How to Make Homemade Vanilla Sugar (Sucre Vanillé)

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In France, it’s common to find little packets of sucre vanillé at the grocery store. My grandmother always had vanilla sugar tucked on the kitchen shelf — ready to sprinkle over cakes, stir into cream, or add to a stack of crêpes. It’s one of those simple French touches that instantly elevates a dessert, adding the best flavor with almost no effort.

The best part? You don’t need to buy it. Homemade vanilla sugar is incredibly easy to make — and once you start, you’ll always want to keep a jar on hand.

Why Make Your Own Vanilla Sugar

There’s something quietly luxurious about homemade vanilla sugar. It’s one of those little things that feels indulgent but couldn’t be simpler to create. A spoonful adds depth to your baking, fragrance to your kitchen, and that unmistakable touch of France to even the most ordinary moments.

Store-bought packets are convenient, but they can’t compare to the aroma of real vanilla beans mingling with sugar in your own jar. Making it yourself takes only minutes, costs less in the long run, and fills your pantry with something both useful and beautiful — a staple that feels like a small everyday pleasure.

What You’ll Need

• 1-2 whole vanilla beans (used or fresh vanilla bean pods both work beautifully)
• 2 cups of sugar (regular granulated sugar, cane sugar, or even coconut sugar)
• A glass jar or airtight container with a lid

That’s it. Just two ingredients for this simple recipe.

How to Make Vanilla Sugar

1. After using a vanilla bean (for custard, crème brûlée, or homemade vanilla extract), don’t throw it away. If you’ve already made a batch of homemade vanilla extract, this is the perfect way to use those same vanilla pods once they’ve done their job — dry them and tuck them straight into your sugar jar.
2. Let the empty vanilla bean pod dry out on a cutting board or paper towel for 1–2 days at room temperature until completely dry.
3. Place the dried whole vanilla pod in a mason jar and fill it with sugar.
4. Close the lid and let it sit — the sugar will slowly take on the fragrance and flavor of vanilla.
5. Each time you use a vanilla ben pod in a recipe, let it dry and add it to your jar of sugar. Keep topping off with cups of sugar as needed.

In a week or two, your jar of vanilla sugar will be richly perfumed and ready to use. The flavor deepens over time, so this is one of those kitchen treasures that only gets better the longer it sits.

Which Vanilla Beans Are Best?

The type of vanilla beans you use can change the flavor of your homemade vanilla sugar. Here are some of the most common varieties:

• Madagascar vanilla beans (Bourbon vanilla): The classic choice with a warm, creamy vanilla flavor — perfect for nearly any recipe. I order mine online. You can find them here.
• Tahitian vanilla beans: Floral and slightly fruity, giving your sugar a lighter, more delicate note.
• Mexican vanilla beans: Bold, dark, and a bit spicy — a great option for chocolate desserts or anything with cinnamon.

You can also choose between Grade A and Grade B beans. Grade A vanilla beans are plump and moist, full of vanilla seeds (vanilla specks), while Grade B beans have a higher moisture content and are often used for making homemade vanilla extract. Either works for vanilla sugar — Grade B is usually more budget-friendly, especially if you plan to make a larger jar.

And don’t overlook spent vanilla pods. Even an empty vanilla bean pod left from another recipe still holds plenty of flavor — making this a thrifty way to use every bit of such a precious ingredient.

How to Use Vanilla Sugar

Vanilla sugar is versatile — a quiet luxury in the pantry. Here are a few different ways to try it:

• Sprinkle over crêpes, galettes, or sugar cookies
• Stir into tea, or coffee
• Dust over fresh fruit or ice cream
• Mix into chantilly cream
• Use in place of regular sugar in any dessert recipe

It’s a small touch that brings a bit of French elegance into everyday cooking.

Tips & Variations

• For stronger vanilla flavor, split a whole bean with a sharp knife and scrape the vanilla seeds into the sugar before adding the pod.
• Try making a small jar with brown sugar or coconut sugar for a deeper, almost caramelized flavor.
• Store in an airtight container — vanilla sugar will last indefinitely.

Added bonus: This makes a great gift — simply spoon into a pretty jar, tie with twine, and add a little note.

The French Farmhouse Way

Keeping a jar of vanilla sugar in the kitchen is a way of carrying on tradition — humble, practical, and wonderfully delicious.  Each time I lift the lid of my sugar jar and breathe in the sweet vanilla smell, I’m reminded that keeping old ways alive is a good way of slowing down, savoring the moment, and choosing better flavor in the little things.

À bientôt,

Gaby