How to Make the Best Homemade Vanilla Extract + Free Labels

Nothing beats the flavor of homemade vanilla extract. This delicious, easy to make, customizable and cost effective vanilla extract is going to change your baking game forever! Free printable labels included!

Raise your hand if you’ve got a bottle of vanilla extract somewhere in your kitchen. I know I sure do! I’d guess that most of us keep it on hand. Vanilla extract is a baking staple. It’s in everything from cookies to ice cream. Our yummiest treats just wouldn’t be the same without vanilla extract.

Today is all about that delicious vanilla extract. I’m going to show you how you can make the best quality, best tasting and best priced vanilla extract. Because we all need vanilla extract in our lives!

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Pure vanilla extract is a rich and flavorful liquid that is made from soaking vanilla beans in a high proof alcohol to extract the vanilla bean’s flavor and aroma. Unlike imitation vanilla extract or vanilla flavor, pure vanilla extract has a deep and complex natural flavor with no added chemicals.

Because of this flavor difference, most home cooks swear that using pure vanilla extract makes all the difference in how well their recipes taste. I absolutely agree! Imitation vanilla can’t hold a candle to real, pure vanilla extract.

But, I’ll let you in on a secret. There is one thing better than even the high-end pure vanilla extracts that you can purchase at the store. It’s pure homemade vanilla extract. And believe me – it’s a total game-changer!

Why You’ll Love Making Your Own Vanilla Extract

Homemade vanilla extract is the absolute best! If you haven’t tried it for yourself, you must give this recipe a try. It’s a must have in my kitchen and I’ll tell you why.

Homemade vanilla extracts is:

• Quick and Easy to Make: You only need 2 ingredients and a few minutes to whip up a batch.
• Delicious: Once you try homemade vanilla extract, you’re never going back to store-bought vanilla extract!
• Customizable: Want to be in control of your vanilla strength and concentration? You can do that! Want to make your own signature blend by combining different types of vanilla beans or other ingredients (think cinnamon)? You can do that too!
• All Natural: No artificial flavors or added chemicals. Just pure vanilla goodness.
• The Perfect Gift: Homemade vanilla extract makes the perfect gift. I’ve even got you covered with some free printable labels!
• Cost Effective: It’s much more affordable to make your own pure vanilla extract. Keep reading below to see a cost comparison between homemade and store-bought pure vanilla extract.
• Makes You Look Like a Foodie Super Star: You’ll look and feel like a gourmet chef when you pull out your homemade vanilla extract – nobody needs to know how easy it is make!

Printable Vanilla Extract Recipe Card

What You’ll Need to Make Homemade Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Beans

To make homemade vanilla extract, you’ll need either some grade A or grade B vanilla beans. This article from Beanilla explains the difference between grade A and grade B vanilla beans in detail, but I’ll give you a quick explanation.

Grade A vs. Grade B Vanilla Beans

Basically, grade A vanilla beans are larger, more plump, and contain more moisture. They are “gourmet beans” and are primarily used for dishes that include the actual vanilla bean, not just vanilla extract.

On the other hand, grade B vanilla beans are smaller and contain less moisture. Many people feel that they are more concentrated and can produce a stronger vanilla extract.

Both grade A and grade B vanilla beans can be used to make fantastic homemade vanilla extracts. Grade A vanilla beans tend to be more expensive than grade B vanilla beans. For that reason, grade B tends to be a more popular choice for making vanilla extract.

Vanilla Bean Varieties

Popular vanilla bean varieties include:

• Madagascar vanilla beans – A clear, sweet, creamy, classic vanilla flavor. It’s the most popular vanilla bean.
• Mexican vanilla beans – A slightly spicy and rich vanilla flavor with a deep fragrance. Mexican is a favorite of many people.
• Tahitian vanilla beans – Has fruity/floral notes and a wonderful scent. Tahitian vanilla has a delicate flavor.
• Ugandan vanilla beans – More rare than the other vanilla beans. Ugandan vanilla beans are earthy and sweet.

Any of these vanilla bean varieties can make excellent extract. You might need to experiment with a few types of vanilla beans to see what your favorite is. If you want to learn more about flavor the differences between different vanilla bean varieties, see this Vanilla 101 article from Spices Inc.

Alcohol

Look for a neutral-tasting high proof alcohol when making homemade vanilla extract. Some popular choices include:

• Vodka
• Rum
• Bourbon
• Brandy

My personal preference is Smirnoff 80 proof vodka. You can easily find some at your local liquor store.

Equipment

You’ll also need:

• A knife for slicing open your vanilla bean pods
• A clean glass jar or jars (depending on how much vanilla extract you’re making)
• Clean glass bottles or jars for storing your extract (if you want to use something different/smaller that what you used for the extraction process)
• A funnel (optional, but makes transferring your extract to smaller bottles much easier)
• A label with the product name, start and end date on it

Steps for Making Vanilla Extract at Home

1. Gather your vanilla beans, alcohol, clean jars and lids, parchment paper and labels.
2. Slice the vanilla bean pods down the middle length-wise to open them up and expose more area for extraction.
3. If necessary, cut your vanilla beans down in length to fit the dimensions of your jar. You’ll be using 5-6 beans (or about 1 ounce) per 8 ounces of alcohol, and you’ll want to completely submerge the vanilla beans in the alcohol.
4. Add the sliced vanilla bean pods to your jar.
5. Pour the alcohol into your jar, making sure that the vanilla beans are submerged.
6. Place a piece of parchment paper between the jar and lid to prevent any possible corrosion from the alcohol touching the metal lid.
7. Seal up the jar and place a label with the product name, start and end date on it.
8. Keep this mixture away from direct sunlight and all allow it to extract in a cool, dark place for a minimum of 6-8 weeks. 6 months or longer will give your vanilla extract maximum flavor.
9. Every few days, shake your jar of vanilla extract to aid the extraction process.
10. Test your vanilla extract after the extraction time is up. If you want it to be stronger, simply let it extract longer.

Single Fold vs Double Fold Vanilla Extract

You may have heard the terms single fold or double-fold vanilla extract. Single fold vanilla extract is vanilla that has been made with a standard concentration of vanilla flavor. Single fold is the most common vanilla strength and it’s what you’ll typically find at the grocery store.

Double fold vanilla extract has been made with twice the vanilla beans and therefore has double the flavor concentration.

The great thing about making your own vanilla extract is that you can decide how strong you want the flavor concentration to be by how many vanilla beans you put in your extract.

Getting the Most Out of Your Vanilla Beans

Vanilla beans are expensive, so you’ll want to get as much use out of them as you can. Many people will save and reuse their extracted vanilla beans 2-3 times. Each time you extract the vanilla beans they will lose a little bit of flavor, but it’s still possible to make vanilla extract with them.

Personally, I like to use new vanilla beans and add my old beans along with them whenever I make vanilla extract. This gives me a big flavor boost and helps my vanilla bean investment last longer.

Storing Your Vanilla Extract

Too much light exposure can lead to a loss of extract flavor and potency. Because of this, it’s best to store your homemade vanilla extract in a dark bottle away from direct sunlight. If your extract is stored in a cool place away from direct sun light, it should last for several years and maybe indefinitely.

If I have a lot of homemade vanilla extract on hand, I like to keep it in this 16 ounce amber glass jar. I also like to use these smaller 2 ounce amber dropper bottles. The 1 ounce amber dropper bottles are the perfect size for gifts.

Free Printable Vanilla Extract Labels

A bottle of your homemade vanilla extract would make a perfect Christmas gift! I have adorable printable label designs that you can download for free and size to fit whatever bottle you are using. Just fill out the form below, and you will get instant access to my subscriber library where I have all my free printables and downloads.

*Are you already a subscriber? No need to fill out the form. The link and passcode to my library are in the weekly emails I send out.

To print, you’ll need some Avery craft paper labels (or any color of labels you want). These 2 inch Avery craft paper sticker labels are a great size for smaller bottles. The labels you see in my pictures are on a 2 ounce bottle.

Once you’ve downloaded these free label designs, sign into or create an account with Avery.com. From there, you’ll upload the labels, size them to your preference and print.

You can print them at home on your own craft paper labels, send them to a shop for printing, or have Avery print them for you. I prefer to send them out to Avery to print, since it can be difficult to get the label lined up perfectly with my printer sometimes. This way I can also order exactly what I need instead of buying a big pack of labels. Super easy and super cute!

Click over to see my step-by-step instructions on how to print with Avery Labels.

Ways to Use Your Vanilla Extract

If you do any amount of baking, you know how often recipes call for vanilla extract. Cookies, cakes, ice cream – all of the good stuff seems to call for vanilla extract.

Use your homemade vanilla extract in any of your favorite recipes. If you’re looking for something new, try your homemade vanilla extract in one of these delicious recipes. You won’t be disappointed!

• Pressure Cooker Chocolate Vanilla Syrup
• Pressure Cooker Homemade Yogurt
• Frozen Whipped Cream Dollops
• Pressure Cooker Pumpkin Pecan Breakfast Cake with Maple Cinnamon Sauce
• Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
• Healthy Banana Ricotta Muffins

Homemade Vanilla Extract Cost Break Down – Is it Worth it?

I’m sure some of you are wondering – is it worth it to make your own vanilla extract? How does the cost compare to the store-bought version? Let’s take a look! Keep in mind, prices may vary depending on what you can find and fluctuations on the market.

• 8 oz of Vodka: $5
• 1 oz of Vanilla Beans: $15 (pricing for organic, more affordable beans from Amazon)
• TOTAL COST OF HOMEMADE EXTRACT: $20 per 8 oz

If you were to purchase 8 oz of pure vanilla extract from the supermarket your cost would be approximately:

• 8 oz of McCormick pure Vanilla = $13.98
• 8 oz of Simply Organic pure Vanilla = $27.92

This hopefully gives you an example of how the cost and quality can vary. I feel I can make a higher quality product at home, comparable or cheaper than the store bought products. I can also guarantee that there are indeed pure ingredients.

Making Alcohol Free Vanilla Extract

If you prefer an alcohol free vanilla extract, you’re in luck! You can use food-grade vegetable glycerin in place of the alcohol when making homemade vanilla extract. The directions and extraction time stay the same, but you’ll use 6-8 vanilla beans for every 8 ounces of vegetable glycerin.

Other Uses for Vanilla Extract

If you’ve got a lot of vanilla extract on hand, you can certainly use it for things other than food.

You can use some vanilla extract in an essential diffuser for aromatherapy. You can mix it with water for a room or linen spray. A combination of vanilla extract and water can be a natural pest and mosquito repellent. You can even place a small amount of vanilla extract on an aching tooth to help relieve pain.

FAQ’s

Other Recipes and Extracts to Try

I hope you’ll try making this homemade vanilla extract. It’s so easy to make and it has the most amazing flavor! If you want to try more of my extracts and other recipes, feel free to look at:

• How to Make Mint Extract + Free Printable Labels
• How to Make Lavender Extract and Tinctures
• Pressure Cooker Pure Vanilla Extract
• Pressure Cooker Infused Honey
• Make Your Own Chive Blossom Vinegar
• How to Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice and Does it Save Money?
• How to Make Cinnamon Extract + Free Labels
• How to Make Lemon Extract + Free Labels
• How to Make Almond Extract + Free Labels
• How to Make Orange Extract + Free Labels