You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for 6-12 months before using. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options. You can try homemade vanilla sugar, too.
Vanilla extract is an ingredient in many of our baked goods. This common addition actually carries big weight—1 teaspoon completely transforms a good dessert into a great dessert. You can’t make a few staples like vanilla cake, vanilla cupcakes, or vanilla buttercream without it.
A dear reader named Jill emailed me last year and said that once she began making her own vanilla extract, her baked goods tasted even better than before. She told me the secrets are to use extra vanilla beans and let the extract sit for at least 12 months before using.
I never thought to publish a post about homemade vanilla extract because it’s actually pretty simple. But Jill’s words were enough to convince me that all bakers should know that a cheaper AND better tasting vanilla extract is only 2 ingredients away.
Why Make Homemade Vanilla Extract?
Why make vanilla extract when you can just buy it from the store? Good question. With the price of vanilla constantly fluctuating, it’s very cost efficient to make your own. Plus, you can control the strength of its flavor. This is KEY because many pricey store-bought options lack the essential depth of flavor that makes good vanilla… good vanilla. This is either because the vanilla extract is imitation and made with artificial or synthetic ingredients or brands cut back on the amount of real vanilla in each bottle. You’re not paying for good vanilla, you’re paying for the convenience of weak bottled vanilla.
(By the way, last year I was part of a blind taste test of different store-bought pure vanillas and McCormick won by a landslide. It was the group’s top choice in both flavor and aroma.)
If you open a bottle of some store-bought vanilla extracts and a bottle of homemade vanilla, you will immediately smell the difference. And this difference directly transfers into your homemade baked goods.
What You Need for Homemade Vanilla Extract
All you’re doing is pouring alcohol over split vanilla beans and letting the concoction age over time. Give it a shake every now and then. It’s that easy.
- Vanilla Beans: You can find vanilla beans at most major grocery stores in the spice aisle. If you can’t locate them, try purchasing them online. I use and highly recommend these options—they’re also what I use when I make vanilla sugar—Madagascar vanilla beans, these Tahitian vanilla beans, or these Tahitian vanilla beans. (Note that each are different quantities.) I’ve made vanilla with them all. The beans are a generous size, nice and plump, high quality, and perfect for homemade vanilla. Vanilla beans labeled “Grade B” are specifically sold for extracting purposes, but I’ve made vanilla with Grade A beans and it tastes great. Use either.
- 80 proof Alcohol: Vanilla extract is most commonly made from vodka, but you can use bourbon, brandy, or rum instead. I usually use vodka, but the one bottle of bourbon vanilla I made 7 months ago is DIVINE. No need to splurge on expensive alcohol. This is probably the only time someone will tell you to buy the cheap stuff!! All the vanilla’s flavor is from the vanilla beans, so spend your money on those. Avoid flavored vodkas as they often contain artificial flavors, which negates the purpose of making your own pure vanilla.
- Glass Bottles or Jars with Tight Seal: We recommend 8 ounce bottles. These bottles have a convenient swing top with a very tight seal. Great for gifting. Sterilizing the bottles is ideal, though we’ve skipped that step with no problem in the outcome of the vanilla. If your bottles or jars don’t have any plastic pieces attached, we recommend sterilizing them before using.
- Funnel: A funnel is optional, but it makes pouring 100x quicker and easier. (These funnels collapse, so they’re great for storage.)
Vanilla beans are expensive, but around .75 to 1 ounce total make an entire CUP (8 ounces) of vanilla extract and you can reuse the beans.
It’s best to slit the beans open to help bring out even more flavor.
Non-alcoholic version? Pure extracts are made from alcohol because it’s the easiest way to extract the flavor out of the food. I’ve never made vanilla extract with a nonalcoholic alternative, but there are a few tutorials online if you give it a quick search.
Single-Fold Vs Double-Fold Vanilla Extract
Most store-bought vanilla extracts are what’s known as single-fold. Single-fold vanillas are weaker and to make your own, you need about 6 vanilla beans per 8 ounces of alcohol. I prefer a stronger vanilla so the homemade flavor is more prominent in desserts. Strong vanilla is known as double-fold and it’s pretty pricey because it requires a lot of vanilla beans. Since double-fold can get expensive, I opt for about 8 vanilla beans (about .75 to 1 ounce) per 8 fluid ounces of alcohol. This is the best balance of taste and price.
Confused about which type of vanilla bean to buy?
- Madagascar Vanilla – very common and has a creamy and rich flavor
- Mexican Vanilla – has a darker, almost smoky flavor
- Tahitian Vanilla – also very common and has a rich floral flavor
Any are great choices for vanilla extract.
Wait 6-12 Months
The only things you need to remember about homemade vanilla extract are ratio and time. The ratio of vanilla beans per ounces of alcohol is imperative, but so is the amount of time the vanilla infuses the alcohol. We discussed ratio above, so let’s chat about how long to infuse the vanilla. Homemade vanilla extract tastes better and becomes darker in color the longer it sits. This means we need to practice our patience. The wait is worth it, though. Make some today and use it 6 months from now. You’ll be even happier when a full year has past. 12+ month homemade vanilla is incredible.
Store the infusing vanilla out of direct sunlight and give it a shake once per week.
Want to know the best part of all? You can continuously add more alcohol to the bottle as you use it. See the recipe instructions below. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving!
Free Printable Vanilla Extract Labels
Because everyone loves an accessory, I asked my dear friend Jess to design adorable labels for the vanilla extract bottles. They match our vanilla sugar and pumpkin pie spice labels!
Click this link for the PDF: Sally’s Baking Recipes Vanilla Extract Stickers
Print out the labels on sticker adhesive paper, then cut out the circles. Peel off the labels and stick on your vanilla extract bottles. The labels are obviously optional, but they’re a nice addition especially if you plan to gift the vanilla to others. (See more gift ideas on our Gifts for Bakers page!)
And one last thing… as you wait for your vanilla to infuse, here are hundreds of recipes using vanilla extract that you can browse. It’s my favorite in sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, coffee cake, and cinnamon swirl cheesecake, just to name a few 🙂 And it’s absolutely lovely in my easy rice krispie treats recipe. Lots to look forward to!
Print
Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
- Category: Spice
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Description
For best results, let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for at least 12 months.
Ingredients
- .75 to 1 ounce vanilla beans (about 8 beans or 20g total)
- 1 cup (8 ounces; 240ml) 80 proof vodka (or bourbon, brandy, or even rum)
- 8 ounce bottle or jar with a tight seal
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slit the vanilla beans so the beans are exposed. No need to completely split the bean in half, just slit down the middle. If the length of the vanilla beans don’t fit into your bottle or jar, cut the vanilla beans into smaller pieces. Place beans into bottle or jar.
- Pour vodka on top. A funnel helps. Use a little extra vodka, if needed, so the beans are fully submerged. Shake a few times.
- Store vanilla at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Shake about once per week or once every couple weeks. You can use it in 6 months, but 12+ months is even better.
- As you begin to use your vanilla, you can refill with a little vodka each time. Give it a shake after you refill and give it a shake before each use, too. If you’re gifting the vanilla or if you don’t have any more alcohol to refill, remove the beans completely after first use. The beans will become a little slimy if they aren’t almost fully submerged.
- Unused aged vanilla extract (with the beans fully submerged) will last several years. If it still smells good, it’s still good to use! Aged extract without the beans will last indefinitely. Once you begin using the vanilla and adding more alcohol after each use, the beans will eventually need to be replaced. It’s hard to give a specific amount of time as some may use (and refill) the vanilla more quickly than others. After about 1 year of frequent use and refilling, you will you find the vanilla flavor less intense. Simply remove old beans, add fresh beans, shake, and continue to use/refill.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate link): Madagascar Vanilla Beans, these Tahitian Vanilla Beans, or these Tahitian Vanilla Beans | 8-ounce Glass Bottles | Funnel
- Using More Vanilla Beans: Most store-bought vanilla extracts are what’s known as single-fold. Single-fold vanillas are weaker and to make your own, you need about 6 vanilla beans per 8 ounces of alcohol. I prefer a stronger vanilla. Strong vanilla is known as double-fold and it’s pretty pricey because it requires a lot of vanilla beans. Since double-fold can get expensive, I opt for .75 to 1 ounce of vanilla beans per 8 fluid ounces of alcohol. This is the best balance of taste and price. Feel free to use more beans per 8 fluid ounces if desired.
- Seeds: Since the vanilla beans are exposed (slit open), there will be vanilla bean seeds in the bottle and therefore in your baked good. They add even more wonderful flavor!
- Use the same amount of homemade vanilla extract as you would store-bought in recipes.
- Gifting: I usually remove the beans if I’m gifting the bottle, that way the gift recipient isn’t responsible for refilling with more alcohol and the beans don’t go to waste. (You can reuse the beans for a new bottle.) However, if it’s been less than 6 months, I recommend gifting with the beans in the bottle because there’s still lots of flavor in there! Tell the gift recipient to remove the beans once he/she begins using the vanilla.
- Alcohol: If baking gluten free, use certified gluten free alcohol. Avoid flavored vodkas as they often contain artificial flavors, which negates the purpose of making your own pure vanilla.
- Sterilizing: Sterilizing the bottles is ideal, though we’ve skipped that step with no problem in the outcome of the vanilla. If your bottles or jars don’t have any plastic pieces attached, we recommend sterilizing them before using. The pictured bottles have a removable plastic topper piece. You can soak any plastic pieces in very hot soapy water, and dry completely before using.
Reader Comments and Reviews
I am making this for Coworkers and friends Christmas gifts. I was wondering if you have ever this with wine bottle and did it turn out well?
I have been making my own vanilla extract for years. I’ve used vodka and brandy. Both are good! But, I prefer the brandy. I’ve had the same jar for at least ten years. I had more alcohol but I also pull out a bean now and then, and scrape out the beans for a recipe. Yum
I started a jar using Madagascar beans at the end of last November, and pretty quickly noticed a lot of white flakes and the liquid has a kind of cloudy appearance. It hasn’t gone away and has continued to get a bit worse over time. Is this normal or did I get a bad bunch of beans?
This happened to me too, only I used two bottles and separated the same batch of beans. It only got cloudy and the white flecks after I dug out and rea-sliced the beans. One bottle got cloudy and the other didn’t. So I’m stumped.
Was there any difference (other than cloudiness) between the 2 bottles as far as taste/flavor or potency or smell? Mine is now 5 months old and I have not yet opened it. I was trying to wait 6 months, but I think I’ll go ahead and bite the bullet… and hope I don’t get poisoned or something.
Hello! I made your homemade vanilla extract during quarantine and it has reached six months of marination. Super excited to use it! I made mine using bourbon, and it smells very heavily of bourbon when I open the jar. I assume that is normal? Or should it smell strongly of vanilla like the store bought kind does? I wasn’t sure if it needed more time…
Hi Brittany, it will smell like both! You can certainly give it more time to develop more flavor, but use your best judgement for when it’s ready.
I started some Madagascar bourbon vanilla in December using the same type of bottle in the picture. I’ve noticed some of the bottles are getting a “ring” around the top and others are not. Some of it disappears if I shake the bottle hard enough. Is this normal?
Hi Roberta! It should be just fine as long as the beans are covered in bourbon. Make sure to continue to shake the bottles every week to help mix them up.
Thank you, Trina! Yes, they are totally covered in bourbon and I shake them every week.
Thank you
I made this recipe back in January but I doubled it and used a larger bottle with 10 vanilla beans. The color now is still a lighter brown after two months. Should I add more vanilla beans or will the color deepen over time?
Hi Bekah! Are the bean pods properly split? You should see some flecks of vanilla beans floating around when it’s shaken. If not, you can try removing the pods to split them a bit more to let more vanilla flavor out. The color will continue to deepen over time as well.
Hi there, if I use one of those BIG 34 oz. tightly sealed bottles from Ikea, can I put in 4x the amount of vanilla beans (so 20-24 vanilla pods) and 4x the amount of vodka (so 32 oz of liquor)? Would that work just as well? I would like to take out 1/2 cup after 8 weeks and then keep the rest in there for at least 6 months and up to 12 months as you suggest. If the vanilla extract is for personal use, would you suggest that I remove the vanilla beans after 12 months, or should I just keep them in there (I don’t plan to refill the vodka between 6-12 mos). After I run out of the 30 oz, I will probably just start anew. Thanks!
Hi Karis, you can quadruple this “recipe” as you mention, yes. It shouldn’t be a problem. You can remove 1/2 cup after 8 weeks, but it likely won’t have a strong vanilla flavor. No need to remove the beans after 12 months if you won’t be refilling it. (Sorry if I’m misunderstanding your question!)
SO excited to try this next adventure! Just enjoyed the results of my first batch of homemade watermelon wine (it was amazing), and was looking for something new to try! Just ordered everything and can’t wait to get started!!!
Thanks for all this information. I’ve “made” one batch of Tahitian vanilla beans with vodka and now going to make madagascar vanilla beans with bourbon. I used to bake with pure vanilla and cannot wait to do so again.
My quick question: can I split the vanilla beans and add them into the bottle of liquor —- or must the vanilla beans be placed in the jar for the liquor to be poured onto and over
Hi Lisa! You can add the vanilla beans to the bottle – just make sure you’re adding enough beans per amount of alcohol. The ~8 oz smaller sized liquor bottles work perfectly for the instructions above!
Thinking of making some homemade vanilla when I finish the last of the store bought I have. Question: I have a lot of Ball jars from canning. Can these be used?
Definitely!
How many times can you re-use the beans? Don’t they eventually lose their flavor?
I have a bottle gifted to me by my sister in law and we refilled with vodka but the vanilla does not darken in color. I think we’ve had the brand too long.
Thanks!
Hi Courtney, correct. Once you begin using the vanilla and adding more alcohol after each use, the beans will eventually need to be replaced. It’s hard to give a specific amount of time as some may use (and refill) the vanilla more quickly than others. If the smell is less intense and the vanilla is not darkening as you mention, it’s likely time for new beans. Hope this helps!
Can you use Canadian whiskey as the alcohol? Thank you! Looking forward to making my own vanilla 🙂
Definitely!
That will work just fine!
How do you get the vanilla beans out of the narrow neck bottles that you recommended? I was originally looking for wide mouth jars with the similar jar clamp hinge latch mechanism, but I wasn’t happy with any of the products on Amazon as some bad reviews left me second guessing.
Hi Mary, a clean pair of tweezers or tongs should do the trick — hope this helps!
Hi!
Thank you very much for the recipe and labels. I made several last August and gave them away at Christmas. I had some vodka left over so threw in a few vanilla beans and put it in a dark cupboard. Yesterday I pulled the bottle of vodka out thinking I would had some to my bottle of vanilla. I panicked when I saw the beans looked like they were growing fur. My thought was mild and I pictured myself telling all the gift recipients that they better toss their gifts. Before I do I thought I would see what you think. It smelled like vanilla, I had not given it a shake in months is it possible it was just the bean deteriorating or might it be mold? Unfortunately I used dark bottles so I can’t see what my beans look like. Thanks, Terry
Hi Terry, It’s relatively normal. I can’t imagine it being mold when the bottle is filled with alcohol. It could be simply the natural vanillin coming out.
There’s no need to sterilize the bottles? I’ll assuming that because of the alcohol it’s unnecessary but I want to be sure before investing in the ingredients. Thank you!
Wonderful recipe and very clear. Thank you for sharing!
Hello! Would vodka less than 80 proof work? I for some reason am having a hard time finding anything more than 40 proof at the stores around me.
Hi Ashley! Is it possible the vodka is 40% alcohol (80 proof)? That’s typical vodka strength and will work for this recipe. If it is 20% alcohol (40 proof) it won’t properly infuse with the vanilla beans. Hope that helps!
Hi Sally. Thank you so much for this recipe. I found hundreds of recipes for making your own pure vanilla extract. I feel comfortable using yours. I took off on my own recipe after awhile Sally, I don’t use little bottles, I use large size canning jars. In fact I have different sizes of canning jars, different labels and dates. I like using mine for 1 year to marinate. Wow, my first jar was about 2 cup size, I used Grey Goose Vodka which in fact I love to use. Wonderful flavor as far as I am concerned, very smooth. I’ve added even more beans through the couple of years. I have the best vanilla extract EVER. I stir my vanilla extract when ready to pull whatever amount, beans settle. Anyway I have one that will be ready in June. I ordered more beans from Vanilla Bean King today, 10 beans. To make even more. I share with family and friends. I also use only grade A. I feel that Grade B takes longer. I don’t know, it’s just me. But. This time I going to use a different liquor. Not sure what yet. Anywho, thank you tons for the guidelines. B.
Hi Sally,
Do the beans need to be completely covered or can they peek out the top a bit. It appears that your peek above the vodka? Or should I just add a wee bit more vodka to cover them completely?
Hi Pamela! It’s ok if the beans poke out just a bit but ideally you want them totally covered.
Thanks Trina, sorry I should have read the recipe more closely. It does indicate to add a bit more vodka to cover the beans. Sorry bout that. 🙂
Hi! I’m very excited to try this for myself and as gifts. Do you put your beans in small bottles for gifting or in a larger bottle that you then pour *from* after the extract is ready?
Hi Amanda! We gift them as pictured with the beans in them. Though you could certainly give them without the beans as well.
I live by your cupcake recipe and you nailed it on the Bouche de Noel. I think I’m going to go for the homemade vanilla extract. I recently did an Italian cooking class where we made limoncello. We used everclear for the base because it has no taste and I wondered if you’d ever considered this instead of vodka? It is a higher alcohol content but I’m not sure that matters since it is baked? Wondering your thoughts on everclear?
I made this, but scraped some of the vanilla beans from the pods, and added them to the bottle. The pods are completely covered, and the seeds are settled at the bottom of the bottle. I do shake it approx once a week, where the seeds float around and eventually settle again. It’s starting to darken in color! Is there any issue with me removing some of the seeds?
How long can vanilla beans be reused? You mentioned that you can continue to pour alcohol into the bottle. At what point are the beans no longer able to be used?
Hi Martha! See step 5 of the recipe for the answer to your question.
I made vanilla extract years ago and loved it, and I pulled up this recipe today to find out how many beans I needed, and zoomed to Whole Foods, two beans cost $16, and the recipe calls for six. Yikes!! The same company sells an 8oz double fold bottle that Whole Foods has for $40. To make the same amount, I’d have to spend $48 + vodka (+ my time bc that is valuable, too). I am very excited about this project, but obviously I need to order my beans on Amazon to make it a money-saving endeavor!
Such an easy recipe! Made several bottles just this week. Can’t wait to use in baking late summer and holidays.
Haven’t tried yet, but I’m looking at getting 16 oz bottles, since 8 oz just doesn’t seem like enough for how often we use vanilla in our house. How many beans would you recommend for 16 oz bottles? 10-12 seems like a lot if I’m just doubling the amount of beans for an 8oz bottle. Thanks and can’t wait to make some!
I would recommend at least 8 beans for 16 ounces of vodka
The standard for vanilla extract is 1 oz. of beans to 8 oz. alcohol.
Hey! I made this recipe and have already tried it in baked goods. What about other goods that are not baked but use Vanilla? I want to use this in my royal icing recipe and worried it will taste like alcohol!
Hi Eni, You can use this for any recipe calling for vanilla extract. How long have you let your vanilla infuse? If you smell it and it smells like vanilla and not alcohol then it should be just fine to use in something like royal icing (esp when you are using a very small amount).
I was looking for a recipe “what to do with vanilla beans”. I found one here, read the comments and decided it would be right for me. I like the recipes. But when I printer the vanilla information I got 22 pages, half of which was comments…2 or 3 more pictures of baking which I don’t need until I make the vanilla. Sorry but I will not join a group until I know I can get the recipe without all the unnecessary paper and ink wastage. Seniors on pension must watch their money. Like your recipes but it’s not happening. Thank you for the info on how to make vanilla extract.
Hi Shelia! So happy you found this recipe. Next time, you can print just the recipe by scrolling down to the recipe itself (in the light gray box) and using the print button instead of printing the whole page. Hope that helps and that you love the vanilla extract!
This is what I do and it works! no extra paper! I also have the option to print and save to my laptop which is what I do mostly to save on paper, and so that I have access to it when I need to bake without having to go online to search everytime.. Thanks for sharing Sally! your recipes are awesome. Appreciate the efforts.
It’s kind of silly to be upset with the recipe creator because you don’t understand how a webpage works. There’s no reason to print the entire page. I would have thought that would be obvious. There is a button on the recipe that very clearly says “Print”. If you click on that, you’re printing the recipe only which is the intended way to print a recipe. I understand that not everyone is computer savvy, but a little research goes a long way and would have saved your paper without placing unnecessary blame on Sally.
Sally, my husband picked up the vodka for me , we did not realize it is only 40 proof vodka. Will this matter, willit still work?
Hi Shirley! Is it possible the vodka is 40% alcohol (80 proof)? That’s typical vodka strength and will work for this recipe. If it is 20% alcohol (40 proof) it won’t properly infuse with the vanilla beans. Hope that helps!