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Transform your holiday baking with this ridiculously easy Vanilla Bean Sugar that adds bakery-quality flavor to everything! It’s made by shaking together two simple ingredients, sugar and vanilla beans, in a jar with no fancy equipment required.
It makes a thoughtful and unique gift for your friends and family who love to bake. Tie a ribbon and gift tag on the jar, or add it to a holiday gift basket.
I started making Vanilla Bean Sugar years ago just for my own Christmas baking. But after getting so many compliments on my cookies, I realized I had to share it. Now I make extra jars every year to gift to friends and family who also love to bake. It’s honestly become one of my favorite holiday traditions, and it’s a little more unique then vanilla extract.
What I love is how ridiculously easy it is to make, you just shake the sugar and vanilla beans together in a jar. No fancy equipment, no complicated steps, just two ingredients that make everything taste like it came from a bakery. Trust me once you try it, you’ll want to put it in all your baking recipes.
If you have any leftover vanilla beans, try my cut out Vanilla Sugar Cookies and Vanilla Simple Syrup. It’s great for coffees, cocktails, and all your favorite drinks that need a sweet vanilla flavor boost.
Video Tutorial: Let’s Make This Recipe Together!
Vanilla Bean Sugar Ingredients
Here’s everything you will need to make this recipe and a few important notes too. Keep reading!
- Whole Vanilla Beans: I use and recommend Tahitian or Madagascar vanilla beans because they’re plump and have a lot of seeds inside of them. They’re also have the best flavor for baking.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar will be the best choice because it allows the vanilla beans to really shine. Other types of sugar can compete with the vanilla making it not as flavorful.
How to Make Vanilla Bean Sugar
1. Shake. Cut the whole vanilla beans in half and scrape out the seeds. Add them to a large jar with the granulated sugar and empty pods. Shake together until the seeds are well-distributed in the sugar.
2. Store. Keep your Vanilla Bean Sugar in a cool, dry place for up to 2 years. I recommend waiting 1 to 2 weeks before using or gifting for the best flavor.
Find the complete recipe instructions with measurements below.
Fun Ways to Use Your Vanilla Sugar
You can use your Vanilla Bean Sugar in any and all recipes that call for granulated sugar or vanilla extract. I especially love this in my Vanilla Crinkle Cookies, Meltaway Cookies, and No Chill Chocolate Chip Cookies. Below are a few more fun ways you can use it.
- a spoonful added to your morning coffee or tea
- sprinkled over fresh fruit or fruit salad
- use it to rim cocktail glasses for espresso martinis or chocolate based drinks
- dusted on hot buttered toast
- use it in any other ways you would use granulated sugar
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Make It Gift Worthy
This Vanilla Bean Sugar is one of my favorite things to gift around Christmas time because it’s unique and delicious. Because it’s shelf stable there’s no canning or refrigerating required. It lasts 2 years so you don’t need to worry about gifting within a limited amount of time. Best of all, it can be gifted a lot of different ways!
- Add a gift tag and bow, like I did.
- Make it a part of a larger themed gift basket.
- If you gift baking mixes or hot chocolate mix, swap it out for the regular sugar and add this.
- Pair it with homemade vanilla extract for a baker’s essentials kit, vanilla themed.
More Delicious and Easy Holiday Food Gifts
Vanilla Bean Sugar
EQUIPMENT
- 16 ounce jar - with airtight lid
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 vanilla bean pods - Madagascar or Tahitian
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cut the vanilla bean pods in half lengthwise, then use knife to scrape out the seeds.
- In a jar, add the granulated sugar, seeds, and empty vanilla bean pods. Tightly screw on lid and shake until the vanilla is evenly distributed throughout the sugar.
- Let the Vanilla Bean Sugar sit at room temperature for one to two weeks* before using or gifting. For long term storage, place it in a cool, dry, and dark place up to 2 years.
VIDEO
RECIPE NOTES
Metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information.
