Anise extract substitutes
Anise extract substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Also called anise flavoring, anise essence, anise oil, aniseed extract, oil of anise, anise flavouring
Use Anise seed, crushed and steeped
1 to 2 tsp crushed anise seed for every 1 tsp anise extract
Anise extract contributes aroma only, that sweet liquorice note, and nothing structural, so a pizzelle or biscotti recipe will bake identically without it and simply taste plain. The best swaps are anise seed, crushed or ground, at 1 to 2 teaspoons per teaspoon of extract steeped in the recipe's warm butter; anise-flavoured liqueur such as sambuca, anisette, ouzo or pastis at 1 tablespoon per teaspoon with the liquid reduced to match; or ground fennel seed at 1 tablespoon per teaspoon, which is milder and slightly greener but genuinely close. If you have anise oil instead of extract, use a quarter as much, because oil runs roughly four times stronger and overshooting it is unpleasant and irreversible.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Crush the seed in a mortar or grind it fine, then warm it in the recipe's melted butter, milk or oil for 5 to 10 minutes and either strain it or leave it in if visible specks are acceptable.
- Best for —
- pizzelle
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked · per 1 tsp anise extract| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 tsp anise extract | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anise seed, crushed and steepedpizzelle | 1 to 2 tsp crushed anise seedTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Sambuca, anisette, ouzo, pastis or absinthepizzelle and waffle cookies | 1 tbsp per 1 tsp extract, minus 1 tbsp of the recipe's liquidWorks | Works |
| 3 | Ground fennel seedbiscotti and cookies | 1 tbspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Star anise, groundsyrups and poached fruit | 1 tspTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Anise oil, at a quarter the amounthard candy and lozenges | ¼ tsp anise oil per 1 tsp extract, and start with half of thatWorks | Works |
| 6 | Nothing at all, plus a little extra vanillabiscotti | Omit, and add 1 tsp vanilla extract in its placeTweak it | Tweak it |
Anise seed, crushed and steeped
similar taste, different texture
The whole spice the extract is made from, so the flavour is exactly right, just released more slowly and less completely.
- Best for
- pizzelle, biscotti and anise cookies, springerle and pfeffernusse, sweet breads, sausage and savoury dishes
- Prep
- Crush the seed in a mortar or grind it fine, then warm it in the recipe's melted butter, milk or oil for 5 to 10 minutes and either strain it or leave it in if visible specks are acceptable.
Steeping in fat is what makes this work, because the aroma compounds are oil-soluble and dry seed stirred into flour releases very little. Whole uncrushed seed gives you occasional bursts of liquorice rather than an even flavour, which some people prefer in a biscotto. Left in, the seed adds a faint pleasant crunch and visible dark flecks. Ground very fine and used at 2 teaspoons, it comes close to extract strength.
Sambuca, anisette, ouzo, pastis or absinthe
similar taste and texture
Anise-flavoured spirits, which are essentially anise extract at drinking strength, so the aroma is spot on and the only issues are liquid, sugar and alcohol.
- Best for
- pizzelle and waffle cookies, biscotti, cake soaks and glazes, Italian Christmas cookies, fruit compotes and fish dishes
The easiest swap to get right if you have a bottle. Remove the tablespoon of liquid you add. Sambuca and anisette are sweet, so cut the recipe's sugar by a teaspoon or two; ouzo, pastis and absinthe are not sweet and need no sugar adjustment. Absinthe carries wormwood bitterness alongside the anise and is the least neutral of the group. Alcohol mostly bakes off in a cookie but stays in an unbaked icing.
Ground fennel seed
similar taste, different texture
A different plant with much of the same aroma chemistry, and the most likely of these options to already be in your cupboard.
- Best for
- biscotti and cookies, sweet breads, sausage and pork dishes, roasted vegetables, syrups
- Prep
- Toast the seed lightly, grind it fine, and bloom it in the recipe's warm butter or oil.
Fennel is genuinely close but not identical: it is milder, sweeter and greener, with a faint grassy edge, so an anise cookie made with fennel reads as pleasantly spiced rather than emphatically liquorice. Use three times as much as you would anise seed to compensate for the lower intensity. Toasting brings the flavour forward. Ground fennel will speckle a pale dough, and if you grind it coarsely it will feel gritty.
Star anise, ground
similar taste, different texture
An unrelated plant that happens to contain the same dominant aroma compound as anise seed, and is much easier to buy in most supermarkets.
- Best for
- syrups and poached fruit, cookies and cakes, braises and Asian dishes, mulled drinks
- Prep
- Break the stars up, grind them in a spice grinder, and sift the powder to remove the woody bits, or steep whole stars in the recipe's warm liquid and remove them.
Stronger, warmer and more medicinal than anise seed, with a resinous woody note behind the liquorice, so it is excellent in a syrup or braise and slightly heavy-handed in a delicate cookie. Start at ¾ teaspoon and taste if you can. Star anise is tough and fibrous, so grinding it produces splinters unless you sift, and unsifted powder is unpleasant to bite into.
Anise oil, at a quarter the amount
similar taste and texture
The concentrated oil-based version rather than a substitute in the usual sense. Included because the two bottles look alike and people constantly buy one and use it as the other.
- Best for
- hard candy and lozenges, pizzelle, cookies, chocolate work
- Prep
- Add it with a toothpick dipped into the bottle rather than from a spoon, stir it fully through, then taste before adding more.
Anise oil is roughly four times stronger than extract and the difference between correct and medicinal is a matter of drops. Only use a bottle sold for food or candy flavouring, never one intended for aromatherapy or topical use. Oil is actually superior in hard candy, where extract added to a hot syrup would spit and largely evaporate, and in chocolate, where extract's water content can cause seizing.
Nothing at all, plus a little extra vanilla
different taste, similar texture
Straightforwardly fine, since extract adds no sugar, fat, liquid or structure to any recipe.
- Best for
- biscotti, pizzelle, cookies, sweet breads
The cookies will bake, spread and crisp exactly as written; they simply will not taste of anise. That is a genuine loss in traditional recipes where anise is the point, such as pizzelle or springerle, and a small one in a biscotto that also contains almonds, citrus zest and vanilla. Lemon or orange zest in its place gives the dough something bright to lean on and makes the absence feel deliberate rather than accidental.
Questions
5 questionsWhat is the best substitute for anise extract?
Crushed anise seed, 1 to 2 teaspoons per teaspoon of extract, warmed for a few minutes in the recipe's melted butter or milk so the oil-soluble flavour is released. If you have a bottle of sambuca, anisette or ouzo, 1 tablespoon per teaspoon is even easier, provided you remove a tablespoon of the recipe's liquid to compensate.
How much anise oil equals a teaspoon of anise extract?
About ¼ teaspoon, and it is safer to begin with 1/8 teaspoon and taste. Anise oil is roughly four times the strength of extract, and brands vary, so add it with a toothpick dipped into the bottle rather than measuring by spoon. Overshooting anise gives a distinctly medicinal cough-drop flavour that cannot be fixed once it is in the dough.
Can I use fennel seed instead of anise extract?
Yes, and it is a better substitute than most people expect, since fennel and anise share the same main aroma compound. Use about 1 tablespoon of lightly toasted, finely ground fennel seed per teaspoon of extract, bloomed in the recipe's warm butter. The result is milder, sweeter and a little greener, so an anise cookie made this way tastes gently spiced rather than boldly liquorice.
Can I just leave the anise extract out?
Yes. It adds only aroma, so the cookies will spread, crisp and keep exactly as written and simply will not taste of anise. Replace it with the same amount of vanilla, or better, with a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest, so the dough still has something to carry it. In pizzelle or springerle, where anise is the traditional identity of the cookie, the absence will be obvious to anyone who knows the recipe.
Is star anise the same as anise extract?
They are different plants but taste remarkably similar, because both are dominated by anethole. Star anise is stronger, warmer and more resinous, so use about 1 teaspoon of ground star anise per teaspoon of extract, and sift the powder to remove woody splinters. It is superb in syrups, poached fruit and braises, and slightly heavy in a delicate cookie where anise seed would be more elegant.
Tips for substituting anise extract
5 tips- Anise extract and anise oil are not interchangeable, and this is the most expensive mistake in Christmas baking. Oil is about four times stronger, so a recipe wanting 1 teaspoon of extract needs roughly ¼ teaspoon of oil. Measure oil from a dipped toothpick, because an overdose tastes medicinal and cannot be corrected.
- Anise flavour is oil-soluble, so put whichever form you use into the fat rather than the flour. Warming crushed seed in the recipe's melted butter for a few minutes extracts several times more flavour than stirring the same seed into dry ingredients.
- Anise seed, star anise and fennel seed all share the same dominant aroma compound but are three different plants with three different intensities. Roughly: 1 teaspoon of extract equals 1 to 2 teaspoons of crushed anise seed, 1 teaspoon of ground star anise, or 1 tablespoon of ground fennel seed.
- Grind star anise and then sift it. The stars are woody and fibrous, and unsifted powder leaves splinters that are genuinely unpleasant in a cookie. If you would rather not grind at all, steep two whole stars in the recipe's warm butter or milk and lift them out.
- Anise flavour intensifies as baked goods rest. Pizzelle, biscotti, springerle and pfeffernusse all taste noticeably more strongly of anise on day two, so season for the day you plan to serve them and resist adding more on the day you bake.