Home made Vanilla Extract Recipe (An Experiment!)

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Home made Vanilla Extract Recipe (An Experiment!)

Printed: by Crystal Paine on February 24, 2026 | This submit might include affiliate hyperlinks. Learn my disclosure coverage right here.

I by no means realized how ridiculously EASY it’s to make do-it-yourself vanilla extract; an official recipe isn’t even actually wanted! I adopted some very fundamental instructions, and I’m so enthusiastic about how they turned out! The end result was scrumptious and frugal — however high-value — Christmas presents!

Close up of split vanilla beans spread across a wooden cutting board with a pair of kitchen scissors in the foreground and glass jars blurred in the background. A red circular graphic overlay reads My Homemade Vanilla Extract Experiment and MoneySavingMom.com highlighting a DIY vanilla extract project.

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Home made Vanilla: One among My 2025 Targets

Originally of 2025, I set a aim to attempt making 12 new-to-me issues that I’d by no means made earlier than. (See my checklist right here.)

Plenty of you advised me I ought to begin with vanilla because it’s really easy to make and would want to sit down for no less than 6-12 months earlier than it could possibly be used.

I’ve realized that if a bunch of individuals recommend the identical factor, I ought to pay attention. So I did as I used to be advised and began with vanilla.

Hand holding a sealed package of Organic Madagascar Vanilla Beans Qty 50 in front of a wooden cutting board with loose vanilla beans and empty glass jars in the background. T

The place Do You Get the Provides for Home made Vanilla Extract?

Since making do-it-yourself vanilla extract was all new to me, I needed to analysis a number of recipes and particulars on-line to really feel assured sufficient to do it (these of you who’ve made it earlier than can go forward and snort now as a result of I had no thought it was really easy!!).

I purchased my vanilla beans from Amazon. I priced numerous totally different locations and ended up getting these Grade A vanilla beans as a result of that they had 12k+ rankings and so many 5-star critiques!

After which Jesse picked up the Vodka from an area retailer (and was very dissatisfied he didn’t get carded… he got here residence and mentioned, “I had my license out prepared they usually didn’t even ask for it! I assume which means I’m getting previous!”)

Two large Taaka vodka bottles and one smaller bottle sit beside an empty glass jar with a black lid on a kitchen counter near a window. In front of them are two sealed packages of Grade A organic Madagascar vanilla beans.

Does It Truly Save Cash to Make Home made Vanilla?

All advised, it was round $80 for the vanilla beans and the Vodka. It ended up making round 150 ounces of vanilla. That comes out to be round $0.53 per ounce — which is unquestionably cheaper than what you’ll pay shopping for it on the retailer. In reality, I searched at my native shops and all of the vanilla I discovered was no less than $3 an oz!

Close up of split vanilla beans spread across a round wooden cutting board.

After I shared footage of my vanilla on Instagram, fairly just a few individuals mentioned I may have used fewer beans to save cash. So if you wish to make it even cheaper per ounce, you would attempt that! Individuals additionally mentioned that when the vanilla is made, you may put the vanilla beans in sugar and it’ll make vanilla sugar!

Large glass jars filled with vodka and split vanilla beans sit on a wooden cutting board near a bright window, with additional empty bottles, blue caps, and a knife arranged on the counter.

How To Make Home made Vanilla Extract (It’s ridiculously simple!)

It’s so, really easy to make do-it-yourself vanilla! I spotted I’d been over-complicating the concept for years and might’t imagine it took me this lengthy to attempt it!

In reality, in case you’re in search of a do-it-yourself vanilla extract recipe, you don’t even really want one. All you do is slice the vanilla beans down the center, put them in a jar, and pour vodka over them. (It’s also possible to use rum or bourbon.)

Split vanilla beans sit on a wooden cutting board.

A large glass jar packed with whole vanilla beans on a wooden cutting board near a sunlit window,

A hand pours vodka into a large glass jar packed with whole vanilla beans on a wooden cutting board.

Then, you simply let the jar sit in a cool, darkish, room temperature place for six to 12 months. Choose up the jar and provides it a shake each few weeks and make it possible for the beans are submerged in liquid.

That’s it! You should utilize the do-it-yourself vanilla in as quickly as just a few months or wait 12 months or longer.

For extra particulars and footage on making do-it-yourself vanilla, try Sally’s Baking Dependancy.

This might make such nice presents for Christmas in case you made it every now and then set it apart till December!

Home made Vanilla Extract Success!!

Two young children sit and stand around a kitchen table helping bottle homemade vanilla extract.

Child wearing green candy cane pajamas uses a large syringe style baster to transfer dark homemade vanilla extract from a gallon jar filled with vanilla beans into a small glass swing top bottle.

The vanilla turned out SO properly! The youngsters liked transferring it to the bottles with me.

I gave do-it-yourself vanilla for presents for Christmas and it was a HIT! We used these bottles to reward them and I feel individuals might have been extra excited concerning the lovely bottles than the vanilla itself!

Hand holding a small glass swing top bottle labeled Vanilla Extract with dark amber liquid inside, with several more filled bottles arranged on a wooden table in the background.

I nonetheless can not imagine how simple that is and the way lengthy I waited to attempt it! Extremely, extremely beneficial!

Two young children in Christmas pajamas use a large syringe style baster to transfer dark homemade vanilla extract from a gallon jar filled with vanilla beans into a small glass swing top bottle.

FAQs About Making Home made Vanilla Extract

How lengthy does do-it-yourself vanilla extract final?

Pure do-it-yourself vanilla extract will final indefinitely! Merely take away the beans and retailer it in a cool, darkish place, and it needs to be good for a few years.

How lengthy does it take to make do-it-yourself vanilla extract?

It takes 5 minutes to mix the components, however they’ll want to sit down for 6-12 months to totally infuse the flavors.