Awaiting review. This guide is sourced but has not yet been checked by our reviewer.
How to Make Vanilla Extract at Home
Vanilla extract is vanilla beans steeped in alcohol. For a single-fold extract, the strength the US standard of identity sets, use about 25 g of beans per 250 ml of 80-proof (40%) vodka, and for double-fold use about 50 g. It needs at least 8 weeks in a dark cupboard, and it is a cooking ingredient, not a drink.
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Ingredients
- About 25 g for single-fold; about 50 g for double-fold Vanilla beans, Grade B (extract grade)Roughly 6–8 beans for single-fold, depending on their size and moisture; weigh them rather than counting
- 250 ml (1 cup) Vodka, 80 proof (40% alcohol by volume)Bourbon, rum or brandy at 40% also work and add their own flavour
Equipment
- Sharp small knife and a chopping board
- Clean 250–350 ml glass jar or bottle with a tight lid (dark glass is best)
- Kitchen scales
- Funnel and a fine sieve (for bottling later, if you want to strain it)
Method
Weigh the beans
Weigh about 25 g of beans for a single-fold extract, or about 50 g for double-fold. The US standard counts one 'fold' as the flavour extracted from 13.35 oz (about 378 g) of beans per US gallon of liquid, which scales down to roughly 25 g per 250 ml.1,2
Split the beans
Lay each bean flat and slice it lengthways from end to end with the tip of the knife, cutting through one side only. Open it slightly to expose the seeds inside. Cut the beans in half if they are longer than your jar.
Fill the jar
Put the split beans in the clean jar and pour in the vodka until they are fully covered. Every bean needs to stay under the liquid, so use a taller, narrower jar if they float above it. The vodka needs to be at least 35% alcohol by volume; 80-proof vodka is 40%.1
Seal, label and shake
Close the lid tightly and shake the jar well. Write the date on a strip of tape so you know when it started. Nothing needs heating.
Steep in a dark place
Keep the jar in a cupboard at room temperature, away from light and heat. Give it a good shake every week or so. The liquid turns amber within days and darkens over the following weeks.
Wait at least 8 weeks
Most home makers leave it at least 8 weeks before using it, and many wait 6 months to a year for a rounder flavour. This timing is common practice rather than a tested figure, so taste a few drops in warm milk to judge whether it is ready.
Use it and keep topping up
Leave the beans in the jar and use the extract by the teaspoon, replacing it as you go. When the level drops by about a quarter, top up with more vodka; every few months add a fresh split bean. This is often called a 'forever bottle'. It stays strongest if you top up little and often.
Strain, if you prefer
The seeds and beans can stay in the jar indefinitely. If you would rather have a clear liquid, pour it through a fine sieve into a clean dark bottle and keep the beans for a second, weaker batch.
Safety
- This is an alcohol product, at 35% alcohol or more by volume. Store it out of reach of children, and don't drink it; it is for cooking and baking only.1
- Use whole beans and clean, dry equipment, and keep the beans covered by the alcohol. Don't dilute it with water or add fresh ingredients.
- Glycerin versions aren't vanilla extract under US law. Keep them in the fridge and use within a few months; that timing is our advice, not tested.1
Variations
Use about 50 g of beans per 250 ml of vodka. This gives a more intense extract that you can use in smaller amounts, or dilute with more vodka later.
Swap the vodka for 40% bourbon, dark rum or brandy for a warmer, sweeter note. The flavour of the spirit comes through, so choose one you like.
Vegetable glycerin can replace the alcohol, with the beans steeped in it for the same period. The result is sweeter, milder and thicker. It is a vanilla flavouring, not an 'extract' as the US standard defines it, because that requires at least 35% alcohol.
Does it actually work?
There is no health claim here to test; this is a flavouring. Vanillin is the main flavour compound in the bean, and the food-science literature on vanilla describes other constituents alongside it. Homemade extract carries that wider mix, whereas imitation vanilla is generally made to deliver vanillin, so the two taste different. We found no taste trial to say by how much, and homemade will not match a commercial extract exactly.3
Questions people ask
How long does homemade vanilla extract take?
Most makers wait at least 8 weeks before using it, and leave it 6 to 12 months for more depth. This is common practice rather than a tested figure. The extract keeps improving for a long time and does not spoil in the jar.
What is single-fold and double-fold vanilla?
Under the US standard, one fold is the flavour of 13.35 oz of vanilla beans per gallon of liquid, which is about 25 g of beans per 250 ml. Double-fold has twice as much, about 50 g per 250 ml, and the label must say so.
Can you make vanilla extract without alcohol?
You can make a vanilla flavouring with glycerin, but under the US standard it can't be called vanilla extract, because that requires at least 35% alcohol by volume. It tends to be sweeter and milder.
What are Grade B vanilla beans?
Grade B, or 'extract grade', beans are drier and less plump than the Grade A beans sold for scraping seeds into cooking. They are usually cheaper and are the usual choice for extract. This is trade practice rather than something we could cite.
Sources
- Regulation 21 CFR 169.175 - Vanilla extract. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21.
- Regulation 21 CFR 169.3 - Definitions. Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21.
- Review Sinha AK, Sharma UK, Sharma N. A comprehensive review on vanilla flavor: extraction, isolation and quantification of vanillin and others constituents. Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2008.
Educational only. Patch-test anything new on your skin, and stop if it irritates.