SaurabhOrange extract is a flavoring agent used in many different recipes to give them a nice orange flavor. This versatile ingredient is made with orange zest oil, water, and at least 35% of alcohol.
The orange extract has a stronger and more concentrated orange flavor than orange juice. Thus, it is usually added in various baked goods, marinades, desserts, liqueurs, beverages, sauces, and other various recipes that call for orange flavor.
It is even used in various vegetable dishes with carrots, sweet potatoes, peas, green beans and broccoli, fish, and chicken dishes.
However, if your recipe calls for this refreshing extract and you don’t have it in your pantry or can’t find it in the store there are some other alternatives you can use as a substitute for orange extract.
Great substitutes for orange extract include orange juice, orange zest, orange oil, orange marmalade, Grand Marnier, Meyer lemon, mandarin orange, clementine’s, tangerines, and bergamot orange.
Best Orange Extract Substitutes
One of the best substitutes for orange extract is orange juice. But depending on your recipe you can use some of these substitutes instead of orange extract.
1. Orange juice
Orange juice is a non-alcoholic substitute for orange extract and has a similar flavor to orange extract. You can buy 100% pure orange juice from the store or squeeze oranges and make it at home.
Have in mind that orange juice is less sweet and slightly sourer than orange extract so you can add some sugar to your taste to make it sweeter. You can use orange juice in many salad dressings, marinades, desserts, beverages, baked goods, and other sweet and savory recipes.
If your recipe calls for ¼ teaspoon of orange extract, you can use 2 tablespoons of orange juice instead. Also, reduce the amount of the liquid used in the recipe for the amount of orange juice added. Or use orange juice instead of the liquid ingredients in the recipe.
2. Orange zest
Orange zest is a flavorful and aromatic substitute for orange extract.
Even if it has a bitter and tangy flavor, orange zest will give a nice orange scent and flavor to your dish. Just grate the orange zest with a fine grater, (without the white pith, because it has a bitter flavor), and use it in your recipes.
Orange zest contains orange essential oil and will give a nice orange flavor to different desserts, marinades, beverages, salad dressings, sauces, and baked goods.
Substitute ½ teaspoon of the orange extract with 1 teaspoon orange zest.
3. Orange oil
Orange oil is extracted from the rind and has a more intense flavor than the orange extract.
It has a concentrated orange flavor and scent and using just a few drops will give a lovely orange flavor to recipes. You can use orange oil as a substitute for orange extract in salad dressings, marinades, sauces, and desserts.
Just make sure that you are using food-grade orange oil and don’t use too much because it has a stronger flavor than orange extract.
Use ½ teaspoon of orange oil as a substitute for 1 teaspoon of orange extract.
4. Orange marmalade
Orange marmalade is a good substitute for orange extract in sweet recipes because it has a sweet slightly bitter orange flavor. It is made of the rind and juice of oranges, mixed with water and sugar, and boiled until it gets a thick texture.
You can use orange marmalade in desserts, baked goods, meat glazes, salad dressings, sauces, and marinades. Substitute ½ teaspoon of the orange extract with 2-3 teaspoons of orange marmalade and add more if needed.
5. Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier is a liqueur with a sweet, slightly bitter orange flavor.
This cognac-based orange liqueur is used in different cocktails and mixed drinks but it is also added in many sweet and savory recipes.
You can use it to give a nice orange flavor with hints of vanilla, toffee, and oak to cakes, pastries, marinades, sauces, and glazes.
Use two tablespoons of Grand Marnier as a substitute for ½ teaspoon orange extract.
6. Meyer lemon
Meyer lemon is a cross between mandarin orange and lemon. It has a floral and sweeter flavor than the regular lemon and is used in many different recipes.
You can use the juice or the zest of the Meyer lemon as a substitute for orange extract in different baked goods, salad dressings, desserts, marinades, sauces, and other sweet and savory recipes. Use the juice or zest as a substitute for orange extract in the same ratio as you would use orange juice or zest.
7. Mandarin orange
Mandarin orange is a citrus fruit smaller and sweeter than regular oranges.
There are many different types of mandarin orange. But, some of the most known include clementine’s, tangerines, and satsuma.
They are hybrids of mandarin orange and some other citrus fruit and have a few common characteristics like a sweet orange flavor which makes them a good substitute for orange extract.
You can use the juice or the zest from the mandarin orange in your sweet and savory recipes as a substitute for orange extract.
8. Clementine’s
Clementine’s are a cross between sweet orange and mandarin orange with a sweet floral flavor.
They have a thin skin and are easy to peel and use as a snack or added to desserts, salads, baked goods, glazes, sauces, and poultry marinades.
Depending on your recipe you can use the whole fruit, zest, or juice from the clementines as a substitute for orange extract.
9. Tangerines
Tangerines are a cross between mandarin orange and pomelo.
They are bigger than clementines with bright color and slightly sour flavor. The juice, zest, or whole tangerines are used in many salads, beverages, desserts, baked goods, dressings, sauces, and marinades.
Tangerines can be also used as a substitute for orange extract both in sweet and savory recipes.
10. Bergamot orange
Bergamot orange is a citrus fruit with an acidic, bitter flavor not similar to the flavor of the orange extract. The zest and the juice from the bergamot orange works great in different sweet and savory recipes because of their distinctive flavor.
You can add the juice from the bergamot orange in different salad dressings, ceviche’s, sauces, dressings, cocktails, and seafood marinades. The zest, on the other hand, works well in cookies, cakes, pastries, biscuits, custards, and scones.
If you want to add a new flavor to your recipe you can use bergamot orange as a substitute for orange extract even if they don’t taste the same.
Use one teaspoon of bergamot orange zest or one tablespoon of bergamot orange juice as a substitute for ½ teaspoon of orange extract.
1 tsp Orange Extract Substitute
If a recipe calls for one teaspoon orange extract you can use ½ teaspoon of orange oil or 2 teaspoons of orange zest.
Substitute For Orange Extract In Baking
The best substitute for orange extract in baking is orange zest.
However, you can also use orange juice, orange marmalade, orange oil, the zest, or the juice from some other citrus fruits like tangerine’s, clementine’s, mandarin orange, bergamot orange, and Meyer lemon.
Related Questions
Can I use orange juice in place of the orange extract?
You can use orange juice in place of orange extract in desserts, marinades, baked goods, salad dressings, and many other sweet and savory recipes.
Don’t forget to lower the content of other liquids in your recipes for the amount of orange juice added. Or you can use orange juice instead of the liquid ingredients in the recipe.
How much orange juice do I substitute for orange extract?
You can use 2 tablespoons of orange juice as a substitute for ¼ teaspoon orange extract.
Can you substitute orange zest for orange extract?
You can substitute orange zest for orange extract in different desserts, marinades, beverages, salad dressings, sauces, baked goods, or any other recipes where you would use orange extract.
Can you substitute Grand Marnier for orange extract?
You can substitute Grand Marnier for orange extract in pastries, cakes, marinades, sauces, and glazes. Use two tablespoons of Grand Marnier as a substitute for ½ teaspoon orange extract.
Summary
Orange extract adds a beautiful flavor and scent to your recipes. You can use it in baked goods, desserts, sauces, marinades, beverages, and other sweet and savory recipes.
However, if you have run out of extract you can use some other ingredients as its substitute. You can use orange juice or orange zest, or try something new and use an orange liqueur like Grand Marnier.
Some of these substitutes will give a similar orange flavor to your recipes if you use them in the right quantities. Therefore, use these ingredients as a substitute for orange extract and improve the flavor of your recipes.
Or try to make an orange extract so you will always have it on hand when needed. What is your favorite orange extract substitute? In which recipes you are using orange extract? You can share your experience in the comment section below.
