How to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract {Super Easy Recipe!} (2024)

FAQs

What is the best alcohol to make homemade vanilla extract? ›

Use either. 80 proof Alcohol: Vanilla extract is most commonly made from vodka, but you can use bourbon, brandy, or rum instead. I usually use vodka, but the one bottle of bourbon vanilla I made 7 months ago is DIVINE. No need to splurge on expensive alcohol.

Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in a mixture of water and ethyl alcohol ( 1 ). The extract gets its signature vanilla flavor from a molecule called vanillin found in vanilla beans ( 1 , 2). Standards for pure vanilla extract vary by country.

Sugar in vanilla extracts

I think that being in control of how much sugar you add to your desserts is important, so skipping sweeteners in vanilla extract is one more reason to make your own at home. You will not drink it, so don't worry about the alcohol, you won't feel it in cakes.

In addition to varieties, there are also different grades of vanilla beans. Grade A beans are longer and more moist, and Grade B beans are less pretty and usually recommended for making extract. Grade B beans are less expensive, so if you're trying to cut back on cost, definitely go for those.

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.

Vodka is the preferred alcohol for extractions like this, as its flavor is neutral and does not compete with that of the vanilla beans.

Vanilla Extract Ingredients (makes 10 (4oz) jars):

It's easy to scale this recipe up or down, the proportions are 4 whole vanilla beans per 1 cup (8 oz) vodka, or 2 vanilla beans per 1/2 cup (4 oz) vodka.

It is up to you when you want to discard the old beans and start fresh. I choose to use them 2-4 times, depending on the quality of the beans, how long the extract has been sitting and if I've been careful about making sure the beans stay submerged at all times.

A bit of simple math reveals that homemade vanilla extract is the more economical choice. Say you buy two 4-ounce bottles of the good vanilla extract from the grocery store every year. If each jar costs $18, that's $180 over a five-year span.

Good quality vanilla extract is made from steeping whole vanilla beans in ethyl alcohol and water. If you see a bottle labeled "Pure vanilla extract," it means that it contains 35% alcohol and used 100 grams of vanilla beans per liter during infusion.

Does homemade vanilla extract taste better than store bought? ›

If it's that sweet vanilla flavor you're after, simply buy a bottle of imitation extract from the store. But if you're looking for a more complex, balanced vanilla flavor and aroma, it's worth reaching for pure vanilla extract. Or…it may be worth making your own.

Do I have to split the vanilla pods? No, you can also choose to infuse your vanilla bean without splitting it first. However, this is less interesting from a taste point of view, it is still preferable to open it and scrape it so that the taste is always more intense.

If you've got a vanilla bean that you've split and scraped the seeds out of for a baking project, you can totally breathe new life into that bean by throwing it into a batch of vanilla extract. Beans you've already used in a batch of extract can be reused in the next batch.

You can leave the vanilla beans in the bottles indefinitely and continue to top up the jar with alcohol as you use the extract. Alternatively, you can make vanilla sugar with the used vanilla beans. Place the old vanilla beans in some granulated sugar to infuse the sugar with vanilla flavors.

Vanilla beans require both water and ethanol in solution for a complete extraction. Using just 200 proof ethanol (0% water) will not result in a vanilla extract. While the FDA guidelines stipulate a minimum of 35% ABV, we have found that 50% ABV works best.

But BEWARE the trap of buying flavored vodkas for vanilla extract. They don't always marry well with vanilla beans and the result can be disheartening. Stick with plain Smirnoff and you'll do just fine. Ciroc - A five-times distilled French vodka will deliver a beautiful, pure extract.

I buy my Mexican vanilla beans from Voladores Vanilla. Vodka: You will need vodka with at least 35% alcohol content. The vodka acts as the solvent to extract the flavor compounds from the vanilla beans. This is important for proper extraction and preservation of the vanilla flavor.

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.