Homemade Flavored Liquid Stevia Drops
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Do you love Liquid Stevia Drops but don't love the price? Here's how to make your own Homemade Liquid Stevia and save loads of money, PLUS you can make flavored liquid stevia this way too!
I've been using stevia for a long time now–ever since I knew that I had candida. I personally think that stevia is safe and I think you can grow to like it even if you didn't when you first tried it.
It can be hard to know how to use it, but here's a guide to help you use stevia to get you inspired.
One of my favorite stevia products is liquid stevia drops.
They are little dropper bottles full of flavored liquid stevia that you can add to your favorite beverages (like sugar-free lemonade and coffee substitute) and sweet treats (like raw brownies and almond joy® bars) without
- feeding candida or
- adding calories
I love them and with the amazing variety of flavors out there you can really go to town.
The only problem is, they are really pricey.
Thankfully, there's a simple way for you to make your own homemade flavored liquid stevia easily!
Flavor Options
There are endless options for flavoring these drops. Truly the sky's the limit.
You simply use whatever extract or natural flavoring you'd like your liquid stevia drops to be.
While I love all of the flavors that I've tried, vanilla liquid stevia remains one of my favorites.
I've used it in my Healthy Coffee Substitute and it can be used to sweeten any beverage.
How Much Will You Save With These Homemade Drops?
The cost of liquid stevia drops varies, but one thing is sure; you will save a lot of money.
This vanilla liquid stevia from NuNaturals currently costs $12.52 on Amazon.
This one from Sweet Leaf costs $9.09.
The total cost for my 2 oz bottle?
It's a little variable and took some intense calculating to figure out, since I purchase my stevia in bulk but here goes:
- Stevia extract (I currently use this brand): $1.03
- Vanilla extract (I used this brand. Here is another brand with no sugar.): $1.05
- Dropper bottle (mine was free since I saved a leftover one from stevia, but you can purchase one on Amazon (this is a handy-dandy set of 6 dropper bottles, so you can make all kinds of stevia drop blends.)
By the way, stevia is pretty hard to measure since it's so concentrated. These stainless steel mini measuring spoons from Amazon are super handy. The 2nd smallest is the size of 1/32 of a teaspoon, which is the typical size of a scoop that's included in most stevia containers.
If you don't want to buy a 1 pound bag of stevia extract, here's a one ounce container.
Total Cost of This Homemade Liquid Stevia
Without dropper bottle: $2.08
With dropper bottle: $3.58 (plus shipping on the bottle, of course, but you can reuse it.)
So if you don't need a bottle, you can save up to 84% by making your own vanilla liquid stevia.
At these savings, I guess you won't be buying any more liquid stevia drops, eh? Well, with a few exceptions.
There are some flavors that would be pretty hard to replicate. One of them is this really great Root Beer Flavored stevia drops.
Add these to sparkling water and you've got a great Sugar-Free Root Beer!
Recipe Notes and Substitutions
- Stevia Brand: I link to NuNaturals stevia in the recipe card since that is the brand I recommend in general, but a few readers have said that NOW stevia works well for this recipe and their stevia is quite a bit cheaper, especially in the one pound size.
- Stevia Crystals: I've gotten a few reports that some people get stevia crystals on their dropper after making this and placing it in the fridge. I'm not sure why that is, but hopefully we can figure it out.
- Stevia Flavors: If you'd like your liquid stevia to have a different flavor, you can try different extracts in place of vanilla. Options include: chocolate extract, cherry extract, lemon extract, peppermint extract, and butter flavor. I haven't tried any of these, but I think they should work!
Homemade Liquid Stevia Drops
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 1/4 teaspoons stevia extract (The amount you need will vary by brand)
- 1 teaspoon glycerin (optional but recommended)
- 7 teaspoons vanilla extract (or other natural flavor/extract)
Instructions
- Pour water into a small saucepan.
- Warm over medium heat. Add stevia extract.
- Heat and stir until stevia is dissolved.
- Remove from heat. Add glycerin and extract if desired.
- Pour into a small glass bottle with dropper. Note: There will be a little too much to fit into the bottle. Just keep it in another bottle or container and use it first. I chose these measurements for ease of use.
- Store in the fridge.
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may vary depending on ingredient brands, substitutions, and preparation methods. Optional ingredients are not included. Net carbs are typically calculated by subtracting fiber and sugar alcohols (such as erythritol) from total carbohydrates. This information should not be relied upon for medical or nutritional purposes.
What's your favorite way to use flavored liquid stevia drops?
What's your favorite flavor?
So I have found stevia in whole leaf form (dry), how can I make a batch of regular stevia from this? is it possible?
I have yet to even try stevia in any form so not sure if the leaf form is the purest to start with …..thanks for any help!!
HI! Are you trying to make liquid extract? Yes you can but I haven’t done it yet. The leaf is the purest = it just takes more time and will have a different taste. I think you could grind it and use it as is for a flavoring but it will be a very different taste than the clean extract that I recommend using. Does that help?
I grew my own Stevia this year and have harvested nearly all of it. I have tried 2 methods so far. The first, I just used a leaf in my iced tea, not crushed. The longer the tea sat, the sweeter it became. No aftertaste. Yesterday, I tried the powdered version. That I did not like. It made my tea sweet, but I didn’t like tasting the powder. You can drink the powder residue, but I just didn’t care for it. This afternoon, my Stevia processing with vodka,, will be ready for me to work with. Check out my blog for an update. Thanks for sharing the vanilla stevia with us. I can’t wait to try it.
How interesting. What brand of powdered stevia did you use? I have tried to get a stevia plant, but to no avail. I need to go elsewhere.
Thank you for this idea! For some reason it never occurred to me to make the extract myself. I just purchased the powdered stevia and I’m going to make a plain version with vodka (same way I make my own vanilla extract).
You’re welcome! Yes, I am still hoping to get stevia plant and make it that way as well :).
Thanks! Which version do you think is closest to the NuNaturals Pure Liquid Stevia (non-alcohol)?
I have never purchased theirs but I really liked the strength of mine. I would go with what I suggested. I did a taste test over and over in my kitchen. Let me know what you think.
How would you make plain liquid stevia (not the vanilla flavored one)? Thanks!!!!!
Just don’t add the vanilla. It will be just about the right concentration.
Thanks! Really? I would have thought that I might need to replace the vanilla with more water or something.
Hi Chris. I found a different method using different proportions than mine just now on the internet and theirs wasn’t as sweet as it used less of a stevia per water concentration. I think you are fine either way. Enjoy!!
Nevermind! I was envisioning that you were using a bottle of liquid stevia and adding water and vanilla to it. I now realize that you use solid. Sorry for the confusion. Thanks so much for replying!
Just discovered your site, LOVE it! Lotsa great stuff!
A quick question:
Since the volume changes, do you have a recommendation for how much to use? For example, a 1/4 t of commercial vanilla stevia would be equivalent to how much of this recipe? I suppose I could do the math, thought I would ask first :0)
Hi Nikki. Thanks! I’m not sure what you are asking – could you clarify please? I plan to revise this recipe and make it so it all fits in the bottle–for some reason I didn’t think about it :).
Hi Adrienne!
I am not able to use any sweetener except stevia. Is there a way to maybe use this to to substitute for liquid sweetener in your recipes? And can I use just Stevia in the dry sweetener recipes?
I was able to use honey but now I might have gestational diabetes so no more…
thank you for your amazing website, I don’t know how I would make it on this journey without it!
You can for sure sub in liquid stevia and/or stevia. I haven’t done a chart and honestly, it tastes better if you use other sweeteners as well. They aren’t as natural but have you tried xylitol and erythritol? Vegetable glycerine is another one that should be OK for you since I am able to eat it :-). Since you are using so little stevia, it doesn’t really matter if you use dry or liquid, but dry is more concentrated. It can be a little tricky to bake w/ only stevia and I think you’d find it easier if you blend with other sweeteners. Take care! – and you’re welcome!
How long will this stay fresh? Does it need to be refrigerated?
How many ounces does it make? Is the serving size comparable to the manufactured liquid stevia (e.g. 6 drops)?
Does it really taste like the manufactured liquid? I am thrilled at the prospect!
Thanks!!!
To my knowledge this should stay fresh a long time. I have read that the shelf life is 2 years. It won’t spoil, but you should refrigerate it to keep the flavor strong. I didn’t know that so thanks for asking!!!
The reason for which the bottle has a shelf life of 2 years is because the alcohol or glycerin acts as a preservatie. However, when these are eliminated and the stevia is mixed with just water there is not preservative, so bacteria can grow. This is why I was wondering how long it will stay?
Any ideas? Thanks!
I got that info from a brand that doesn’t have alcohol, glycerin or other preservatives. So I think it will work. No promises, but mine hasn’t even been in the fridge.
Do you use the pure extract, or the one with maltodextrin?
Thanks
Always the pure. I never use stevia with fillers. There is a link to it in the post.