Vanilla extract, imitation, no alcohol

Imitation vanilla extract without alcohol is a lab-created flavoring, typically built around vanillin, that mimics the aroma of real vanilla bean extract at a fraction of the cost and without the alcohol base traditional extract uses. It is used exactly like real vanilla extract, stirred by the teaspoon into cake batters, cookie doughs, custards, puddings, whipped cream, and frostings, where a small amount rounds out sweetness and adds a familiar background aroma, though bakers often note its flavor is flatter and less complex than true vanilla bean extract.

Because it lacks alcohol, it will not evaporate off the way traditional extract can during baking, and it should be kept tightly capped in a cool, dark cupboard away from heat, where it keeps well for a long time. At 56 calories per teaspoon-sized 4 gram serving and 14.4 grams of sugar per 100 grams, it is noticeably sweeter than alcohol-based extract, since sugar or corn syrup is used to carry the flavor instead of alcohol, so recipes calling for it may need a slight adjustment if swapping it in for traditional extract.