Pink Peppercorns substitute

Best substitute

Coriander seed, lightly crushed

Use the same amount as the pink peppercorns you are replacing

Best for fish

Close match

Pink peppercorns are a finishing garnish doing an aroma and colour job, not a heat job, so lightly crushed coriander seed at 1:1 is the closest flavour match and Aleppo pepper flakes at 1:1 are the closest look. If you want to fake them with pantry staples, mix half a teaspoon of coarsely cracked black pepper with a quarter teaspoon of grated lemon zest per teaspoon of pink peppercorns. In most recipes you can simply leave them out.

Other pink peppercorns substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Aleppo pepper flakes
Different taste
Use the same amount
Coarse, deep-red mild chilli flakes from the eastern Mediterranean.
What changes
Best for
garnish, roasted vegetables, goat cheese, finishing
Use this when the visual matters most. The reddish-pink coarse flakes scatter across a plate almost exactly the way pink peppercorns do, and the mild fruity warmth is in the right neighbourhood. It is warmer and more chilli-like and does add real, if gentle, heat, and it has none of the piney perfume.
3Juniper berries, crushed
Taste and texture differ
Use ½ tsp for every 1 tsp pink peppercorns
Dark blue-purple berries with a strong resinous, gin-like aroma.
What changes
Best for
pate and terrines, game, pork, cured fish
These share the piney, resinous note that makes pink pepper distinctive, but at several times the intensity, so use half as much or the dish will taste like a gin and tonic. Best in rich savoury contexts such as duck, venison or a country terrine rather than as a delicate garnish.
4Black pepper plus citrus zest
Taste and texture differ
Use ½ tsp cracked black pepper plus ¼ tsp finely grated lemon or orange zest for every 1 tsp pink peppercorns
A two-ingredient pantry approximation of the fruity-perfumed effect.
What changes
Best for
fish, cream sauces, chicken, vinaigrettes
The zest supplies the bright fruit and the pepper supplies visible specks. The result is noticeably hotter and sharper than pink peppercorns and reads as lemon pepper rather than baies roses, but in a sauce it works well. Add the zest off the heat so it keeps its perfume.
5Green peppercorns, drained and patted dry
Different taste
Use the same amount
Unripe brined peppercorns of a similar size and softness.
What changes
Best for
cream sauces, steak, pate
A very good textural stand-in because they are soft berries that pop the same way, and they will give the scattered look even though the colour is olive-green. Flavour goes in the opposite direction, savoury and brined and mildly hot rather than fruity and sweet, so the dish tastes more classically French bistro and less delicate.
6Allspice, ground, in a very small amount
Taste and texture differ
Use ¼ tsp for every 1 tsp pink peppercorns
Dried allspice berries, warm and clove-like.
What changes
Best for
pate, game, spice rubs, braises
Shares a faint sweet-resinous character with pink pepper, but it is far stronger and more clove-forward, so a quarter of the amount is the maximum before it dominates. Only worth using in a robust savoury dish. Not a garnish substitute at all.

What is Pink Peppercorns?

Pink Peppercorns is Brazil's contribution to the pepper mill, and not true pepper at all: the dried rose-coloured berries of the Brazilian pepper tree, sold as baies roses or rose pepper, fruity and faintly piney with almost no heat; what they are doing in a dish is colour and a bright resinous aroma rather than pungency, so they are closer to a garnish than to a seasoning.

Cooking tips

Do not put pink peppercorns in a pepper mill. The shells are thin and hollow around a small seed, so they jam the mechanism and shatter into dust. Crush them between your fingers or with the flat of a knife right over the plate.
Add them at the very end, off the heat. Their perfume is delicate and largely gone after a couple of minutes of cooking, which is why they are almost always a finishing spice rather than something you simmer.
They fade fast in the jar. A bright coral-pink berry is fresh; a dull brownish one has lost most of its aroma, so buy small amounts and keep them in a dark cupboard rather than on the counter.
Acid dulls the colour. Scattered on a dressed salad they turn a muddy brownish-pink within twenty minutes, so add them just before serving if the look matters.
Pink peppercorns are not a heat source. If a recipe calls for both pink peppercorns and black pepper, do not cut the black pepper thinking you are doubling up, because the pink ones contribute almost no pungency.

Frequently asked questions

Can I just leave pink peppercorns out?

Usually yes. In the great majority of recipes they are a finishing garnish that adds a fruity top note and a bit of colour, so the dish will taste nearly the same without them. The one place they matter is a delicate raw preparation such as cured salmon or a citrus salad, where they are one of only a handful of flavours. There, use lightly crushed coriander seed instead.

Are pink peppercorns actually pepper?

No. They come from the Brazilian pepper tree, Schinus terebinthifolius, which is unrelated to the vine that gives us black, white and green peppercorns. They were named for the resemblance, not the botany, which is exactly why they taste fruity and resinous instead of hot.

Are pink peppercorns safe if I have a nut allergy?

Be cautious. The Brazilian pepper tree belongs to the same plant family as cashews, pistachios and mangoes, and people with tree nut allergies, especially to cashews, have reported reactions. If you or a guest has a tree nut allergy, use one of the other substitutes here rather than taking the risk, and check with a doctor if you have questions about a specific allergy.

Are pink peppercorns spicy?

Barely. There is a faint prickle and a little sweetness, but nothing close to the heat of black pepper. If you are looking for actual pepperiness in a dish, pink peppercorns are the wrong ingredient and cracked black or green peppercorns are what you want.

Are baies roses and rose pepper the same thing?

Yes. Baies roses is the French name, and pink pepper, rose pepper and pink peppercorns all refer to the same dried berries. Beware of blends sold as rainbow or four-colour peppercorns, which mix pink peppercorns with true black, white and green pepper, so a jar of those is much hotter than pink alone.

Related substitutes

More spices & herbs substitutes

Pink Peppercorns substitute

Other pink peppercorns substitutes

2Aleppo pepper flakes

3Juniper berries, crushed

4Black pepper plus citrus zest

5Green peppercorns, drained and patted dry

6Allspice, ground, in a very small amount