vanilla flavor shine through, this three-ingredient recipe will show you that vanilla is anything but plain. You can use an equal amount of vanilla paste for the extract; it will create an ice flecked with vanilla seeds.

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Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies Recipe

Lace these sugar cookies with a double hit of vanilla from the seeds and extract of the vanilla bean. Frost the cookies white, and sprinkle them with iridescent glitter; they'll look like delicate snowflakes.

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Vanilla Cupcakes with Creamy Vanilla Buttercream

Credit: Oxmoor House

Vanilla Cupcakes with Creamy Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

Cupcakes of every imaginable flavor are all the rage these days, but it's hard to beat the rich simplicity of vanilla.

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Blackberry-Vanilla Vodka Lemonade

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Blackberry-Vanilla Vodka Lemonade Recipe

For a winning adult lemonade, try Blackberry-Vanilla Vodka Lemonade. The vanilla bean is a pleasing addition.

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Orange and Vanilla Yogurt Pops

Credit: Levi Brown

Orange and Vanilla Yogurt Pops Recipe

These creamy vanilla-orange juice pops are reminiscent of the ones from childhood. Create new memories with your family with our version of Orange and Vanilla Yogurt Pops.

 

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Vanilla Ice Cream

Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe

Making your own homemade vanilla ice cream just doesn't get easier than this three-ingredient recipe. Use high-quality pure vanilla extract for the most decadent flavor.

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Vanilla Bean Shortbread

Credit: Randy Mayor; Styling: Cindy Barr

Vanilla Bean Shortbread Recipe

Use pantry staples and a flavorful vanilla bean to create these delicate cookies. Make them up to five days in advance, and store in an airtight container.

 

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Vanilla Bean-Espresso Crème Brûlée

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Linda Hirst

Vanilla Bean-Espresso Crème Brûlée Recipe

Espresso powder and fresh vanilla bean lend this elegant dessert its rich, deep flavor.  The ramekins need at least 8 hours to chill, so if you're entertaining, be sure to make these the day before the event.

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Apple Galette with Vanilla Yogurt Drizzle

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Apple Galette with Vanilla Yogurt Drizzle Recipe

We save on saturated fat and make the crust more tender by swapping in low-fat yogurt for some of the butter (use standard yogurt, not Greek-style). Make dough ahead and refrigerate or freeze (just remember to thaw completely before rolling). You can sub the scraped seeds from one vanilla bean pod or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste.

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Basic Vanilla Macarons

Credit: Beth Branch

Basic Vanilla Macarons Recipe

To make these light meringue cookies, gently fold the almond flour mixture into the egg whites, but be careful not to over mix. The end result is a light and fluffy vanilla treat.

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Snowy White Vanilla Glaze

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Caroline M. Cunningham

Snowy White Vanilla Glaze Recipe

A simple Snowy White Vanilla Glaze graces the top  of our Red Velvet Marble Bundt Cake.

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Classic Vanilla Pudding

Classic Vanilla Pudding Recipe

For a quick and elegant dessert, serve the pudding topped with fresh berries, crumbled pistachio brittle, or chopped toffee candy and a pretty mint leaf. Substitute 4 teaspoons vanilla extract for the vanilla bean, if you like. Add it with the butter.

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Vanilla Pots de Crème with Dark Chocolate and Roasted Almonds

Credit: Cedric Angeles; Styling: Robyn Valarik

Vanilla Pots de Crème with Dark Chocolate and Roasted Almonds Recipe

Although any good dark chocolate will work in this recipe, Los Angeles chef and restaurant owner Suzanne Goin especially likes Caro chocolate, from Spain. "The flavor is intense--deep and earthy, with notes of cinnamon, clove, and vanilla, which match well with the vanilla in the custard and the almonds on top."

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Vanilla Cheesecake

Credit: James Baigrie

Vanilla Cheesecake Recipe

Transform the traditional cheesecake with vanilla in this six-ingredient cheesecake recipe. The spicy notes from our homemade Ginger Graham Cracker Crust perfectly complement the creamy vanilla filling. 

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Vanilla and White Chocolate Cocoa

Vanilla and White Chocolate Cocoa Recipe

This Vanilla and White Chocolate Hot Chocolate takes a slight veer from traditional hot chocolate by using a base of premium white chocolate and Spice Islands Pure Vanilla Extract.

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Ginger-Vanilla Milk Punch

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Ginger-Vanilla Milk Punch Recipe

Ginger-Vanilla Milk Punch wakes up your holiday spirit. This crisp winter sipper is full of citrus and zippy ginger.

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Vanilla Marshmallows

Credit: Sheri Giblin; Food Styling: Margaret Dickey; Prop Styling: Amy Stone

Vanilla Marshmallows Recipe

Make your own fluffy, vanilla, sugary goodness this holiday season. These make a great gift, along with homemade hot chocolate mix. Cut the marshmallows into bigger squares for s'mores during the warmer months. Gelatin can be found on the baking aisle of your local grocery store.

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Credit: Randy Mayor

Vanilla Bean Pudding Recipe

Vanilla beans can be expensive, but their superior flavor is worth the investment. Substitute vanilla paste or one teaspoon real vanilla extract if necessary. Stir extract in with the butter.

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Double-Vanilla Meringue Cookies

Double-Vanilla Meringue Cookies Recipe

By using vanilla bean and extract, you’ll get double the vanilla flavor in these meringue cookies.

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Bourbon-Vanilla Bean Frosting

Credit: Iain Bagwell; Styling: Heather Chadduck

Bourbon-Vanilla Bean Frosting

A splash of bourbon and vanilla bean paste punch up the flavor of our Bourbon-Vanilla Bean Frosting. Spread this frosting on your favorite cake or cupcake.

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Vanilla-Fig Champagne Sparkler

Credit: Jennifer Causey; Styling: Claire Spollen

Vanilla-Fig Champagne Sparkler Recipe

Welcome the New Year the right way with a Vanilla-Fig Champagne Sparkler. Cheers!

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Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cakes

Credit: Becky Luigart-Stayner; Styling: Cindy Barr, Jan Gautro, Leigh Ann Ross

Vanilla Buttermilk Pound Cakes Recipe

Tart buttermilk and sweet vanilla mingle flawlessly in this pound cake. You can also prepare these cakes in two (8 x 4–inch) loaf pans. Bake at 350° for one hour or until done.

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Vanilla Frozen Yogurt With a Cherry Swirl

Credit: Jennifer Causey

Vanilla Frozen Yogurt With a Cherry Swirl Recipe

Creamy, luscious, perfectly sweet with a touch of tart, this simple frozen yogurt was a clear staff favorite. A combination of half-and-half, plain whole milk yogurt, and a little corn syrup gives the frozen yogurt its super-smooth, almost velvety mouth feel. If you can’t find vanilla bean paste, substitute the scraped seeds from 1 vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract. We love the swirled effect of the jammy cherry mixture with the creamy frozen yogurt. Space out the dollops of cherry mixture over the yogurt in the loaf pan for defined rosy streaks in every bite.

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Vanilla Buttercream

Credit:  Thomas J Story

Vanilla Buttercream Recipe

The secrets to this celestial buttercream, writes Vancouver baker Rosie Daykin in her first book, Butter Baked Goods (Random House, 2013), are "making sure your butter is not too cold, and then whipping it like crazy!" When properly whipped, buttercream is supremely fluffy--almost like whipped cream--and surprisingly un-greasy. "When it's right, it's a breeze to use," adds Daykin. "It's like pushing air around." Also, because her version has a lot less sugar than most buttercream frostings, it won't set your teeth on edge.

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Homemade Strawberry Shortcake

Credit: Antonis Achilleos; Prop Styling: Lydia Pursell; Food Styling: Chelsea Zimmer

Homemade Strawberry Shortcake Recipe

These sweet and juicy shortcakes are the perfect strawberry dessert to serve at your next springtime event. Sanding sugar on top of the homemade buttermilk biscuits add a festive touch, and pure vanilla makes the whipped cream extra rich. Scrape the seeds from a vanilla bean pod, or use 1 teaspoon pure (not imitation) vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste.

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Fresh Raspberry-Vanilla Preserves

Credit: Jennifer Causey Styling: Graham Yelton

Fresh Raspberry-Vanilla Preserves Recipe

Reducing the first press of the macerated raspberry mixture before adding the rest intensifies the raspberry flavor. Kiwis are naturally very high in pectin--just one will thicken the preserves nicely.

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