Many people do not realize just how often almond extract is used in recipes. Almost extract can give your baking a cherry flavor and is often found in cherry, chocolate, and nutty flavored recipes. The good news is that if you do not have this staple on hand in your home is that there are many great substitutions for almond extract.
Simple Substitutions for Almond Extract
These simple substitutions will help you to replace the flavor of almond extract in your recipes allowing you to create something new by changing things up or enhancing the recipe you already have by making a clean swap.
Vanilla extract
There are other popular flavoring extracts such as vanilla extract that can be used in the same way as almond extract. Vanilla is an excellent flavor enhancer for your favorite foods and can be used in this case to enhance your cooking and baking by adding a rich decadent flavor.
In order to get the same flavor intensity, it may be necessary to double the amount of almond extract. This is because there is a difference in flavor between almond extract and vanilla.
Alternatively, if you prefer a milder option you can substitute vanilla extract for salmon extract in a ratio of 1 to 1.
Adding vanilla extract to your recipe will enhance the flavor and smell of the dish, and give it a whole new level of flavor and aroma. Even though the flavor will be slightly different, most people won’t even realize that something has changed.
For the best flavor try making your own homemade vanilla extract. This can be done with extra beans to help give it a stronger flavor than store-bought versions.
Mint extract
While using mint extract as a substitute for almond extract will lead to a major change in the flavor of your recipe it is still a great option. Using mint in place of almond extract in chocolate recipes is a great way to turn them into mint chocolate recipes.
Concentrated cherry juice
Almond extract is often used in cherry pies because of how it leaves behind a cherry-like a flavor that can enhance your cherry recipes. when using almond extract you can get a similar flavor by using concentrated cherry juice.
Use cinnamon in place of almond extract
Cinnamon is by far my favorite spice in the kitchen and around the house. There are so many great uses for cinnamon and when you need to add a dash of flavor to pretty much any baked good you cannot go wrong with using cinnamon to get the job done.
Almond liquor
There are also almond liquors available on the market that have almond flavoring to them that can be used as replacements for almond extract in recipes.
You will have to use more almond liquor to get the same flavor since the flavor of almond liquor is much less pronounced than that of almond extract. You can use between four and eight teaspoons of almond liquor per teaspoon of almond extract in your recipe.
Since it takes so much of this for it to have a strong flavor, it is best used in baking recipes or those that will simmer for quite some time to give the alcohol a chance to cookout. Particularly if you are serving it to children.
The other liquids in your recipe may need to be adjusted so that you do not water down your batters, fillings, and sauces.
Orange Zest makes a great almond extract substitute
Orange zest is great for adding flavor and tends to add a bit of tang to recipes. If you would like an almond extract substitute that is easy to make from what you have in the house and can add a hint of color and flavor to your recipe this is a great option. See how to zest a lemon or orange here.
Spiced liquor
In place of almond and vanilla extracts, spiced liquor makes a great alternative. To get the best results, you should always double or triple the amounts of spiced liquors like rum, bourbon, or brandy that you use in your recipes.
I love this for my Butter Rum Chocolate Chip Cookies where I use rum in place of the vanilla extract.
If you are using any other liquids other than almond liquor, you should adjust your liquid amounts accordingly. With this option, you will dramatically change the taste of your recipe, adding a unique and interesting touch to your favorite recipes that call for almond extract.
Almond milk
Are you using milk in your recipe? You can simply change out the milk for almond milk in a recipe that uses milk, such as a batter for baking if you do not have almond extract while you are working on your recipe. The almond milk will impart a light almond flavor to your recipe because crushed almonds are added to it.
If you would like a stronger almond flavor you can cook down the almond milk to remove some of the liquid, so that you can add more almond flavor making it stand out while using the same amount of liquid in the recipe.
Leave a Reply