I love to bake! And my homemade vanilla extract is one of the ingredients that I use the most in baking. I use mine in everything from cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, pies, brownies and even cocktails. It’s so good!
I have found over the years that our favorite desserts taste so much better when I bake with the best ingredients. So a few years ago I started making my own vanilla extract and haven’t turned back.
It’s SO easy to make and the flavor is so much better than anything you can buy from the store. To get the best results, you do have to be patient because the longer the beans sit in the vodka, the better the flavor will be. I try to let mine sit for at least 5-6 weeks before using, but I promise it’s worth the wait! It elevates every cookie and cake to the next level of flavor and once you try it for yourself, I don’t think you’ll ever go back to the store bought version again.
What You Need to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract
1. Vanilla Beans – the quality of the vanilla beans is extremely important! I get mine online and like to use grade A Madagascar vanilla beans. The amount needed will depend on the size of jar you make, I used about 15-16 for a 750ml bottle. But you’ll only need 5-10 for an 8 oz bottle. You can also use grade B Tahitian Vanilla Beans, I’ll be trying these in my next batch so will make sure to share if I can taste the difference.
2. Vodka – 80 proof, you need at least enough to cover the beans in the bottle you are using. Vanilla extract is most commonly made with vodka, but you can also use another neutral flavored alcohol like bourbon, rum or brandy. And no need to splurge on expensive alcohol, the quality and make don’t matter since the flavor comes from the vanilla beans. Get the cheap stuff since it’s just meant to carry the flavor of the vanilla beans.
3. Glass Bottle or Jar with a stopper or tight fitting cap – the size doesn’t matter, you can even re-use a juice bottle or a whiskey bottle like I did (just make sure to clean and sterilize the bottle before using). I like the bottles with the swing top lid since they have a tight seal. They also come in a smaller 8 oz size which is great for gifting.
How to Make Vanilla Extract
Clean your bottle and dry it well. I saved one of our old whiskey bottles to use for this batch.
Slit the vanilla beans length wise and scrap out the seeds and pulp, then place the pod, seeds and pulp into your jar or bottle. Scraping out the seeds and pulp helps infuse the vodka faster so don’t skip this step.
Once all of the beans are scraped and in the bottle, completely submerge them with vodka. You can use a funnel or large round pastry tip to help pour the vodka into your bottle if the opening is small and you don’t want to spill.
Secure the lid on your jar or bottle and give it a good shake to mix everything up.
Your liquid will be clear for the first few days, then will start turning darker after about a week. At least once a week give your bottle another good shake to help continue breaking up the pods and mixing the seeds around to infuse the vodka.
Every week you can watch the extract deepen in color and flavor. At week 5 or 6 you can start to use it in any recipe, but it really comes to perfection around weeks 10-12 so if you can wait a little longer then I highly recommend it. You can use it in any recipe that calls for vanilla extract.
Store your vanilla extract out of direct sunlight and at room temperature and it will last forever and continue to get better as the months/years go on. As you start using your extract, you can continue to refill your bottle a little at a time. Just add more beans as you refill with vodka and give it a good shake each time you use it.
How to Make Vanilla Extract
Ingredients
- 10-15 vanilla beans (I used 15 for a 750ml bottle)
- vodka (or other neutral flavored rum, bourbon or brandy)
- glass bottle with stopper
Instructions
- Clean your bottle and dry it well.
- Slit the vanilla beans length-wise and scrape the seeds and pulp out. This helps to infuse the vodka faster.
- Place the pods, seeds and pulp into your bottle.
- Pour the vodka into the bottle making sure the pods are completely submerged. Using a funnel helps to avoid spills.
- Secure the lid on your bottle and give it a good shake to distribute vanilla seeds. Store at room temperature out of direct sunlight and continue to give the bottle a shake weekly to redistribute the seeds.
- Vanilla extract can be ready to use in as little as 5-6 weeks, but I recommend waiting until weeks 10-12 for the best flavor. It can be kept indefinitely and keeps getting better as the months/years go on.
- As you use your extract you can continue to refill it by adding more vodka and vanilla beans and giving it a good shake. Try not to let it get below half way to avoid diluting the flavor too much.
