Does Organic Vanilla Extract contain dairy or gluten?

No. Pure Organic Vanilla Extract is naturally dairy-free and gluten-free. It is classified as Pareve (neutral) in Kosher dietary laws.

Is Organic Vanilla Extract good for weight loss?

Yes. It adds significant flavor to foods for only about 12 calories per teaspoon, helping to satisfy sweet cravings without adding sugar or fat.

Where can I buy Organic Vanilla Extract?

It is widely available at major grocery chains, health food stores like Whole Foods, and online retailers such as Amazon.

Is Organic Vanilla Extract safe for kids?

Yes, in the small amounts used in cooking and baking. It contains alcohol, but the amount consumed per serving is minimal and evaporates during baking.

Is Organic Vanilla Extract Kosher?

Yes, Organic Vanilla Extract is generally considered Kosher. The ingredients—water, organic alcohol, and vanilla bean extractives—are inherently plant-based and free from animal derivatives. However, for strict adherence, consumers should always verify the specific certification symbol on the bottle.

The Ingredient Breakdown

When determining if a product is Kosher, we look at the source of every ingredient and the processing methods used. For standard Organic Vanilla Extract, the ingredient deck is refreshingly simple and usually poses no issues regarding Kashrut laws.

The primary ingredients are Water, Organic Alcohol, and Organic Vanilla Bean Extractives. Water is naturally Kosher. The vanilla beans are the seed pods of an orchid, making them strictly Pareve (neither meat nor dairy). The potential gray area in any extract is the alcohol used as the solvent. In commercial food science, alcohol is derived either through fermentation of grains or by synthesizing ethyl from petroleum. However, in an organic vanilla extract, the alcohol must be derived from the fermentation of plant materials (often corn or sugar cane). Since these plants are not derived from animals and haven't been mixed with dairy, the resulting extract is Pareve.

Furthermore, because the ingredients are inherently Kosher and no flavor enhancers or emulsifiers are listed, the product avoids the most common Kosher flags. There is no glycerin (which can be animal-derived), no vanillin (synthetic, sometimes processed with dairy), and no corn syrup (which requires specific Kosher certification due to processing equipment). Therefore, the raw materials meet Kosher standards without requiring complex rabbinical supervision.

Nutritional Value

From a nutritional standpoint, vanilla extract is used in such minute quantities that it has a negligible impact on your daily diet. A standard serving size is typically one teaspoon (5ml), but because the flavor is so potent, you rarely use more than a fraction of that in a single serving.

The caloric content is derived almost entirely from the alcohol. One teaspoon of pure vanilla extract contains approximately 12 to 14 calories. It contains 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of protein, and roughly 0.5 grams of carbohydrates (sugar). Because the sugar content is virtually non-existent per serving, it is an excellent flavoring agent for those monitoring their glycemic index or following low-carb diets like Keto. It adds depth to baked goods and desserts without contributing significant sugar or empty calories, provided you don't drink it straight (which would be dangerous due to the alcohol content).