Licorice Extract substitute

Best substitute

Anise extract

Use ½ to ¾ tsp anise extract for every 1 tsp licorice extract

Best for licorice candy

Different taste

Use anise extract at about 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon per teaspoon of licorice extract, plus a teaspoon of dark molasses to replace the earthy sweetness anise lacks. Ground licorice root bloomed in hot water is the closest true match, and two whole star anise simmered in the recipe's liquid works well for syrups and custards.

Other licorice extract substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Ground licorice root or licorice powder
Different texture
Use 1 to 1 ½ tsp powder, bloomed in 2 tbsp hot water for every 1 tsp licorice extract
The same plant in a different form, sold in health food shops and herbal suppliers.
What changes
Best for
syrups, custards and ice cream bases, poaching liquids, licorice candy
Flavour-wise this is the closest thing there is, because it is literally the source of the extract. Two practical differences. It does not dissolve in cold liquid, so steep it in a couple of tablespoons of very hot water for ten minutes first. And it is fibrous, so anything you want smooth needs straining through a fine sieve or a coffee filter, and a custard made without straining ends up faintly gritty and slightly cloudy.
3Star anise, steeped
Different taste
Use 2 whole star anise simmered 10 minutes in the recipe's liquid, then removed for every 1 tsp licorice extract
A whole spice that gives a fuller, warmer version of the anise note.
What changes
Best for
syrups and glazes, poached fruit, custards and panna cotta, braises and mulled drinks
Rounder and warmer than anise extract, with a faint clove and cinnamon warmth behind the licorice character, and it fills out the middle of the flavour in a way extract cannot. It only works where there is liquid to steep in, so it is no help in a cookie dough. Take the pods out after ten minutes: left in, star anise turns bitter and starts tasting like a savoury braise.
4Fennel seed, toasted and ground
Taste and texture differ
Use 1 tsp freshly ground toasted fennel seed for every 1 tsp licorice extract
The pantry option, in the same aromatic family but softer and greener.
What changes
Best for
cookies and shortbread, sweet breads, spice blends, poached fruit
Fennel sits in the same anethole family as anise and licorice, so it reads as related, but it is sweeter, greener and grassier and carries a savoury association from sausage and Italian bread. In a shortbread or a sweet bread it is genuinely lovely. In something meant to taste like licorice candy it is clearly the wrong thing, and no amount of it will get you there.
5Anise liqueur such as sambuca, ouzo or Pernod
Taste and texture differ
Use 1 tbsp liqueur for every 1 tsp licorice extract
A liquid stand-in that also brings sugar and alcohol.
What changes
Best for
syrups, cake soaks, ganache and ice cream, adult desserts
Sambuca is the closest of the three because it is sweet and includes actual licorice-adjacent botanicals, while ouzo is drier and Pernod is more aggressively anise. The alcohol mostly cooks off in a baked good but does not in an uncooked frosting or mousse, where you will taste it clearly. Because a tablespoon is a meaningful amount of liquid, reduce another liquid in the recipe by the same amount.
6No good substitute, for salmiakki
Different taste
Anise extract plus licorice powder gets the licorice part only
The honest answer for salty licorice.
What changes
Best for
salmiakki, salty licorice candy, Nordic licorice ice cream
Salmiakki does not taste the way it does because of licorice. It tastes that way because of ammonium chloride, sal ammoniac, which delivers a sharp saline sting that nothing else in a kitchen reproduces. You can build the licorice half of the flavour with anise extract and licorice powder, and without sal ammoniac what you make is a dark licorice sweet, not salmiakki. Sal ammoniac is sold by Nordic and specialist candy suppliers, and it is worth ordering if that flavour is the point.

What is Licorice Extract?

Licorice Extract is Licorice extract, spelled liquorice extract in the UK and sold as a liquid flavouring, a firm black block or ground licorice root, is a concentrated extract of the licorice plant that adds a sweet, earthy, faintly medicinal flavour to candy and baking.

Cooking tips

Licorice extract is intensely sweet as well as aromatic, because the compound that gives licorice root its flavour is many times sweeter than sugar. If you swap in anise extract, the recipe will taste noticeably less sweet than intended, so add a teaspoon or two of sugar, molasses or black treacle to compensate.
Extract strengths are wildly inconsistent between brands. Some bottles are a mild water extract of the root, others are a concentrated oil-based flavouring many times stronger. Start with half what the recipe says, taste the batter or syrup, and build up.
Licorice powder will not dissolve in anything cold. Bloom it in hot water or hot cream for ten minutes and strain, then add the strained liquid to your recipe.
Salt makes licorice read stronger without adding more flavouring. A pinch of flaky salt on a licorice brownie or a licorice caramel sharpens the whole thing, which is exactly the principle salty Nordic licorice is built on.
Licorice root eaten in large or daily quantities is known to affect blood pressure and potassium levels, which is worth knowing if you are making a big batch to eat regularly or if you take blood pressure medication. Ask a pharmacist or doctor rather than guessing.

Frequently asked questions

Is anise the same as licorice?

No, they are unrelated plants that happen to share the compound anethole, which is where the smell comes from. Anise is a seed and gives a bright, sharp aroma. Licorice is a root and gives a sweeter, earthier, slightly tannic flavour. Confusingly, most black licorice candy sold in Europe is flavoured with anise, which is why anise extract is such a convincing substitute.

Can I melt down licorice candy instead?

Yes, and it works better than you would expect for flavouring ice cream, ganache or a syrup. Chop soft licorice finely and melt it into hot cream or milk, stirring until it dissolves, then use that infused liquid in the recipe. It brings sugar and often gelatin or starch with it, so the mixture will be sweeter and slightly thicker, and hard licorice will not melt cleanly.

Can I just leave it out?

If licorice is a background note in a spice cake or a braise, yes, and nobody will notice much. If the recipe is named after licorice, no, because you will have made a plain dark cake or candy. In that case use anise extract with molasses rather than nothing, because the shape of the flavour matters more than getting it exactly right.

Where do I buy licorice extract?

Herbal and health food shops carry licorice root and licorice powder, Scandinavian and Dutch food importers sell the extract and the black blocks, and candy-making suppliers sell concentrated licorice flavouring. Check whether you are buying a mild root extract or a concentrated flavouring, because the dosing differs by a factor of several.

What about star anise instead of anise extract?

Only where you have liquid to infuse. Two pods simmered for ten minutes in milk, cream or syrup gives a warmer and slightly spicier licorice character that is excellent in custards and poached fruit. It cannot be stirred into a dry cookie dough, and grinding star anise into a batter tends to taste harsh and dusty.

Related substitutes

More flavorings substitutes

Licorice Extract substitute

Other licorice extract substitutes

2Ground licorice root or licorice powder

3Star anise, steeped

4Fennel seed, toasted and ground

5Anise liqueur such as sambuca, ouzo or Pernod

6No good substitute, for salmiakki