What Vanilla Bean Powder does Starbucks Use?

A Starbucks condiment bar consists of various shaker bottles. Among them is the vanilla bean powder, a hot and cold beverage additive for a sweet vanilla taste. What vanilla bean powder does Starbucks use?

Starbucks uses the normal vanilla bean powder that is made from dried vanilla extract and a kind of sugar called maltodextrin. The brand is called Authentic foods vanilla powder. You might find black flakes all over the powder. These are pieces of crushed dried vanilla beans. I am an avid consumer of vanilla since I was young. I think it’s due to its calm and sweet flavor in everything it is added to. I like it in my coffee, tea, food, and cakes. You might have come across a barista calling the vanilla bean powder vanilla sugar. Well, she was right; it is also called vanilla sugar.

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What is the Starbucks Vanilla Powder?

It is a blend of dried vanilla extract, cornstarch, and dextrose. The sugar is used to prevent the powder from clumping. At Starbucks, the vanilla bean powder is blended with Frappuccino syrup, ice, and heavy cream to create a dreamy flavor called vanilla bean crème Frappuccino. The drink is topped with whipped cream for that extra taste. The baristas use vanilla powder in scoops.

A scoop is simply a teaspoon. The amount is added according to the type and size of the drink. A scoop of vanilla is strong enough to add enough flavors to your drink. It can be overbearing if overdone, so please stick to the right amount. Vanilla bean crème Frappuccino is not coffee-based. This means that they are not Caffeinated. The crème base is blended with vanilla powder and whip cream topping.

Does Starbucks Sell their Vanilla Bean Powder?

What Vanilla Bean Powder does Starbucks Use? — Starbucks Vanilla Bean Powder. Source: Pinterest

Yes, it does. Starbucks vanilla powder can be found on Amazon and e-bay. Starbucks knows that sometimes people prefer to make drinks at home. Their end products might not always match the Starbucks quality, but where is the harm in letting people try? Others prefer to use vanilla bean powder in other recipes apart from what’s offered at Starbucks. So yea, you are going to find a Starbucks vanilla bean powder outside the walls of its stores. I like to make copycat recipes at home. Most of them always end in disaster, but hey, I still like to do it using the real Starbucks ingredients.

Is Starbucks Vanilla Powder the same as Vanilla Bean Powder?

No, it’s not. Most people use these two terms interchangeably but they are two different products. Vanilla powder is pure with no alcohol content. It is made purely from vanilla beans. On the other hand, the vanilla bean powder uses vanilla extract. The extracting process involves adding alcohol that is used as the carrier for the scent. After the extraction process, the alcohol along with the aroma is evaporated. So, vanilla powder has a stronger aroma than vanilla bean powder, and it’s more natural than vanilla bean powder.

Final Thoughts

Starbucks is constantly on the top when it comes to brewing and blending. Vanilla is one of the oldest ingredients in the world. The Starbucks stores use vanilla bean extract to add to its hot and old beverages. You are likely to find the vanilla shaker bottles near the coffee makers and other brewing machines together with cinnamon and other spices.