Good to know: Vanilla Extract

The difference of Vanilla Extract and Imitation Vanilla extract may not seem all that big to most, besides the price, but there is a difference. It may affect your choice for baking, and I personally only use Natural Vanilla Extract.

Vanilla is available as a pure or imitation extract or as an imitation Vanilla flavor. The main difference between pure and imitation extracts is that the pure products are made entirely with natural vanilla beans; imitation extracts may use other natural and artificial ingredients to create a vanilla flavor. Imitation Vanilla Flavors differ from extracts because they do not contain alcohol; they do, like the imitation extracts, use both natural and artificial ingredients. Imitation extracts and flavors have never been able to duplicate the delicious flavor of Pure Vanilla Extract.

Imitation Vanilla Extracts and Flavors rely completely, or in part, on artificial flavors rather than the vanilla beans for its flavor. Their aroma is more straightforward than the pure extract. Imitation is the stronger in flavor and retains its flavor even when cooking at very high temperatures. Artificially flavored products will last longer and not discolor.

Information found on McCormick for Chefs