What is Vanilla Extract?

Vanilla extract is typically made from alcohol, water, and vanilla beans.  Vanilla flavoring is not made from vanilla beans – so make sure you get real vanilla extract.

Why do we use Vanilla Extract?

Vanilla extract is used for flavoring without adding calories or sodium to the recipe. We personally enjoy using sweetened vanilla almond milk instead of plain almond milk; and we still like adding the vanilla extract for recipes that call for it.

Vanilla extract does contain antioxidants that have been liked to anti-inflammatory and cholesterol lowering benefits.

Can I use Vanilla Essential Oil Instead?

Yes. Just make sure your essential oil is intended for oral ingestion. Some essential oils are made for the skin, but not to be ingested. Essential vanilla oil is much stronger than vanillaextract, so start with only a couple drops and taste the smoothie, then add additional, as desired.