1. Vanilla beans
Vanilla extract is made by soaking vanilla beans in alcohol and water. Thus, whole vanilla beans are its closest alternative flavor-wise.
To use a whole vanilla bean in place of vanilla extract, carefully slice the bean in half and scrape out the soft seed interior using a knife, fork, or toothpick. You can discard or repurpose the outer bean pod and use the seeds in place of the vanilla extract.
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To replace 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of vanilla extract, use the inner seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean pod.
Additionally, you can find many flavorings made from vanilla beans online and in specialty grocery stores, each of which makes a fine substitute for vanilla extract. You can likewise make many of these at home.
The table below includes a few of the most popular vanilla-based flavorings and how to use them in place of vanilla extract:
2. Flavored extracts
As is the case with vanilla, a myriad of flavored extracts is made from other natural and artificial flavors.
After vanilla, one of the most common extracts people use in baking is almond extract. You can replace vanilla extract with almond extract at a 1:1 ratio.
That means, replace every 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of vanilla extract in the recipe with 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of almond extract.
You can also find orange, peppermint, and coffee extracts, and more — many of which work beautifully in chocolate and baked goods.
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Still, using another flavor in place of vanilla extract could drastically alter the taste of your final dish. For that reason, you might want to use less extract than you normally would to make sure the flavor isn’t too overpowering.
3. Herbs and spices
People use vanilla to add depth of flavor to a dish. When you can’t use vanilla, choosing another flavor profile and rolling with that instead may be the next best option.
For example, in place of vanilla extract, you could add 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 mL) of chai spice to a batch of cookies or your favorite pound cake recipe.
A dried herb like lavender adds a floral depth to oatmeal or yogurt, similarly to how vanilla would.
Even when you’re using vanilla to build flavor in savory dishes, warm spices like cinnamon and cloves might be able to compensate for a lack of vanilla.
4. Fruit zest
Another quick way to replace vanilla with an ingredient you might already have on hand is to use the zest or juice of citrus fruits, such as:
- lemons
- limes
- oranges
- grapefruits
If you want to bring flavor to your recipe without adding any tartness or additional liquids, add 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 mL) of zest to your baked goods, salad dressings, sauces, or even to top off dishes.
If you’re not as worried about how the acidic juice will affect the texture or flavor of your dish, substitute 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of lemon juice for each 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of vanilla extract.
5. Maple syrup
Many people like to use maple syrup as a replacement for vanilla, using 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of syrup for each 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of extract.
To some, the scent and the hint of sweetness from maple syrup are reminiscent of vanilla.
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Note that when you substitute an ingredient like maple syrup for vanilla extract, it could change the calorie content of a dish. If you’re only using a few tablespoons or less, the swap won’t make much of a difference, but in larger amounts it could be more notable (9, 10, 11, 12).
This list shows the calories in 1 tablespoon (15 mL) of vanilla extract and a few other popular substitutes:
- Vanilla extract: 37
- Maple syrup: 52
- Honey: 64
- Liquor: 33
6. Honey
Honey is another liquid sweetener that can easily be swapped in at a 1:1 ratio for vanilla extract. It will add flavor to your dish, though it’s milder than vanilla extract.
Honey is sweeter than other substitutes listed in this article, so you might want to slightly reduce the amount of any other sugars or sweeteners in your dish to compensate.
It’s also possible that the added sugar could alter the final texture of some dishes.
7. Liquor
Since vanilla extract comprises at least 35% alcohol, it makes sense that using another type of alcohol in its place could work (1).
Though they won’t deliver the same results as vanilla, other flavorful liquors will add their own layers of complexity to dishes. Options include:
- brandy
- rum
- bourbon
Plus, since their compositions are similar to that of vanilla extract, liquors might not affect the texture or mouthfeel of recipes like some other substitutes would.
Summary
Many ingredients aside from vanilla extract capture the full-bodied flavor of vanilla beans. Most of them are great substitutes for the extract. If vanilla beans aren’t available, consider using fruit, spices, liquor, or liquid sweeteners instead.
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