Homemade Vanilla Extract

Homemade Vanilla Extract is easy to make, tastes delicious, and is budget-friendly. Yes it's perfect for all your home baking but it has a secret second life as a thoughtful holiday gift.

Not many folks make vanilla extract from scratch but pick it up during a grocery haul because it is easy and convenient. But convenience costs money.

The Cost of Extracts

If you’ve purchased extracts recently, you know they can be expensive (imitation and artificial vanilla are not part of this conversation because I don’t like them). Good quality brand-name genuine vanilla extract costs anywhere from $12 to $20 for a 4-ounce bottle. This is between $3 to $5 per ounce.

Normally vanilla extract is doled out in teaspoons, so there are 24 teaspoons in a 4-ounce bottle, each teaspoon costing between 50 and 83 cents. I know what you are going to say: Costco.

Yes, Kirkland vanilla is definitely more reasonable at $16.99 for a 16-ounce bottle or $1.06 per ounce. And if that’s what you would rather do, no one is going to fault you. I occasionally buy Kirkland vanilla as well because it’s convenient and reliable.

Another option is Mexican vanilla, which is very inexpensive. But don’t be duped like I was. On my last trip to Ensenada, I picked up a very popular brand of Mexican vanilla for what I thought was such a deal.

When I got home, I noticed it didn’t taste quite as strong as McCormick or Kirkland brands. Upon reading the label, I found that it was a “vanilla blend” meaning, yes, it was part extract but it was also a blend of a bunch of other things including artificial flavoring. So disappointing.

The Savings of Homemade Extract

Are there actual savings in making your own vanilla extract? Yes, and here is where it gets math-y.

To make your own vanilla extract, you need to:

• Purchase vanilla beans. Amazon is an easy and inexpensive resource for this. Either Grade A or B beans are good. Grade A is typically used fresh for pastry cream and ice cream, something you are going to eat soon. Grade B is most often used for extracts and pastes and has a more concentrated flavor. Really, either type is fine. While Madagascar vanilla beans are the most common for vanilla extract, you can experiment with Tahitian (fruitier notes) or Mexican (warm spice notes like clove) vanilla beans.
• Buy vodka. Don’t buy the cheapest but don’t buy the pricey Grey Goose. The 1.75 liter (59-ish ounces) bottle of Kirkland Signature brand at Costco is a good price at $20. You know, the ginormous bottle that once you put in your shopping cart, you pray that you don’t run into anyone you know. You will only use 16 ounces of it, leaving plenty of vodka for making Cosmos later with your besties. If you don’t want a gargantuan bottle hanging around, buy a 750ml bottle (25-ish ounces) which runs around $25 for a brand like Tito’s.

The cost breakdown:

$9.99 vanilla beans (Amazon) + $5.42 for 16 oz of Kirkland Signature = $15.41 or $0.96 per ounce, or 16 cents per teaspoon.

$9.99 vanilla beans + $16 for 16 oz of Tito’s = $25.99 or $1.62 per ounce, or 27 cents per teaspoon.

Something that I have not factored into the cost savings and that may tip the scale in favor of making your own extract is that the bottle is refillable.

What does this mean?

When you are running low on homemade extract, just top off your bottle or jar with more vodka. You can do this two or three times before having to add or replace the vanilla beans. That makes your cost per ounce even cheaper.

Another Benefit of Homemade Extract

Extracts need months before they are ready, so you do need to plan ahead. If you made vanilla extract today (it's currently June), it will be ready for use by December, just in time for holiday baking. Maybe you don’t use a lot of vanilla, or don’t bake like you used to. This project might not be for everybody, and that’s okay.

But! This can also make for a casually genius holiday gift. I know, you’re thinking, “Are you serious right now? It’s summer.” Friend, I’m with you on this. I’m not a holiday prepper at all and I kind of despise people who are.

However, if you had a few bottles of homemade vanilla sitting in the back of your pantry, how awesome would that be in the middle of December when you forgot to buy a gift for the gift exchange? I may or may not be speaking from personal experience.

Think about it. Wouldn’t it be great to reach into your pantry and pull out a homemade gift just when you need it? I think so, too. If you like the homemade gift idea, then take a look at Strawberry Vinegar.

Lessons Learned

• Choose the size of bottle or jar you want to use. I like 2 half-pint (1 cup) mason jars because they are smaller and easier to store in my pantry, but use the larger pint jar if you prefer.
• Can you use rum or bourbon? Absolutely, but they will add their own flavor to the extract, which you may or may not love. Vodka adds no flavor so all you taste is the vanilla.
• The bean-to-booze ratio is 5 vanilla beans to 1 cup alcohol.

Hat Tips

Many thanks to Zoe Bakes for the homemade vanilla extract recipe inspiration.

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