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Vanilla extract in a glass container with vanilla beans next to it.
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Vanilla Extract Substitutes

Out of vanilla extract? Here are 10+ options to use in place of vanilla extract.
Course Baking
Cuisine American
Prep Time 1 minute
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 1 minute
Servings 1
Calories 20kcal

Ingredients

The best substitutes (see notes):

  • seed scraped from vanilla bean
  • vanilla bean paste

Additional options (see notes):

  • maple syrup
  • maple extract
  • almond extract
  • rum, bourbon, brandy, or amaretto
  • vanilla coffee syrup
  • vanilla coffee creamer
  • spices or espresso powder

Instructions

  • See notes for substitution amounts.

Notes

Fresh vanilla bean – Scrape the seeds from a fresh vanilla bean. Use the seeds from half of a vanilla bean for every 1-½ teaspoons of vanilla extract needed.
Vanilla bean paste – Use as a 1:1 substitute for vanilla extract.
Maple syrup – I recommend using double the amount of maple syrup as vanilla extract. This is a great substitute in pancakes, waffles, French toast, blondies, or oatmeal cookies.
Maple extract – Use half as much maple extract as vanilla extract. This is a great substitute in pancakes, waffles, french toast, blondies, or oatmeal cookies.
Almond extract – Use half as much almond extract as vanilla extract. This is a great substitute in white cakes, lemon desserts, berry desserts, and sugar cookies. Note: the almond flavor will likely be noticeable.
Rum, bourbon, brandy, or amaretto – Use as a 1:1 substitute for vanilla extract.
Vanilla coffee syrup – Use as a 1:1 substitute for vanilla extract.
Vanilla coffee creamer – Use as a 1:1 substitute or double the amount of coffee creamer as extract.
Spices, espresso powder – Feel free to think outside of the box and go with a completely different flavor than vanilla. Cinnamon and nutmeg pair nicely with oat, pumpkin, or nut-based recipes. Espresso powder is great for pairing with chocolate recipes.

Nutrition

Calories: 20kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Sugar: 3g