The best vanilla extract brands are used in small doses to improve the taste of food. The great thing about these taste enhancers is that they work well for different types of recipes. By adding a few drops into your cooking pot, the taste of your ingredients will come to life. Unlike other ingredients, vanilla does not change the taste of food. Rather, they improve taste; nothing more. Depending on your recipe, you can add a few drops or a few tablespoons of vanilla as your recipe demands.
These extracts are basically of two types. We have the vanilla essence and the pure vanilla extracts. When shopping for vanilla, you need to choose between the two. With so many brands out there, shoppers tend to have a hard time figuring out which brand offers them the best value. To help you out, we have decided to review some of the best vanilla extract brands on sale today. Feel free to read our review to learn more.
Table of Contents
Best Vanilla Extract Brands
| Image | Best Vanilla Extract Brands | Rating |
|---|---|---|
 | 1. Nielsen-Massey Bourbon Vanilla Extract | 99% |
 | 2. McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract | 96% |
 | 3. Heilala Alcohol Free Vanilla Flavor | 92% |
 | 4. Rodelle Organics Baker Extract | 89% |
 | 5. Blue Cattle Pure Gourmet Vanilla Extract | 85% |
Want to learn more?
Here are our Best Vanilla Extract Brands.
1. Nielsen-Massey Bourbon Vanilla Extract
This Nielsen Massey vanilla is sourced from Madagascar and is of the pure vanilla variant. The brand is regarded as the world’s leading marketer of vanilla beans, and their products are of the highest quality. Each premium bean is handpicked from and cured to deliver buyers an exquisite flavor that will enhance the quality of their meals. The extraction process is the cold-pressed method which ensures that the flavor compounds in the beans, which is up to about 300 different flavors, are preserved.
Madagascar Bourbon pure extract is sweet, creamy, and full-bodied. The flavor is mild but distinct, and it will not change the taste of your food. Another thing you will love about Nielsen-Massey is the aroma. The natural aroma of this extract will greatly improve the quality of your food maximally, so expect it to improve your food’s aroma as much as the taste.
Nielsen-Massey is all-natural, free of allergen, and GMO-free. All you need is one tablespoon of this vanilla for your cooking.
Why do we like it?
- Great taste
- Carefully packaged in an airtight bottle
- Free of preservatives
2. McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract
McCormick is one of the best vanilla extract brands with a track record of offering cooks quality vanilla sauces to spice up the taste of their food. This extract is highly rated for its quality, flavor, and aroma. The flavor of this extract is inviting and great for the taste buds. A few drops is all it takes to improve the taste of food. As for its quality, McCormick is not watery but thick. The texture is great and will remain so for many years. We also like the aroma of McCormick. When you cook your meals with it, the inviting aroma will permeate the entire room.
This extract has a floral-like sweet bourbon taste, and every bottle is loaded with premium ingredients. It is free of corn syrup and artificial additives. McCormick is also gluten-free, making it ideal for kosher diets. With this extract, you can bake and cook your pastries and food with it. The bottle’s spout is shaped to avoid the content dripping and making a mess of your cooking area or wherever you keep it.
McCormick is a fantastic addition to your ingredient list. A single bottle, if used rightly, can last for several months or even up to a year, depending on how often you cook with it.
Why do we like it?
- Extra thickness
- The vanilla beans are hygienically sourced
- All the ingredients are natural
3. Heilala Alcohol Free Vanilla Flavor
The third on our list of best vanilla extract brands is this product by Heilala Alcohol free flavor. Each bottle contains a 1.69oz Bourbon variety vanilla flavor. The method of picking and processing vanilla beans impacts the quality of the vanilla paste you get. Like some of the other brands, this producer goes the extra mile to practice hand-selected picking and processing methods rather than machine sourced.
Heilala is infused with glycerin and alcohol to bring out the richness of the taste. A single tablespoon of Heilala is equivalent to one vanilla bean. This extract is versatile because you can use it for cooking or baking, or even consuming it raw. Mixing it with your oatmeals and yogurt will transform their taste and make them a lot more enjoyable. The bean’s origin is Tonga, Polynesia, known to have some of the world’s best vanilla trees.
With Heilala, you get the value you pay for and nothing less. A single bottle of this brand will serve your culinary needs and transform the taste of your recipe for the better.
Why do we like it?
- It does not contain artificial colors or flavors
- Gluten-free
- Contains only refined sugar
4. Rodelle Organics Baker Extract
Are you a baker who loves to experiment with the flavor of your pastries and cakes? If you are, we implore you to try Rodelle Organics. This product is one of the best vanilla extract brands for bakers. It adds value to your cookies, cakes, pies, and any other baked recipe you can think of. Rodelle is of the organic variant and has a rich natural chocolatey taste. To further improve the taste, the producer infused it with oak, caramel, and chocolate. If you do not want to buy a pure vanilla extract for your baking, you can go for this organic substitute and still get the same quality.
The ingredient in this bottle is all-natural, so much so that it is USDA certified. Unlike some other brands that contain corn syrup, this one contains only natural ingredients that enrich the quality of your food. Besides baking, you can also use it for cooking too. Adherents of Kosher and keto diets will find this product welcoming. If you are a vegetarian, you will also enjoy using Rodelle to spice up the taste of your food since there are no animal fats added to the mix.
Rodelle is a premium product for domestic and commercial cooking and baking. Although it is quite pricey, every single drop of Rodelle is worth your money.
Why do we like it?
- Suitable for any recipe
- A good substitute for artificial flavors
- Well packaged
5. Blue Cattle Pure Gourmet Vanilla Extract
Blue Cattle Gourmet vanilla extract is one of the best vanilla extract brands from Veracruz, Mexico. The Planifolia beans from which this vanilla is extracted are nutrient-rich. Blue Cattle is 100% original and contains no artificial coloring, flavors, preservatives, or additives. What you see on the label is what you get in the bottle. The bottle contains 35% alcohol, is gluten-free, and the remaining content is natural vanilla.
Blue Cattle has a bold taste that will make your recipe even better. If you prefer an extract with a mild taste, then this product is not for you. However, if you are a fan of extracts with a strong taste that will positively impact the taste of your food, then this brand is the one to buy. It is imported into the US from Mexico, and each bottle contains single-sourced Grade A vanilla beans. The beans are handpicked in Veracruz and processed the traditional way to preserve the richness of their nutrients.
To preserve the quality should you go for Blue Cattle, make sure that you lock the bottle tightly after every use to prevent contamination.
Why do we like it?
- Value for money
- Safe and hygienic processing method
- Great flavor
Vanilla Extract Brands Buyer’s Guide
The best vanilla extract brands are not easy to spot because almost every product has similar product information. For this reason, it is hard to tell which brand is valuable and which brand isn’t. Unless you are an experienced buyer, you will have to rely on the help of our buyer guide to know what to look out for when making a selection from among different products. Here are some of the things to bear in mind.
Avoid imitation extracts
When shopping for extract. Take your time to read the product information. If you encounter any product marked as imitation extract, avoid it completely. Vanilla imitation extracts are chemically produced from vanilla, and they have a bitter taste. They are not the real thing but contain substitutes like corn syrup and sugar.
Packaging
How the product is packaged matters a great deal. The best vanilla extract brands are packaged in bottles. Not only that, but they also have airtight covers.
Expiry date
Check the expiry date before you pay for it. Since the vanilla is created to last for a long time, you may have it in your cupboard for several months. Unless you wish to exhaust a bottle on different recipes, ensure that the one you go for has an expiry date of at least 6 months to 1 year as at the time you are making the purchase.
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