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October 28, 2019 by Joy Kincaid 23 Comments

Homemade Vanilla Extract for Gifts

156 shares

Make homemade vanilla extract for gifts! This makes a wonderful Christmas gift idea, or you can make it for yourself in these cute little bottles.

homemade vanilla extract for gifts

We’ve been making our own homemade vanilla extract for many years, because it’s just so easy and tastes delicious!

Homemade Vanilla Extract for Gifts

This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure here.

One of my favorite things to do is make homemade vanilla extract for gifts in cute bottles.

handmade vanilla for gifts

This would make a wonderful and useful Christmas gift idea, packaged in a cute basket with some homemade beeswax candles and other items.

Add a label and some twine, a few hand-knit dishcloths (here’s a free pattern!) and a cute kitchen towel, and you have the perfect gift.

One thing I love about giving homemade vanilla extract for gifts is that it’s not clutter.

Everyone can use vanilla extract in their kitchen, and then when the vanilla is gone, they can recycle or repurpose the bottle for another use.

Watch the Video

How to Make Vanilla Extract for Gifts

Making your own vanilla extract is one of the simplest DIY projects ever. You literally only need two ingredients to make this.

  1. Vanilla beans
  2. Vodka

That’s it! Add a suitable container (I used these 4 oz. glass bottles with lids), and you’re ready to go!

Here’s how simple it is to make your own homemade vanilla extract for gifts.

handmade vanilla extract for gifts

Ingredients and Supplies

  • Vanilla beans
  • Vodka (or any 80 proof alcohol)
  • Glass bottles with lids (I used these)
  • Funnel
  • Kitchen shears

homemade vanilla extract for gifts

Instructions

  1. Thoroughly wash the bottles and lids in warm, soapy water (or sterilize them), and let them dry.
  2. Using the kitchen shears, cut the vanilla beans in half and then cut each half down the center, lengthwise.
  3. Put the vanilla beans in the bottle. For these small 4 oz. bottles, I used one and a half beans per bottle. The usual ratio is about 3-4 beans per 8 ounces of alcohol.
  4. Using the funnel, pour Vodka over the beans in the bottle and fill to the top (leaving a bit of space at the top). Try to make sure the beans are completely covered with the alcohol.
  5. Give each jar a shake, and then store in a cool, dry place. Shake each jar about once a week. Wait at least 3 months (but longer is better), until the vanilla has turned a dark brown color.

Notes: I usually store my brewing vanilla in the pantry, and I give it a shake whenever I think about it. If you’re making this for gifts and there isn’t time for it to get as dark as you’d like, just include a note to wait until a certain month before using.

homemade vanilla extract

Get the Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe

homemade vanilla extract for gifts
Print Recipe

Homemade Vanilla Extract for Gifts

Make homemade vanilla extract for gifts! This makes a wonderful Christmas gift idea, or you can make it for yourself!

Equipment

  • Glass bottles with lids
  • Funnel
  • Kitchen shears

Ingredients

  • Vanilla beans
  • Vodka or any 80 proof alcohol

Instructions

  • Thoroughly wash the bottles and lids in warm, soapy water (or sterilize them), and let them dry.
  • Using the kitchen shears, cut the vanilla beans in half and then cut each half down the center, lengthwise. You can also cut them smaller to fit your container size.
  • Put the vanilla beans in the bottle. For these small (4 oz.) bottles, I used one and a half beans per bottle. The usual ratio is about 3-4 beans per 8 ounces of alcohol.
  • Using the funnel, pour Vodka over the beans in the bottle and fill to the top (leaving a bit of space at the top). Try to make sure the beans are completely covered with the alcohol.
  • Give each jar a shake, and then store in a cool, dry place. Shake each jar about once a week. Wait at least 3 months (but longer is better), until the vanilla has turned a dark brown color.

Notes

I usually store my brewing vanilla in the pantry, and I give it a shake whenever I think about it (usually about once a week). If you're making this for gifts and there isn't time for it to get as dark as you'd like, just include a note to wait until a certain month before using.

Gift Giving Ideas

As I mentioned above, these bottles of vanilla extract would be so cute tied up with twine (like this red baker’s twine) in a basket with some other kitchen items. Here are a few ideas for what to put in your gift basket:

  • Homemade Beeswax Candles
  • Hand-Knit Dishcloths
  • Kitchen Towels
  • Cookie Cutters (this set of every-season cookie cutters would be cute!)
  • Rolling Pin
  • Apron

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Homemade Vanilla Extract for Gifts

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Read my disclosure here. Sharing here.

156 shares

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Comments

  1. Doug says

    December 23, 2021 at 7:06 pm

    I use Southern Comfort instead of vodkq

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      January 8, 2022 at 9:35 pm

      Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
  2. Kerryanne says

    December 2, 2021 at 6:57 pm

    I love both giving and receiving homemade gifts Joy and this vanilla extract is so easy to do.
    Thank you for sharing how to make it at Create, Bake, Grow & Gather this week. I’m delighted to be featuring your homemade vanilla extract DIY at tonight’s party and pinning too.
    Merry Christmas,
    Kerryanne

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      December 4, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  3. [email protected] says

    December 1, 2021 at 10:58 am

    I love making handmade gifts too! This is a great idea for me to add to my list of crafts and recipes for Christmas gifting. Thanks for the tutorial!

    Reply
  4. Richella J Parham says

    November 21, 2019 at 8:42 am

    Excellent! With the price of vanilla extract so high, this will be even more appreciated than ever!

    Thanks so much for joining the Grace at Home party at Imparting Grace. I’m featuring you this week!

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      November 22, 2019 at 8:47 pm

      Thank you, Richella!

      Reply
  5. Adree | The Keele Deal says

    November 12, 2019 at 6:52 am

    This is such a cute gift idea! Pinning so I remember to make it for next year!

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      November 14, 2019 at 5:58 pm

      Thank you, Adree!

      Reply
  6. Alice says

    November 10, 2019 at 9:39 am

    this is such an awesome idea – especially as a Christmas gift when you want to get something thoughtful for a bunch of people. Thanks for sharing with us at #OMHGWW

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      November 14, 2019 at 5:56 pm

      Thank you, Alice!

      Reply
  7. Sarah Tevis says

    November 5, 2019 at 9:20 am

    Love this! Handmade gifts are the best.

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      November 8, 2019 at 6:38 pm

      Thank you, Sarah!

      Reply
  8. Veronica Lee says

    November 5, 2019 at 7:50 am

    I love homemade gifts! My friends would love these!

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      November 8, 2019 at 6:38 pm

      People always seem to appreciate homemade gifts!

      Reply
  9. Erica says

    November 5, 2019 at 7:28 am

    I have had a bottle of vodka on the shelf for a couple of years that I bought to make vanilla and have never gotten around to it. The price of vanilla beans always seems so steep. Meanwhile, I have been spending probably even more money buying the little bottles of already made vanilla. Thanks for posting on Inspire Me Monday. Maybe this will be enough to inspire me to finally make my own vanilla.

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      November 8, 2019 at 6:37 pm

      I hope you enjoy making some, Erica! It’s so easy and fun!

      Reply
  10. Dawn says

    November 2, 2019 at 7:56 am

    What a great idea. I love giving unique and useful gifts.
    Blessings, Dawn

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      November 4, 2019 at 3:13 pm

      Thank you, Dawn!

      Reply
  11. Kristin says

    November 1, 2019 at 2:34 pm

    Oh! I do think we’re kindred spirits! I love making homemade gifts and I’ve been making my own extracts for some time now. I just started making the citrus extracts–lemon and orange. I like your ratio with the beans too. I’ve seen some recipes that call for something like 20 beans or so (I guess that’s for a full quart, but I only use 5 or 6). I don’t remove the beans either until the vanilla is all gone. Nice post!

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      November 1, 2019 at 5:56 pm

      Oh, your citrus extracts sound amazing! I’ve never tried that before! Thanks so much for stopping by, Kristin!

      Reply
  12. Laurie says

    November 1, 2019 at 2:11 pm

    What a great, easy Christmas gift idea. Love it! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Joy Kincaid says

      November 1, 2019 at 5:52 pm

      Thank you, Laurie!

      Reply

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Hi, I'm Joy. I'm so glad you're here! I believe creating a beautiful and nurturing home is an art worth cultivating. Read more here...

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