How to Make Vanilla Extract
An easy to follow guide to making vanilla extract in your own kitchen
Same Quality Extract, No Sugar Added
Zero Added Sugar
Made with just water, alcohol, and real vanilla bean extractives, giving you complete control over the sugar in your recipe.
A Specific Bean Standard
Crafted from the European red vanilla bean standard, 25-27% moisture, hand-selected each October for extract-making.
Slow-Circulated for Full Flavor
Circulated for a minimum of 90 days before filtering, giving the alcohol time to fully extract the bean's complex flavor.
Ideal for Precision Cooking
Perfect for diabetics, low-sugar diets, or any recipe where exact sugar content matters.
Technical Specifications
| Origin | Made in the USA with Madagascar Vanilla Beans |
|---|---|
| Species | Vanilla planifolia (Bourbon Vanilla) |
| Strength | Single Fold (Standard) |
| Alcohol Content | 35% ABV |
| Ingredients | Water, Alcohol, Vanilla Bean Extractives (No Added Sugar) |
| Certifications | Kosher (EarthKosher), GMP |
| Flavor Profile | Rich, Bold, Classic Bourbon Vanilla, No Added Sweetness |
| Uses | Baking, Cooking, Recipes Requiring Precise Sugar Control |
| Shelf Life | Does Not Expire; Best-By Date Provided in Line with GMP Best Practices, Not an Expiration; Stable for Years When Properly Stored |
| Packaging | Bottles (2 oz-16 oz); 1-Gallon and 4-Gallon Containers |
Buy Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract Online with No Added Sugar
Hand-selected and produced from the finest Red Vanilla Pods cultivated on the Island of Madagascar, Slofoodgroup sugar-free Madagascar vanilla extract is the perfect choice for home cooks, chefs, and food novices who want absolute control over how much sugar goes into their recipes. This vanilla extract is crafted with one purpose in mind: quality.
Making Quality Vanilla Extract Starts With the Farmer and Takes Time to Develop
This attention to detail and quality starts at the very beginning of the supply chain with our farmers in Madagascar. Vanilla orchids are meticulously cared for each season to protect against disease, theft, fungal infection, and more. Once the vanilla beans ripen, after a period of around eight months, they are picked. The green vanilla beans are then submerged in hot water to begin the curing process. The beans are then covered in wool or cotton blankets and stored in sweating boxes before beginning the sun-drying process. This hot water bath and sun-drying of the vanilla beans kickstart the enzymatic reaction that helps develop the complex flavor and aroma that Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar is known for.
How Do We Make Vanilla Extract?
What Makes the Red Vanilla Bean Special
Does Sugar-Free Change How You Use It?
While we can't give you the full details (psst, it's a company secret), we can offer some insight on how we make vanilla extract. First, vanilla beans are hand-selected each season around October. Slofoodgroup only works with a European red vanilla bean standard. This type of vanilla bean is 25-27 percent moisture, and is distinguished by the red variegated lines running up and down the length of the vanilla pod. This grade of vanilla is less visually appealing to many users but is the perfect vanilla for making vanilla extract. After the vanilla beans are selected, they're milled and chopped into 0.25-inch or smaller pieces. The vanilla beans are then mixed into a bath of neutral ethanol and water to make a 35 percent by volume solution of alcohol and circulated for a period of no less than 90 days. After 90 days, the vanilla extract is run through a filtration process to remove organic sediments prior to bottling. Looking to make vanilla extract on your own? Head on over to our Madagascar Grade B vanilla beans and find just the right size for your do-it-yourself vanilla extract needs. Prefer a touch of natural sweetness instead? Try our standard Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract.
*Made with love and the following ingredients: water, alcohol (35%), vanilla bean extractives (100 percent all-natural vanilla beans from Madagascar).
Not all vanilla beans that go into extract need to look picture-perfect, and that's exactly the point of the European red vanilla bean standard. These beans are identified by distinctive red variegated lines running the length of the pod, a natural characteristic that makes them less visually striking than the deep, uniform black beans typically sold whole. But for extract-making, appearance takes a back seat to what matters most: moisture content and flavor concentration. At 25-27% moisture, these beans are perfectly suited for long extraction, delivering the same rich, complex Bourbon vanilla flavor without the premium price tag that comes with cosmetically flawless beans.
Good news: sugar-free vanilla extract behaves exactly like standard extract in a recipe, measure for measure. Since our regular Madagascar extract already contains less than two grams of organic cane sugar per gallon, an amount most people never notice, removing it entirely doesn't change the flavor balance in any meaningful way. What it does change is your control: for diabetics, low-sugar diets, or recipes where every gram matters, this extract lets you add pure vanilla flavor without adjusting your sugar calculations elsewhere in the recipe.
Which Vanilla Extract Is Right for You?
Not sure which extract fits your needs? Our standard Madagascar Bourbon vanilla extract is the classic, all-purpose choice for most bakers. If you want maximum flavor from a smaller amount, try our 2X double fold Madagascar extract, twice the concentration, half the amount needed per recipe. Looking for something beyond Madagascar entirely? Our Tahitian vanilla extract offers a floral, fruity departure from classic Bourbon flavor. This sugar-free version is the right choice whenever precise control over your recipe's sugar content matters more than anything else.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Sugar-free vanilla extract gives you complete control over how much sugar goes into your recipe, ideal for diabetics, low-sugar diets, or any dish where precise sugar content matters.
- Just three ingredients: water, alcohol (35%), and vanilla bean extractives from 100% all-natural Madagascar vanilla beans. No added sugar.
- We use the European red vanilla bean standard, beans with 25-27% moisture and distinctive red variegated lines running the length of the pod. This grade is less visually appealing for whole-bean sales but is ideal for extract-making.
- Hand-selected beans are milled and chopped into 0.25-inch pieces, then mixed into a 35% alcohol-and-water solution and circulated for a minimum of 90 days before being filtered to remove organic sediment and bottled.
- No. It measures the same as standard extract in any recipe. Since our regular Madagascar extract already contains less than two grams of sugar per gallon, removing it entirely doesn't meaningfully change the flavor, it simply gives you full control over your recipe's sugar content.
- Yes. Start with our Madagascar Grade B vanilla beans and your preferred alcohol base to make your own homemade extract.