Homemade Vanilla Extract With Just 2 Ingredients
Homemade vanilla extract takes just two ingredients, vanilla beans and vodka, and about 15 minutes of hands-on time. The rest is patience, since the beans need at least 6 months to steep and a full year is even better. One batch fills three 8.5-ounce bottles, which is enough to keep one for your own baking and give two away.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Serves: 3 8.5-ounce bottles
- Main Ingredients: Madagascar vanilla beans, unflavored vodka
- Why You'll Love It: Homemade vanilla extract takes just vanilla beans and vodka, about 15 minutes of hands-on time, and a lot of patience. Let it steep for 6 to 12 months, then bottle it up for your own baking or for gifts.
Once you’ve made your own, it’s hard to go back to the little bottles at the store. There’s something special about reaching for a bottle you started months ago when it’s time to bake a pound cake or a batch of Christmas cookies, and it makes one of the sweetest homemade gifts I know.
Start It Now for Next Year’s Gifts
Because vanilla needs 6 to 12 months to fully develop, the best time to start a batch is well before you plan to give it. Jars started this fall will be ready and waiting by next Christmas.
If you want to give it this year, you can still bottle it early and tie on a tag with a ready-to-use date, so the person you give it to knows to tuck it in the pantry and let it keep working.
Ingredients for Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Vanilla beans: Madagascar vanilla beans give you that rich, classic vanilla flavor. Grade B beans cost less and work well for extract. Beans vary a lot in size, so go by weight if you can: about 2½ ounces of beans for 3 cups of vodka makes standard-strength extract.
- Vodka: Plain, unflavored 80-proof vodka lets the vanilla shine, and there’s no need to buy an expensive bottle.
You’ll find the full amounts in the recipe card below.
Helpful Tips Before You Start
- Use clean, dry jars with tight-fitting lids. Two 16-ounce mason jars or one 32-ounce jar will hold a full batch.
- Split the beans but leave the seeds inside. Opening the pods is all it takes for the vodka to reach them.
- Keep the beans completely covered with vodka, and cut longer beans in half if they poke out of the top.
- Pick up gift bottles and a small funnel ahead of time so bottling day goes quickly. A bottle kit with stoppers, tags, and twine makes it even easier.
How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract
1. Split the Vanilla Beans
Use a sharp paring knife to slice each bean lengthwise so the seeds inside are exposed. There’s no need to scrape them out.
2. Fill the Jars
Stand the beans in your jars, 9 in each 16-ounce jar or all 18 in one large jar, then pour in the vodka until the beans are completely covered. Seal the lids tightly and give the jars a gentle shake.
3. Let It Steep
Tuck the jars into a cool, dark cabinet away from the stove and sunny windows, and give them a shake every so often. The vodka starts out barely tinted and slowly turns a deep amber over the months.
4. Bottle It Up
When it’s ready, divide the beans among three clean, dry 8.5-ounce bottles, about 6 beans each, and cut them shorter if they don’t fit. Use a small funnel to pour in the extract, make sure the beans stay covered, and seal the bottles.
Packaging It as a Gift
A little red and white twine and a handwritten tag are all it takes to make these look special. I like writing the date the batch was started on the tag, or a ready-by date if it’s going out early.
To round out a homemade gift basket, add a batch of homemade caramels, a few squares of creamy eggnog fudge, or a jar of my best ever vanilla chai powder mix.
Ways to Use Homemade Vanilla
Use it anywhere a recipe calls for vanilla extract, measuring it the same way. A few of my favorite places to put it to work:
- Aunt Sue’s famous pound cake for Sunday dinner
- Homemade banana pudding made from scratch
- Stifflemire’s melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookies
- Whipped cream made with evaporated milk for topping pies
- Stovetop hot chocolate on a cold night
Homemade Vanilla Extract FAQs
Do I need to scrape out the vanilla seeds?
No. Splitting the beans open lengthwise is enough for the vodka to reach the seeds, so you can drop the whole split pods right into the jar.
How do I know when it’s ready?
Give it at least 6 months. The color turns amber well before then, but color alone doesn’t tell you how strong the flavor is, so this is one recipe where waiting pays off. A full 12 months gives you the richest flavor.
Can I refill the bottles with vodka?
You can top off a bottle with a little vodka as you use it, but every refill dilutes the vanilla. When it starts tasting weak, add a few fresh beans and give it more time to infuse.
How much extract does one batch make?
You start with 24 fluid ounces of vodka, which fills three 8.5-ounce bottles with a little room at the top. The beans soak up some of the liquid, so the exact amount will vary a bit.
More Christmas Baking
- Southern Plate’s list of must-make Christmas cookies
- Christmas cutout cookies for decorating with the kids
