Vanilla Extract Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Can you make your own vanilla extract? ›

You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for as little as 8 weeks, but for optimal flavor, wait at least 6-12 months before using. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options. You can try homemade vanilla sugar too.

Bourbon has an inherent vanilla note to it already, which can enhance the flavor of the beans and make the extract richer. Rum will be sweeter and smoother (and slightly spicy, if using a spiced rum). The flavor will be warmer and richer than one made with vodka.

Just remember this ratio: 6 vanilla beans per 8 ounces of alcohol. So if your jar is 12 ounces, use 9 vanilla beans. If it's 16 ounces, use 12 beans.

The FDA requires 2.64 ounces of vanilla beans/bits per 750 mL (approximately 25 fluid ounces) of alcohol to define a “single fold” vanilla extract. As a group we recommend 2-3 oz of beans per 750 mL or 1 oz of beans for 1 cup of alcohol.

All you need are fresh beans and cheap booze to make an ultra-flavorful extract at a fraction of the cost. All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

If you make homemade vanilla extract correctly, it should maintain its quality for 5-10 years, depending on storage conditions. Due to its long shelf life, homemade vanilla extract makes a wonderful gift for friends and family. I always start a batch of it in the summer so it's ready for Christmas gifts come December!

With Vodka, you get the taste of the pure vanilla bean, as the alcohol is completely tasteless. With Rum, you get a very sweet taste and the maximum vanilla taste. With Bourbon, while you do get a wonderfully enhanced vanilla taste, there are specific smoky notes that emanate through the extract.

To get started, you'll need to gather your ingredients. Those include a cheap bottle of vodka; vanilla beans; bottles. You could totally steep the vanilla extract in the alcohol bottle, of course, but I prefer to divide it into containers for steeping.

Beans you've already used in a batch of extract can be reused in the next batch. When I siphoned off the vanilla extract from my 18 month batch, almost all of those beans went right back into the jar for the next batch. I simply added a few new beans to punch up the flavour.

The nice thing about making your own vanilla extract is that you can add more or less beans as you'd like.

How dark should homemade vanilla extract be? ›

Don't be fooled by extracts that claim to be pure, imitation and clear vanilla utilize artificial flavors. Pure vanilla extract should be dark brown; the color of Vanilla Beans used in the extraction process.

Grade B is typically recommended for making homemade vanilla extract. These beans are supposed to be drier and perfect for long soaking in alcohol. I've used both – and maybe I've been lucky but both beans were easy to cut open and use.

Bacardi Superior White Rum - This is a simple, affordable and very sweet rum. We like white rums because of their neutral flavor that allows the vanilla beans to be the star of your extract show, but since they are a sugar-based, they add sweetness to your vanilla that only rum can.

When you are making extract, you want the bean fully submerged in alcohol. Some beans are simply too big for the bottle and need to be cut.

12+ months is great! 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.

Step-by-step photos and instructions for how to make the best Homemade Vanilla Extract! All you need is vodka, vanilla beans and a few tips and tricks. You'll find that homemade vanilla is less expensive (store-bought vanilla extract can cost $4 an ounce) and more flavorful than store-bought, and it's so EASY to make!

Is There Alcohol in Vanilla Extract? By definition, yes there is alcohol in vanilla extract. According to the FDA, vanilla extract is a mixture of vanilla scent and flavor characteristic, and alcohol. To be exact, the FDA requires an ethyl alcohol content of at least 35% for a product to be considered vanilla extract.

Vanilla extract doesn't just rely on alcohol to extract the essential flavors and fragrances from the vanilla bean and suspend them in a stable solution—it's also required by law to have an alcohol content of at least 35 percent.