The homemade gift that says: I really like you.

There are few ingredients as timeless—or as deceptively simple—as vanilla extract. It’s the backbone of nearly every dessert, the quiet hero in your morning coffee, and the secret ingredient that makes holiday baking taste like childhood memories.

And the best part?
Real, homemade vanilla extract is unbelievably easy to make.
No additives. No caramel coloring. No “natural flavors.”
Just pure, fragrant vanilla steeped low and slow in warm alcohol, becoming richer and deeper with every passing week.

It’s the kind of ingredient our great-grandmothers made without a second thought—frugal, flavorful, and always on hand.

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✨ Why Homemade Vanilla Extract Is a Must-Have

1. Unmatched flavor — stronger, cleaner, warmer than store-bought.
2. Only two ingredients — whole vanilla beans + alcohol.
3. Incredibly cost-effective — especially compared to pure extract.
4. A beautiful handmade gift — authentic, thoughtful, and useful.
5. A pantry staple you’ll use all year long.

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🌿 Homemade Vanilla Extract (Whole-Food Version)

Ingredients

• 5–6 high-quality vanilla beans
• 1 cup vodka (or bourbon for deeper flavor)
• 1 glass jar with tight-fitting lid

Instructions

1. Split each vanilla bean lengthwise, leaving one end attached.
2. Place beans in your jar and cover completely with vodka or bourbon.
3. Seal tightly and give it a gentle shake.
4. Store in a cool, dark place for at least 6–8 weeks, shaking once per week.
5. The longer it sits, the more luxurious the flavor becomes.
6. Refill with alcohol as needed—beans will continue flavoring for months.

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☕ How We Use It

• In every cookie, cake, or frosting recipe
• In Day 23’s Cocoa Coffee Creamer
• In homemade ice cream
• In oatmeal, chia pudding, and hot cocoa
• As a thoughtful handmade Christmas gift

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❤️ A Loving Family Memory

One Christmas season, when my daughter was little, she watched me carefully tuck vanilla beans into small amber jars for gifts. She asked what I was making, and I told her, “A little flavor for someone’s year.”

Her eyes lit up.
She grabbed a tiny scrap of paper and scribbled: “This one has love in it.”

She taped it to a jar so crookedly that the sticker nearly covered the lid, but it was perfect.

On Christmas morning, she handed that jar to my mom with so much pride. My mom—who bakes everything from scratch—held it like it was treasure. And honestly, it was. That jar lasted her nearly the whole next year, used sparingly like it was liquid gold.

Every time I make vanilla extract, I think of that little label with its wobbly handwriting and how something so simple can hold so much heart.

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✨ Day 24 Complete

Your pantry is officially upgraded.
Your gifting game? Impeccable.

And tomorrow…
We finish with the most beloved tradition of all:

Day 25 — Christmas Morning Cinnamon Rolls
Yes, the ones your family begs for every single year.