Does Vanilla Extract contain dairy or gluten?

No, pure vanilla extract is free from dairy, gluten, soy, and nuts. It is a vegan-friendly product.

Is Vanilla Extract good for weight loss?

Yes, because it adds sweetness and flavor to foods without adding sugar or fat, making it an excellent tool for reducing calorie intake in baking and cooking.

Where can I buy Vanilla Extract?

Vanilla extract is widely available in the baking aisle of major grocery stores, specialty food shops, and online retailers like Amazon.

Is Vanilla Extract safe for kids?

Yes, it is safe for children. The alcohol content evaporates significantly during baking; however, for raw applications (like frosting), the amount consumed is minimal and safe.

Is Vanilla Extract Gluten Free?

Yes, pure vanilla extract is gluten-free. As a food scientist, I can confirm that the core ingredients used to produce standard vanilla extract—water, alcohol, and vanilla bean extractives—do not contain wheat, barley, or rye. This makes it a safe flavoring agent for individuals with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

The Ingredient Breakdown

To understand why vanilla extract is safe for a gluten-free diet, we need to look at the extraction process. True vanilla extract is created by macerating vanilla beans in a solution of alcohol and water. Let's analyze the specific ingredients found in a standard organic vanilla extract:

WATER: The primary solvent is purified water. Water is naturally free of gluten proteins and serves as the base for the solution.

ORGANIC ALCOHOL: This is the critical ingredient for both flavor and safety. The alcohol used is typically derived from corn, sugar cane, or grapes. While some alcohol is derived from barley (beer), it would be labeled as such. The high-proof alcohol used in vanilla extract acts as a solvent to pull the flavor compounds from the beans. It is important to note that the gluten protein molecule is too large to pass through the distillation process; therefore, even if the starting material were gluten-containing (which is rare for this product), the resulting distillate is gluten-free.

ORGANIC VANILLA BEAN EXTRACTIVES: This refers to the concentrated flavor compounds, specifically vanillin, extracted from the vanilla orchid pod. Since vanilla beans are plants, they are naturally gluten-free.

Nutritional Value

Vanilla extract is used in such small quantities that its nutritional impact is negligible. A typical serving size is about 1 teaspoon (5ml), which contains approximately 12 to 14 calories. There is 0g of fat and 0g of protein. The calories come entirely from the alcohol content (roughly 35% of the bottle).

Regarding sugar content, pure vanilla extract contains no added sugar, though the natural vanillin compounds provide a perceived sweetness. It fits easily into low-carb, keto, and diabetic diets because the glycemic load is virtually zero due to the minute serving size.