UNLABELLED: In the current work, a ZnO/Poly Nigrosine (ZnO/PN MCPE) modifier was added to the unmodified carbon paste electrode to increase its sensitivity for analyzing vanillin (VAN) with the company of amaranth (AMR) using a cyclic voltammetric approach. In order to analyse ZnO nanoparticles, the X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy disperssive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) studies was accomplished. The ZnO/PN MCPE succeeded in the development of electrochemical sensors for the detection of vanillin (VAN) by the ZnO/PN MCPE by cyclic voltammetry (CV) technique. Many different parameters was studied such as electrochemical investigation, scan rate, concentration, pH effect was studied. The simultaneous analysis of VAN in the presence of amaranth was studied. The detection limit and quantification limit was calculated and also oxidation of VAN was adsorption controlled. This profound method was successfully implemented for the investigation of vanillin in food samples. This modified electrode shows a very promising electrochemical sensing of VAN. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-024-06122-w.