Best Ground Vanilla

Last Updated: Apr 6, 2023 @ 3:15 pm.

Best Ground Vanilla 411: Tips, Advice and Recipes

Let’s talk best ground vanilla!

Ground vanilla is a relative newcomer to the vanilla category; most folks are more familiar with the more popular vanilla types for baking: vanilla extract, for example.

In fact, there are five basic types of vanilla for use in baking. Here is a quick 411:

1. Vanilla Extract: alcohol based. This is the least expensive option. To make extract, vanilla beans are soaked in alcohol for a period of time. Best in baked goods as the alcohol cooks off. Not very intense flavor. Our round-up of the best vanilla extracts is here.
2. Vanilla beans: seed pods of vanilla orchids. The best vanilla beans should be soft and flexible. In baking, vanilla beans are split open and the interior seeds and pulp are scraped out—this can be added to baked goods, ice cream and more. The pod itself can be used in liqueurs or to flavor sugar. Vanilla beans are the most expensive option. We ranked the best vanilla beans in this article.
3. Vanilla powder: extract is sprayed onto sugar or maltodextrin and then dried. Vanilla powder can be a substitute for extract in baking and can be added to coffee, tea, hot cocoa, smoothies, etc. More expensive than extract. Our picks for vanilla powder are in this article.
4. Vanilla paste: combination of vanilla beans and vanilla extract ground into a paste. More intense than extract or vanilla powder. When used in ice cream, you can see the flecks of the bean. Expensive. We wrote an article about vanilla paste here.
5. Ground vanilla: the entire pod is dried and ground into a fine powder. Grown vanilla can be substituted for extract, paste or powder. Has very intense vanilla flavor and gives the flecks of vanilla bean people like. Can be sprinkled on food (like oatmeal, French toast), used in spice rubs or added to food like smoothies and even savory dishes for a unique flavor. Has a very long shelf life. 

We did a blind taste test with 8 brands of ground vanilla to find the best bets.

Here are a couple of the brands we tried in our test kitchen:

Before we get to a winner, here is a recipe for Vanilla Bean Coconut Dream Ice Cream. You’re welcome!

Recipe: Vanilla Bean Coconut Dream Ice Cream

Ingredients 

• 2 14-oz. cans coconut cream
• ½ cup maple syrup 
• ½ tsp Native Vanilla bean powder
• 2 tsp Native Vanilla paste 
• A pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. Put your ice cream churning bowl in the freezer to chill overnight.  
2. The next day, add the coconut cream, maple syrup, Native Vanilla powder, Native Vanilla paste, and salt to a high-speed blender. Blend until completely smooth and creamy. Add extra vanilla and/or syrup to meet desired sweetness. 
3. Transfer this mixture to the churning bowl and churn for about 45 minutes. It should look like soft serve when it is done churning. 
4. Add the mixture to a freezer-safe container. Smooth out the top. 
5. Cover the container and freeze until ice cream is firm – about 5 hours. 
6. Enjoy by itself or on top of a warm brownie!
7. Pro-tip: For best results, limit the amount of time the ice cream is left out at room temperature!

Recipe and photo credit: Native Vanilla

About the Authors

Denise & Alan Fields are consumer advocates and best-selling authors. The Fields have authored 12 books with three million copies in print, including the best-selling guide to baby gear, Baby Bargains.

The Fields have been featured and quoted in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Los Angeles Times.

As consumer products experts, the Fields have been guests on the NBC Today Show, Good Morning America and ABC’s 20/20.

best ground vanilla

How We Pick Products To Recommend

We often turn to our readers (3 million strong!) to find products to recommend. We ask our parent readers for their favorites and consider their real-world experiences in our recommendations.

When we test a product, we always purchase it with our own monies. We do not take free samples, as we believe that compromises our independence.

We also fact check manufacturer information with our own measurements. If a maker claims a product weighs X pounds, we will weigh it to make sure. If the battery life is supposed to be six hours, we will see how it stands up in the real world.

In some cases, we will do interviews with experts in the field to get additional feedback on products.

To get hands-on time with products, we regularly meet one-on-one with gear companies and even tour manufacturing facilities. (When we do this, we pay our own travel expenses).

best ground vanilla

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We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do extensive research, evaluating products with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

We make our living from affiliate commissions, but we always recommend what we think are the best bets for our readers (not the ones that are the most expensive). We are always looking for products that offer the best bang for the buck.

Our independence is a key reason why we have been doing this so long. As we mentioned above, when we purchase a product for hands-on testing, we do so with our own money.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!

best ground vanilla