Create Your Own Vanilla Extract With Only 2 Ingredients

Pure vanilla extract is a must for many desserts, where there is nothing quite like the taste of real vanilla. But what if your grocery store stock falls short? Luckily, vanilla extract is very easy to make and only requires two ingredients: vanilla beans and liquor, such as vodka or bourbon.

Hana Dreiling, founder and head baker at Holey Grail Donuts, has some tips for making your very own vanilla extract. For the best results, she recommends using six to eight vanilla bean pods per cup of good-quality vodka -– the brand behind Costco's vodka is surprisingly good – or bourbon. Dreiling says it should take at least two months for the spirits to fully infuse with the vanilla flavor. She notes that it should be stored in a dark glass bottle in a cool, dark place (your pantry is probably just right) during and after the infusion. She recommends using deseeded pods leftover from recipes, as they usually still have a great deal of flavor left.

Celebrity chef, author, and Food Network star Ina Garten is also a fan of high-quality vanilla which, despite her enjoyment of some store-bought shortcuts like pasta sauce, is why she has been making her own extract for decades. While Dreiling suggests infusing the spirits for two months, Garten gives her extract four to six months to fully develop. She's even been known to retrieve one of the pods from the jar to scrape the beans into whatever needs a boost of delicious vanilla flavor.

If you start to price vanilla beans at the grocery store you may get sticker shock. The initial investment in making your own extract can be substantial and many people buy vanilla beans online to save money. Yet remember that these start-up costs will almost certainly pay off in flavor, quality, and value in the long term.

Homemade vanilla extract can elevate so many desserts. Using it in whipped cream to top those viral TikTok ice cream nachos can be game-changing, and it will elevate the flavors in your holiday baking. The quality of any recipe in which you use vanilla extract gets a boost when it's homemade. If you want to impress your friends and family, homemade vanilla extract also makes a great gift. The only thing you need to remember is to start early to allow time for the vanilla pods to sufficiently infuse into whatever spirit you choose.