The recipe prices will vary based on fluctuating grocery costs. Please use what is posted as a guide.
This Instant Pot Vanilla Extract recipe is straightforward to make and speeds up the process of homemade vanilla. It’s perfect for gifting or for stocking your pantry on a budget!
It costs approximately $66.07 to make this recipe, including the gifting jars. The recipe makes just over 59 ounces of extract for about $1.11 per ounce.
We use our Homemade Vanilla Extract recipe when we are not short on time for making vanilla extract.
Instant Pot Vanilla Extract
Do you cringe when paying for vanilla extract at the grocery store? Us too! It is so expensive! But making it at home takes some planning as it takes weeks to set up. We have the perfect solution for this dilemma. Make Vanilla Extract in your Instant Pot!
Yes! This is life-changing, friends! You can now make Homemade Vanilla Extract in minutes instead of months, which is also cost-effective.
The Instant Pot heats the alcohol to a boil under pressure while the vanilla beans are infused into the alcohol almost instantaneously. It is magical and perfect to ensure you always have this cooking and baking staple.
Instant Pot Homemade Vanilla Extract gives you the intensity of aged vanilla with its rich, dark, and aromatic beauty. It will elevate every recipe, and you will never want store-bought again.
As a safety precaution, please do not work with the Instant Pot and the alcohol for this recipe near an open flame or the stovetop. The vapor released from the alcohol is flammable, and an open flame or strong heat source acts as an ignitor.
Follow our step-by-step directions to make this easy Homemade Vanilla Extract in your Instant Pot today.
Ingredients & Estimated Cost:
- 25 vanilla beans – $18.99
- 1.75-liter bottle of vodka – $18.99
- 12 (4 oz) glass bottles – $19.99
- 6 (12 oz) canning jars with lids – $8.10
To learn more about how we price our recipes, check out Budget Recipes Explained. This recipe will cost much less if you already have the 12 oz canning jars. Additionally, if you’re not making these for gifting, this recipe will be even cheaper to make!
How To Make Vanilla Extract In An Instant Pot
- First, wash the canning jars in hot soapy water and completely dry them.
- Next, use a sharp paring knife to slice four vanilla beans in half lengthwise.
- Then, cut the beans in half.
- Set the beans inside a canning jar and follow the same steps with the remaining beans and jars.
- Then, evenly distribute the vodka among the jars, leaving at least an inch of headspace in each jar.
- Set the lids on the jars and tighten them.
- Add a cup of water to the Instant Pot and set the trivet in the bottom of the pot. Set three jars on top of the trivet.
- Next, put the lid on the Instant Pot and cook on “Manual” for forty-five minutes.
- When the timer is done, let the pot naturally release for sixty minutes. And then turn the valve to “Venting.”
- Remove the lid, and use tongs to remove the jars and set them on a towel-lined surface to cool completely.
- Repeat the steps with the remaining jars.
- Finally, use a funnel to transfer the vanilla extract to 4-ounce bottles for gifting or store in the mason jars in your pantry.
***For complete recipe instructions, see the recipe card below.
Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- This recipe will leave you with one vanilla bean leftover, perfect for making homemade vanilla ice cream.
- Don’t have an Instant Pot? No problem, we have a non-instant pot version of this Homemade Vanilla Extract, but it will take a few months to develop its flavor.
Storage Tips
Store: Store the extract in a cool dark place, and it will keep indefinitely.
Freeze: We do not recommend freezing the extract.
Recipe FAQs
As a safety precaution, please do not work with the Instant Pot and the alcohol for this recipe near an open flame or the stovetop. The vapor released from the alcohol is flammable, and an open flame or strong heat source acts as an ignitor.
When following the traditional method for making Vanilla Extract, it takes eight to ten weeks for the extract to be ready. But, on the contrary, when you make Vanilla Extract in the Instant Pot, it takes just under eight hours from start to finish!
Vanilla Extract is made with two simple ingredients: vanilla beans and vodka. That’s it!
Get Kids Involved
Ages 2-3: As you finish the jars to prepare for gifting, ask your child to count the number of jars and help you deliver them to friends and family.
Ages 4-5: After you have sliced open the vanilla beans, ask your child to place them in each jar. They can also measure the cup of water and pour it into the Instant Pot before placing the jars on the trivet.
Ages 6-8: Teaching proper knife safety; teach your child how to slice open the vanilla beans and place them in the jars.
Ages 9-11: Supervise them while they prepare the entire recipe. Remember to have them read it twice before beginning the recipe.
Ages 12+: Let them prepare the entire recipe, unsupervised, while you do the happy dance in the corner!
Budget Tips
When purchased at a grocery store, it costs around $8.12 for two fluid ounces of vanilla extract. Therefore, it is much more cost-effective to make it yourself, even when you have to buy the canning jars.
More Condiments:
- Easy Coconut Syrup
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
- Copycat Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- Homemade Italian Dressing
- Easy Hummus Recipe
- Cinnamon Honey Butter
- Homemade Buttermilk Syrup
Instant Pot Vanilla Extract
Equipment
- Instant Pot
- pairing knife
- Canning jars
- Funnel
- Liquid measuring cup
Ingredients
- 25 vanilla beans – Amazon usually has the lowest price
- 1.75 liter bottle of vodka we usually get ours from Costco
- 12 4 oz glass bottles
- 6 12 oz canning jars with lids
Instructions
PREP CANNING JARS:
- You will need 6 glass canning jars with lids. Wash the jars in hot soapy water and dry them thoroughly.
CUT VANILLA BEANS AND FILL JARS:
- Use a sharp paring knife to slice 4 vanilla beans in half lengthwise. Then, cut the beans in half.
- Place the beans inside a canning jar.
- Repeat the process with the remaining beans and jars.
FILL JARS WITH VODKA:
- Evenly distribute the vodka among the jars. Make sure you leave at least an inch of headspace in each jar. *** You must do this because the liquid will expand as it cooks in the pressure cooker.
- Place the lids on the jars and tighten them so they are finger tight.
PREP INSTANT POT:
- Add a cup of water to the bottom of the instant pot and place the trivet in the bottom of the pot.
- Place three jars on top of the trivet.
PRESSURE COOK:
- Place the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the valve to “Sealing.”
- Next, press the “Manual” or “High” settings for 45 minutes.
- At the end of the cooking time, let the pot naturally release for 60 minutes.
- Then, turn the valve to “Venting.”
OPEN POT AND COOL JARS:
- Carefully open the pot with the lid away from your face.
- Use tongs to move the jars to a kitchen towel-lined surface (they will be HOT!).
- Let the jars cool completely.
REPEAT:
- Repeat the “Prep Instant Pot,” “Pressure Cook,” and “Open Pot and Cool Jars” steps with the remaining three jars. Remember to ensure a cup of water at the bottom of your Instant Pot.
TRANSFER TO GIFTING BOTTLES:
- If you plan on giving these out as gifts, use a small funnel to transfer the vanilla extract to 4-ounce bottles. Make sure the extract is completely cool before doing so.
Notes
- ***Don’t work with the instant pot for this recipe alcohol near an open flame or the stovetop. The vapor released from the alcohol is flammable, and an open flame or strong heat source acts as an ignitor.
- ***This recipe will leave you with one vanilla bean leftover.
MacKenzie says
I love this idea! What a great homemade gift idea. Thank you for sharing. Can’t wait to try
Cathleen says
Wow, what CAN’T the Instant Pot do?? Vanilla extract is getting so expensive lately, I am definitely making this over the weekend 🙂
Jacqueline says
What a great idea and so easy to make at home too.
kushigalu says
Very interesting post on vanilla extarct. Homemade is always the best.
Aimee Mars says
Involving the children was so much fun. Thank you for providing age appropriate suggestions!