Mastic (mastiha) substitutes
Mastic (mastiha) substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Mahleb (mahlepi, ground cherry kernel)
About 1½ times the amount of mastic called for
There is no true substitute for mastic, so decide which of its two jobs you need. For the aroma in tsoureki or a cookie, mahleb (mahlepi) at about one and a half times the amount is the most convincing stand-in, or use a quarter teaspoon of ground cardamom plus a little lemon zest. For the stretchy chew in Greek or Turkish ice cream, a pinch of gum tragacanth or xanthan gum reproduces the texture but none of the smell. Leaving mastic out entirely is a respectable choice.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- What changes —
- different taste, similar texture
- Best for —
- tsoureki
Updated 19 Aug 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of mastic (mastiha) | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mahleb (mahlepi, ground cherry kernel)tsoureki | About 1½ times the amount of mastic called forTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Ground cardamom with a little lemon zestsweet breads | ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom plus ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest per ¼ teaspoon ground masticTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Gum tragacanth or xanthan gum (texture only)kaimaki ice cream | 1/8 teaspoon per quart of ice cream base, or ¼ teaspoon gum tragacanth per quartTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Mastiha liqueur (Chios mastic liqueur)ice cream | ½ to 1 teaspoon liqueur per ¼ teaspoon ground masticTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Juniper berries, very lightly crushedsavoury breads | 1 crushed berry per ¼ teaspoon ground mastic, and no moreTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Leave it outtsoureki | Omit entirelyTweak it | Tweak it |
Mahleb (mahlepi, ground cherry kernel)
different taste, similar texture
The ground kernel of a small wild cherry, the other classic aromatic in Greek and Middle Eastern sweet breads and usually used alongside mastic.
- Best for
- tsoureki, sweet breads, cookies, kourabiedes, semolina puddings
This is the best available answer for baking, largely because it is the flavour people already associate with the same recipes. It smells of bitter almond and marzipan with a faint cherry edge, so the loaf still tastes festive and distinctly Greek, just warm and nutty instead of cool and resinous. Most tsoureki recipes call for both, so if yours does, simply use the mahleb and skip the mastic.
Ground cardamom with a little lemon zest
different taste, similar texture
A pantry blend that supplies the bright, slightly camphorous aroma and cool lift that mastic gives a dough or a custard.
- Best for
- sweet breads, milk puddings, ice cream, loukoumi, rice pudding
Nobody will mistake it for mastic. Cardamom is spicier and more floral and the lemon zest supplies the cool top note, so the result reads as fragrant and aromatic rather than piney. It does keep the dish from tasting plain, which is the real risk when you drop mastic and add nothing.
Gum tragacanth or xanthan gum (texture only)
different taste, similar texture
Neutral thickening gums that reproduce the elastic, slightly chewy pull mastic gives Greek and Turkish ice cream.
- Best for
- kaimaki ice cream, stretchy Turkish-style ice cream, milk puddings
These add body and stretch and absolutely no flavour, so use them together with an aroma from one of the options above. Start small and whisk into the cold base before churning. Too much gum and the ice cream goes from pleasantly chewy to gluey, and there is no way to fix it once frozen.
Mastiha liqueur (Chios mastic liqueur)
similar taste, different texture
A sweet Greek liqueur flavoured with the same resin, which many people already own even when they cannot buy the tears.
- Best for
- ice cream, syrups, custards, loukoumi, cakes, cocktails
The only option here that actually tastes of mastic. It brings sugar and alcohol along with it, so reduce other liquid slightly and add it off the heat so the aroma is not driven off. It cannot give the chew, and it is too wet to work in a stiff bread dough without adjusting the flour.
Juniper berries, very lightly crushed
different taste, similar texture
The closest common pantry item to mastic's resinous pine character.
- Best for
- savoury breads, meat rubs, brines, savoury baking
Only for savoury cooking, and only in a trace amount. Juniper is sharper, more gin-like and much more penetrating than mastic, and it turns medicinal in dairy. Do not put it in ice cream or a sweet bread.
Leave it out
different taste, similar texture
The honest answer for most recipes where mastic is one of several aromatics.
- Best for
- tsoureki, cookies, cakes, puddings, breads
Mastic is usually a quarter to a half teaspoon in a whole batch. Losing it makes the dish plainer and slightly less mysterious, and in a tsoureki it takes away the cool resinous note in the background, but the bread still rises, tastes good and is recognisably itself. This is far better than doubling up on almond extract and ending up with something that tastes like marzipan.
Questions
5 questionsWhat does mastic taste like?
Resinous and cool, somewhere between pine, cedar and frankincense, with a slightly bitter finish and a faint sweetness. It is more of an aroma than a flavour, and it lingers at the back of the palate for a long time.
Can I just leave mastic out of tsoureki?
Yes. The bread will rise and taste good, and if your recipe also uses mahleb, most people will not notice anything missing. You lose the cool resinous note that makes tsoureki smell different from any other sweet bread, so if you can get mahleb, use a little extra of it.
Is gum arabic the same as mastic gum?
No. Gum arabic is a neutral, water-soluble acacia gum used as a thickener and glaze, with essentially no flavour. Mastic is a strongly aromatic resin. Gum arabic can stand in for the body mastic gives a confection, but it will not smell of anything.
How much mastic replaces a teaspoon of some other flavouring?
It does not work in that direction. Mastic is used in quarter-teaspoon quantities and cannot be scaled up like vanilla or almond extract. If a recipe gives you a whole teaspoon or more of ground mastic for a small batch, treat it with suspicion and start with a quarter of that.
Where do I buy mastic if my supermarket does not carry it?
Greek, Turkish, Lebanese and Armenian grocers almost always have it, sold as mastiha, mastic tears or misk, and it keeps for years. A single small jar will outlast dozens of batches of baking, which makes it worth ordering rather than substituting if you bake these recipes regularly.
Tips for substituting mastic (mastiha)
6 tips- Mastic is doing two jobs at once, which is why no single swap works: it supplies an aroma of pine, cedar and incense with a cool slightly bitter edge, and when it is beaten into a dairy base it adds a faint elastic chew. Work out which one your recipe actually needs before choosing a substitute.
- Never try to grind mastic tears on their own. The resin softens with friction and gums up the grinder. Freeze the tears first, then pound them in a mortar with a teaspoon of the recipe's sugar, which keeps the powder loose.
- Use less than you think. A quarter teaspoon of ground mastic is enough for a large batch of tsoureki or a quart of ice cream. Overdosing it is the single most common mistake and turns the whole dish bitter and vaguely medicinal in a way you cannot cook out.
- Store the tears in a sealed jar in a cool dark cupboard, and grind only what you need. Ground mastic loses its aroma within days.
- For moustalevria, loukoumi and Greek ice cream, mastic is the defining flavour rather than a background note. If you cannot get it and the dish is named for it, consider making something else rather than making a substituted version and being disappointed.
- Mastic tears are also sold in Middle Eastern and Turkish shops as arabic gum mastic or misk, and in Greek shops as mastiha. Any of those labels is the same product.