Pure Madagascar Vanilla Flavoring

Have been searching for weeks now for the best vanilla flavoring for "neutral-taste" protein shakes (Almased - Multi Protein Powder).Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring turned out to be far and away the best -- and, for me, very close to the taste of a single-scoop vanilla ice cream shake -- it is also distinctly better than the relatively expensive pure vanilla extracts from Madagascar for use in shakes.------------------------------------Comparison to Other Products------------------------------------Here's what I tested -- at amounts ranging from 1/2 tbsp to 2 tbsp per large 16 oz (2 cups) shake -- prior to trying Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring:>> McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract -- Madagascar beans, "vanilla bean extractives in water and alcohol"This is where I started, under the assumption that pure extract would be best -- but McCormick's Concentrated Vanilla Flavor proved to be less expensive and better tasting.>> M&B Premium Quality Pure Vanilla Extract -- "water, alcohol and vanilla bean extractions"Good flavor comparable to McCormick.>> McCormick Concentrated Vanilla Flavor - "Naturally & Artificially Flavored", "Water, Alcohol, Vanilla Extract & Vanillin"Surprisingly, this was the previous front-runner even though it incorporates vanillin. It seems that the concentrated flavor arising from the addition of vanillin simply works better to deliver flavor when mixed with a 16 oz protein shake. It's also significantly less costly.>> ShurFine Imitatation Vanilla -- "Water, Sugar, Caramel Color, Artificial Flavor, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate"Decided to try a very inexpensive ($2.29 8 fl oz) imitation brand -- very little semblance to vanilla in a a shake>> McCormick Vanilla Flavor CLEAR -- "Water, Alcohol, Vanillin and Other Artificial Flavorings, and Citric Acid"This was ok, less expensive, and only slightly less flavorful than the pure extracts.--------------------------Nutrition Info Lacking?--------------------------Seems that there's no full nutrition info (calories, carbs, etc.) for Simply Organic Vanilla Flavoring -- their website indicates only the following under Product Information:"Coming SoonSuggested uses - Use as a measure-for-measure equivalent in place of alcohol-based vanilla extract in all your favorite baked goods, homemade ice cream and even smoothies"The first-listed ingredient is Organic Glycerine -- according to LiveStrong: "Glycerine, also known as glycerin or glycerol, is a sugar alcohol derived from fats and oils. Glycerine sweetens food products without the same effect on blood sugar levels as regular sugar, according to CVS Pharmacy's Health Resources website. Nevertheless, glycerine, like other sugar alcohols, does have some effect on blood sugar levels."One nutrition source indicates that 1 tbsp of glycerin has 64.8 cals -- but we don't know what the % volume of glycerine is in Simply Organic.Overall, to me, even at 65 cals it's worth the calorie "hit" to make the shake taste great, as it's easy enough to cut back a bit on the protein powder to get back to similar total calories.

Good vanilla! No alcohol is exactly what I wanted to mix into oatmeal for a bit of an added taste.

This is such a good product tastes great..on the expensive side but I like usingnit

I prefer the taste of the glycerin vanilla extract over the alcohol extracted vanilla! Gives the baked goods or drinks a much more sweet vanilla flavor which I enjoy better. Definitely a bit on the pricey side but every once in while there is deals on it. I wish they had bigger bottles! Very clean ingredients, must use!

UPDATE 1/14/2018: I've now used this product a number of times and can give a better appraisal. It is much weaker than vanilla extract, so much so that it probably should not be compared with vanilla extract, and maybe is not supposed to be. This was my mistake, as I planned to use it as a substitute. As noted below this vanilla flavoring is nicer in some ways that vanilla extract and it has a wonderful taste and smell. But for flavoring a dish or beverage, plan to use a lot more to get the same amount of flavor. For flavoring coffee, which was my intended purpose, I have to use so much of this it seems wasteful, so I am going to go back to using vanilla extract.ORIGINAL REVIEW:This is weaker than normal vanilla extract, for my purposes, so I have to use more of it to get the same amount of flavor. Because my uses are limited I may not be the most reliable source about how strong it exactly is -- someone who bakes, and must measure vanilla, would be able to give a more precise idea of the ratio needed of one to the other.I mainly put this in coffee and tea, and it seems like I use a little less than double the quantity to get the same amount of vanilla flavor.Because this cost about 1/2 the price of vanilla extract, I suppose I came out a little ahead on the deal (I got this for under $10 as an add-on item from Amazon).As other reviewers have noted, this product is an oil rather than a thin liquid, and it smell very nice and has a very nice flavor if you happen to try licking off a spoon for instance. Vanilla extract, on the other hand, would actually be almost too intense to just lick, so in that sense this product has an advantage, and maybe for certain uses where the oily texture and palatability would be better than the alcohol-based extract. Also I believe there are some "natural" aspects to the production of this product although not my main reason for buying.This one says it has a bit of alcohol in it but there is no taste of it in my opinion.I might buy this again, or might decide to go back to vanilla extract because it is a little more efficient.

This is the 2nd time I ordered this product. It did take a while to ship and receive. One of the bottles arrived with no label, no markings, nothing at all on the bottle. We are hoping it is what it is supposed to be. I order this particular brand and type of vanilla extract because it is alcohol free and the best vanilla extract product for someone on a diet that is fighting cancer. It is expensive and you generally have to use more than regular extract to get the taste but it is better price than in the local stores (I live in Hawaii).

This is the only vanilla I use, it has great flavor, is organic and I simply wouldn’t use any other brand. It has a beautiful vanilla scent. This review is for the non-alcohol content vanilla, which has a purer flavor