Summer Day Naturals Vanilla Bean Powder, 3.53 Oz - Raw Ground Vanilla Bean - Unsweetened, Gluten-Free - EXTREMELY FRESH - Ground Moments Before Packaging!

I ordered this vanilla bean powder specifically for use in my favorite dessert, a raw vegan vanilla bean cheesecake. That recipe calls for the seeds of a whole vanilla bean pod, so I hoped this product could save me time and money, as the whole pods are extremely expensive at the grocery store. Since receiving this product in the mail, I've used it in two batches of vegan shortbread cookies. In the first batch, I used vanilla bean powder in twice the amount of vanilla extract called for, and in the second batch I used a one-to-one substitution. Both batches were outstanding with a delicious vanilla flavor. The specks of vanilla are a special touch that I love. I won't double the amount anymore because I want to use this powder in many more recipes, such as vegan ice cream and yogurt. I don't use any refined sugars in my baking, so the pure, fresh taste of vanilla is a fantastic addition to my bakes. In the bag, the vanilla bean powder smells fresh and natural. I haven't yet tried it in brewing my coffee as Sunny Day Organics suggests, but I may do that when I run out of vanilla coffee at home. I highly recommend this product! Thank you, Sunny Day Organics.

Opened the packet and I did in fact smell vanilla. It didn't smell like cookies were baking in the oven or anything because that's a different/combined smell. If this makes sense, it smelled like vanilla tastes, mild. So, I put some in my cocoa. I think it was probably the equivalent of a 1/4 teaspoon. I was mixing it in while the water was still very hot (too hot to drink yet). I got a very nice mild vanilla aroma, and the drink was flavored very nicely with a mild vanilla as well. Obviously when you get to the bottom it's there with the dregs though not harmful to ingest or anything. I made a second cup in the same cup with it still there and that had a lesser vanilla flavor as well; I would probably add just a tiny bit more if I do that in the future. Anyway I really like it and think it is of good quality. ^_^

I’ll always buy this , I jus really wish it wasn’t so expensive…

Sunny Day Organics, Not Actually Organic, But Totally 100% Natural, Raw Vanilla Bean Powder! The packaging goes out of its way to be very clear that this is a 100% natural product, and never labels it as organic. The company brand name is "organic," but not this product. The closest they come is the statement, "The beans are grown naturally without pesticides, herbicides, or synthetic chemicals." Which is technically organic, except that without the organically grown certification those are claims that don't have to be substantiated. They could claim it's grown in solid gold flower pots and hand pollinated by blind monks for all it matters without the certification. I love deceptive brand marketing. As for the actual powder, it is well and truly a dry powder. If you've ever used whole vanilla bean pods to cook with you know how sticky they are, how much the oils of the bean pod get all over your hands, and how much the vanilla seeds stick together. This is nothing like a whole vanilla bean pod ground up. This is more like they took the used up pods from extraction process and ground them up, which would make sense as the alcohol from those processes would desiccate the pods and the resulting powder would be much more dry than a virgin vanilla seed pod. "There are no post-extraction vanilla beans used" I call a second shenanigans for that. Either that, or these are some seriously baked out beans. They don't smell like anything, and certainly not like vanilla. So I used them to make a cup of hot coco. Couldn't even tell I'd added vanilla to it. Usually, brands I've purchased in the past, I find using 1/4 the amount of a ground vanilla = the same flavor of extract vanilla. With this stuff, I doubled it, and still didn't get any vanilla flavor. One star quality. Save your money to spend on a brand that's actually going to sell you ground whole vanilla beans. I don't know what brand that is... so if you find one, let me know. I used to buy "The Raw Food World Organic Raw Sun Cured Whole Vanilla Bean Powder," but it's no long available and I have yet to find a replacement.

I love it. I love that the only ingredient is organically grown vanilla beans. I love the brown flecks of color it adds to certain recipes. I love the fresh, slightly earthy smell when I open the bag. I initially started looking for an alternative vanilla extract because my mom has chronic pancreatitis so her pancreas cannot process alcohol without serious consequences. She likes to use vanilla sometimes, though, and with an already restricted diet I hoped to find a better vanilla option for her. I had never heard of vanilla bean powder until finding this product but decided to give it a try. I'm really glad I did. We have used this vanilla fairly often and liberally since it arrived a month ago. I expected at just over 4 oz and with our family's love of vanilla it would run out very quickly, so I am happily surprised there is still a decent amount left. I wish it was less expensive or available at a cheaper price in larger quantities but it's a quality product so it's worth it. If I wanted cheaper I'd buy vanilla extract in an alcohol base. I also considered the fact that liquid vanilla extract is around 35% alcohol, and the other 65% may not be entirely vanilla-derived, so although it costs less I'm not actually getting as much vanilla as it may seem. That helped me rationalize paying (possibly) more for this vanilla powder vs. a liquid extract. I plan to use this vanilla powder exclusively from now on, so yes, I highly recommend it. As a side note, it is possible that there are recipes for which this vanilla would not work as well, but I think they are few, if any. It's not grainy, but it is a powder so it's not as smooth as the liquid extract. I have not tried it in something that needs to be super light or fluffy (maybe marshmallows or souffle) so it may work just fine in that capacity, I really don't know. This is just something I considered. If you try it in something light, fluffy, etc. I'm interested in hearing your results!