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Today I’ve got a special treat for you! This is my Christmas Spice Extract and it’s perfect for the holiday baking season. It’s made just like my homemade Vanilla Extract, only this one tastes like everything you love about Christmas — warming spices, citrusy orange peel, and a hint of vanilla sweetness.
Why You’ll Love This Christmas Spice Extract
- Festive flavor – A blend of cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cardamom, orange peel, and vanilla makes everything taste like Christmas.
- Easy to make – Just like homemade vanilla extract, but with a seasonal twist.
- Sugar-free & keto-friendly – No added sugars or syrups, unlike some store-bought extracts.
- Budget-friendly – Making your own is far cheaper than buying specialty holiday extracts.
- Perfect for gifting – Pour into small jars for a thoughtful edible gift.
Ingredients & Swaps
This recipe uses just a handful of simple ingredients, but each one adds something special to the extract.
- Orange Peel: Use the outer layer only for citrus flavor. Avoid the white pith to keep it from turning bitter.
- Vanilla Beans: Key ingrtedient in most extracts. Adds warmth and subtle sweetness.
- Cloves: Strong and aromatic, a little goes a long way.
- Allspice: Brings depth especially when used in recipes with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
- Cardamom Pods: Adds a fresh, lightly floral spice.
- Cinnamon Sticks: Essential for that cozy holiday flavor.
- Vodka: Neutral and clean, the best base for extracting flavor.
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Can I use a different alcohol?
Yes, rum, whiskey, or bourbon will work and give a richer flavor, but vodka keeps it the cleanest and most versatile.
Can I make it alcohol-free?
Not really. Alcohol extracts and preserves the flavor. If needed, vegetable glycerin can be used, but it won’t be as strong or long-lasting.
Can I tweak the spice mix?
Absolutely. Star anise, nutmeg, or dried ginger are great add-ins if you want to change it up.
Tips for Best Results
I've been making this extract for several years so I've definitely learnty from my own mistakes. Here are my top tips:
- Use organic orange peel. This avoids pesticides and keeps the flavor clean.
- Skip the white pith! It makes the extract taste bitter.
- Stick with whole spices. Ground spices can make the extract cloudy and harder to strain.
- Be patient. It needs at least 2 weeks to infuse, but 4–6 weeks (or longer) gives the best flavor.
- Shake the jar occasionally. A quick turn every few days helps the flavors blend.
- Choose your jars wisely. If gifting, use jars with secure lids to avoid spills.
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The Perfect Edible Gift Idea
This Christmas Spice Extract isn’t just delicious, it makes a thoughtful homemade gift too. A small bottle of this cozy, sugar-free extract is perfect for anyone who loves baking or holiday flavors.
I used small glass jars to portion mine out — these jars from Amazon UK and the same style in the US. They look cute dressed up with ribbon or tags, though one thing to note is that the lids aren’t the most secure. If you’re giving these as gifts, you may want to choose jars with sturdier lids to avoid any spills.
Storage Tips
Keep your spice extract in a cool, dark place, just like vanilla extract. A pantry cupboard works perfectly. The alcohol preserves it, so no refrigeration is needed.
One thing I’ve learned from making this a few times: unlike vanilla extract, you don’t want to leave all the spices in forever. The orange peel, in particular, can make the extract cloudy and a bit bitter if it sits too long. After 4–6 weeks, it’s best to strain it out. The same goes for the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and allspice. I’d suggest removing them within about 2–3 months to keep the flavor clean and balanced.
The vanilla beans are different. Just like with classic vanilla extract, you can leave them in the bottle and they’ll keep adding depth over time. If your extract starts running low, simply top it up with a little more vodka and you’ll have a never-ending supply of holiday spice flavor.
So the safest approach is
- Infuse for 4–6 weeks (longer if you like it stronger).
- Strain out the orange peel and most of the spices by 2–3 months.
- Keep the vanilla beans in the bottle for long-term flavor.
How to Use This Christmas Spice Extract
Once your extract is ready, you can use it anywhere you’d normally add vanilla extract — it gives baked goods and desserts a festive twist without any extra sugar. It’s especially good in holiday cookies, cakes, drinks, and creamy desserts.
To give you some inspiration, here are a few of my favorite recipes where this spice extract works beautifully:
Hands-on Overall
Serving size tbsp, 15 ml
Nutritional values (per tbsp, 15 ml)
Net carbs0.2 grams
Protein0 grams
Fat0 grams
Calories35 kcal
Calories from carbs 76%, protein 10%, fat 14%
Total carbs0.5 gramsFiber0.2 gramsSugars0 gramsSaturated fat0 gramsSodium0 mg(0% RDA)Magnesium1 mg(0% RDA)Potassium5 mg(0% EMR)
Ingredients (makes about 600 ml/ 20 fl oz)
- peel of 1 small organic orange (outer layer only)
- 3 to 6 vanilla beans
- 12 whole cloves
- 6 whole allspice
- 6 whole cardamom pods
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 600 ml vodka (20 fl oz)
Instructions
- You'll need the outer layer of 1 organic orange, 3 to 6 vanilla beans (pods), 12 cloves, 6 allspice, 6 cardamom pods, 3 cinnamon sticks and good quality vodka.
- Using a vegetable peeler, zest the outer layer of the orange peel. Make sure to use organic (you don't want pesticides in your extract). Also, the less of the white pith you use, the less likely you'll end up with bitter extract.
- If you're using 6 small 100 ml gift jars like I did, cut the vanilla beans in half to get a total of 6 pieces. Using a sharp knife, split each of the halves lengthwise and scrape the tiny seeds out, into each one of the jars. Add the vanilla beans, cloves, allspice, cardamom and orange zest. Break each of the cinnamon sticks in half to get 6 pieces and add to the jars.
- Top with neutral tasting alcohol like vodka. Cover with a lid and then turn upside down a few times to combine.
Note: If you're using one large 600 ml (20 fl oz) jar, place all of the ingredients inside and add the vodka. Instead of vodka you can use rum, whiskey or bourbon.
- Let it infuse for at least 2 weeks. The extract tastes best after 4-6 weeks or longer. Keep in the pantry just like you would vanilla extract. If you start running out, just add more vodka and a little bit of each spices.
Tip: For the best flavor, strain out the orange peel after 6 weeks, and remove the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and allspice within 3 months. Vanilla beans can stay in the extract.
Ingredients
- peel of 1 small organic orange (outer layer only)
- 3 to 6 vanilla beans
- 12 whole cloves
- 6 whole allspice
- 6 whole cardamom pods
- 3 cinnamon sticks
- 600 ml vodka (20 fl oz)
Instructions
- You'll need the outer layer of 1 organic orange, 3 to 6 vanilla beans (pods), 12 cloves, 6 allspice, 6 cardamom pods, 3 cinnamon sticks and good quality vodka.
- Using a vegetable peeler, zest the outer layer of the orange peel. Make sure to use organic (you don't want pesticides in your extract). Also, the less of the white pith you use, the less likely you'll end up with bitter extract.
- If you're using 6 small 100 ml gift jars like I did, cut the vanilla beans in half to get a total of 6 pieces. Using a sharp knife, split each of the halves lengthwise and scrape the tiny seeds out, into each one of the jars. Add the vanilla beans, cloves, allspice, cardamom and orange zest. Break each of the cinnamon sticks in half to get 6 pieces and add to the jars.
- Top with neutral tasting alcohol like vodka. Cover with a lid and then turn upside down a few times to combine.
Note: If you're using one large 600 ml (20 fl oz) jar, place all of the ingredients inside and add the vodka. Instead of vodka you can use rum, whiskey or bourbon.
- Let it infuse for at least 2 weeks. The extract tastes best after 4-6 weeks or longer. Keep in the pantry just like you would vanilla extract. If you start running out, just add more vodka and a little bit of each spices.
Tip: For the best flavor, strain out the orange peel after 6 weeks, and remove the cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and allspice within 3 months. Vanilla beans can stay in the extract.
Nutrition (per tbsp, 15 ml)
Calories35kcal
Net Carbs0.2g
Carbohydrates0.5g
Protein0g
Fat0g
Saturated Fat0g
Fiber0.2g
Sugar0g
Sodium0mg
Magnesium1mg
Potassium5mg
Detailed nutritional breakdown (per tbsp, 15 ml)
| Total per tbsp, 15 ml |
| 0.2 g | 0 g | 0 g | 35 kcal |
| Orange peel, raw |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Vanilla powder, dried (from vanilla beans, vanilla pods) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Cloves, spices |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Allspice, dried, spices |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Cardamom whole, dried |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 0 kcal |
| Cinnamon, spices |
| 0.1 g | 0 g | 0 g | 1 kcal |
| Vodka, distilled alcoholic beverage (~40% vol) |
| 0 g | 0 g | 0 g | 33 kcal |
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