Shoppers Love This Affordable Gourmet Baking Essential Sold At Costco

If you're on the lookout for a new vanilla flavoring — and you have a Costco membership — then we have the perfect find for you: the Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste. Costco shoppers can get a 10-ounce bottle of this gourmet baking essential for just about 20 bucks (or, if you buy it online, it's priced at $22.69).

This product from Nielson-Massey — a company that sells vanilla extracts, pastes, and powders, as well as other extract flavors — is made with its popular vanilla bean extract, has the consistency of honey, and contains real vanilla seeds. Using just a tablespoon of this paste (which contains 9 grams of sugar) will instantly provide a rich, strong vanilla flavor.

Costco shoppers on Reddit are very excited about this product — and its affordability. One user referred to it as having a "phenomenal price." And another user wrote, "I will be sprinting to Costco after work today, thanks for the heads up!" In another thread, a Redditor wrote, "I buy that there every time they have it! Better make a trip before it's gone again since I'm getting low," while another echoed the sentiment, explaining that their husband told them to "just get three."

If you're new to the world of vanilla bean paste, don't fret — it's actually quite simple to use. Because vanilla bean paste is a concentrated form of extract, using it instead of extract will result in a stronger vanilla flavor, so you should use it in any recipe where you want the vanilla to be prominently featured. Paste is also thicker than extract, so using it as a substitute will result in a slightly thicker consistency in whatever you're making, which is something to keep in mind.

For example, take our recipe for homemade traditional American buttercream frosting — if you want to make it extra rich, thicker, and vanilla-heavy, swap the extract for Nielsen-Massey vanilla bean paste. Use the frosting to top your next batch of brownies. The visual of the vanilla bean specks only takes the dessert to the next level. In general, using the paste will work well for other desserts, even if that dessert is a milk and cookies cocktail.