This homemade vanilla salt is a simple but luxurious finishing salt that adds incredible flavor to baked goods, desserts, and sweet treats. Made with just two ingredients, it’s an easy DIY edible gift. Sprinkle it onto cookies, brownies, caramel, and more.
Salt, salt, baby.
I don't know about you, but I love both giving and receiving homemade gifts, and especially edible gifts. If you're scrambling for ideas, let me present you with one of my favourites for a quick, easy, and impressive homemade gift: Vanilla Salt!
You know all those delicious baked goods finished with a tiny sprinkle of sea salt? Or chocolate-covered caramels with salt sprinkled on top? Now imagine if that salt was vanilla salt. I know, right? Bonkers! I loooooove this on top of our community-fave wholegrain chocolate chip skillet cookie.
If you love a salt-finished sweet thing as much as I do (you do, right?) you're going to love this stuff. And if you have a friend who loves salt-finished sweet stuff, they're going to think you're the bee's knees for making them this mighty fine vanilla salt.
(PS - I also do homemade vanilla extract, which is also worth your time.)
Let's make homemade vanilla salt together!
Ok my friend, all you need is two ingredients and five minutes to make this easy DIY finishing salt. Let's walk through it, step-by-step.
Step 1: split + scrape the vanilla bean
Split open your vanilla bean(s) and scrape out the seeds.
Don't toss that bean! Save the pod to flavour some vanilla sugar, use for making homemade ice cream, or to start another batch of vanilla extract.
Step 2: combine the salt and vanilla seeds
Put your salt into a bowl and add the vanilla seeds.
Use your hands to massage the vanilla seeds into the salt.
That's it, you're done!
Step 3: package it up!
Stick the vanilla salt into a cute jar, make a label for it, and you are gift-giving ready. Just like that!
Homemade Vanilla Salt - Easy DIY Gift
Ingredients
- 1 cup flaky sea salt such as Fleur de Sel
- 1-2 large vanilla beans split in half and scraped out
Instructions
- Place the salt in a medium-sized bowl.1 cup flaky sea salt
- Split the vanilla beans in half and scrape the seeds out.1-2 large vanilla beans
- Combine the vanilla beans with the salt, and use your hands to rub into the salt to distribute evenly.
- Transfer the salt into a jar.
Notes
- To make this recipe you'll need 1-2 vanilla beans per cup of salt. It depends on how vanilla-y your beans are and how vanilla-y you want your salt to be.
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- Vanilla beans are expensive, so I like to squeeze every last drop of life out of them. I made this batch of vanilla salt with beans I'd already used to make vanilla extract but that still had plenty of seeds inside.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published November 14, 2018. It was most recently updated on November 21, 2020.
Phyllis Field says
This is so darn-hooten-tooten delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Katie Trant says
I think so too! So glad you enjoyed the vanilla salt, Phyllis.
Julie RB says
Hi - I make vanilla extract with grade B Madagascar vanilla beans. To use the seeds for vanilla salt, do they need to be dried, first? Thanks!
Katie Trant says
Hi Julie! Yes, they need to be mostly dried otherwise they'll make the salt wet. A little bit damp is ok (like a fresh vanilla bean would be), so for used beans from vanilla extract I usually dry them off on a paper towel and leave them out overnight to dry.
Kimberly Adkison says
I just read your vanilla salt post and was intrigued. Then followed the link you mentioned to the Smitten Kitchen (love her site) chocolate chip cookie recipe. And after reading that post I immediately said to myself, "I need to make these cookies, and I guess I also need vanilla salt in my life!" Thanks Katie for expanding my recipe and food horizons.
Cammy says
Sweet/savoury combo is my favourite!
Tessa says
This is wicked. The salt cancels out the sugar, right? I will eat any thing caramel with salt on top!
Sustainable Cooks - Sarah says
So freaking good on top of homemade chocolate chip cookies! I can't wait to try it on chocolate pudding next.
I love how easy it was to make and it is on my list of homemade gifts to give to all the foodies in my life this year.
Katie Trant says
There is literally nothing better than salted chocolate chip cookies. Chocolate pudding is a great idea too, I'll have to give that a try!