How to Use Vanilla Extract Like a Pro at Home

Whether you bake every weekend or only for birthdays and holidays, vanilla extract probably lives in your kitchen. But are you using it to its full potential?

Here at Whisk Takers Bake Shop, we’re deep into the vanilla world right now — crafting our own homemade extract and exploring how even the smallest splash of real vanilla can totally change a recipe.

Here are a few of our favorite ways to make the most of it at home — no pastry degree required.

🍪 1. Use It to Enhance Flavor, Not Just Add It

A lot of people think of vanilla as a flavoring, but in most recipes, it works more like a flavor enhancer — rounding out sweetness, softening bitterness, and deepening complexity.

Try adding it:

• To cookie dough right after the butter and sugar mix

• In your cake batter before the dry ingredients go in

• With your eggs when whisking custards or French toast batter

You’ll get more balance and warmth in the final flavor.

☕ 2. Don’t Stop at Dessert

Vanilla extract isn’t just for cookies and cakes. Once you start experimenting with it, it shows up everywhere:

• Coffee or lattes – A few drops in the pot or cup

• Homemade whipped cream – Adds instant bakery-level flavor

• Pancakes or waffles – Mix a teaspoon into your batter

• Oatmeal or overnight oats – Stir in just before serving

• Smoothies – Adds depth without added sugar

• Maple syrup – Mix with a little extract for something special

You can even try it in savory sauces that call for a little sweetness, like balsamic glazes or BBQ marinades.

🧂 3. Store It Right for Long-Term Flavor

Real vanilla extract should be stored the same way we steep it: in a cool, dark place. No need to refrigerate — in fact, that can dull the flavor.

Just keep it:

• Away from heat (not next to your oven)

• Out of direct sunlight (skip the windowsill)

If you're using homemade extract, amber or dark glass bottles help protect it — and regular shaking (every couple weeks) helps keep the flavor evenly distributed.

🥄 4. Be Smart With Measurements

A little goes a long way — especially when it’s high quality. Start with:

• ½ to 1 teaspoon in cookies or bars

• 1–2 teaspoons in cakes, frostings, or custards

• ¼ teaspoon for drinks or small-batch recipes

Pro tip: If you’re using imitation vanilla in a recipe and want to upgrade to real extract, start with the same amount — you’ll get more flavor, not more volume.

Vanilla might seem like a background player, but when it’s real, it shines. That’s why we’re so excited to bring our own homemade extract to the table — and why we love sharing ways to use it beyond baking.

👇 Want your own bottle when it’s ready?
Join the waitlist here

How We Plan to Use Our House Vanilla Extract in the Bakery

Our homemade vanilla extract is still in its steeping phase — slowly developing its deep, rich flavor one week at a time. And while we have a few more months to go before it’s bakery-ready, we’re already planning how it will fit into the heart of our menu.

🍰 Where You’ll See It First

Once our first batches are ready, we’ll be using them in some of our signature baked goods — especially the ones where vanilla plays a starring role. Here’s what we’re most excited about:

• Strawberry Bread – Our fan favorite, where the sweetness of fresh berries is perfectly balanced by smooth vanilla.

• Chocolate Chip Bread – A classic that benefits from the warm, mellow notes of our bourbon-based extract.

• Oatmeal Cream Pies – The vanilla filling will take on more depth and a nostalgic aroma.

• Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies – The rich nuttiness of brown butter meets the caramel hints in our spiced rum extract.

• Peanut Butter Cookies – A touch of real vanilla brings softness to the bold flavor.

• Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Bundt Cakes – Just a dash of vanilla smooths out the citrus and rounds out the brightness.

Each of these treats will eventually feature our in-house extract — made with real Madagascar vanilla beans and steeped in high-quality alcohol bases.

🌿 Why It Matters to Us

We’ve always believed that the little things make a big difference. Vanilla might seem like a background flavor, but in baking, it acts as the foundation for everything else — it smooths, balances, and enhances every bite.

Using an extract we made ourselves, with care and intention, lets us elevate that foundation even further. No shortcuts. No additives. Just good ingredients and time.

We’re looking forward to tasting the results — and sharing them with you.

If you’ve ever wanted to taste the difference real, small-batch vanilla makes… we’ve got something coming for you soon.

👇 Want first access when it’s ready?
Join the waitlist here

What Makes a Good Vanilla Extract? Beans, Alcohol, and Time

Not all vanilla extract is created equal. And if you’ve ever wondered why some taste warm and rich while others fall flat, the answer almost always comes down to three things: beans, alcohol, and time.

Here’s what we’ve learned so far while crafting our own small-batch vanilla extract—and why each decision in the process matters more than you might think.

🌱 The Beans: Where Flavor Begins

All vanilla beans come from orchids, but not all orchids grow alike. The variety and origin of the bean can dramatically influence the final flavor of an extract.

At Whisk Takers, we’re starting with Madagascar vanilla beans, known for their classic, creamy flavor and bold aroma. They’re rich, dependable, and pair well with almost any baked good.

But they’re just one option. Here are a few others you might see:

• Tahitian beans – Floral, fruity, and slightly sweeter. Great for custards, creams, or delicate desserts.

• Mexican beans – Deep, spicy, and earthy. Think bold cookies and dark chocolate pairings.

• Ugandan or Indian beans – Rich, cocoa-like notes, often used in specialty blends.

We chose Madagascar to keep things familiar, versatile, and classic—but we may experiment with other varieties down the road.

🥃 The Alcohol: More Than Just a Base

Vanilla extract is made by steeping beans in alcohol—but the type of alcohol you use can shape the flavor in subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways.

We’re testing four different types:

• Vodka – Clean and neutral. It lets the vanilla speak for itself.

• Bourbon – Warm and rich with caramel undertones. Great for cookies and fall bakes.

• Rum – Adds complexity with subtle spice and molasses notes.

• Brandy – Slightly fruity and deep. Pairs beautifully with pastries and chocolate.

Each alcohol brings out something a little different—and we’re excited to see how they evolve.

⏳ The Time: Slow Is the Secret

Here’s the hard truth: good vanilla extract takes time. Six months at minimum. Longer, if you want truly layered flavor.

During that time, the alcohol pulls hundreds of compounds out of the beans—flavor notes like spice, smoke, caramel, fruit, and even floral hints. The longer it steeps, the richer and smoother the flavor becomes.

We shake each jar weekly and store them away from light while they steep, slowly developing that deep, full-bodied vanilla flavor we’re after. There are no shortcuts—just patience, good ingredients, and consistency.

We believe you can taste the difference when something is made with care.

That’s why our homemade vanilla extract is crafted slowly, in small batches, with high-quality ingredients—and why we’re so excited to share it with you when it’s ready.

👇 Want first dibs when it’s released?
Join the waitlist here

The Truth About Vanilla – Real vs. Imitation

At Whisk Takers Bake Shop, we care about the ingredients we use — and when it comes to vanilla, there’s a world of difference between real and imitation. Whether you bake at home or just love good food, knowing what’s in your vanilla can change the way you think about flavor.

So… What Is Imitation Vanilla, Really?

Imitation vanilla (often labeled as “vanillin”) isn’t made from vanilla beans at all. Instead, it’s typically derived from synthetic chemicals — most commonly a compound called vanillin, which can be made from wood pulp, coal tar, or petroleum byproducts.

It’s designed to mimic the flavor of vanilla — but it’s missing the complexity, warmth, and depth that real vanilla brings. And because it’s mass-produced, it’s cheap. Really cheap.

But here's the catch: you can taste the difference.

Why Real Vanilla Extract Costs More

Real vanilla extract is made by slowly soaking real vanilla beans — like the Madagascar beans we use — in alcohol for months. No shortcuts. No additives. Just time, care, and high-quality ingredients.

That process takes:

• Weeks to months to mature

• Labor-intensive hand-harvesting of vanilla orchids

• Real, whole beans — which can cost $15–30+ per ounce depending on origin

But the result is worth it.

Real vanilla extract contains over 200 flavor compounds. Imitation has just one. That’s why real extract tastes deeper, warmer, and more aromatic — especially in baked goods where vanilla isn’t just a background note but a star ingredient.

Why It Matters in Baking

Vanilla isn’t just “flavoring.” It’s the foundation of nearly every baked good we make — cookies, brownies, breads, and more. It enhances sweetness, rounds out sharp edges, and adds that familiar comfort we all love.

Using real vanilla brings a richness you can’t fake. It’s the kind of detail most people won’t notice out loud — but they’ll taste it. They’ll feel it. And that’s what makes it special.

We believe small details make a big difference.
That’s why we’re crafting our own homemade extract — from real beans, in small batches, with patience and intention. Because you deserve the real thing.

👇 Want to know when our extract is ready?

Join the waitlist here

Why We’re Making Our Own Vanilla Extract – and What That Means for You

At Whisk Takers, we’re always looking for ways to make our treats better — more flavorful, more thoughtful, and more real.

That’s why we’ve started a brand-new project: making our own homemade vanilla extract.

Yes, from scratch.

We’re using premium Madagascar vanilla beans and carefully selected alcohols like vodka, bourbon, brandy, and spiced rum to create rich, complex flavors — slowly aged over time to develop depth you just can’t get from store-bought extract.

So why go through all this effort?

Because flavor matters.

Real vanilla extract has over 200 flavor compounds. When it’s homemade and properly aged, it brings out the best in baked goods — from cookies and cakes to frostings and fillings. Artificial vanilla can’t compare, and even some store-bought “pure” extracts are rushed and diluted.

We want better for our customers.

And soon, we’ll be offering our small-batch extract for sale in limited quantities — and eventually, using it in our baked goods too.

We’ll be sharing updates as our vanilla steeps, develops, and transforms over the next six months. Follow along and learn what makes real vanilla so special — and why we’re so excited to bring it into our kitchen.

👇 Want first dibs when it’s ready?
Join the waitlist or sign up for updates here: Contact — Whisk Takers Bake Shop