Vanilla Sugar (or vanillezucker in German) is a staple baking ingredient found in most German recipes for sweet treats like cakes and cookies. For instance, vanilla sugar is an integral ingredient in vanillekipferl, one of the most traditional German Christmas cookies. Very often, vanilla sugar is used as a flavored sweetener in the baked good’s batter or dough, but it can also be used as a final touch sprinkled on the tops of those fresh out of the oven cakes, pies, and of course, cookies. Vanilla sugar is also a great addition to homemade frostings and whipped cream. Even others use it to sprinkle onto fresh fruit or added to their coffee so slightly more flavor.

Dr. Oetker is the most common pre-packaged vanilla sugar brand available on the US market.  The sugar product is called Vanillin Zucker, which is a variation on vanilla sugar that uses vanillin instead of whole vanilla beans or vanilla bean seeds. Vanillin is the primary substance of natural vanilla bean extract, and it is cheaper than vanilla beans. While pre-packaged vanilla sugar can be a convenience, many home cooks insist that homemade vanilla sugar has a better aroma and flavor than the commercially produced counterparts. Luckily, homemade vanilla sugar is super simple to make!

See Also

German Deli