Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe

Learning how to make vanilla extract is so easy. It takes just 2 ingredients, vanilla beans and vodka, and about 15 minutes of hands-on time. After at least 2 months in a dark cupboard, it turns a deep amber color and makes all of your baked goods taste and smell incredible. Once you make your own homemade vanilla extract, there’s just no going back to the store-bought version.

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Homemade Vanilla Extract

My cousin’s wife, Alla, shared this idea with me for gifting homemade vanilla extract, and now all my sisters and friends know exactly what they’re getting for Christmas. The little bottles look so sweet wrapped in a kitchen towel, and you’ll find my free printable labels and a wrapping tutorial below.

I updated this recipe because several of you told me it didn’t use enough beans, and you were right. The original version called for 4 beans per cup of vodka, which is about half the strength of store-bought pure vanilla and needed longer to brew. This version uses about 24 grams of beans per cup, or about 5 to 8 beans. Counting the beans works well, but weighing is the most accurate if you have a scale. This makes full-strength vanilla extract that meets the US standard for pure vanilla, so your desserts will taste even better!

Ingredients for Vanilla Extract

You only need 2 ingredients, and the vanilla beans are the one to pay attention to.

• Vanilla beans – I use Grade B Bourbon vanilla beans. Grade B beans are drier and less pretty than Grade A, so they cost less and are often sold as extract grade. Plump Grade A beans hold more water, so if you use them, go up to about 28 grams per cup (5 to 6 beans).
• Vodka – Use plain 80 proof vodka (40% alcohol). It’s not necessary to get the most expensive brand. Something middle of the road like Smirnoff triple distilled works just fine. I found a giant jug at the liquor store for $25, so I’ll be making vanilla for a long time. Bourbon, rum or brandy work too, as long as they’re at least 70 proof. They add their own flavor, so use vodka for a classic vanilla taste.

Vanilla Bean to Vodka Ratio

The US standard for pure vanilla extract (single-fold) is 13.35 oz of vanilla beans per gallon with at least 35% alcohol. That works out to about 24 grams of beans, or 5 to 8 beans, per cup of vodka. Use this chart to make as much or as little as you like:

Vodka	Vanilla Beans (count)*	By Weight
1/2 cup (4 oz)	3 to 4 beans	12 g
1 cup (8 oz)	5 to 8 beans	24 g
2 cups (16 oz)	10 to 16 beans	47 g
750 ml bottle	15 to 25 beans	75 g
1 liter bottle	20 to 34 beans	100 g
5 cups (40 oz, the full recipe for 10 jars)	25 to 40 beans	120 g

*Bean size varies a lot. For each cup of vodka, use about 5 large beans or 8 small to medium beans. If you have a kitchen scale, weighing is the most accurate.

How to Make Vanilla Extract

Besides the beans and vodka, you’ll need a few simple tools:

• Small funnel or a measuring cup with a pouring lip
• 10 (4 oz) clear bottles with lids. Avoid cork lids, since alcohol evaporates through the cork.
• Labels – you can save and print the labels I designed for free.
• Kitchen scissors or a sharp knife
• A kitchen scale, if you have one

1. Sanitize – Wash the bottles and lids with mild soapy water, rinse, then carefully swirl with boiling hot water to sanitize them.

2. Prep and split – Count or weigh the vanilla beans, then cut them in half and split each half lengthwise about halfway down. I find this easiest with kitchen scissors. If the beans are too dry to split, cut them into 1-inch pieces. Divide them evenly between the bottles, about 3 to 4 beans (12 grams) per bottle.

3. Fill – Use a funnel or measuring cup to pour vodka to the top of each bottle so the beans are covered, then close the lids tightly.

4. Brew – Let the bottles sit in a cool, dark place for at least 2 months, and give them a little shake every now and then.

How to Tell When Vanilla Extract Is Ready

After 2 months, the extract will be a rich amber color and smell strongly of vanilla. It keeps getting darker and more flavorful the longer it sits, and at 6 to 12 months it’s even better. The instructions are right on the label, so you can give the bottles as gifts before they’re ready.

Tips for the Best Vanilla Extract

• Keep the beans covered – As you use the extract, long beans can end up above the vodka. Cutting them into pieces keeps them under the surface.
• Leave the beans in – They keep flavoring the extract the whole time you use it.

Can You Refill Vanilla Extract?

Yes, and I do it all the time. As you use the extract, top off the bottle with more vodka and keep the beans in. The beans give up less flavor with each refill, so once the extract smells weaker, add a fresh bean or two, or replace the beans with new ones. Give it a few weeks after a big top-off before you use it.

Free Vanilla Extract Labels

Apply the free vanilla extract labels by printing them on label paper or by gluing them onto the bottles. If you print on label paper, set your printer to 100% and not “fit to page,” which can shrink or stretch the labels.

How to Wrap Vanilla Extract in a Kitchen Towel

These make darling DIY Christmas gifts. For 10 bottles, you’ll need:

• 10 yards of yarn or kitchen string
• 10 kitchen towels, preferably tea towel style
• 10 small or medium cookie cutters

Fold a kitchen towel in half lengthwise, then in half again lengthwise. Place the vanilla in the upper left corner, fold over the bottom flap and roll it into a log. Tie the top with string or ribbon right over the neck of the bottle inside the towel, threading a cookie cutter onto the string.

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