Learn how to make the BEST homemade vanilla extract with MORE FLAVOR than store-bought! It will enhance your baking, it makes the perfect gifts, is super easy to make and only requires two ingredients! Learning how to make vanilla extract seriously couldn’t be any easier!
You know a good vanilla extract when you unscrew the bottle and inhale. Imitation and lower quality pure extracts just lack the same depth and combination of fruity and earthy notes in their aroma. Nothing beats quality vanilla extract. But top quality vanilla extracts are expensive. Guess what? You can make your own homemade vanilla extract that will taste BETTER than the best store-bought extracts!
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Vanilla Beans
- 80 proof alcohol
- Glass jars
- A funnel
We’ll discuss these in detail below.
Single Fold vs. Double Fold Vanilla Extract – What’s the Difference?
Single-fold vanilla extract is what most reputable manufacturers of good vanilla extract make. In order to be considered commercial grade extract, single-fold extract is required to use 13 ounces of vanilla beans per gallon (or .8 ounces per cup) of vodka or whatever kind of alcohol is being used.
Double-fold vanilla extracts are what many professional bakers prefer to use because it provides a much stronger, more concentrated vanilla flavor that you can’t get simply by doubling the amount of vanilla extract you use. It’s wonderfully potent and gives baked goods and desserts a much richer vanilla flavor. Commercially sold double-fold vanilla extract is required to be made with with 23 ounces of beans per gallon of alcohol (or 1.5 ounces per cup). And double-fold vanilla extract comes with an even bigger price tag than single-fold.
So the choice is yours depending on your needs. You can either make single- or double-fold vanilla extract and either way you go it will be much cheaper than store-bought. And it’s so easy to do!
I like to make larger quantities to extract to allow them to age for at least a year before using it.
And you’ll probably want to go with a larger quantity anyway because this vanilla extract makes the perfect gift. Seriously, who wouldn’t be happy to receive a bottle of this? It makes the perfect hostess gift when you’re invited over somewhere, a great gift for your child’s teacher, a get-well-soon gift, or for any occasion you want to send the message “I’m thinking of you.”
What Kind of Alcohol is Best for Making Vanilla Extract?
You can use any alcohol as long as it is 80 proof. The best and most popular choices are vodka, bourbon, brandy, or rum.
Vodka is the most versatile because it has a neutral flavor. If you’re using vodka don’t worry about splurging for the expensive brands because it really doesn’t make a significant difference. Go for a cheaper brand – it’s the quality of the vanilla beans that counts.
Which Vanilla Beans are Best for Making Vanilla Extract?
Madagascar Bourbon vanilla beans are the most popular and what I use by far the most. Another option is Tahitian vanilla beans. A third option is Mexican vanilla beans. Each have their own subtle nuances.
- Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla – what most people associate with vanilla flavor. Full, creamy, sweet and mellow flavor with long-lasting flavor tones.
- Tahitian Vanilla – floral aroma with cherry-like, licorice and caramel flavor tones.
- Mexican Vanilla – both sweet and woody flavor tones with spicy hint of cloves and nutmeg.
You can experience how the difference between the Madagascar and Mexican vanilla beans play out in our classic Pots de Creme and Mexican Pots de Creme recipes.
Depending on which beans you use can make your choice of Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Extract, Tahitian Vanilla Extract or Mexican Vanilla Extract. How fun is that?
What is the Difference Between Grade A and Grade B Vanilla Beans?
Whichever vanilla bean you go with, choose “Grade B” if it’s available. Grade B is specifically meant for extracting and generally yields the most flavor. Grade A vanilla beans are meant for cooking. Grade B is typically also cheaper than grade A, which works out well. But if you find a better deal on Grade A or Grade B isn’t available, Grade A will work great as well.
What Kind of Jars Should I Use For Vanilla Extract?
Use glass jars. I like to get a combination of 2 ounce jars and 4 ounce jars. 2 ounce jars are perfect for gift-giving and I use the 4 ounce jars for myself (or to give as gifts to people I REALLY like).
I also recommend using dark glass jars to keep light out which will help preserve the oils and flavor of the vanilla extract. It’s a double layer of protection in addition to keeping the jars stored in a dark cupboard.
If you don’t have access to dark glass jars you can use clear jars but be sure to keep them stored in a dark place.
What’s the Best Way to Fill the Jars with the Vanilla Extract?
Use a small funnel. It’s very inexpensive and it makes pouring a lot easier – and far less messy, eliminating any waste of your precious homemade vanilla extract.
How Many Vanilla Beans Should I Use Per Cup of Alcohol?
Most recipes for homemade vanilla extract call for 2-3 vanilla beans per cup of vodka. We’re going to use 5 per cup. This will result in a more potent vanilla extract that will make your baked goods and desserts soar. That will also enable you to use less extract in a recipe to get just as much vanilla flavor without any alcohol flavor.
How To Make Vanilla Extract
Ready to learn how to make vanilla extract? Let’s get started!
Slice the vanilla beans in half lengthwise.
See those luscious vanilla bean flecks inside?
Scrape those out with a knife and add them to the jar of vodka.
Scraping it out is optional because the flavors will distill into the vodka regardless, but I like the presence of the vanilla bean flecks that settle at the bottom of the bottles.
It makes it a dead giveaway that it’s the real stuff and just looks more authentic and higher quality.
Once you’ve sliced the beans and scraped out the flecks we’re ready to place everything in the vodka.
Use any glass jar with a fitted lid that you prefer. I used my quart-sized canning jar this time. Place the scraped out vanilla flecks and beans in the jar with the vodka and screw the lid on tightly. Make sure the vanilla beans are submerged under the alcohol otherwise any exposed parts can become slimy and potentially ruin your extract.
That’s it. Now your job is simply to give it a shake every now and then during the ripening process. It will become very dark within just a few days. Go ahead and take a sniff every now and then, it’s wonderful!
How Long Does Vanilla Extract Need to Age?
Aside from the quality of the vanilla beans themselves, the most important factor that determines the quality of your finished vanilla extract is how long you allow the vanilla extract to age.
While you can use it in as little as 8 weeks the flavor becomes vastly superior the longer it ages. Optimally you should wait at least 6 months and for the best results wait 12 months.
I make a large batch every year and then use the previous year’s batch for my own use and for gifts. 12-month aged pure vanilla extract – it’s gold! I’m currently using 24-month aged vanilla – it’s even better!
When the extract is ready pour it into the bottles. You can use any size you like.
As mentioned earlier, I like to use the standard 2-ounce and 4-ounce jar sizes as gifts.
Place the funnel in the jars and pour in the extract, leaving a little headspace.
Should I Add the Vanilla Beans to the Jars of My Finished Extract?
Something I like to do is trim the vanilla beans to the height of the small bottles and add two pieces in the 2-ounce jars and 4 pieces in the 4-ounce jars. That means the extract will continue to increase in flavor as it sits.
Plus it just looks neat for anyone you’re giving these jars to – it looks high quality and professional.
But you can also use those extracted vanilla beans for another delicious purpose….keep reading below…..
Can You Reuse Vanilla Beans?
Yes and no. You can reuse them to make another batch of extract but keep in mind that they will have lost some of their potency and so the next batch will not be as strong. What I’ll do if I’m reusing them is combine the “old” ones with “new” ones to make a new batch.
How To Reuse Vanilla Beans to Make Vanilla Sugar
My favorite way to use “used” vanilla beans is to make vanilla sugar.
Got some extracted beans left after dividing them up between the small bottles? Don’t waste them – make vanilla sugar!
It’s so easy! Just let the beans dry out for a few days until they’re totally dry and then place them in a container or ziploc bag of sugar. Seal it shut and let it sit a few weeks, shaking it occasionally.
Discard the vanilla beans – your vanilla sugar is ready to use!
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial on making your own vanilla extract and hope you’ve been inspired to give it a go!
You’ll be absolutely thrilled with the results!
PIN ME!
For some more fun and delicious DIY recipes be sure to try our homemade Candied Ginger and Candied Orange Peel!
How to Make Vanilla Extract
Ingredients
- 5-6 Grade B Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans (grade B is specifically meant for extracting but if you have grade A those will work perfectly also)
- or Tahitian Vanilla Beans
- or Mexican Vanilla Beans
- 1 cup 80 proof alcohol (the best and most popular choices are vodka - for a neutral flavored extract - and also bourbon, brandy and rum)
- 2 ounce brown glass jars
- 4 ounce brown glass jars
- Metal funnel for pouring
- For "single-fold" vanilla extract (this is the extract you find in most stores) Use .8 ounces (or 22 grams) of vanilla beans per 1 cup of vodka (or other 80 proof alcohol)
- For "double-fold" vanilla extract (much stronger flavor preferred by most professional bakers) Use 1.6 ounces (or 44 grams) of vanilla beans per 1 cup of vodka (or other 80 proof alcohol)
Instructions
- Cut the vanilla beans in half lengthwise and scrape out the vanilla flecks inside. Add the flecks and the beans to the vodka in a glass jar with a fitted lid. Make sure the vanilla beans are submerged under the alcohol otherwise any exposed parts can become slimy and potentially ruin your extract. Place the extract in a dark, cool place, shaking occasionally for the first few weeks. The extract "can" be used in as little as 8 weeks but it won't have reached optimal potency. The extract gets better with age. For far better results use after 6 months and for optimal results wait 12 months.
- Once the extract is ready, place the funnel on the glass jars and fill them with the extract. If you like, to get even more flavor out of the beans as the extract ages, slice the used vanilla beans to fit the length of the jars and place about 2 pieces in the 2-ounce jars and 4 pieces in the 4-ounce jars. That way the extract will continue to "ripen" as it sits.Makes 1 cup or 8 ounces of premium vanilla extract*See blog post about how to reuse vanilla beans
Notes
Heather B says
Wonderful information! Just wondering about other extracts. Do all of them improve up to 2 years. Looks like most up to 6-8 weeks.
As a side note. I was thinking if making numerous jars, I might try a can rotator. Then just move the jar at the bottom of rotator to the top n all jars would auto roll down. Thus shaking all jars a bit in the process. Just a thought.
Catherine Sorgente says
Hello – can you use a stronger proof alcohol?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Catherine, yes you can.
Samantha Wright says
Hi [email protected] The Daring Gourmet I just completed my first batch and I am so excited to see and taste the results. However, I do have a question. Its been about an hour and there is fuzzy white stuff floating in there also. Has that ever happened to you? I did a 32 oz Mason jar to keep for the year and an 8 oz so that I can use sooner. I sure hope the fuzz is normal. Prayerfully
Thanks for sharing your process.
JOC says
Are your beans completely submerged in the alcohol?
Samantha Wright says
Yes, they are completely submerged and everything both bottles have what looks like little white fuzz looking floaters. Maybe I scrapped too deep. Despite that both jars look great. I’ll just have to strain really well.
Karen G. says
Samantha, that could be the vanillian steeping out. You can find out if it’s mold by rubbing some of the white fuzz between your thumb and fingers and smell it. If it doesn’t smell like mold, then it’s okay. The beans shouldn’t grow mold as long as they have been covered in alcohol and shaken.
Joel says
I like your recipe and comments for making vanilla extract. I have done this a few times and would like to tell you about a trick that I use that speeds up the extraction. After slicing the vanilla beans, I put them in a wide mouth quart size mason jar, fill with vodka and then use a food saver to vacuum to jar. This appears to speed up the extraction such that in 1 month you will be at the 6 month extraction without the vacuum. I tried this because it is well know that vacuum speeds up marinades. It really does speed up the extraction.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s super interesting, Joel, I’ve never heard that and will have to look into it – thanks for sharing.
Cathleen Colquhoun says
Hi Kimberly,
I’m thinking of trying bourbon to make my extract. Does bourbon take longer than vodka? I thought it might smell nice. Should I stick with vodka? Thanks!
Cathleen
Cathleen Colquhoun says
Hi Kimberly,
I’m thinking of trying bourbon to make my extract. Does bourbon take longer than vodka. I thought it might smell nice. Should I stick with vodka? Thanks!
Cathleen
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Cathleen, it takes the same length of time and bourbon is a great choice!
Kimberly Moore says
I’m looking forward to trying this along with other extracts like almond, orange ect. During this crazy time. I’m trying more things. Pray everyone on here id’s healthy and families blessed.
Andre says
Hi Kimberly
Can i vitamix the vanilla beans and alcohol together to greatly speed up the infusion time? Thank you
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Andre, it may speed the process up but I’d say it’s definitely not a substitute for letting the extract infuse over time. Just how much time it will shave off the infusion time I don’t know. One of the nice things though about leaving the beans whole is that you can re-use them (e.g., making vanilla sugar) which you won’t be able to do if you pulverize them in the blender. Just a thought.
Jaye Buonanno says
Do you strain your vanilla before going into smaller gift bottles? Not sure if I should.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jaye, I don’t but that’s just personal preference – I like the black flecks of vanilla in the extract, it makes it look more genuine vs. imitation extract.
Jenny Fritz says
Hi Kimberly,
The week after Christmas I made a bottle of vanilla extract. I used 3 cups of vodka and 18 vanilla beans. I’ve kept the bottle out of direct sunlight and in dry location(where I store wine and other spirits). It looks good, smells great, and the beans are fully submerged. The problem: I’m getting condensation at the top of the bottle, even after moving the bottle to another dry, cool location. The bottle top is a swing-top with wire and a rubber seal. Is this typical?
Thank you!
Jenny
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jenny, the condensation would suggest that the seal on the bottle is compromised. That’s the only thing I can think of why there would be moisture collecting. I would transfer the extract and beans to another jar with a tight lid.
Karen Styers says
I followed this recipe last January. My bottles still smell like alcohol instead of vanilla after 1year. I poured one bottle into a measuring cup. There were tons of seeds and the beans were slimy, is this normal? I’d like to add more beans to my jars if the old beans are still okay. I thought the beans I used were from a reputable grower and I used the suggested number of beans per cup. I’ve been really disappointed when I would smell my jars month after month and they still smelled like alcohol. This is my first try and I’d love any suggestions you can give me to proceed from here.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Karen, extract will never lose the alcohol smell completely, that’s normal. But once the extract is added to baked goods you won’t be able to taste the alcohol, only the vanilla. Slimy beans: That’s caused if the beans aren’t submerged under the alcohol. If they’re left exposed for a long time they can rot, become slimy and potentially ruin the extract which would unfortunately then need to be thrown out.
Karen Styers says
The beans were submerged throughout the year. I guess I didn’t know what to expect, but I hate to throw out the whole batch if they are normal. What should I expect the beans to be like after a year in the vodka?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Well, without seeing them it’s hard to say what’s normal and what isn’t. I mean, the beans will certainly become softer and very slick but they shouldn’t look weird, have any strange stuff on them or smell funky.
Cary says
In November I put 3 Madagascar beans in a little 100ml (3.3oz) bottle of Wild Turkey 101. I noticed that it took a good 6 weeks to smell like vanilla instead of bourbon. Now it smells fantastic. It’s going to be hard to wait but I’m sure it will be worth it!
Jennifer Brown says
Can the vanilla beans be left in the bottle for an unlimited amount of time if we keep adding vodka when we use it? If not, when do we replace the beans?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Jennifer, I pretty much do :) And when I add vodka I’ll keep the old beans in but add new ones in addition so the extract won’t be as diluted. Surrounded by alcohol nothing can really go “bad”. The beans might just disintegrate over time.
Alison says
how many beans and what amount of alcohol did you use.what type and grade of bean.where did you buy them from.
MzFoodie says
OMG!!!! I had to get back on here to tell you that I just checked my first batch of Madagascar I did yesterday to shake it and it has been less than 24 hours and my extract is DARK!!!!! I am so excited. OMG!!!!
Everybody, follow this recipe because if my extract is DARK in less than 24 hours, imagine the richness it will be in 6 months to 1 full year.
I sterilized my jar, measuring cup, paring knife and scissors. I used 25 Madagascar Split beans from Amazon, cut them and added to 32 oz jar and added Tito’s Vodka. Shaked vigorously and placed in cabinet that is rarely used for anything.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
It really is exciting, MzFoodie! :) I’m using my 3-year old vanilla extract right now and it’s out of this world. Every time I go to grab it to add it to something my kids beg to have a sniff, lol, it’s THAT good!
Kay says
So I spent $44.00 on beans and you have 1 cup of vodka in this recipe. $44.00 for one cup of vanilla?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kay, I don’t understand what you’re asking. This recipe calls for 5-6 vanilla beans per cup of vodka.
MzFoodie says
Hi Kimberly,
I think the confusion is how the recipe is written because you have two different metrics of measurements for the extract. For example, the weight of the beans for “double-fold” is listed as 1.6 ounces to one cup of alcohol. However, you also list the number of beans which will yield a totally different outcome. Today, I just received 25 Madagascar beans and I weighed them and they were 1.5 ounces. I put them all in a 32 oz jar and filled it with vodka. Now, based on your count of 5-6 beans per cup, this should give me “double-fold”, correct? If I were instead to use the weight of the beans per your measurement, I would have used 1.5 ounces of beans in just 8 ounces of vodka. That would yield a pretty strong extract. So I see where Kay is trying to get clarification.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks for that explanation, MzFoodie. Yes, I can see the confusion now. Provided you let the vanilla extract age for the recommended length of time you’ll have a good quality and flavorful extract by following the 5-6 beans per cup of vodka ratio and that’s what this tutorial calls for.
Below that I simply provide the info on what constitutes “single” and “double” fold extracts per industry guidelines for those who want to follow those guidelines. The amount of .8 ounces per cup for single fold and 1.5 ounces per cup for double fold is what the law requires manufacturers to use in order to label their extracts as such.
I know, the price of vanilla beans has shot through the roof in the last couple of years! It’s all the more reason to let the homemade extract age good and long to get the most out of those precious beans.
MzFoodie says
Hi Kimberly,
Thank you so much for the clarification. I just ordered another 25 in the Tahitian that will be delivered by Monday. I will let both Madagascar and Tahitian age for 1 full year. So I will be using them for next Christmas baking. I can’t wait. Thank you for the recipe. Happy Holidays to you & your family!
JOC says
Are you saying 5-6 beans per cup of vodka IF it sits for a year?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
No, 5-6 regardless but the flavor vastly improves the longer it sits.
Lori says
Can you just add the Madagascar vanilla beans to the bottle of bourbon instead of putting it into another jar?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Absolutely, Lori! I did that with a bottle of rum with my last batch.