Homemade Vanilla Extract

Name: Homemade Vanilla Extract
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 8 ounces
Ingredients: 5-6 Grade B Madagascar, Tahitian, or Mexican vanilla beans; 1 cup vodka; 1 (8.5-ounce) bottle or jar with a secure lid

User Reviews

5.0

12 reviews

Excellent

Prep Time
5 mins
Total Time
5 mins
Servings
8 ounces
Calories
38 kcal
Cuisine
American

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Felix Long

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This recipe is written for 1 bottle of vanilla, but we recommend quadrupling or octupling the batch since it lasts forever, you can give it away as gifts, and it only gets better with time.

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Ingredients

Servings

5-6 Grade B Madagascar, Tahitian, or Mexican vanilla beans (at least .83 ounces of vanilla beans)
1 cup vodka, bourbon, brandy, or rum (8 ounces)
1 (8.5-ounce) bottle or jar with a secure lid

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Instructions

Use a sharp knife to split the vanilla beans about 3/4 of the way down the middle. If using shorter jars, you can cut the beans in half.
Place the vanilla beans in the bottle or jar and fill with the vodka or bourbon. It helps to use a funnel.
Seal with the lid, then set somewhere at room temperature out of direct sunlight and let sit for at least 8 weeks, although 6 months or more is even better. Shake the bottle once a week. The vanilla will get even better and stronger the longer it sits.

Notes

Use your homemade vanilla extract just as you would any vanilla from the store.
The bottle can be refilled with vodka as the vanilla is used, but if the vanilla beans are exposed, they will start to get slimy. If you don't plan to refill the jar as you go, I recommend transferring the beans to a new jar and filling with vodka to repeat the process. You can get two batches of vanilla out of each set of beans before they start to lose their potency.