Out of Rum, one case

Rum substitute for baking

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Rum extract + water or juice

½ tsp extract + 2 ½ tsp water for every 1 tbsp of rum

In baking, replace each tablespoon of rum with ½ teaspoon of rum extract plus 2 ½ teaspoons of water or apple juice, so the batter keeps its liquid. If you have another spirit, bourbon or brandy works in the same amount as the rum. Vodka gives the liquid and the alcohol but no flavor, so add a little molasses and vanilla with it.

Verdict —: Tweak it
The tweak —: Measure the extract into a tablespoon and fill the rest with water or apple juice. For ¼ cup of rum, use 2 tsp extract plus 3 tbsp + 1 tsp liquid.
Best for —: rum cake and Bundt cakes

One casethe full rum card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Rum substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 tbsp rum	Verdict
1	Rum extract + water or juicerum cake and Bundt cakes	½ tsp extract + 2 ½ tsp waterTweak it	Tweak it
2	Bourbonbread pudding and pecan pie	1 tbspWorks	Works
3	Brandyfruitcake and Christmas pudding	1 tbspWorks	Works
4	Vodka + molassessoaking syrups	1 tbsp vodka + ¼ tsp molassesYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
5	Apple or pineapple juice + vanillasoaking dried fruit	¼ cup juice + ¼ tsp vanilla per ¼ cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Rum extract, spoon for spoon	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Rum extract + water or juice

close to rum in a baked cake; flatter in an uncooked glaze

Extract is concentrated rum flavor, so a small amount carries the taste. The water or juice replaces the liquid the rum was adding to the batter.

Best for: rum cake and Bundt cakes, banana bread and fruit breads, cookies, frostings and custards
Prep: Measure the extract into a tablespoon and fill the rest with water or apple juice. For ¼ cup of rum, use 2 tsp extract plus 3 tbsp + 1 tsp liquid.
Where it fails: A fruitcake meant to be aged for weeks: extract and water do not preserve it. Bake it, keep it in the refrigerator and eat it within a few days.

Extract strength varies by brand. If the bottle gives its own conversion for rum, follow it. Most rum extract is made with alcohol, so it is low in alcohol, not free of it.

Bourbon

oak and vanilla in place of molasses

Bourbon behaves like rum in a batter, a soak or a glaze, and its vanilla and caramel flavors suit the same desserts.

Best for: bread pudding and pecan pie, banana desserts, glazes and soaking syrups
Where it fails: Smoky, peated Scotch is the one whiskey to avoid: the smoke tastes medicinal in a dessert.

Brandy

dried fruit and grape, lighter than dark rum

The other traditional baking spirit. It soaks, preserves and flavors a cake the same way rum does.

Best for: fruitcake and Christmas pudding, soaked dried fruit, custards and tiramisu
Where it fails: Recipes named for rum, such as rum balls or rum raisin, will taste like a different dessert.

Vodka + molasses

neutral with a hint of caramel; no real rum flavor

Vodka does the physical work of rum: it thins a syrup, carries aroma and keeps a soaked cake moist. It has no flavor, so molasses or dark brown sugar puts back some of the caramel taste.

Best for: soaking syrups, batters where rum is a small background amount, when vodka is the only bottle in the house
Prep: Stir in ¼ tsp molasses or dark brown sugar per tablespoon of vodka, which is 1 tsp per ¼ cup, and add ¼ tsp vanilla extract per ¼ cup.
Where it fails: Rum cake, rum balls and other bakes where rum is the main flavor. Plain vodka there just tastes of alcohol.

If you also have rum extract, add ½ tsp per tablespoon of vodka in place of the molasses.

Apple or pineapple juice + vanilla

sweet and fruity; pleasant but not rum

The option with no spirits in it. Juice replaces the liquid and adds a fruity sweetness, and vanilla adds some of the warmth.

Best for: soaking dried fruit, glazes and soaking syrups, cakes for children
Prep: Add a few drops of molasses per ¼ cup if you have it, for color and a darker flavor.
Where it fails: Juice adds sugar, so a glaze or syrup gets sweeter: hold back a spoonful of the sugar in the recipe. It does not preserve a cake.

Vanilla extract itself is made with alcohol. Leave it out if the bake must contain none.

Rum extract, spoon for spoon

harsh and bitter in quantity

Extract is far stronger than rum, so it cannot replace it measure for measure.

Best for: nothing at this amount
Where it fails: A tablespoon of extract for a tablespoon of rum makes the bake taste harsh and artificial. Use ½ tsp per tablespoon and make up the rest with liquid.

How it behaves in this recipe

In this recipeRum

In a bake, rum does three things. It adds flavor, it adds liquid, and its alcohol carries aroma and keeps a soaked cake moist and slow to spoil. In a batter with a tablespoon or two, flavor is the only job that matters. In a soaked rum cake or an aged fruitcake, the liquid and the alcohol matter as much.

Tips for substituting rum

5 tips

Replace the volume, not only the flavor. If a recipe uses ¼ cup of rum and you add only 2 tsp of extract, the batter is short more than 3 tablespoons of liquid and bakes up dry.
For dark rum, add 1 tsp molasses or dark brown sugar per ¼ cup of a spirit or extract mix you use in its place. Juice is already sweet, so a few drops of molasses per ¼ cup is enough there.
Baking does not remove all the alcohol. USDA figures put the amount left at about 25% after 1 hour of baking, and more in a syrup or glaze added after the cake comes out.
Fruitcake that will be aged needs a spirit. Rum, brandy and bourbon all work at the same amount. Juice-soaked fruitcake goes in the refrigerator and is eaten within a few days.
For a rum glaze with no spirits, whisk ½ tsp rum extract and 2 ½ tsp milk or water into the powdered sugar for each tablespoon of rum.

Questions

4 questions

Can I substitute vodka for rum in baking?

Yes, in the same amount, for the liquid and the alcohol. Vodka has no flavor, so add 1 teaspoon of molasses or dark brown sugar and ¼ teaspoon of vanilla per ¼ cup. It suits a soaking syrup or a batter where rum is in the background, not a rum cake.

How much rum extract equals ¼ cup of rum?

Use 2 teaspoons of rum extract plus 3 tablespoons and 1 teaspoon of water or apple juice. That is ½ teaspoon of extract per tablespoon of rum, topped up to the full volume. Check the bottle as well, since brands differ in strength.

Can I just leave the rum out?

If it is 1 or 2 tablespoons in a batter, yes: replace it with the same amount of water, milk or juice so the batter is not short of liquid. If rum is the main flavor or the soaking liquid, use one of the swaps above.

Does the alcohol bake out?

Not completely. Some remains after baking, and a rum syrup poured over a finished cake keeps most of its alcohol. If the bake must contain no alcohol, use juice, and note that rum extract and vanilla extract are both usually made with alcohol.