9 Vanilla Flavored Dessert Ideas

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Vanilla flavors are derived from vanilla beans to infuse their aromatic flavors into decadent desserts.

Vanilla beans are cut in half, and then the seeds from the center of the pod are scraped out.

The pod itself, and the seeds can be used to infuse vanilla flavor into desserts, or it can be made into vanilla extract.

Vanilla extract can be used for making fancy bakery worthy desserts.

Vanilla Flavored Desserts

Vanilla Custard Filled Croissants

Vanilla custard filled croissants have a rich and creamy custard filling.

Croissant dough is first made by laminating butter in between layers of dough, and then cutting a triangle out of the dough. The dough is rolled into a croissant shape, and then brushed with egg wash to create a sheen on the outside of the croissant. Croissants are baked in the oven, and then set to cool.

Vanilla bean custard is made by cutting a vanilla bean in half, and then the seeds are scraped out and infused into milk, as well as the vanilla pod. The milk is set to warm in a saucepan over medium heat, and the vanilla flavors ooze into the milk.

how to use vanilla beans in desserts

After 15 minutes of infusion, hot vanilla flavored milk is tempered with eggs to create a vanilla infused rich custard.

The custard needs to chill for a few hours, and then it can be placed in a piping bag fitted with a 1/4″ round tip. You could also use a cookie press as well.

Place the baking tip into the croissant about 1/3 of the way up from one side, and pipe vanilla custard into the croissant.

vanilla flavored custard for dessert croissants

Repeat on the other side so both sides of the croissant are filled with vanilla bean custard. Serve immediately.

vanilla flavored croissants for desserts

Vanilla Scones with Vanilla Bean Glaze

Vanilla scones with vanilla bean glaze are flakey scones with a luscious vanilla flavoring.

Vanilla scones are made with vanilla extract, and vanilla bean paste to infused vanilla into the scones.

Vanilla scones are made using a pastry blender to cut in the butter. The small pieces of butter will create flakes of pastry, making a buttery scone.

Vanilla bean glaze is drizzled on top of the scones, giving them a sweet finish.

Vanilla bean glaze is made by adding vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste to milk and powdered sugar.

The glaze will dry after about 20 minutes.

You can also make mini vanilla bean scones if you’re wanting your dessert to be a bit smaller for your guests.

vanilla bean flavored scones for dessert

Vanilla Danishes

Vanilla Danishes are a specialty dessert, that look eye catching from their unique pastry shapes.

Vanilla Danishes are made with buttery puff pastry dough, and creamy vanilla bean custard.

Puff pastry dough is rolled out until it’s quite thin, (1/4″ in thickness).

You can shape Danishes into intricate designs, like the one pictured below (Duchess shape).

Once you decide on your design, cut the dough out, and then place it on a baking it. Fill the Danish with vanilla bean custard, and then egg wash the pastry to give it a sheen while it’s baking.

Vanilla bean Danishes are finished baking when the pastry turns golden brown.

vanilla bean flavored Danish for dessert

Vanilla Cream Puffs

Vanilla cream puffs light airy cream puffs with a vanilla cream filling.

Vanilla cream puffs are made with choux pastry, piped into 1 1/2″ rounds. Choux pastry rounds are coated in an egg wash, and then baked in the oven to create a sphere shape.

Vanilla cream filling is made by whipping together heavy cream, vanilla extract, and icing sugar until stiff peaks form.

Cream puffs are cut in half, and then vanilla cream filling is piped onto the bottom half of the cream puff. After the filling has been piped, the top part of the cream puff is placed on the the cream filling creating a sandwich shape.

Garnish vanilla cream puffs with a dusting of powdered icing sugar for a beautiful finish to the dessert, or a chocolate ganache topping.

You can make fancy shaped cream puffs like this swan if you’re looking for more of a bakery worthy dessert.

vanilla cream puff dessert

Brioche Donuts with Vanilla Cream Filling

Brioche donuts with vanilla cream filling are sweet donuts with a creamy vanilla filling.

Brioche donuts are baked and then rolled with granulated sugar.

Vanilla cream filling is made by mixing together vanilla bean seeds with some granulated sugar to make vanilla sugar.

Vanilla sugar is whisked together with cornstarch, salt, milk, eggs, and butter in a saucepan over medium heat.

Vanilla cream filling will thicken, and then it can be set to cool, and refrigerate until you’re ready to fill the donuts.

Vanilla cream is piped into the donuts, and then served immediately.

Vanilla Bean Sugar Cookies

Vanilla bean sugar cookies are soft, chewy, and melt in your mouth.

Vanilla bean paste is added to sugar cookie dough. Cookie dough is shaped into a ball, and then rolled in granulated sugar.

Vanilla bean sugar cookies are baked in the oven, and then set to cool. They are best served still a bit warm.

You can even add vanilla buttercream icing to the tops of the sugar cookies if desired.

vanilla sugar cookies for dessert

Vanilla Brownies

Vanilla brownies are a dense, chewy dessert with aromatic vanilla flavoring.

White chocolate is melted together with butter, and then it’s mixed together with brown sugar and granulated sugar. Yes! These are sweet brownies!!

A couple of eggs are added to the batter, along with flour and salt to create the base of the brownies.

Vanilla bean paste is mixed into the brownie batter to add the vanilla flavoring for the brownies.

Vanilla brownies are baked in the oven for about half an hour and set to cool.

Vanilla icing is made by mixing together melted butter, icing sugar, salt, vanilla bean paste, and milk.

Vanilla icing is spread over the top of the vanilla brownies, and then it’s ready to be cut into squares for dessert.

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

Vanilla bean cheesecake is a heavy, thick vanilla flavored dessert.

Vanilla bean paste is infused into cheesecake batter, and then it’s baked in the oven with a vanilla wafer crust.

Vanilla bean cheesecake is topped with vanilla bean white chocolate mousse.

Heavy cream is whipped until stiff peaks form with a little bit of granulated sugar.

White chocolate is melted in the microwave, and mixed together with softened cream cheese.

White chocolate is gently mixed into the whipped cream, and then the topping is poured over the vanilla cheesecake.

Vanilla cheesecake needs to be chilled for a few hours prior to serving.

Vanilla Bean flavored Cheesecake dessert

Vanilla Soufflé

Vanilla soufflé is a light and fluffy dessert that puffs up, outside of the ramekin it’s baked in.

Ramekins are prepared by buttering them, and placing granulated sugar all over the butter to coat the inside of the ramekin. By preparing the ramekins, this helps the vanilla soufflé dessert rise in the oven.

To make the soufflé, milk is warmed in a saucepan over medium heat.

In a separate bowl, egg yolks, sugar, flour, and additional cold milk are whisked to make a smooth batter.

Warmed milk is whisked into the egg mixture to temper the eggs, and then the entire mixture is placed back into the saucepan. The saucepan is heated on medium to thicken the batter.

Once the batter has been thickened, it is removed from the heat source, and a couple cubes of butter are whisked into the batter and it’s let to cool.

Vanilla bean paste is mixed into the batter to add the vanilla flavoring to the soufflé.

Egg whites are whipped with some granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. The egg whites are gently folded into the soufflé.

The soufflé batter is then placed into the ramekins and baked in the oven for an airy vanilla flavored soufflé dessert.