Are there any alternatives to vanilla flavoring for baking?

check your beneficial and neutral spices

I miss vanilla, too (and cinnamon!).     Almond extract might be nice, and lemon.

Vanilla is pretty unique but try nutmeg, cinnamon, golden syrup (also good for FM as equal fructose and glucose) even agave syrup although that is higher in fructose.

A good many recipes taste fine if you simply omit the vanilla.  

I had seen a brownie recipe in the "recipe center" and it called for vanilla. I know that it is an avoid for me so maybe I will just omit it and see what happens.

Is there a difference between the real vanilla essence and the artificial one, is it possible that the artificial would have less effect, just asking

I've left vanilla out of so many recipes by accident before...you'll be fine if you leave it out...unless it's something like "vanilla cake", etc.

I love vanilla also, and it's a black dot now.  Grrrrrrr....

Bobbier, I am a O as well ,I have done my swami this week and as a gatherer I can now have it as a neutral.

ditto ABNoWay.

maple syrup has a smooth creamy flavour kind of vanilla-ish... but if you are a devoted fan there really is no substitute.

A & M are both gatherer but vanilla is still an avoid on swami, have you thought about a secretor test?

according to Amber (super taster & Pastry chef) Golden syrup is the closest.

I would think that the synthetic vanilla flavor would be an "avoid" for everybody! Nobody should be eating petroleum-based flavors or colors! Real vanilla extract is at least a real food!

yes, get the pod instead, to add the flavor

Lola, When you mean the pod are you referring to the whole vanilla bean? I love the whole bean it adds so much flavor but I thought that when it said vanilla as an avoid it meant the bean as well.  

PolicyChecker & Amber- I will have to try that. Never used it before but I will see if it is something I can use and that I can have.

Started reading the live right book and have just been educated to the fact that vanilla is neutral for me. I have not had a secretor test done so if I follow the secretor column then it is not an avoid (still at a toss up about this one-whether to go secretor or non). I find it interesting the difference between the two but it is great to be able to learn how to take care of your body.

Quoted from Bobbier

Lola, When you mean the pod are you referring to the whole vanilla bean? I love the whole bean it adds so much flavor but I thought that when it said vanilla as an avoid it meant the bean as well.  

PolicyChecker & Amber- I will have to try that. Never used it before but I will see if it is something I can use and that I can have.

I read it that way too.  I would imagine, that's what is meant by "vanilla" in the lists.  Not some fake stuff that isn't vanilla.  

I have some beans sitting in my cupboard waiting for a special occasion.  I'm not against a black dot now and then if it's a good enough reason.  Hehehhehee  I dont' know how long they last though.  I bought mine quite a bit ago.  It's in a cigar tube though.

I suggest if you can t do without vanilla in some recipes, you might as well use a few pearls out of a fresh pod......that would be way better than all the vanilla extracts out there

tried a few vanilla pods in vegetable glycerin and made very acceptable vanilla extract......I can t stand the commercial kind

I have never used vegetable glycerin. From What I have been reading here it is used as a sweetner (is that correct)

right
http://www.dadamo.com/typebase4/depictor5.pl?601

Quoted from policychecker

according to Amber (super taster & Pastry chef) Golden syrup is the closest.

Treacle or golden syrup is just pure refined sugar syrup - sometimes contains corn syrup

Treacle or golden syrup is just pure refined sugar syrup - sometimes contains corn syrup [/quote]

treacle and golden syrup are and taste completely different

Quoted Text

treacle and golden syrup are and taste completely different

They are both processed sugar by-product right? Sugar is an avoid for me, some types it is okay for.

In a chocolate cake, you can just omit the vanilla and it tastes fine. I've done it accidentally, and later done it intentionally as we couldn't taste the difference. You don't *need* a substitute when you've already got a strong flavor (such as cocoa) in the dish.

It gets trickier when it's a subtle flavor, such as a white cake, when the vanilla is adding more to the flavor and not just "extra richness." Generally, increasing some of the other spices in the recipe (whether it's lemon, cinnamon, etc) will do the trick. Also, using high quality ingedients (such as high quality butter) gives a richer flavor to the finished dish, so you won't miss the richness of the vanilla quite as much. Amber agave (rather than the light variety) adds its own subtle "brown sugary" flavor that, while would probably taste delicious with vanilla, would also taste delicious all on its own.