Clear Vanilla

Clear Vanilla Extracts & Flavorings - Natural & Imitation

What is clear vanilla? It's a completely colorless flavoring used to add vanilla taste and aroma frosting, icing, baked goods, and beverages. This versatile ingredient is particularly effective when used in white, pale-colored, or brightly-colored products, as it will not darken coloration. Clear vanilla, unlike pure vanilla extracts, is not created using alcohol to extract flavor from vanilla beans. Instead, natural and/or artificial forms of vanillin are used to give this transparent liquid the taste and aroma of "real" vanilla. OliveNation offers a variety of clear vanilla flavorings, including alcohol-free, PG-free, and oil-based options, to allow professional and home bakers to choose the version best-suited to their application.

Why Use Clear Vanilla Flavoring?

Clear vanilla is best for use when vanilla flavor and aroma are desired in the final product, but not color. Although colorless flavoring is made without "natural" vanilla, due to improvements in sources of natural vanillin and creating synthetic vanillins, the final taste is true to ingredient. In truth, many people cannot tell the difference between real vanilla extract and artificial clear vanilla flavor, especially in the final product. In many cases, artificial vanilla is more potent, meaning that less can be used for flavoring purposes.

When to Use Clear Vanilla instead of Pure Vanilla Extract:

• White Cakes and Cupcakes such as Wedding Cake
• Pure White Frosting, Fondant, or Royal Icing
• White Fillings
• Clear Beverages
• Clear or White Glazes and Drizzles
• Brightly Colored, Pastel, or Pale-Colored Cakes, Frostings, Icing, Fillings

What is the Difference between Vanilla and Vanillin?

Vanilla's flavor comes from a chemical compound called Vanillin, which is found in vanilla beans as well as other natural sources. Real or pure vanilla is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol to extract the flavor. Vanillin can also be made (not extracted) from other natural sources, including derivatives of pine, wood, clove, and others. Synthetic vanillin can also be created through the wonders of modern chemistry. The interesting part is that, in many cases, the "vanilla-ness" of synthetic vanillin tastes and smells stronger in the final product, especially baked goods.

What is the Difference between Vanillin and Ethyl Vanillin?

Ethyl vanillin is a synthetically produced vanillin that is two to three times stronger than natural or other synthetic vanillins.