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Have you ever made your own homemade vanilla extract? If not, you should!
I will never go back to buying vanilla extract. It is so easy to make your own at home, costs a fraction of what a bottle of high-quality vanilla extract costs, and tastes amazing! Plus, it’s pure, with no additives, sugar, etc.
What Alcohol Do I Use?
I make both a vodka-based version and a rum-based version. Both are delicious, but I prefer the rum-based version as it has more richness.
The vodka-based version is great when you don’t want anything but a straight vanilla flavor. Some people use bourbon, though I haven’t tried that yet.
Keep in mind that vodka is often made from grains (wheat, barley, and rye), so if you’re gluten-free, find a brand that is made from corn, potatoes, or grapes (just go to your local liquor store and ask and they can direct you to the right brands).
When it comes to using grain-based vodka, it really will depend on your sensitivity as to whether they will bother you. I have heard testimony on both sides of the issue — some people are so sensitive that they notice a reaction, while others do not. I personally have not noticed a reaction in myself. For a gluten-free vodka list, check out this post.
Rum is made from molasses or sugar cane juice, so it will be grain-free. Bourbon is typically made from corn, so keep that in mind if you are avoiding corn.
For the alcohol, you can go cheap or expensive. I prefer to go middle of the road. Nothing too cheap, but I’m not going to splurge for top-shelf rum or vodka, either. If you have a brand of vodka or rum that you like, then go with that. If not, Smirnoff or Absolute is good quality vodkas, though they are both made from grains. My most recent batch I made with Smirnoff, and I really liked it. For rum, I used Bacardi this last time, and it had great flavor. For the next batch I make, I’m going to use spiced rum for some. I think that would add awesome flavor to certain items.
Give the Gift of Vanilla
Homemade vanilla also makes a great gift. Bottle it in a pretty bottle and your foodie friends will be thrilled. I brewed mine in my flip-top Grolsch-style bottles (see photos at bottom of post), but you could brew a huge batch in a mason jar and then pour it up into smaller bottles when it’s ready. You can find pretty gift-quality jars at craft stores or online.
Notes on the Recipe
Since I use so much vanilla in my home, I make my extract by the liter. The longer it sits, the better it tastes, so I don’t worry about it going bad. If you don’t use that much, just make a smaller batch.
The general proportion of vanilla bean to alcohol is roughly: 5 vanilla beans per cup of liquid.
Keep in mind that this is an estimate. I like my vanilla on the strong side, so I typically add a couple extra beans per batch. But, that gives you a place to start and you can adjust the recipe from there.
The amount of flavor will vary from batch to batch and this depends on your beans. I have had a wide range of bean quality — some that were super moist and fragrant and others that were dry and barely had any scent. The end flavor of your extract is going to depend on the quality of beans used. Here are the brands I recommend:
- Mountain Rose Herbs (affiliate link)
I am always researching and trying new brands, so I will continue to add to this list. I have ordered beans off of Amazon from independent retailers and it has been hit and miss. Some batches are very good, others are not.

Vanilla seeds being scraped out of the pod.

How to Make Your Own Vanilla Extract
It is so easy to make your own at home, costs a fraction of what a bottle of high-quality vanilla extract costs, and tastes amazing!
Ingredients
- Big Batch: 40 vanilla beans per 1.75 liters (roughly a half gallon) of alcohol (give or take a few beans — more is better IMO)
- Small Batch: 5 vanilla beans per cup of alcohol (give or take a few beans — more is better IMO)
Instructions
- Find the jar(s) or bottle(s) that you want to use. Wash them well and allow them to air dry.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the vanilla beans in half, but don’t go all the way through. You want them to stay intact and just expose the little seeds inside.
- Place your split vanilla beans in your containers.
- Fill with your rum or vodka and cover with a tight lid.
- Label your jar(s) and stick them someplace where they can just work their magic for a minimum of 6 weeks, though I prefer a longer “brew”. I think the last batch I made went for 3-4 months. Some people say 6 months is ideal. You can taste it along the way and see how the flavors develop for you.
- Every week or so, give the bottle a shake.
- After 6 weeks to 6 months, it will be ready to use. Use just like you would any other vanilla.
Notes
Some people will reuse the vanilla beans to make second batches, but the flavor won’t be as good. I personally don’t bother because I really like the strong flavor of the first brew.
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I love making my own vanilla! So easy and frugal! Plus I can know exactly what is in it.
Yes! I love finding ways to make things where I control the ingredients! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Do you know if it’s possible to make your own homemade vanilla extract that is alcohol free?? Also — do you leave the vanilla beans in the bottle after the batch is done brewing and use that bottle in your pantry, or do you transfer the extract to another bottle and toss the used beans? And finally, how long will it last on your shelf after it has completed the brewing process?
Hi Rease – From what I have read you can make your own non-alcoholic vanilla using food-grade vegetable glycerine, though I have never personally tried it, so I can’t say how well it works. I leave the beans in the bottle after it’s done. You could take them out and start a new batch, but I have found that the second batch is so much weaker that I don’t personally find it worth my time. Just my own personal preference. It will last indefinitely after the initial brewing process is completed and the flavor will continue to develop as it ages.
Thank you, Jessica.
I put once-used vanilla beans in the sugar bin. It gives just a BIT of flavor to the sugar.
Yum! I have heard of others doing that, but never tried it. 🙂
Never throw out those used vanilla beans, repurpose them! I like to air dry them for several days and then grind them in clean spice or coffee grinder (or food processor) preferably with the sugar of your choice, like coconut sugar. Make sure to run it through a fine sieve and regrind any big bits of beans with more sugar. It is a great way to add vanilla flavor in place of plain sugar!
Hi Chelsey – Thanks! I’ll have to get creative. There is very little flavor and scent left by the time I am done with them. I don’t use much sugar in my house, so that isn’t a good option for me. I may dry them and grind them to add to my herbal coffee blends. I’ll have to see if there is any flavor that comes out from that!
Rease, you won’t get the same flavor with alcohol free. If you are worried about the consuming the alcohol, it cooks off and you are just left with the flavor of the vanilla. I leave my vanilla in the bottle with the bean, I think the longer the bean is in there the better the flavor. When it gets down to about 3/4 of a bottle, I add more vodka and new beans. That bottle gets put to the back of the cupboard to “season” and I use a second bottle that has been spending time to “season” . I have two bottles at all time, one is charging up (seasoning) while I use the other. The only time I have ever run out was during the holidays. So, a few months before, I empty the remains of one bottle in to a smaller container, then start a whole new bottle over again. Problem solved. I agree with Jessica, the longer you can let it “season” or charge as I call it, the better. I usually give mine about 4 months in the back of the cabinet, but I like my vanilla a little stronger. I add additional beans to start a bottle as well.
Great tips Dianna! Thanks for taking the time to comment! 🙂
Forgot to ask — how many bottles did your batch make, and how many beans do you put into each bottle?
Hi Rease – When I make it, I make a full batch, using 1.75 liters (roughly a half gallon) of whatever alcohol I’m using and approximately 40 vanilla beans, give or take. We use A LOT of vanilla extract in my house. I find I make a batch once a year or so. I equally divide the number of beans into however many bottles I’m using and then add the alcohol. I would estimate about 5-7 vanilla beans for every cup or so of alcohol. Hope that helps. 🙂
I don’t make the one big batch the way Jessica does. I just make it as I need to with the two bottles. Not sure what size they are but I use two wine bottles that have good corks. They are in different stages of “developing” as I call it. One is ready to go, one is getting ready to go. LOL
Where do you find the Beans
For the best price, I’d recommend buying online. I recommend Mountain Rose Herbs, but you can also find them on Amazon.
How long will it keep for? I use a lot of vanilla, but not that much.
Tanya – It will keep pretty much forever! The longer it ages, the better it tastes. You can always make a smaller batch too. We use TONS of vanilla in our house.
Like Jessica said, it last pretty much forever. Keep it in a dark cool place, mine is in the back of the pantry. It doesn’t spoil, the alcohol takes care of that. The longer it sits, the stronger the flavor. Even if you bottle sits there for two years, it will still be good. I have never had a bottle last long enough to get too strong either.
Luv the recipe. Do you have a source for obtaining reasonably priced, quality vanilla beans?
Hi Rose – There are tons of places online that sell vanilla beans. My go to source is now my affiliate partner, Mountain Rose Herbs, because I trust their quality and eco-friendly methods (https://www.deliciousobsessions.com/Mountain-Rose-Herbs). That said, a simple Google search will yield a gazillion results, but there will be a wide range of quality and prices. Hope that helps! 🙂
Oh yes, we will be making this!
Enjoy!
We hear so much about how wonderful Mexican Vanilla is, how does this compare and/or what is the difference? I am going to make some of this vanilla!
Hi Marlene – I have not done a lot of research into all of the different kinds of vanilla beans out there, but I know there are a lot of varieties, each with their own special characteristics. I just purchase the beans that are within my budget at the time! Hope you enjoy!
What about the alcohol content? Since there isn’t any cooking involved, basically you have vanilla flavored xyz.
Susan – It depends on what your making. If you’re using it in recipes that are cooked or baked, then most, if not all, of the alcohol will evaporate during cooking. If you’re using it in cold dishes, there would be trace amounts of alcohol, but since most recipes don’t call for tons of vanilla extract, I never worry about it.
Couldn’t you just put the vanilla beans in the vodka bottle?
You certainly could, as long as your bottles are glass and not plastic. You would need to pour off some of the vodka though, as a full bottle would overflow once you added the beans in. If you’re giving it as gifts, it’s easier to just pour the vodka in the bottles you plan on gifting it in and that way you don’t have to transfer it later. Enjoy!
Sounds great!
Hey, Jessica ~ where do you get your cool looking bottles?
Hi Becky – I have collected those over the years. Some come from Sur la Table and others from stores like Ross and TJ Maxx. I think they sell them on Amazon. Look for Flip top Fido bottles and that should bring them up.
Gluten free vodka? Are you kidding me? Ever heard of distillation? Less than 20 ppm (the threshold set by the government to be called “gluten free”) make it through the distillation process. A quality multi-distilled vodka won’t have any measurable gluten. Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/vodka-be-marketed-as-gluten-free.
Hi Ricky – Believe it or not, people with severe gluten intolerance find that they are SO sensitive that even the products that are “gluten free” as regulated by the government still contain enough for them to have a reaction. I personally know several people who react to “gluten free” foods because they are SO sensitive to gluten. Everyone is different, so that is why I included those links in there. Hope that helps clarify your confusion.
Do you cut the beans across or lengthwise?
Hi Bobby – You will want to cut them lengthwise. Enjoy!
About how many beans are there per pod? I don’t want to buy too many or not enough pods.
Sabrina – The vanilla bean actually has teeny tiny seeds inside the pod. They are so small that there are hundreds per pod. What you need to buy is the actual pod (as pictured above). For the recipe above, I approximately 40 pods and it makes 1.75 liters of vanilla. You will slice open each pod and you’ll see all the teeny “seeds” in there. That is step 2 in the instructions. Those seeds are where the bulk of the vanilla flavor is at, so that is why we slice them open when making the extract so that the alcohol can pull the flavor from those. Does that help?
Pull the beans out after 4 months…refrigerate the beans. Next pot of coffee, scrape the seeds into coffee grounds, & brew. Makes a rich vanilla coffee.
Great tip, Katherine! I always leave my beans in until the last drop and then use them in homemade pudding or custard.
I am so excited to make my own Vanilla extract! Thank you for your instructions.
You’re welcome! You are going to love it! 🙂
I tried to make vanilla using Volka with 5 vanilla beans in Nov. I just tasted it today and it still taste so much like alcohol. Did I not put enought beans in or does it just need to sit longer?
Hi Debbie – It sounds like you may have not used enough vanilla beans. The strength of the vanilla depends on the quality of the beans. The last batch of vanilla beans I purchased did not produce very good vanilla. I ended up having to buy another brand of beans and added about 10 more into my bottle. It’s been going for over a year now and is OK, but not great. You might try putting in some more beans and letting it go another couple months. Make sure you slice open the beans so all the little seeds can come out into the vodka. That is where the flavor is. Hope that helps!
When it comes to vodka, it doesn’t matter in the least bit what it is derived from. In contrast to rum and other flavoured spirits, vodka is simply distilled alcohol and water, with no original constituents added back to it. The goal of vodka is purity, and any subtle flavor difference is due to other vapours that were not well filtered out, such as fusils, hence the higher price of smooth, pure vodkas. Glutin is a protein; that and other solids and congeners never vapourize and so never make it into the vodka. If you spill vodka on something clean, there will be nothing left when it dries up. So feel free all, to use whatever you get your hands on, it won’t matter. Hope this helps! 🙂
Kevin – I appreciate your comment, but those who are very sensitive to grains/gluten do react to alcohol made from grains. Not everyone is this sensitive, but there are some people who are. That is why I specifically addressed that in this post. Cheers!
I have read your recipe and I’m looking forward to making my own vanilla. My question is what proof of rum/vodka do you use? Does the flavor change using higher proof over lower proof of alcohol? I make my own rum cakes using Bacardi, and I noticed that 60 proof isn’t as flavorful as say 100 proof.
Thank you,
Midge
Hi Midge – The type of rum I use depends on what my budget allows for at the time. Some of the cheaper, lower proof rums don’t seem to work as well so I stopped using those. Now I try to buy the best I can afford. The higher the proof, the better they will be from my experience. I also like the dark rums better than the clear for some reason, but that is personal preference. Hope that helps! Happy brewing! 🙂
What can be used to make these alcohol free. On a special diet and alcohol free extracts has to be bought. Is there any other ingredient that can be substituted.
Hi Anna – I’ve only ever made my extracts and tinctures with alcohol. I know there are glycerine versions available at stores, but I have never used glycerine myself. I’m sure you could find some tutorials online somewhere though. Enjoy!
What a super post, this will make life very gifts for the daughter-in-law. It’s May, so looks like better get on stick if I plan on Christmas.
Hi Maryanne! Love it! It’s going to taste amazing by then! Enjoy! 🙂