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Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract for under $5!

Eat

14 Jan

I love homemade gifts. They mean so much more when you receive something that a loved one put time into. I had a DIY vanilla extract recipe pinned on my Pinterest for about two years. Every year when Christmas rolled around I had every intention of making it for friends and loved ones, but it just never happened. This year I stuck to my plan! I headed to the liquor store and bought a bottle of bourbon, purchased some vanilla beans online, and bought some Amber Boston Bottles. The recipe itself is an easy one to go by. I followed the recipe that I found HERE.

What do you need to make homemade vanilla extract?

  • Bourbon (or any liquor of choice)
  • Vanilla Beans
  • Glass Bottle

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Yup, that’s all you need to make Vanilla Extract! It truly simple and will have you asking yourself why you haven’t made it yourself a long time ago. Here’s the steps to create homemade vanilla extract:

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Slit the vanilla bean down the middle. I cut mine in half so that it would fit better in my bottle. I also put 3 beans in each bottle.

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Add the liquor of your choosing. I filled each bottle pretty close to the top (as you see in the picture below). I used 4 oz bottles and was able to fill the 7 bottles I had in hand with enough Bourbon to fill an additional bottle (if I had another). As I stated, I used Bourbon. From the various posts I read online; most people typically use Vodka, Brandy, Bourbon, etc. Bourbon is supposed to give a unique flavor, I decided to live on the edge and try it. It also doesn’t matter if it’s a high or low quality liquor, I cut my cost by using one of the cheapest kinds.

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

The longer you let it sit, the better it’s supposed to be. You should wait for about two months though before your first use. As its been “brewing” (don’t know if that’s the correct term, but you know what I mean) I can see how dark it has become. I haven’t used it yet. I plan on using it to make some Valentine’s Day cupcakes soon (be on the look-out for that). You also want to give it a good shake when you’re finished. I give it a good shake or two a few times a week. I like to shake it to Outkast’s, “Hey Ya”

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

Since it was for presents; I decided to make a label to add to it. I threw it together on Word. I had seen a similar one online somewhere (sorry, couldn’t find the post), which was my inspiration for it. I printed it on scrapbook paper and cut out circles from an old Christmas card with a, “DON’T — USE UNTIL” date on it.

I specifically used Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Beans, but there are different ones that are supposed to give off a different flavor. I may make this a yearly tradition, but switch it up every year with different vanilla beans and types of liquor.

Here is one of the bottles two months later. You can see how much darker it got since the first day.

Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract

This is such a cheap and easy gift that anyone will love. The total cost for each individual bottle of extract was UNDER $5!

Here’s the breakdown on cost of Homemade Bourbon Vanilla Extract:

  • Madagascar Vanilla Beans (25 in a pack)- $20 (Amazon)
  • Amber Boston Bottle (12-4 oz bottles) – $12 (Amazon)
  • Bottle of Bourbon (40 proof)- $12

Like I said, I made it for Christmas gifts, however, it’s also a great birthday gift, mother’s day, teacher appreciation, or just because!

If you liked this post about homemade vanilla extract, then you make like:

  • Homemade Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
  • Vegan Lemon-Blueberry Muffins
  • Vegan Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes
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Comments

  1. Leslie says

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    I love making my own homemade vanilla extract. I love the way the vanilla beans smell, yum!
    Reply
  2. Nicole Keener says

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    This is so awesome. I seem to run out of vanilla extract all the time!
    Reply
    • TheHobbyCollector says

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      You could even buy a small bottle (or large, I don't judge. lol) and put the vanilla beans straight in the bottle.
      Reply
  3. Margaux Daughtry says

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    Thanks for sharing! I am also a DIY girl and love making DIY gifts! I have made DIY lip balm, body butter, stove-top potpourri, melting wax potpourri, and laundry detergent. I can't wait to try this!
    Reply
    • TheHobbyCollector says

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      I too have done Laundry detergent. My family from out-of-town had an issue not seeing it sud, lol.
      Reply
  4. Alex says

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    This is a wonderful gift! I've been seeing this on Pinterest, but I love that you detailed the cost! Thanks for sharing!
    Reply
    • TheHobbyCollector says

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      Everyone who received it loved it!
      Reply
  5. Brenda @Schooling a Monkey says

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    This is the easiest DIY I have ever done. Almost a year later, I'm still working on the same bottle! It's great! I just add more alcohol as I get low.
    Reply
    • TheHobbyCollector says

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      That's what I plan on doing too!
      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Valentine’s Day Red Velvet Cup Cakes | The Hobby Collector says:
    at
    […] Add food coloring, white distilled vinegar and Vanilla Extract (I used my Bourbon Vanilla Extract). […]
    Reply

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STACEY

Hi, I'm Stacey. Welcome to Seeking The Weekend! If you're like most working parents, your time off is the weekend. Follow along to see how I pack my adventures into a weekend. Here on Seeking The Weekend, I'll share tips to weekend/ short trip travels, good eats, projects and Atlanta area events and activities! Want to connect? Email me at seekingtheweekend@gmail.com

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