Nocino substitutes
Nocino substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Frangelico plus Angostura bitters
1 oz Frangelico plus 2 dashes bitters replaces 1 oz nocino
The closest swap for nocino is equal parts Frangelico and Averna, which gives you both the walnut note and the bitterness. If you only have one bottle, use Averna or another dark amaro 1:1 for the bittersweet job, or Frangelico 1:1 with 2 dashes of Angostura bitters per ounce to sharpen its sweetness. For baking, 1 tablespoon brandy plus 1 teaspoon simple syrup and 2 drops of black walnut extract stands in for 1 tablespoon nocino.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- What changes —
- different taste, similar texture
- Best for —
- cocktails
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of nocino | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Frangelico plus Angostura bitterscocktails | 1 oz Frangelico plus 2 dashes bitters replaces 1 oz nocinoTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Averna or another dark amarococktails | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Equal parts Averna and Frangelicococktails | Same amountFor the combined mixtureWorks | Works |
| 4 | Brandy, simple syrup and black walnut extractcakes | 1 tbsp brandy plus 1 tsp simple syrup plus 2 drops black walnut extract replaces 1 tbsp nocinoTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Amaretto plus a dash of bittersbaking | ¾ the amount of amaretto, plus 2 dashes Angostura per ounceTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Strong cold coffee with maple syrup and a pinch of clove (non-alcoholic)desserts | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
Frangelico plus Angostura bitters
different taste, similar texture
Frangelico is a hazelnut liqueur, so it covers the nut-and-sugar half of nocino's job but has none of the green-walnut tannin. The bitters put a dry, spiced edge back on it.
- Best for
- cocktails, coffee drinks, drizzling over gelato, chocolate desserts
Expect a sweeter, toastier, rounder result. Nocino tastes green and slightly bitter at the finish; Frangelico finishes like praline. If the drink also has sweet vermouth or syrup in it, cut that back by a quarter.
Averna or another dark amaro
different taste, similar texture
Averna, Ramazzotti and similar dark amari share nocino's job exactly: bittersweet, syrupy, dark, meant to balance sugar rather than add it.
- Best for
- cocktails, digestivo pours, coffee, chocolate and caramel desserts
You lose the walnut and gain caramel, cola and root. In a stirred cocktail this is barely a downgrade. If you have any walnut or hazelnut liqueur at all, add half a teaspoon per 2 oz of amaro and it lands very close.
Equal parts Averna and Frangelico
similar taste and texture
The amaro supplies the bitterness and dark colour, the hazelnut liqueur supplies the nut. Together they are the best approximation you can build from bottles most people already own.
- Best for
- cocktails, tiramisu and coffee desserts, sipping, ice cream sauces
Mix a small amount first and taste. If it reads too sweet, tip the ratio toward the amaro; nocino is bitterer than most people remember.
Brandy, simple syrup and black walnut extract
similar taste, different texture
A rebuild from parts: spirit for the alcohol, syrup for the sweetness and body, extract for the walnut aroma.
- Best for
- cakes, brownies, custards, poaching syrups, brushing over sponge
Black walnut extract is strong and can taste soapy if you overdo it, so start with 2 drops per tablespoon and taste before adding more. This mixture is thinner than nocino, which matters if you were planning to pour it over ice cream.
Amaretto plus a dash of bitters
different taste, similar texture
Amaretto brings almond rather than walnut and is much sweeter, so use less of it and add bitterness back.
- Best for
- baking, coffee drinks, whipped cream, fruit desserts
The clearest change is sweetness: amaretto is candied marzipan where nocino is bitter and spiced. Reduce the recipe's sugar by about a tablespoon per quarter cup used.
Strong cold coffee with maple syrup and a pinch of clove (non-alcoholic)
different taste, similar texture
Coffee gives the dark colour and the bitter backbone, maple syrup gives the sweetness and viscosity, and a pinch of ground clove or cinnamon covers the spice.
- Best for
- desserts, sauces, alcohol-free cooking, drizzling
Use 2 parts strong cold coffee to 1 part maple syrup and the smallest pinch of clove. It is honestly not nocino, but in a chocolate or coffee dessert nobody will be looking for the missing bottle. It will not add the alcoholic warmth, so it is a poor choice for a sipping drink.
Questions
5 questionsCan I just leave nocino out?
In a mixed drink, no, because it is usually one of only three or four ingredients and it is carrying the bitterness. In baking, yes, more often than not. If nocino appears as a tablespoon or two brushed over a cake or stirred into a filling, leaving it out gives you a slightly sweeter, less complex dessert but nothing breaks. Adding a quarter teaspoon of instant espresso powder recovers some of the lost bitterness.
Is nocino the same as walnut liqueur?
Broadly yes. Nocino is the Italian version, traditionally from Emilia-Romagna and made with green walnuts, sugar and spices such as clove and cinnamon. Bottles labelled walnut liqueur or green walnut liqueur, and the French vin de noix, are close relatives and can be used interchangeably at a 1:1 ratio. Some walnut liqueurs are sweeter and less bitter than nocino, so taste before you commit to the full amount.
What is the difference between nocino and Frangelico?
Frangelico is hazelnut, sweet, and smooth with vanilla and toasted-praline notes. Nocino is walnut, much darker, noticeably bitter, and spiced. They both read as nut liqueur, which is why Frangelico is the usual substitute, but if you swap one for the other straight across the result will be sweeter and rounder. Two dashes of bitters per ounce of Frangelico closes most of the gap.
Can I use nocino instead of amaro in a cocktail?
Yes, and it is one of the better swaps in either direction. Nocino sits in the same bittersweet, syrupy, dark space as Averna or Ramazzotti, so a Black Manhattan or a boulevardier variation made with nocino works well. Nocino is nuttier and usually a touch sweeter, so start with slightly less than the recipe asks for and adjust.
Does nocino go bad once opened?
Not really. It is high in both sugar and alcohol, which makes it very stable, so an open bottle keeps for years in a cool cupboard. The aroma slowly softens over time, which is not a problem for cooking. There is no need to rush through a bottle you bought for one recipe.
Tips for substituting nocino
5 tips- Be honest about the ceiling here: no supermarket bottle tastes like nocino, because nothing else is made from unripe green walnuts and nothing else has that tannic, slightly astringent finish. Averna plus Frangelico gets you about eighty per cent of the way, and that is genuinely fine in a mixed drink or a dessert.
- Nocino is bitter, so its job in a dessert is usually to cut sweetness rather than add it. If you swap in something sweeter, such as Frangelico or amaretto, pull a tablespoon of sugar out of the recipe per quarter cup you use.
- A little goes a long way. Two teaspoons is enough to perfume a whole tiramisu or a bowl of whipped cream; a full quarter cup can push a dessert into tasting medicinal.
- The classic uses are the ones to imitate when you are testing a substitute: a splash over vanilla gelato, a spoonful in espresso, or a stirred whiskey drink where it plays the role sweet vermouth normally plays.
- Making nocino yourself is a real thing but not a same-day fix. It needs unripe green walnuts picked in early summer and then two to six months of resting, so it solves next year's problem, not tonight's.