This easy homemade vanilla extract recipe is easy to make and makes a great homemade Christmas gift for your friends and family! You can buy cute little bottles at the thrift store or hobby store to put it in to make it look elegant!
We are going to start a series on homemade Christmas gift ideas. This first one is one of our most popular recipes from our Dining On A Dime Cookbook. Here is our recipe for Homemade Vanilla Extract:
Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe
2 vanilla beans cut lengthwise (but not in half)
3/4 cup vodka
Combine the ingredients in a 1 cup jar, set aside and let steep at least 3-4 weeks — the longer the better. As the vanilla is used, you can add more vodka. You can get 4-5 large bottles of vanilla out of 2 beans.
Check Amazon.com for inexpensive vanilla beans.
I found this great how to make your own vanilla here with some really cute bottles to bottle it.
Tawra
For lots more easy scratch recipes like this homemade vanilla recipe, check out our Dining On A Dime Cookbook.
Marla says
I have a friend who is always on the search for ‘white’ or ‘clear’ vanilla to use in recipes. Any ideas what variety of beans or type of liquor would not darken?
Brenda says
Marla,
Watkins.com sells a great clear vanilla with great taste. I make a lot of event cakes that call for white cake and have tried a lot of products and Watkins is definitely the best I’ve found.
Sorry, but I don’t know how to make clear vanilla from scratch.
bridget {bake at 350} says
Thanks so much for the shout-out! 🙂
Grizzly Bear Mom says
I’ve never seen white vanilla. The brown bean darkens the liquid it is imersed in.
josevs19 says
Watkins sells clear vanilla plus the best black pepper and cinnamon.
Jill says
You can also get clear vanilla at most cake decorating shops or where they sell cake decorating supplies. I have seen it at wal mart and jo ann fabrics in their cake decorating section.
Usually what you use clear vanilla for is in cake decorating when it is important to have white frosting like on a wedding cake. I use it too for decorating my gingerbread men. I can get by with regular vanilla but the clear makes the frosting look brighter and crisper.
susan lawlor says
I think Wilton also has a clear extracts.
Jill says
Yes they do and I get mine at Jo Ann Fabrics because I often have a 50-60% off coupon. Don’t forget to get things like this with your coupon from there.
Grizzly Bear Mom says
Wow! My mistake. Never heard of the white vanilla! I always used vanilla’s slight tanning of icing to determine baked good were hand made and particularly yummy. I’ve been depriving myself!
Grandma says
not sure if you find the white vanilla beans but if you can use vodka to soak them in.
Watkins and Rauliegh used to sell white vanilla. Are they still around?
Herbed vinegars make great gifts. Used for cooking and also for oil and vinegar dressings.
Don just bought a bottle of wine we had not tried. Now I have a large bottle of vinegar for salads and marinating.
Won’t buy that type again. It was more pucker power than sipping power.
Jill says
Watkins and Raleigh are still around.
Sharon says
What do you consider a “large” bottle?