Attention bakers: stop wasting your hard-earned money on tasteless, expensive vanilla extract! I’m here to save you money and show you that with about 5 minutes of active time, you can make incredibly delicious and fragrant homemade vanilla extract that will cost about 40% less than the store-bought crap stuff!
Homemade Vanilla Extract Day 1
All you bakers out there probably cringe every month (or more often) when stocking up on vanilla extract – because the bottle is SO TINY yet the price tag is SO BIG! What is up with that?! It is so painful and I shudder every time I buy it! Well, never cringe (for that reason) anymore. Stay with me while I take you through some culinary math!
Store Bought Vanilla Extract: $9 for a 4 ounce bottle = $2.25 per ounce = sad face 🙁
Home Made Vanilla Extract: $20 for 40 Vanilla Beans + $15 for the cheapest vodka you can find (750 mL) makes 25 ounces of vanilla extract = $1.40 an ounce = almost a 40% savings = happy face 🙂
Homemade Vanilla Extract
OK enough with the math – the point is you’re saving a lot and you have the pleasure of knowing you’re using something homemade! If you get to the dollar store, pick up a some little bottles and make the extract into holiday gifts (yes, I said the h-word!). If you start now, they’ll be ready by mid November or so, just in time for the slew of holiday parties. Combine a small bottle with some cookie mix for a cute gift basket, or bring along a large bottle as a hostess gift!
Homemade Vanilla Extract Ingredients – just add vodka!
This is barely a recipe… and at the end you get some incredibly delicious vanilla extract – store bought vanilla doesn’t even come close to the flavor and deliciousness of the homemade stuff – trust me! The longer you let the vanilla steep, the deeper the flavor will be (and more beautiful the color!). Here’s mine, 5 weeks (and a new apartment) later – you can see the dark, caramel-y color.
Homemade Vanilla Extract … with a View!
Some like to play around with the type of alcohol you add – try whiskey or bourbon for a flavorful twist! Here are a few of my favorite ways to use the vanilla extract: 1-2-3-4 cake, Orange Olive Oil Cake, Shirini Keshmeshi, and Caramelized Brown Sugar Cookies.
- 1 bottle of vodka *750 mL - use the cheapest vodka you can find
- About 30-40 vanilla beans
- 1 or 2 glass bottles with a rubber stopper (depending on the size of your bottle)... or simply reuse your vodka bottle.
- Carefully split your vanilla beans with the tip of a sharp knife to expose the oily seeds.
- Place your split vanilla pods into the empty bottle(s).
- Pour the vodka over until the vanilla beans are covered.
- Give the bottle a little shake to make sure everything is nicely co-mingled.
- Wait at least 4-6 weeks, shaking occasionally – then enjoy!
I saw this on the Kitchn! I want to do this so bad, I’m so glad you tried it! I can’t wait to do this! Bravo!
I saw that too! Perfect timing. It’s so easy – you probably already have the ingredients!
They make a great X’mas gift!
Making your own at home is definitely the way to go. Love this!
Such a useful post! I only recently published a post where I gabbled on and on about how amazing vanilla bean extract is (as opposed to the teeny tiny rip off jars of plainish vanilla-like liquid). I seriously couldn’t believe the difference in quality it made to my recipes! I bought a huuuuge 900ml bottle off the internet, which is way cheaper than anything in the stores. But thanks to you, I will think about making my own next time!
Thanks for stopping by Tash! And your comment made me chuckle 🙂 Well once you get through your ginormous jug you can make your own 🙂
Yes indeed. I make it with bourbon. GREG
What a great tip!
Yep. I am definitely makin this!! I love homemade things like this. I love making my own Worcestershire sauc. Like your vanilla, it is SOOO much better than the store bought stuff. Okay, where on earth did you get those vanilla beans? Online, I hope?
Woohoo! Yes I did! In fact the amazon product I have linked to in the ‘Math’ part of the post almost at the top is the exact product I bought. I did a lot of research because apparently vanilla beans mold quickly. I was very happy with the ones I purchased and they even sent me a little pouch of extras! 🙂
For some reason, it wasn’t showing the link on my iPad, but now on the computer scree it is perfectly visible. I am really excited to try this!
Vanilla beans are en route!! So excited!
Great idea Ahu, I need to get started before my extract runs out!!
Start now! You’ll have it ready in no time 🙂
Matt, My vanilla extract is very alcohol smelling. When I use it in my homemade coffee creamer I can taste the vodka at times. Does this mean that my beans no longer have flavor?