Last Updated on June 1, 2025 by Nico
If you love baking, homemade vanilla extract is a game-changer. And if you want to take it up a notch, bourbon vanilla extract is a delicious option. It’s rich, smooth, and gives your desserts a warm depth of flavour that store-bought varieties can’t match. Plus, making it yourself is incredibly easy and saves you money in the long run.
Why bourbon
Most vanilla extracts use vodka, which is neutral in flavour. But bourbon whiskey adds a caramel-like sweetness that pairs beautifully with vanilla beans. It gives your extract a little extra warmth, making it perfect for holiday baking, ice cream, and other desserts.
Choosing your vanilla beans
Madagascar vanilla beans are the classic choice for a rich, creamy vanilla flavour. If you want something more floral and fruity, you can go for tahitian vanilla beans. You can even mix different types of vanilla beans for a unique flavour profile.
Vanilla beans are classified into two grades: Grade A and Grade B.
Grade A beans are plumper, contain more moisture (they’re usually fresh vanilla beans), and are often used for cooking where the beans will be scraped out and added directly to dishes.
Grade B beans, also known as extract-grade beans, are drier and more concentrated, which makes them good for infusing into alcohol for homemade vanilla extract.
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Single or double fold
The difference between double-fold and single-fold vanilla extract is based on how concentrated the vanilla flavour is.
Single-fold vanilla extract is the standard vanilla extract that contains about 13 oz of vanilla beans per gallon of alcohol. It has a typical vanilla flavour that you’d find in most vanilla extracts from the supermarket.
Double-fold vanilla extract is more concentrated. It contains twice the amount of vanilla beans (about 26 oz per gallon of alcohol) as the single-fold version. It has a much stronger, more intense vanilla flavour.
Double-fold vanilla extract is often used by professional bakers and chefs when a stronger vanilla flavour is needed without adding more liquid to a recipe. It’s also more expensive than single-fold vanilla extract because you need double the amount of beans.
The below recipe is a single fold vanilla extract. If you want an extra-strong double-fold extract, simply double the number of beans per ounce of alcohol!
How to make your own DIY vanilla extract using bourbon
Tools
- Knife
- A glass bottle or smaller glass bottles for gifting – I like these ones
- Kitchen scale – Here’s a stainless steel source
- Fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth – Here is a source for extra large unbleached cheesecloth
Supplies
- Fresh grade A or B vanilla beans (madagascar, tahitian, or a mixture) – I use these ones
- Bourbon whiskey (choose a decent one, but no need for top-shelf)
Instructions
The first step is to weigh your beans to know how many you will need to prepare. To make a proper extract, the bean to alcohol ratio you’re looking for is about 13 oz of beans per gallon of alcohol.
I like to make a large batch of this extract because I can then use it over the year while my next batch is steeping. You can also divide the large batch into smaller portions to give as gifts.
I use a 750 ml bottle of bourbon, and so I’m looking for around 3.5 oz (~100 grams) of beans to make a single fold vanilla extract. If you’re using a smaller 8 oz bottle, you normally use about 5-6 beans.
After you’ve figured out how many beans you need, use a kitchen scale to prep your vanilla beans.
Use a sharp knife to split each vanilla bean in half lengthwise. You don’t need to scrape out the seeds (aka the “vanilla caviar”) because the seeds will infuse into the alcohol over time.
Add the split beans into a glass bottle.
Pour in enough bourbon whiskey into the jar to completely cover the beans. A standard ounce bottle works well, but you can use a larger ml bottle if you’re making a big batch. I tend to simply use the actual bourbon bottle itself!
Add a lid to your jar and shake it to make sure all parts of the beans are covered in alcohol.
Put your bottle in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Shake it every week or so. The longer it sits, the more infused it will be. It’s best to let it sit a full 12 months before using it to ensure the flavour is strong!
How to use bourbon vanilla extract
Once your homemade bourbon vanilla extract is ready, use it just like you would pure vanilla extract in recipes. It’s great in cookies, cakes, ice cream, or even in coffee!
Can you reuse vanilla beans
Yes, if your vanilla extract runs low, just refill the jar with more bourbon and let it infuse again.
I’ve used the same vanilla beans to make two batches of bourbon vanilla extract. After two batches, I tend to buy new beans to make sure I still get the strong flavour I’m looking for.
After the beans have been used twice, you can scrape out the vanilla seeds and add them to sugar to make a bourbon vanilla-infused sugar!
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Simplest homemade bourbon vanilla extract recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- The first step is to weigh your beans to know how many you will need to prepare. To make a proper extract, the bean to alcohol ratio you’re looking for is about 13 oz of beans per gallon of alcohol.
- I like to make a large batch of this extract because I can then use it over the year while my next batch is steeping. You can also divide the large batch into smaller portions to give as gifts.
- I use a 750 ml bottle of bourbon, and so I’m looking for around 3.5 oz (~100 grams) of beans to make a single fold vanilla extract. If you’re using a smaller 8 oz bottle, you normally use about 5-6 beans.
- After you’ve figured out how many beans you need, use a kitchen scale to prep your vanilla beans.
- Use a sharp knife to split each vanilla bean in half lengthwise. You don’t need to scrape out the seeds (aka the “vanilla caviar”) because the seeds will infuse into the alcohol over time.
- Add the split beans into a glass bottle.
- Pour in enough bourbon whiskey into the jar to completely cover the beans. A standard ounce bottle works well, but you can use a larger ml bottle if you’re making a big batch. I tend to simply use the actual bourbon bottle itself!
- Add a lid to your jar and shake it to make sure all parts of the beans are covered in alcohol.
- Put your bottle in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Shake it every week or so. The longer it sits, the more infused it will be. It’s best to let it sit a full 12 months before using it to ensure the flavour is strong!
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