How To Make Vanilla Extract
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Learn how to make vanilla extract with MORE FLAVOR than store-bought! This homemade vanilla extract 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 and it is so rewarding!
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 fragrance. Nothing beats quality vanilla extract. But top quality vanilla extracts are expensive. But guess what? You can make your own homemade vanilla extract that will taste BETTER than the best store-bought extracts and you’ll even save some money while you’re at it!
And you’ll probably want to make a larger quantity 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, a homemade Christmas gift, or for any occasion you want to send the message “I’m thinking of you.”
Vanilla Extract Ingredients & Equipment
To make homemade vanilla extract you’ll need the following which we’ll discuss in more detail further down:
- Vanilla Beans
- 80 proof alcohol
- Glass jars
- A funnel
Single Fold vs Double Fold Vanilla Extract
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 vanilla 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 cheaper than store-bought and taste better. And it’s so easy to do! And even if you opt for single-fold, if you’re willing to wait and allow the extract to age, it will only get better over time.
What Kind of Alcohol is Best for 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.
Grade A vs Grade B Vanilla Beans
You can use either. If you have the option, go with Grade B because it is specifically meant for extracting while Grade A vanilla beans are meant for cooking. Grade B is also typically cheaper than grade A, so that’s a win-win. But if you find a better deal on Grade A or Grade B isn’t available, Grade A will work just as well.
The Best Jars 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 strongly 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.
How to Fill the Jars
The best, easiest way is to use a small funnel. It’s inexpensive, makes pouring a lot easier, and helps avoid spilling any of that precious homemade vanilla extract.
How Many Vanilla Beans Should I Use?
Most recipes for homemade vanilla extract call for 2-3 vanilla beans per cup of vodka which I find is too weak. 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
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 I don’t recommend it. As expensive as vanilla beans are you want to maximize the flavor of your extract and 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 have a batch that’s going on 6 years old, another that’s 3 years old, and another that’s a year old. It’s at that year mark and beyond that you really start noticing the difference in quality. Patience really pays off!
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 Final Jars?
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 end 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 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!
- Let the beans dry out for a few days until they’re totally dry.
- 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!
For some more delicious DIY ingredients be sure to try my:
- Candied Ginger
- Candied Orange Peel
- Golden Syrup
- How to Make Chipotle Peppers
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
- How to Make Paprika
- Preserved Lemons
- How to Make Lard
- How to Make Beef Tallow
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How to Make Vanilla Extract
Ingredients
- 5-6 Madagascar bourbon vanilla beans
- 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 remotely reached optimal flavor potency. The extract gets vastly better with age. For far better results use after 6 months and for optimal results wait 12 months or longer.
- 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
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet December 5, 2015
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Is this a crazy question? Would it be good to grind some of the beans up with vodka in my nutribullet? would that save from scraping? WHat i bought are grade B Bourbon Planifolia cuts. I am planning to strain before gifting, or maybe give a small piece of cheesecloth tied up in a ribbon with the bottle?
Hi Meg, I think that would work just as well in terms of the flavor. It’s mostly a matter of appearance and whether or not you want to have the visual aspect of the vanilla beans in the bottles. I would definitely carefully strain the particulates though because the portion of the pod itself is very tough and you wouldn’t want that in your baked goods.
Started making Vanilla Extract for Christmas presents during the Summer(2016). I have a range of bottles from small to large(for big families), but the ratio of beans to Spiced Rum stays the same. This is my first time making it. Other than the age factor, is there any other way to determine if the extract is good/ready? The dark color matches my store bought Vanilla but it still has a strong rum scent. Is there a proper way to test it before I give them out this December?
Thanks for your help!
Hi Charity, your friends and family are in for a treat! The vanilla will never overpower the rum. The rum scent will always be the most prominent by far, but it will have incorporated the scent and flavor of the vanilla. As long as you used an adequate amount of vanilla beans as per this recipe, and as long as you’ve let it age for at least 3 months, your extract is ready. I prefer to age mine even longer, but 3 months is sufficient to start using it.
thanks for replying all the way from USA. I am from Mauritius, a very small island from Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. We have lovely Bourbon vanilla here as Bourbon Island (now known as Reunion) is our sister island. And Madagascar being so close to us, we have good vanilla at reasonable prices.
I could guess that vanilla pods may not mold if they have been drenched in alcohol for long. May I ask how long do you keep yours? I guess if we are using a 6-8 week old vanilla extract, its best not to insert the pods.
Hi Chamila, the vanilla extract only gets better with time. The 6-month mark is usually my aim and right now I have two large batches of it that will be aged 12 months come this December. No doubt there comes a point though when the vanilla bean has given off all it has to give and the only reason to leave it in will be for appearance sake.
hi kim, i read somewhere on the net that when giving away small bottles of the homemade vanilla extract, its best not to include a small piece of vanilla bean in it. The reason is because once the person starts using it, the part of the bean unsoaked anymore, can develop mold. Obviously we cannot expect the person to know that and hence, better not include it and strain.
Have you heard of that or experienced it?
thanks for advising!:)
Hi Chamila, that makes sense though I’ve never experienced it. Probably because the bean has been so drenched in alcohol for so long. I do know of at least one commercial brand though that sells their vanillas with a bean in it and I would think that if there were any potential for molding they wouldn’t leave it in there because of liability reasons. It’s a good question though. I guess to be on the safe side you can let the gift recipient know to “discard vanilla bean once opened” and maybe even write it on the gift label.
I’d like to start the brewing directly in my 4oz bottles and bought a 25 count grade B Tahitian vanilla bean pack. I don’t have a digital scale to determine the ratio of beans to each small bottle .. Would 1 bean to 4oz bottle brew to a decent single fold level? I want to start this year’s Christmas gifts now.
Thanks for your help!
Hi Randi, that’s a tough one because beans all vary in size and weight. Does your package of vanilla beans give a total weight in grams or ounces? If so, 4 ounces is 1/2 cup and for single fold you’ll need about 11 grams of vanilla beans per bottle. You can take the total weight of the package and divide it by 11 to know how many 4 ounce bottles it will yield.
Hi it’s me again, I’ve been revisiting your post to re-read and I had another question. So how many beans did you use for your quart size jar in this blog? It’s hard to see viewing the pictures, but I thought I counted approx 14 vanilla beans? I’d like to make a large batch some time myself.
Hi Emmi, don’t use the picture as your point of reference, vanilla beans all differ in size and the quantity you’ll need isn’t based on the number of vanilla beans but rather their weight (you’ll need a scale to weigh them). For double-fold vanilla (which is what I recommend for the best flavor), you’ll need 1.6 ounces (44 grams) per cup of vodka.
Hello, I have just run across this recipe for homemade vanila extract while doing a search via Pinterest. I recently just purchased a 5 pack of the Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla beans via the Beanilla.com. I am a OCD baker when I am at home, no seriously I find myself baking something like a cake or a pie at home maybe once or even twice a week….. And I don’t have enough people to eat my baking so I end up giving it away to friends and family whenever possible, my husband just can’t keep up with my baking obsession. So that being the case I do in fact burn through a LOT of vanilla extract. I find myself using the Spice Islands brand because I live in a very rural area that doesn’t carry high quality brand named extracts at all. If I wanted to try a “high quality” brand I would need to go into a larger town or even into Chicago. I am very intrigued by this post and even after reading the directions that the Beanilla.com give for creating Vanilla extract. I am certainly going to be trying this once I run out of my Spice Islands vanilla extract. I am not sure it is wise for me to buy a ton of beans in large bulk quantities yet, I am still just discovering this method of furthering my self taught cooking/baking experience. I am very excited to be branching out into this world of vanilla bean extraction and I will be saving this recipe in my Pinterst board for future reference. Any additional/new information based on personal experience I would be very much appreciatative to learn about.
Needless to say I will be now on a quest to start creating my own vanilla extract at home, so that I can have an supply whenever I need it and not have to buy it from the local grocer. Although what little research I have done thus far I do have one question that I haven’t found the answer to yet, and maybe you might know since you and apparently others have so much more first hand experience and knowledge…..
After creating a batch (small or large) of vanilla extract, is it best to remove the beans from the extract liquid than store it? And also, can I continue to replace the alcohol in the extraction vessel (mother jar) as I like to think of it? So like say I make a 1 quart jar but only use a few ounces of it to bottle separately, can I than fill the mother jar with more alcohol to keep the beans moist and from drying out? This is all assuming that I have at least waited 6 months prior to bottling or using said batch of extract.
I hope my questions make sense.
Sooooo looking forward to reading responses and others experiences. Super excited over here in IL. It’s like a whole new hobby has just unfolded for me, as I was wondering what my next “kitchen project” would be. Thank you so much for your kind words of inspiration and dedication to helping others explore this method of cooking/baking evolution/revolution.
Hi Emmi! I’m with you all the way, making homemade extract IS exciting! :) I have several jars of it “brewing” right now and come this December they’ll be 12-month aged vanilla and rum extracts. To hopefully answer your questions, I usually leave the vanilla beans in the jars they entire time, even in the bottles I give away as gifts, because the flavors only continue to develop over time if you leave the beans in. Once I’ve used up all the extract, then I’ll use the beans for things like vanilla sugar. Replacing the used extract with alcohol: I don’t do that because it dilutes the extract and will make it weaker. What I do is have a couple of batches brewing at all times – one that’s ready to be used and the other that’s still developing so it’s finished by the time the first batch is gone.
Happy extract-making! :) Best, Kimberly
hi.i was wondering can i grind to powder the grade b vanillas i have?or i should buygrade a and dehydrate them abit?also is it best to have vanilla smell to make double fold or 3fold because i made single fold and didnt smell much of vanilla…..
Hi Demi, I’m not entirely sure what you’re asking – why would you want to grind the beans to powder? And yes, double and triple fold will have a stronger vanilla aroma.