Instant Pot Vanilla Extract is a wonderful homemade vanilla that is so easy to make from vanilla beans! Pressure cooker vanilla extract is delicious, and makes great gifts!
Instant Pot Vanilla Extract
Raise your hand if you enjoy giving homemade gifts! I sure do! I’m actually not that creative when it comes to crafting, so I tend to make edible gifts. Then I do what I can minimally to make them look nice enough to gift to my family and friends.
Instant Pot Vanilla Extract is just one of my favorites because it is easy to make, and can be used by almost anybody, and has a very long shelf life, so I can make it far in advance of the Holidays!
A few of my other favorite homemade gifts is Hot Sauce (recipe below), jam, cookies, Dulce de Leche (recipe below), and a few others. I try to make as many as I can during the summer and fall, that way when I’m in my busy Holiday season, all of those gifts are done!
Just a few simple ingredients are needed to make Instant Pot Vanilla Extract!
The steps to make homemade Instant Pot Vanilla Extract are simple:
Give the jars a good shake a few times a week after you first make this pressure cooker Vanilla Extract. Agitation helps with the extraction process.
Some simple baker’s twine and pre cut tags made these bottles of Instant Pot Vanilla Extract gifts easy to decorate. Get as creative as you want!
Questions I Have Been Getting About Instant Pot Vanilla Extract
Where do you get the vanilla beans?
I get mine on Amazon. I like both the Tahitian and Madagascar varieties. Be sure to get grade ‘B’ as those are less expensive and are made for making extract.
How long does vanilla keep?
It keeps indefinitely, as the alcohol keeps it shelf stable. Keeping the beans in the jar or bottle, just top it off with vodka when it starts to get low enough for the beans to poke up out of the alcohol. Then shake it every week or so to agitate it. I have one right now that is 2 years old. My friend has one that is 7 years old! He just tops it off once in a while!
What if the jars seal while pressure cooking? I thought you can’t can in the Instant Pot.
If the jars seal, I wait until they are cooled and just pop the lid open. Then close it. This isn’t canning, and the alcohol will keep the vanilla shelf stable.
What if I don’t want to use alcohol?
I haven’t tried it, but some people make their vanilla with vegetable glycerin (also called food grade glycerin).
Which gift bottles do you use?
Either the 4 oz size, or the 5 oz (pictured above) hot sauce bottles. Also on Amazon.
Why Use a pressure cooker to make Vanilla Extract?
The main reason is the pressure cooking accelerates the extraction process so you can have dark, rich vanilla much sooner. Not everyone plans ahead, or can. So this method is very good for making vanilla when you want to.
Instant Pot Lemon Curd
Instant Pot Dulce de Leche Caramel
Instant Pot Hot Sauce
Instant Pot Maple Candied Pecans
Instant Pot Vanilla Extract is a wonderful homemade vanilla. It is really easy to make, and makes fun gifts, especially for the Holidays!
- 20 Vanilla Beans (extract grade "B")
- 4 cups Vodka (cheapest kind) or use Vegetable Glycerin
- 6 or 8 quart Pressure Cooker
- 1 1/2 cups Water (for the 6 qt pressure cooker. 3 cups for 8 qt)
- Metal trivet/rack
- 2 16 oz Canning Jars, (with lids)
- 8 4 oz Glass Bottles
Cut all of the vanilla beans in half crossways, then split lengthwise 3/4 of the way, leaving attached (kind of like a banana peel).
Put 10 vanilla beans into each pint jar (that's 20 halves each). If you are using smaller or larger jars, adjust accordingly.
Pour the vodka into each jar, filling to the bottom lid thread.
Put the lids on the jars finger-tight (that's just tightened, and not as tight as when you store them).
Put 1 1/2 cups (3 in 8 qt) of water into the stainless inner pot of the pressure cooker. Then put the metal trivet/rack in. Set the jars on the metal rack, not touching each other of the side of the pot.
Put the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button or dial and then the +/- button or dial to select 25 minutes. It will take a few minutes for the pot to come to pressure.
After the cooking cycle is finished, and the pot beeps, turn off the pot so it doesn't go to the Warming setting.
Let the pot do a FULL NATURAL RELEASE of the pressure. You can let it sit after that as long as you want. I let the jars cool down quite a bit in the pot before I move them to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
You can let the vanilla stay in the jars and keep extracting, which it will do indefinitely, or transfer to the smaller jars as you like.
Since vanilla makes a nice gift, I do use the 4 oz or 5 oz jars, and add 2 or 3 of the beans to each jar as that will look nice, and it keeps extracting.
1. Be Safe! Don't make vanilla near open flames.
2. Always let the pot Naturally Release FULLY, then let the jars cool.
3. Cheap vodka is what you want to use. Don't bother wasting the good stuff!
4. I think the vanilla is best left in the jars and only transferred to the gift bottles just before gifting as it will be stronger from sitting longer.
5. Shake the jars a few times a week after you first make the vanilla. This will help with the extraction, and get those little seeds moving.
Resources to make Instant Pot Vanilla Extract recipe and more
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How long will the vanilla keep?
It keeps indefinitely, as the alcohol keeps it shelf stable. Keeping the beans in the jar or bottle, just top it off with vodka when it starts to get low enough for the beans to poke up out of the alcohol. Then shake it every week or so to agitate it. I have one right now that is 2 years old. My friend has one that is 7 years old! He just tops it off once in a while!
What is the difference between using an instant pot vs just letting vanilla beans ferment in vodka? I am wondering what the heat of the pressure cooker does to it. This is awesome if it is the same quality.
Hi Georgia! This method greatly accelerates the extraction process so the vanilla is ready sooner. I make vanilla both ways, but definitely use this method for gifting as I need the gifts to be ready sooner.
Do you think you could do this in quart (4 cup) jars and do a double batch all at once or does it have to be 2 cup jars?
I think so, though I would increase the cook time by 5-10 minutes.
Is this vanilla comparable to the pure vanilla called for in most recipes?
Yes, I use it in all of my baking. It’s really good, and gets better with age if you leave the beans in the jars/bottles!
thanks for sharing this info. I can’t wait to try.
How soon after making the vanilla do you gift it? Is there a minimum amount of time you let the vanilla beans soak before it’s at full potency and can be gifted?
Hi Jane, I only wait about a week. And you can let the recipient know it only gets better over time (if you left a couple of beans in the bottle)!
If the bottle gets empty can you just add vodka?
Don’t wait for it to get empty, top it off as it starts to get low. That way you will always have some.
Anyone have a jar break off the bottom of it while pressure cooking? Trying to figure out what I did wrong.
Hi Amesha, no, never had that happen. Did you use good canning jars? I have heard that even in canning this can happen if there was a weak spot in the jar, or the jar was bumped while still hot (which is why I say don’t move them until cooled). Sorry to hear that happened.
Did you remember to put the jars on a rack in your pot liner? Being directly against the bottom might cause the jars to break.
Do you ever need to replace the vanilla beans?
I don’t think so. As long as you are topping off as it gets low you should be okay. I have had mine a few years and it is going strong! If you want to add in a few new beans to richen it up, just cut them in half first.
Hi! My beans say not to split,they are grade B. Should I do it anyway?
You can just cut them in half.
Thanks for the quick response😊
Would using the Instant Pot for making vanilla cook the alcohol out??
I think it does a little, but there is definitely alcohol left in there, hence all of the precautions!
Can I use flavored vodka or is it not recommended?
I suppose you could. I would test it with just one jar first so you know if you like it before using all of your beans.
“1 1/2 cups Water (for the pressure cooker. 3 cups for 8 qt)”
Could you clarify this…do you mean 1 1/2 cups water for the 6 quart pot?
Thanks!
Yes. You will put water in the bottom of the pot’s inner liner to create the steam that builds up and pressurizes the pot. The 8 qt pot is a larger size, so it needs a little more water.