Making hazelnut extract at home requires just two ingredients: roasted hazelnuts and vodka. The process takes about five minutes of active work, then four to six weeks of patience while the alcohol pulls flavor compounds from the nuts. The result is a richer, cleaner extract than most commercial versions, which often contain propylene glycol, artificial colors, or sweeteners.
Why Roasting Matters
Raw hazelnuts have a mild, slightly grassy flavor. Roasting transforms them. Heat triggers reactions between the nuts’ fatty acids and natural sugars, producing the compound that gives roasted hazelnuts their distinctive, buttery aroma. Without roasting, your extract will taste flat.
Spread whole hazelnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast at 300°F (150°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan once halfway through. You’re looking for golden-brown color and a strong nutty smell filling the kitchen. The duration matters more than the exact temperature for developing that deep, toasty flavor, so keep a close eye on them rather than walking away. Pull them when they’re fragrant and visibly darker but not charred.
Removing the Skins
Hazelnut skins contain tannins that add bitterness to an extract. You want to remove as many as possible. The easiest method: while the hazelnuts are still warm from roasting, wrap them in a clean kitchen towel and rub vigorously. Most skins will flake off. Don’t worry about stubborn patches that cling to a few nuts. Getting 70 to 80 percent of the skin off is enough to keep bitterness out of your final product.
If you want near-complete skin removal, blanch the nuts before roasting. Add a tablespoon of baking soda to a pot of boiling water, drop in the hazelnuts, and boil for three minutes. The alkaline water loosens the skins by breaking down their acidic tannins. Drain, rinse, peel, then pat dry thoroughly before roasting.
Choosing Your Alcohol
Vodka at 80 proof (40% alcohol) is the standard choice. It’s a neutral solvent that won’t compete with the hazelnut flavor, and 40% alcohol is strong enough to extract and preserve the aromatic oils from the nuts. Higher-proof options like Everclear will produce a slightly more concentrated extract, but vodka works perfectly for home use.
Brandy or bourbon are alternatives if you want a more complex flavor profile. Brandy adds a subtle fruitiness that pairs well with hazelnuts in desserts. Bourbon introduces vanilla and caramel notes. These work beautifully in baking but will change the character of the extract compared to a clean, pure hazelnut flavor.
The Basic Method
Once your hazelnuts are roasted and skinned, chop them roughly. You don’t need a fine grind, just break each nut into three or four pieces to expose more surface area. Place about one cup of chopped hazelnuts into a clean glass jar (a pint mason jar works well) and pour in one cup of vodka, enough to fully submerge the nuts with about half an inch of liquid above them.
Seal the jar tightly and give it a good shake. Store it in a cool, dark place, like a cupboard away from the stove. Shake the jar every few days. The alcohol will slowly take on a golden color and increasingly nutty aroma as it pulls oils and flavor compounds from the hazelnuts.
After four weeks, taste the extract. If you want a stronger flavor, let it steep for up to six weeks total. When you’re satisfied, strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth into a clean bottle. Squeeze the cheesecloth gently to get every last drop. Dark glass bottles are ideal for storage, but any clean jar kept in a dark cupboard will work.
Getting a Stronger Extract
If your first batch tastes too subtle, there are a few ways to concentrate the flavor. The simplest is a double infusion: after straining your first batch, pour the finished extract over a fresh cup of chopped, roasted hazelnuts and steep for another three to four weeks. This layers the flavor without adding more alcohol.
You can also increase the nut-to-alcohol ratio. Using one and a half cups of chopped hazelnuts per cup of vodka produces a noticeably richer extract on a single infusion. The nuts should still be fully submerged, so press them down or add just enough extra vodka to cover.
Toasting the chopped nuts a second time at a lower temperature (around 275°F for eight minutes) before adding them to the jar can also deepen the roasted character. Be careful not to burn them at this stage since they’ll darken quickly once chopped.
Storage and Shelf Life
Alcohol-based extracts have a long shelf life, up to five years when stored properly. The alcohol acts as a preservative, keeping the extract stable at room temperature. Keep it in a dark cupboard away from heat and direct sunlight, which accelerate oxidation and break down the flavor compounds you worked to capture.
One caution specific to nut-based extracts: hazelnuts are high in oil, and traces of that oil remain in the finished extract. If you notice the extract developing an off smell or visible changes in texture over time, discard it. Refrigeration is a smart precaution if you live in a warm climate or plan to keep the extract for more than a year. Label each bottle with the date you strained it so you can track freshness.
Using Hazelnut Extract
Hazelnut extract is potent. Start with half a teaspoon per recipe and adjust from there. It shines in anything chocolate, from brownies to ganache, and adds depth to coffee drinks, whipped cream, and custards. A few drops stirred into buttercream frosting transforms a basic cake.
Unlike vanilla extract, which mellows with heat, hazelnut extract loses some nuance during long baking times. For the strongest flavor in baked goods, add it to components that don’t cook (frostings, glazes, no-bake fillings) or stir it into batters just before they go in the oven. In coffee or hot chocolate, add it after brewing rather than during.