Vanilla is a must-have kitchen staple, but it’s also one of the most underrated flavor boosters. A splash here and there can turn ordinary recipes to unbelievable goodness. While you can often use it at half strength in most recipes, sometimes going full strength makes all the difference.
Here are five tasty ways to put vanilla to work:
1. Stir Into Coffee Creamer
Make your mornings warmer by mixing vanilla into milk, cream, or a dairy-free alternative with a little sweetener. It’s an easy way to create your own flavored creamer.
2. Flavor French Toast
Whisk vanilla into your egg and milk mixture before soaking your bread. The hint of vanilla adds warmth and depth, turning a simple breakfast into a special one.
3. Make Homemade Ice Cream
No ice cream recipe is complete without vanilla. Just a spoonful in your base enhances creamy texture and adds that classic flavor everyone loves.
4. Bake the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies
This is where you’ll want to use full-strength vanilla. It balances the chocolate, deepens the flavor, and creates such an irresistible cookie that people will beg you for the recipe.
5. Relax With a Vanilla Sugar Scrub
Beyond the kitchen, add a teaspoon of vanilla to brown sugar and coconut oil and use as an exfoliating hand scrub to make your hands soft and smooth. Plus, the sweet aroma creates a calming, spa-like experience.
Whether you’re baking, cooking, or relaxing, vanilla is a little bottle with a lot of magic. Don’t be afraid to experiment—you might just find a new favorite way to use it!