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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.
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
One of my favorite things to do is make homemade vanilla extract for gifts in cute bottles.
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.
- Vanilla beans
- 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.
Ingredients and Supplies
- Vanilla beans
- Vodka (or any 80 proof alcohol)
- Glass bottles with lids (I used these)
- Funnel
- Kitchen shears
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.
- 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. 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.
More Pantry Staples
- Chai Spice Mix Recipe
- Christmas Spice Mix
- Homemade Apple Pie Spice Mix
- Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Homemade Ranch Dressing Mix
- Christmas Simmer Pot in a Jar
If you make this recipe and enjoy it, please leave a 5-star recipe rating and let me know! Thank you so much!
Get the Homemade Vanilla Extract Recipe
Homemade Vanilla Extract for Gifts
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
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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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!
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!
Thank you, Richella!
This is such a cute gift idea! Pinning so I remember to make it for next year!
Thank you, Adree!
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
Thank you, Alice!
Love this! Handmade gifts are the best.
Thank you, Sarah!
I love homemade gifts! My friends would love these!
People always seem to appreciate homemade gifts!
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.
I hope you enjoy making some, Erica! It’s so easy and fun!
What a great idea. I love giving unique and useful gifts.
Blessings, Dawn
Thank you, Dawn!
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!
Oh, your citrus extracts sound amazing! I’ve never tried that before! Thanks so much for stopping by, Kristin!
What a great, easy Christmas gift idea. Love it! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Laurie!