Trader Joe's Just Dropped a New Version of My Favorite Product—and I'm Literally Weeping

If I had even an ounce of entrepreneurial spirit in me, one thing is for sure: I would run a bakery. To me, there’s nothing more fun than concocting all manner of chewy cookies, fluffy cakes and otherwise-dazzling desserts, then watching friends and family enjoy every bite.

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The Organic Vanilla Bean Paste is often the star of the show during my Christmastime baking sessions, but I tend to rely on vanilla extract for the rest of the year. While vanilla bean paste is truly delicious—it adds rich vanilla flavor and the perfect look and texture to so many classics—it can be prohibitively expensive. One of the more popular vanilla bean paste brands, Nielsen Massey, sells a 4-ounce bottle for $19 and a 32-ounce bottle for $102.

I’ve long loved the Trader Joe’s version, which is budget-friendly at $5 for a 2-ounce jar. I used up one of those jars just for Thanksgiving treats, then flew through another one at Christmas. Now, Trader Joe’s is taking things up a notch with the Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste, a new version that will be available all year long. It’s already started appearing on store shelves, and it’s available at an even greater value—just $5 for a 4-ounce jar. That’s less than I paid for vanilla extract on my last grocery run. 

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The Bourbon Vanilla Bean Paste has a similar ingredient list to the TJ’s original version, with the main difference being that the new version isn’t organic. Otherwise, it’s the same mixture of vanilla extract, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds, now with a little bourbon twist. 

Conveniently, there’s no real learning curve when it comes to using vanilla bean paste. Though it’s usually priced as a luxury good, using it in a recipe is as simple as replacing a measurement of vanilla extract with the same measurement of paste. In recipes where vanilla is the star, like our Vegan Vanilla Cake, using vanilla bean paste can only make your dish taste even better. And in something with a clean, white look, like vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, vanilla bean seeds add that pretty speckling that makes any dessert look rustic and truly homemade.

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Even if you’re taking a break from sweets in the post-holiday season, keeping this vanilla paste around is a win. You can use it in coffee, since vanilla bean pastes have a sweet, syrupy base, or add it to a sweet bowl of oatmeal, whether it’s piping hot or cool from the fridge. I always reach for it when I’m making something to share with friends, since the extra punch of vanilla flavor makes things taste ultra special.

Keep your eye out for this vanilla on your next TJ’s run—even if you’re not a big fan of baking, you could easily snag one of these jars for part of a sweet hostess gift or as a specialty ingredient for that new recipe you want to make.