Make Your Own Homemade Vanilla Extract

Step 1

Use our Vanilla Extract Calculator to calculate the amount of alcohol or vanilla beans you need to make your batch.

Step 2

Wash your bottle with mild soapy water, rinse, then carefully swirl with boiling water to sanitize.

Step 3

Split the vanilla beans in half to expose the seeds. Kitchen scissors make this process clean and simple. You can also cut the pods in half/thirds to fit your bottle, if necessary.

Step 4

Add split vanilla beans into your bottle

Step 5

Pour the alcohol into the bottle, making sure the beans are completely covered.

Step 6

Store in a cool, dark place and shake the bottle once a week.

Step 7

Wait a bare minimum of 6 months, for best results wait 12