Homemade Vanilla Extract

It’s easy to make your own homemade vanilla extract rather than buying the expensive little bottles of (typically fake) extract at the store.

All it takes are a few vanilla beans, a tall bottle, and some vodka. Once it’s made, you can keep the recipe going for years by adding more vodka and vanilla beans.

Plus, you get an extra “ingredient” – the leftover vanilla beans. Just slice open the beans and scrape out all the seeds, they add wonderful flavor to your baking.

Making Homemade Vanilla Extract

Why Make Your Own Extract?

• It Elevates Your Baking

Homemade vanilla extract made with real vanilla beans has a rich, complex flavor and incredible aroma.

The commercial vanilla extract that we buy at the grocery stores is usually imitation – made with artificial ingredients and flavors. At its best, the commercial versions typically use too few inferior beans to make a terrific extract.

When you make your own, you control the quality, quantity, & ingredients so you can get a robust and flavorful extract.

So, making and using your own homemade vanilla extract will elevate the flavor and aroma of your baked goods immensely.

• It Makes A Thoughtful & Personal Gift

Bottling your homemade vanilla extract and giving them as Christmas (or other holiday) gifts is highly appreciated.

Those that I’ve gifted with homemade extract always prize it and the effort that went into making it. Many bring their bottles back and beg for refills when they start to run low (so it’s a gift that can keep giving too).

Just remember, for gifting you need to start the process about eight weeks prior to the holiday.

Ingredients & Supplies for Making Vanilla Extract

All you need to make homemade vanilla extract are vanilla beans, alcohol, and a bottle or bottles.

• Vanilla Beans

Madagascar vanilla beans have flavor and aromatic qualities that make them superior for making vanilla extract. Individually, they are quite expensive, but in larger quantities, they are much more reasonable.

Additionally, although Grade A Madagascar vanilla beans are the gold standard for baking, they’re not really necessary for making extract. Grade B beans are not as pretty (they contain splits and cracks) but are fine for making extract (same flavor and aroma).

So, I recommend buying Grade B Madagascar vanilla beans in whatever quantities you need for the amount of extract you’re making. The standard ratio of beans to alcohol for pure vanilla extract is 1 oz. of vanilla beans (by weight) per 8 fl. oz. (1 cup) of alcohol, as follows:

Vanilla Extract Ratios
Beans (oz)	0.5	1.0	2.0	8.0	16.0
Alcohol (fl/oz)	4.0	8.0	16.0	64.0	128.0

You can also make vanilla extract from different types of beans. There are Ugandan, Mexican, Tahitian, and Indonesian vanilla bean varieties available. They all have unique flavors although Madagascar is typically regarded as the best.

• Alcohol

Vodka is usually used to make extracts because it doesn’t add any additional flavors. Any good quality, 35%+ABV/70+ Proof vodka or liquor will work. Just remember that other liquors such as bourbon or rum will change the flavor profile.

• Glass Bottle(s) with a Tight Seal

Any glass bottle(s) that seal tightly will work for this process; however, tall bottles are more convenient since you can just slide in the whole beans. For gifting purposes, I like to save attractive bottles throughout the year since this saves on the cost. Make sure to sterilize your bottles before using them.

Cost of Making Vanilla Extract

Making vanilla extract isn’t inexpensive, the beans can be pretty pricey. I think that I find the best pricing and quality by purchasing the beans online and purchasing in larger quantities. I can usually find Grade B Madagascar beans for about $1.00/bean and it takes about 7 beans for every 8 oz. of extract.

As far as the bottles, I like to save attractive bottles to use. But, if you need to buy them they can be found for about $2.50/8 oz. bottle. Finally, according to my husband, the vodka to make an 8 oz. bottle shouldn’t be more than $2.50.

That makes the price of an 8 oz. bottle of awesome vanilla extract about $12.00 if you’re watching your pennies. Not inexpensive, but if you’re gifting it, you’re friends and family will love you!

And, actually maybe not that expensive. I was shocked to find that an 8 fl. oz. bottle of McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract (which I don’t believe is an imitation – but doesn’t have the awesome flavor of homemade) is going for $32.29 on Amazon.

Making the Extract

Also, after extraction is complete, the vanilla beans are wonderful for making recipes like Panna Cotta that call for the seeds from a split vanilla bean!