Out of Brandy, one case

Brandy substitute for cooking

6 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 6 options

Use Cognac

Same amount as the brandy

For cooking, replace brandy with the same amount of cognac, which is a brandy itself, or with bourbon or whiskey in pan sauces and stews. Dark or gold rum suits desserts and glazes, and dry sherry or Madeira suits soups and gravy but will not flame. For no alcohol, use the same amount of stock in savory dishes and apple or white grape juice in sweet ones.

Verdict —: Works
Best for —: steak Diane and peppercorn sauce

One casethe full brandy card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Brandy substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of brandy	Verdict
1	Cognacsteak Diane and peppercorn sauce	Same amountWorks	Works
2	Bourbon or whiskeypeppercorn and mushroom pan sauces	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
3	Dark or gold rumflambéed fruit and crêpes	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
4	Dry sherry or Madeirabisques and cream soups	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
5	Chicken or beef stockdeglazing a pan	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
6	Apple or white grape juicedessert sauces and fruit compotes	Same amountYou'll taste it	You'll taste it

What changesWhat changes, option by option6 options

Cognac

the same in a cooked dish, often smoother

Cognac is brandy from the Cognac region of France, so the swap changes nothing in the pan. Armagnac and any other plain grape brandy count the same way.

Best for: steak Diane and peppercorn sauce, flambéed dishes, pâté, stews and gravy
Where it fails: A recipe that names a fruit brandy such as Calvados or kirsch, where the apple or cherry is the point.

It usually costs more than brandy, so it makes sense only when it is the bottle you already have.

Bourbon or whiskey

sweeter and oakier, with vanilla where the brandy had fruit

Barrel-aged and about the same strength as brandy, so it deglazes and flames the same way. The grape fruitiness is replaced by vanilla, caramel and grain.

Best for: peppercorn and mushroom pan sauces, beef stews and braises, glazes for pork and ham, flambéed dishes
Where it fails: Peated Scotch tastes of smoke and takes over a sauce.

Bourbon is the closest because it is the sweetest. Irish whiskey and unpeated blends also work.

Dark or gold rum

sweeter, with molasses and spice

The same strength as brandy, so it flames and deglazes like it, with a molasses sweetness in place of the grape.

Best for: flambéed fruit and crêpes, dessert sauces and hard sauce, glazes for ham, soaking dried fruit
Where it fails: Savory cream and peppercorn sauces, where the molasses reads as sweet. Spiced and coconut rums add flavors the dish did not ask for.

Dry sherry or Madeira

nuttier and more like wine, less sharp

Fortified wines at roughly 15 to 20% alcohol, with a nutty, savory depth that suits soups and gravies. Dry Marsala behaves the same way.

Best for: bisques and cream soups, French onion soup, gravy and stuffing, mushroom sauces
Prep: Let it boil down by about half before the cream or stock goes in.
Where it fails: It will not flambé: there is too little alcohol to hold a flame. Avoid cooking sherry, which is salted, and cream sherry, which is sweet.

Chicken or beef stock

savory and flat where the brandy was aromatic

The alcohol-free choice for savory dishes. It keeps the liquid in the recipe right and lifts the browned bits from the pan, and brings none of the brandy's aroma.

Best for: deglazing a pan, stews and braises, gravy
Prep: Finish the sauce with a few drops of wine vinegar or lemon juice to stand in for the sharpness.
Suits: alcohol-free
Where it fails: Flambéed dishes and brandy cream sauces: there is nothing to flame and nothing to taste.

Use unsalted or low-sodium stock, because it concentrates as the sauce reduces.

Apple or white grape juice

sweeter and fruitier, with no warmth

The usual alcohol-free stand-in for brandy in sweet cooking: fruit and sweetness without the warmth.

Best for: dessert sauces and fruit compotes, glazes for ham and pork, soaking dried fruit
Prep: Choose unsweetened juice and hold back a little of the recipe's sugar.
Suits: alcohol-free
Where it fails: A savory pan sauce turns sweet with a straight juice swap; use stock there. It will not flame.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeBrandy

In cooking, brandy is used by the spoonful for three jobs: deglazing a hot pan, flaming a sauce or a dessert, and adding a warm, fruity, barrel-aged note to stews, gravies and pâtés. Any spirit of about 40% alcohol can do the first two. The flavor is the part a substitute changes, and it matters most where little else is in the pan.

Tips for substituting brandy

5 tips

Steak Diane and peppercorn sauce: cognac or bourbon, same amount, added off the heat and boiled for a minute before the cream goes in.
Cream sauces for chicken or pork: Calvados, the apple brandy, is a direct swap in the same amount and suits both meats.
Gravy, stuffing and bisque: dry sherry or Madeira, same amount, boiled down before the stock goes in.
Flambéed desserts such as cherries jubilee and crêpes Suzette: rum or cognac, same amount. Juice and wine will not light.
Brandy butter and hard sauce are not cooked, so all of the alcohol stays in them. For an alcohol-free version, flavor the butter with vanilla or orange juice to taste.

Questions

5 questions

Can I use a fruit brandy such as Calvados or kirsch in place of brandy?

Calvados, the apple brandy, works in the same amount and is at home with pork, chicken and cream. Kirsch is a clear, dry cherry spirit that suits fondue and fruit desserts more than a pan sauce. Bottles labeled apricot, blackberry or cherry flavored brandy are sweetened liqueurs: fine in a dessert, too sweet for a savory sauce.

What can I use instead of brandy with no alcohol?

In a savory dish, the same amount of chicken or beef stock, with a few drops of vinegar or lemon juice at the end. In a dessert, a glaze or a fruit soak, the same amount of apple or white grape juice. Neither tastes of brandy and neither will flame; they keep the liquid in the recipe right.

Can I flambé without brandy?

Yes, with another spirit of about 40% alcohol (80 proof): cognac, rum, bourbon or whiskey. Sherry, wine, stock and juice will not light, so with those skip the flame and simmer for a minute or two. Add the spirit off the heat from a measuring cup, never from the bottle.

Does the alcohol in brandy cook off?

Not all of it. USDA nutrient retention figures put the alcohol remaining at about 75% after flaming, about 40% after 15 minutes of simmering and about 5% after two and a half hours. If the dish has to be alcohol-free, use stock or juice from the start.

Can I skip a small amount of brandy in a recipe?

Yes. A tablespoon or two in a stew, soup or gravy can be replaced with the same amount of stock or water, and the dish loses a little depth. Where brandy is the named flavor, as in a brandy cream sauce or a flambéed dessert, use cognac, rum or bourbon.