Homemade Vanilla Extract with Rum
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Let’s talk about how to make vanilla extract with rum!
Making homemade vanilla extract takes just a few minutes of hands-on time, and including rum adds an incredible depth of flavour. The perfect addition to cakes, cookies and cocktails!
There is something about the taste of vanilla that brings together all kinds of other flavours. Like a super smooth canvas, it provides the perfect backdrop to any flavour masterpiece you choose to create on top.
Good quality extracts can be pretty pricey, but if you can get a good price on alcohol and have access to vanilla beans, it can be cheaper to make your own vanilla extract.
It’s easy to make, but I have some tips and tricks to help you along the way, including the addition of rum to make the extract super rich and flavourful.
Adding rum to the extract takes it to a whole other level, with the sweet notes of the rum rounding out the vanilla.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the full ingredients list and printable recipe, or keep reading for ingredient tips and process photos.
Vanilla Extract Ingredients
There’s a short ingredient list here for this vanilla extract recipe: You’ll just need vanilla beans and your choice of alcohol (we’ll talk more about the alcohol below).
What Kind of Vanilla Beans Should I Use?
I like to look for “Grade B” or “extract quality” vanilla beans. These are beans that are drier, sometimes on the smaller side, and they usually don’t look as pretty, meaning they are generally cheaper than the plumper, Instagram-worthy “Grade A” vanilla beans.
But the Grade B beans still pack the same flavour punch, and once they’ve soaked in alcohol, they plump right back up and start infusing their flavour into the alcohol.
There are several species of vanilla available, and they have slightly different flavour profiles, so if you’re really into it, you can try out the different types to see which you prefer. They’re all delicious, though, so you really can’t go wrong.
As for where to buy vanilla, that will depend on where you live, so it’s worth having a look around to see what’s available.
What Is the Best Alcohol for Vanilla Extract?
To make a basic homemade vanilla extract, you can simply buy a bottle of vodka, pour a little out, shove in your beans, top it back up, and be done with it. This will give you a very “pure” vanilla flavour, and that’s why many recipes only call for vodka.
But let’s be honest, I like to be a bit extra sometimes, and my extract is no exception. So that’s why I add rum.
Rum
Rum has a smooth, sweet smell and flavour because it is made with byproducts of the sugar-making industry, such as molasses, which are fermented and distilled. The sweet and almost caramel-like flavours are what give rum its distinctive taste.
Choose a dark or gold rum – white rum doesn’t quite have the same flavour.
You can experiment with using spiced rum, but bear in mind that the flavour may overpower the vanilla flavour.
If you use only rum, the rum flavour can overpower the vanilla somewhat, so I like to use a combination of vodka and rum.
Wondering what brand of alcohol you should buy to make your extract? To be honest, any good-quality brand should do the trick. I tend to use Smirnoff vodka and Coruba rum.
Just check the alcohol content on your vodka, as this can vary; around 37% – 40% is ideal. Very cheap vodkas may have a much lower alcohol content, and these aren’t good for making extracts.
To make my homemade vanilla extract more cost-effective, I buy the alcohol when it’s on special or from duty-free shops if we’re travelling. This can considerably lower the price.
You can also experiment with using other liquors. I like using bourbon or whiskey in place of rum sometimes.
How to Make Vanilla Extract With Rum:
You will need a glass bottle that holds roughly 1 litre. You don’t have to buy a fancy one; you can recycle an old vodka bottle. That’s what I usually do, but I used this slightly more attractive swing-top bottle for these photos.
Split the beans down the middle, leaving the stalk end attached.
If you love to have vanilla seed flecks in your baking, then scrape the seeds from the bean with the back of a knife and pop the seeds into the bottle. If, like me, you prefer to choose when you want seeds (and achieve that by adding prepared vanilla paste), then don’t worry about scraping the beans; just split them.
Some seeds will, of course, escape their pods, and this is a good thing. Seeds = flavour. But they will settle to the bottom of the bottle, and you can decant your extract into smaller bottles, leaving most of the seeds behind, or strain out the seeds using a fine sieve once your extract is ready.
Fill your bottle up about 1/4 of the way with rum. Rough measurement is fine if you don’t want to fuss around with cups and whatnot.
Pop your vanilla beans into the bottle, split-end down. This will make it easier to remove the beans from the bottle when you’re done with them.
Shove ’em all in.
Then top up the bottle with vodka.
Then all that’s left to do is clean off any seeds from around the top and put the top on the bottle.
Give it a good shake, then pop it in a cool, dark place.
Shake it as often as you remember to. Once a week is ideal, but if you forget, then don’t worry, it will be fine.
Now is the hard part, waiting for it to be ready.
How Long Does Vanilla Extract Need to Steep?
Some extract recipes say you can use it in as little as 6 weeks. I don’t think the flavour is anywhere near developed enough at this stage; the alcohol smell is still pretty overwhelming, with the vanilla smell trailing way behind.
In my opinion, it needs to sit for a couple of months, minimum. Give it a sniff after this time, and if the vanilla scent is the one that hits you first, then it’s ready to use. If not, wait a bit longer. I like it best when it has sat for 4-6 months.
If you want to give some extract away as a gift before it has had sufficient sitting time, then simply pop a note on the label to say when it will be ready.
For a continuous supply of homemade rum vanilla extract, I like to make a new bottle every six months or so, so that by the time I have finished one bottle, I have another that is dark, delicious and ready to use.
And considering how easy it is to make, making it regularly isn’t too much of a hardship.
If you’re interested in seeing the colour changes that a vodka-only homemade vanilla extract goes through, then check out this (somewhat badly captured) photo. The first bottle is clearly (bad pun) a bottle of plain vodka. The second is just after adding the beans, and the third is the extract after six-ish months. All of that colour is flavour, people!
Quick Vanilla Extract FAQ
Recipes to Use Your Vanilla Extract
- Gluten Free Vanilla Cookies – The perfect gluten free cut-out cookie.
- Easy Chocolate Mousse – My original 3 ingredient chocolate mousse uses just cream, chocolate and, you guessed it, vanilla.
- Gluten Free Rice Krispie Treats – Packed with marshmallows and lightly flavoured with vanilla.
- Sugar Syrup for Cakes – Add another delicate layer of flavour to your cakes with a vanilla syrup.
- And while it doesn’t have vanilla in it (although it could if you wanted), if you’re a rum fan, you’re going to want to try my Rum Caramel Sauce recipe.
Homemade Vanilla Extract With Rum
Instructions
- Pour the rum into a 1 litre bottle.
- Split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise, leaving one end attached. You can scrape out the seeds and add them to the bottle if you like. Poke the beans split end down into the bottle.
- Fill the bottle to the top with vodka. Wipe away any vanilla seeds from the top of the bottle, and put on the lid or stopper. Shake well.
- Store in a cool dark place for at least 3 months (6 is better, if you can wait.) Shake the bottle as often as you remember to.
- It’s a good idea to label your bottle with the date you made it, so you know when to start checking it. If you’re experimenting with different alcohols, different vanilla beans and different numbers of beans, then make a note of that too.
- Once the extract is ready, I like to decant it into a smaller bottle to keep in the kitchen, and leave the bigger bottle, with the beans still inside to continue maturing in flavour. When putting the extract into a smaller bottle, you can strain out the seeds if you want to.
what a good idea to add the rum!
And what a good idea for you to introduce me to making vanilla extract in the first place 😛
Hi! I went a “little” crazy a few weeks before Thanksgiving and have 6 1-quart ball jars of vanilla steeping vanilla. Every time I check it to see if ready, I first pick up the wonderful fragrance of vanilla. However9, if I keep my nose centered and go a little deeper into the jar8, I still pick up the scent of alcohol. Is that always going to be there and lessen in alcohol when I place in two ounce bottles?
I have read so much in making vanilla abstract, but can’t find anywhere that says how you know it is done. Thanks for whatever you can tell me.
Would you please email me? Thanks!
Hello Jean, I usually find that my vanilla needs a good 6 months or more before the vanilla smell is more prominent than the alcohol smell. I wouldn’t say that the alcohol smell ever goes away completely, but when it’s ready the vanilla should definitely be the main thing you smell. Sometimes it depends on the alcohol too, some vodkas have a particularly strong smell. I tend to find when I use the combination of vodka and rum that I talk about in the post, that the extra flavour in the rum helps lessen the smell of the alcohol.
You can use your extract now – the vanilla flavour will be there and if you’re using it in baking then the alcohol will evaporate anyway when it bakes and you won’t smell or taste it, but if you want the alcohol smell to lessen and the vanilla flavour to increase, then it will probably be a couple more months yet. Hope that helps 🙂
I love you Natalie for saving the world and saving me.my superwoman.?
Oh Daphney, I knew this vanilla was good, but I didn’t realise it elevated me to superhero status! *puts buying superwoman cape on her to-do list* 😉
Where do you purchase that many vanilla beans at a decent price?…share your source?
Hi Dyane, I buy mine from a local wholesaler (Moore Wilson’s). There are a lot of good places online to buy beans though, including Amazon. I just find that by the time I pay for postage to New Zealand it stops the homemade extract from being any cheaper than the bought stuff! Depends where you live though.
how many beans do you put in this recipe please? thanks
Hi Catherine. It’s 20 beans per litre of alcohol 🙂 The recipe is at the bottom of the post but if you’re not seeing it and you’re on a mobile device, you may need to click the “Read More” button.
I was wondering, I have a tube of vanilla seeds my parents brought back from Mexico. I am not sure if I could use the seeds only in the vodka and if so, how much would you think I need? I haven’t had just seeds before. Thank you
Hi Lorijean, you could put the vanilla seeds into vodka to make extract if you wanted to. I think most vanilla seed pastes say that one teaspoon = one vanilla bean, although I think in this case you wouldn’t need as much of the paste as you would beans. Maybe try 6-8 teaspoons of the seeds into the litre of alcohol and see how you go. I’d be inclined to just add the seeds straight to whatever you’re making/baking though, unless you particularly need it in liquid form. Hope that helps 🙂
Thank you so much. I never thought about putting them straight into baking. A very good idea. I like that.
Excited to try this recipe! I am new to making my own vanilla extract & have been trying to figure out how to add a touch of sugar to help the process. I love the rum idea because of its sugar cane origin! Thank you for putting out this wonderful recipe & sharing your secret ingredient. Will be making this over the next week to have some Christmas 2023 gifts for friends & family. 🙏💖😃
Hi Lisa, you’re so welcome! You could try adding a little bit of simple syrup to the extract if you wanted to. Some commercial extracts contain sugar as well. I don’t tend to find that it needs it, but it’s an option if you would like to try it! I hope you enjoy your extract! 💜