You only need 2 ingredients for homemade vanilla extract: vanilla beans and vodka. Let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for 6-12 months before using. Homemade vanilla is more cost efficient than store-bought options. You can try homemade vanilla sugar, too.
Vanilla extract is an ingredient in many of our baked goods. This common addition actually carries big weightโ1 teaspoon completely transforms a good dessert into a great dessert. You can’t make a few staples like vanilla cake, vanilla cupcakes, or vanilla buttercream without it.
A dear reader named Jill emailed me last year and said that once she began making her own vanilla extract, her baked goods tasted even better than before. She told me the secrets are to use extra vanilla beans and let the extract sit for at least 12 months before using.
I never thought to publish a post about homemade vanilla extract because it’s actually pretty simple. But Jill’s words were enough to convince me that all bakers should know that a cheaper AND better tasting vanilla extract is only 2 ingredients away.
Why Make Homemade Vanilla Extract?
Why make vanilla extract when you can just buy it from the store? Good question. With the price of vanilla constantly fluctuating, it’s very cost efficient to make your own. Plus, you can control the strength of its flavor. This is KEY because many pricey store-bought options lack the essential depth of flavor that makes good vanilla… good vanilla. This is either because the vanilla extract is imitation and made with artificial or synthetic ingredients or brands cut back on the amount of real vanilla in each bottle. You’re not paying for good vanilla, you’re paying for the convenience of weak bottled vanilla.
(By the way, last year I was part of a blind taste test of different store-bought pure vanillas and McCormick won by a landslide. It was the group’s top choice in both flavor and aroma.)
If you open a bottle of some store-bought vanilla extracts and a bottle of homemade vanilla, you will immediately smell the difference. And this difference directly transfers into your homemade baked goods.
What You Need for Homemade Vanilla Extract
All you’re doing is pouring alcohol over split vanilla beans and letting the concoction age over time. Give it a shake every now and then. It’s that easy.
- Vanilla Beans: You can find vanilla beans at most major grocery stores in the spice aisle. If you can’t locate them, try purchasing them online. I use and highly recommend these optionsโthey’re also what I use when I make vanilla sugarโMadagascar vanilla beans, these Tahitian vanilla beans, or these Tahitian vanilla beans. (Note that each are different quantities.) I’ve made vanilla with them all. The beans are a generous size, nice and plump, high quality, and perfect for homemade vanilla. Vanilla beans labeled “Grade B” are specifically sold for extracting purposes, but I’ve made vanilla with Grade A beans and it tastes great. 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. This is probably the only time someone will tell you to buy the cheap stuff!! All the vanilla’s flavor is from the vanilla beans, so spend your money on those. Avoid flavored vodkas as they often contain artificial flavors, which negates the purpose of making your own pure vanilla.
- Glass Bottles or Jars with Tight Seal: We recommend 8 ounce bottles. These bottles have a convenient swing top with a very tight seal. Great for gifting. Sterilizing the bottles is ideal, though we’ve skipped that step with no problem in the outcome of the vanilla. If your bottles or jars don’t have any plastic pieces attached, we recommend sterilizing them before using.
- Funnel: A funnel is optional, but it makes pouring 100x quicker and easier. (These funnels collapse, so they’re great for storage.)
Vanilla beans are expensive, but around .75 to 1 ounce total make an entire CUP (8 ounces) of vanilla extract and you can reuse the beans.
It’s best to slit the beans open to help bring out even more flavor.
Non-alcoholic version? Pure extracts are made from alcohol because it’s the easiest way to extract the flavor out of the food. I’ve never made vanilla extract with a nonalcoholic alternative, but there are a few tutorials online if you give it a quick search.
Single-Fold Vs Double-Fold Vanilla Extract
Most store-bought vanilla extracts are what’s known as single-fold. Single-fold vanillas are weaker and to make your own, you need about 6 vanilla beans per 8 ounces of alcohol. I prefer a stronger vanilla so the homemade flavor is more prominent in desserts. Strong vanilla is known as double-fold and it’s pretty pricey because it requires a lot of vanilla beans. Since double-fold can get expensive, I opt for about 8 vanilla beans (about .75 to 1 ounce) per 8 fluid ounces of alcohol. This is the best balance of taste and price.
Confused about which type of vanilla bean to buy?
- Madagascar Vanilla – very common and has a creamy and rich flavor
- Mexican Vanilla – has a darker, almost smoky flavor
- Tahitian Vanilla – also very common and has a rich floral flavor
Any are great choices for vanilla extract.
Wait 6-12 Months
The only things you need to remember about homemade vanilla extract are ratio and time. The ratio of vanilla beans per ounces of alcohol is imperative, but so is the amount of time the vanilla infuses the alcohol. We discussed ratio above, so let’s chat about how long to infuse the vanilla. Homemade vanilla extract tastes better and becomes darker in color the longer it sits. This means we need to practice our patience. The wait is worth it, though. Make some today and use it 6 months from now. You’ll be even happier when a full year has past. 12+ month homemade vanilla is incredible.
Store the infusing vanilla out of direct sunlight and give it a shake once per week.
Want to know the best part of all? You can continuously add more alcohol to the bottle as you use it. See the recipe instructions below. This is truly the gift that keeps on giving!
Free Printable Vanilla Extract Labels
Because everyone loves an accessory, I asked my dear friend Jess to design adorable labels for the vanilla extract bottles. They match our vanilla sugar and pumpkin pie spice labels!
Click this link for the PDF: Sally’s Baking Recipes Vanilla Extract Stickers
Print out the labels on sticker adhesive paper, then cut out the circles. Peel off the labels and stick on your vanilla extract bottles. The labels are obviously optional, but they’re a nice addition especially if you plan to gift the vanilla to others. (See more gift ideas on our Gifts for Bakers page!)
And one last thing… as you wait for your vanilla to infuse, here are hundreds of recipes using vanilla extract that you can browse. It’s my favorite in sugar cookies, shortbread cookies, coffee cake, and cinnamon swirl cheesecake, just to name a few ๐ And it’s absolutely lovely in my easy rice krispie treats recipe. Lots to look forward to!
Print
Homemade Vanilla Extract
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup
- Category: Spice
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Description
For best results, let the vanilla beans infuse the vodka for at least 12 months.
Ingredients
- .75 to 1 ounce vanilla beans (about 8 beans or 20g total)
- 1 cup (8 ounces; 240ml) 80 proof vodka (or bourbon, brandy, or even rum)
- 8 ounce bottle or jar with a tight seal
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slit the vanilla beans so the beans are exposed. No need to completely split the bean in half, just slit down the middle. If the length of the vanilla beans don’t fit into your bottle or jar, cut the vanilla beans into smaller pieces. Place beans into bottle or jar.
- Pour vodka on top. A funnel helps. Use a little extra vodka, if needed, so the beans are fully submerged. Shake a few times.
- Store vanilla at room temperature out of direct sunlight. Shake about once per week or once every couple weeks. You can use it in 6 months, but 12+ months is even better.
- 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. The beans will become a little slimy if they aren’t almost fully submerged.
- Unused aged vanilla extract (with the beans fully submerged) will last several years. If it still smells good, it’s still good to use! Aged extract without the beans will last indefinitely. Once you begin using the vanilla and adding more alcohol after each use, the beans will eventually need to be replaced. It’s hard to give a specific amount of time as some may use (and refill) the vanilla more quickly than others. After about 1 year of frequent use and refilling, you will you find the vanilla flavor less intense. Simply remove old beans, add fresh beans, shake, and continue to use/refill.
Notes
- Special Tools (affiliate link): Madagascar Vanilla Beans, theseย Tahitian Vanilla Beans, or theseย Tahitian Vanilla Beans | 8-ounce Glass Bottles | Funnel
- Using More Vanilla Beans: Most store-bought vanilla extracts are what’s known as single-fold. Single-fold vanillas are weaker and to make your own, you need about 6 vanilla beans per 8 ounces of alcohol. I prefer a stronger vanilla. Strong vanilla is known as double-fold and it’s pretty pricey because it requires a lot of vanilla beans. Since double-fold can get expensive, I opt for .75 to 1 ounce of vanilla beans per 8 fluid ounces of alcohol. This is the best balance of taste and price. Feel free to use more beans per 8 fluid ounces if desired.
- Seeds: Since the vanilla beans are exposed (slit open), there will be vanilla bean seeds in the bottle and therefore in your baked good. They add even more wonderful flavor!
- Use the same amount of homemade vanilla extract as you would store-bought in recipes.
- Gifting:ย I usually remove the beans if I’m gifting the bottle, that way the gift recipient isn’t responsible for refilling with more alcohol and the beans don’t go to waste. (You can reuse the beans for a new bottle.) However, if it’s been less than 6 months, I recommend gifting with the beans in the bottle because there’s still lots of flavor in there! Tell the gift recipient to remove the beans once he/she begins using the vanilla.
- Alcohol: If baking gluten free, use certified gluten free alcohol. Avoid flavored vodkas as they often contain artificial flavors, which negates the purpose of making your own pure vanilla.
- Sterilizing: Sterilizing the bottles is ideal, though we’ve skipped that step with no problem in the outcome of the vanilla. If your bottles or jars don’t have any plastic pieces attached, we recommend sterilizing them before using. The pictured bottles have a removable plastic topper piece. You can soak any plastic pieces in very hot soapy water, and dry completely before using.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Iโm wanting to make a bigger batch and then split them into smaller jars for gift giving once itโs ready. Will I need to let it sit longer if Iโm making a larger batch?
Hi Lexie! If the ratio of beans to liquid is the same, it should take about the same amount of time.
Thanks for the recipe, I had lost mine. Luckily for me I am able to distill my own alcohol so I get to use 96% abv (flavourless). The last time I made this we made a litre and used it in everything including cakes and pancakes. I agree with all the “its better than shop bought” – because it is. Thanks again.
Hello Sally.
Will 37% by volume Vodka do the same job?
Hi Robert, 80 proof alcohol, which is 40% ABV, is best for making vanilla extract.
Hello I live in Denmark and vanilla extract is crazy expensive. So I wanna try this. How many times can you reuse the vanilla beans? If the extract has been sitting for a full year and you take the beans out. Can you put them in a new bottle with fresh vodka and then do the process over again?
Hi Linda, you can reuse the beans, but the vanilla will be less potent since theyโve already been submerged in a batch for 12 months. Itโd be best to start with a fresh batch of beans.
Hi! I made some 16 oz bottles of vanilla back in May for gifting at Christmas. If I take out about half of it out to fill smaller containers for gifts and then refill, about how long do I need to wait until I can use it again? Or is it better to take out about 2 oz at a time, refill, then wait a week or two to fill the next 2 oz bottle etc? This is my first time making homemade vanilla so Iโm a little uncertain of what the best options are for refilling and re-using the vanilla beans. Thanks!
Hi Holly, either method is fine. If you take out about half, you may want to wait a few weeks after refilling before using the main bottle again. Hope this helps!
Made vanilla extract for the first time last year and came up with a few tips. I found even after one year of eight vanilla beans in one cup of alcohol (I even sliced down the bean’s length so the alcohol could really soak into the pod, plus I cut the pods into four pieces each) the color of the “finished” vanilla was not a nice dark brown like vanilla I’ve purchased in the past. So, I found some liquid brown food coloring online and added a few drops to each finished bottle I prepared. The other issue is each bottle smelled way more “alcoholy” than the rich vanilla smell of extract I’ve purchased in the past. My solution for that was to add a little sugar, between a half teaspoon to a teaspoon per 3-ounce bottle. The sugar cut the alcohol smell slightly and gave it a sweeter smell like the vanilla extract I’m used to.
I made 3 bottles of this vanilla a year ago and I love it! I use it every time I make but I do have a question. When you keep using the vanilla and are halfway through a bottle and you refill it with more vodka, do you have to wait a couple of weeks before you can use it again you can you use it after a refill?
Hi Trae, you can start using it right away or wait a few days/weeks for the flavor to start to develop more. So glad this is a favorite for you!
Thank you for the recipe! My first time trying this so im excited. How long does the vanilla need to sit to be ready to use?
Hi Emely, we recommend waiting at least 6 months before using.
Thank you for your info. I am always looking for ways to make extra things. I do have a question for you though. Is it better to use a darker bottle to store in?
Hi Sheryl! We like to use clear so we can see how the vanilla is coming along. Store vanilla at room temperature out of direct sunlight.
Thank you for posting this. I just made 15 bottles yesterday and can’t wait to try then in a year.
Thank you for the recipe. Where do you find those perfect jars? I assume glass is best?
Hi Sari, the glass jars we used are linked in the Recipe Notes, under Special Tools. We typically use glass bottles, but weโve tried with plastic and that works too.
I think this would be so much fun, but I donโt understand how itโs cheaper – 8 ounces of McCormick vanilla extract on the Walmart site is $10.98.
I can answer this, I just bought a 750 ml bottle of vodka for $11, a package of 25 vanilla beans for $25 so for $36 Iโll get 25.36 oz of vanilla. McCormick pure vanilla extract (not imitation or baking vanilla)is actually sold in 2 oz bottles for $6.97 on Walmartโs website as of 9/19/25 & would cost $83.64 for 24 oz.
A 750ml bottle of vodka, bourbon or rum equals about 3C. Pour out a good shot of the alcohol, drink it (or donโt) and pop about 10-12 vanilla beans in the bottle. In one year you have almost 3C of vanilla!
Thanks for sharing the amazing recipes! Do we need to quickly rinse the vanilla beans and dry it with paper towel to ensure it is free of dirt/dust before placing them in the container?
Hi Kim, You certainly can if youโd like. Rinse under hot water, then blot completely dry.
I’m wondering if you’ve ever repurposed the used beans for something like flavoring homemade ice cream
Hi Kelly, if your beans still have some vanilla specks in the pods, you could definitely try scraping them out to flavor ice cream. Let us know if you give it a go!
Hello! I make tons of vanilla, currently have 25 different beans extracting. When my beans are “done” I use in sugar, recipes, dehydrate and grind for powder.
Are the beans “done” after a year of soaking?
Hi Joyce, over time the extract will start to lose its potency, so we recommend replacing the beans after about a year.