Out of Rum, one case

Non-alcoholic substitute for rum

5 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 5 options

Use Apple, pineapple or white grape juice + vanilla

¼ cup juice + ¼ tsp vanilla for every ¼ cup of rum

For baking, replace rum with the same amount of apple, pineapple or white grape juice, plus ¼ teaspoon of vanilla per ¼ cup. For tiramisu, use strong cold coffee in place of the rum. For drinks, use a bottled zero-proof rum alternative in the same measure, or build the drink on juice and soda without it. Rum extract tastes the most like rum, but most of it is made with alcohol, so check the label if you need none at all.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: Add a few drops of molasses per ¼ cup when the recipe calls for dark rum. For a bake with no alcohol at all, use an alcohol-free vanilla flavoring or leave the vanilla out.
Best for —: cakes, quick breads and soaked dried fruit
Pantry —: Likely in your cupboard

One casethe full rum card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Rum substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of ¼ cup rum	Verdict
1	Apple, pineapple or white grape juice + vanillacakes, quick breads and soaked dried fruit	¼ cup juice + ¼ tsp vanillaYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Strong coffeetiramisu	¼ cupTweak it	Tweak it
3	Zero-proof rum alternativemojitos, daiquiris and rum punch	1 ½ oz per 1 ½ ozYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
4	Rum extract + water or juicerum cake and rum balls	½ tsp extract + 2 ½ tsp water per 1 tbspTweak it	Tweak it
5	Strong black tea + molassesdark rum drinks with ginger beer or cola	¼ cup tea + 1 tsp molassesYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
Not a swap	Rum, cooked or baked off	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option5 options

Apple, pineapple or white grape juice + vanilla

sweet and fruity; not the taste of rum

Juice replaces the liquid measure for measure and adds a fruity sweetness. Pineapple suits tropical recipes, apple suits dark rum bakes, and white grape is the most neutral.

Best for: cakes, quick breads and soaked dried fruit, glazes, sauces and marinades, punch and party drinks
Prep: Add a few drops of molasses per ¼ cup when the recipe calls for dark rum. For a bake with no alcohol at all, use an alcohol-free vanilla flavoring or leave the vanilla out.
Suits: alcohol-free, vegan
Where it fails: It adds sugar, so sauces and glazes come out sweeter: hold back a spoonful of the recipe's sugar. It has none of the warmth or bite of a spirit, and it does not preserve a fruitcake.

Strong coffee

coffee, with less sweetness and warmth

In tiramisu and other coffee desserts, the rum is mixed into coffee anyway. More strong coffee or espresso fills the measure and keeps the flavor in the same family.

Best for: tiramisu, chocolate cakes and brownies, mocha frostings
Prep: Cool the coffee before dipping ladyfingers. If trace alcohol is acceptable, add ¼ tsp rum extract per ¼ cup for the rum note.
Suits: alcohol-free, vegan
Where it fails: Recipes with no coffee or chocolate in them, where it takes over the flavor.

Zero-proof rum alternative

lighter and sweeter than rum, with no heat

A bottled non-alcoholic spirit made to stand in for rum in mixed drinks. It pours and measures the same way and has some of the spice and caramel flavor.

Best for: mojitos, daiquiris and rum punch, rum and cola, pina coladas
Suits: vegan
Where it fails: Sipped neat or in a spirit-forward drink it tastes thin. It works when the drink has plenty of citrus, sugar or mixer.

Drinks sold as non-alcoholic can contain up to 0.5% alcohol by volume. Look for 0.0% on the label if that matters.

Rum extract + water or juice

close to rum, without the warmth

The closest in flavor, because it is concentrated rum flavoring. A small amount goes a long way and the water or juice makes up the volume.

Best for: rum cake and rum balls, frostings, custards and eggnog, any recipe where rum is the named flavor
Prep: For ¼ cup of rum, use 2 tsp extract plus 3 tbsp + 1 tsp water or juice.
Where it fails: Anyone who must avoid alcohol entirely, unless the bottle says alcohol-free. In drinks it gives aroma but no body.

Most rum extract, including imitation rum extract, is made with alcohol. The amount per serving is very small but it is not zero. Some brands sell an alcohol-free rum flavoring.

Strong black tea + molasses

dark, slightly bitter and caramel; a different drink

Cold, strongly brewed black tea has the dry, tannic bite that juice lacks, and molasses is what dark rum is made from. Together they give a dark drink some depth.

Best for: dark rum drinks with ginger beer or cola, hot toddies and spiced punch, soaking fruit for a dark fruitcake
Prep: Brew the tea double strength and chill it. Start with 1 tsp molasses per ¼ cup and adjust to taste.
Suits: alcohol-free, vegan
Where it fails: White rum drinks such as mojitos and daiquiris, where it muddies the color and the flavor. Tea contains caffeine.

Rum, cooked or baked off

rum

It is often said that cooking removes the alcohol, so regular rum is fine. It removes only part of it.

Best for: cooks who avoid only the taste of alcohol
Where it fails: USDA figures put the alcohol left in a dish at about 25% after 1 hour of baking or simmering, and about 75% after flaming. A dish made with rum is not alcohol-free.

Tips for substituting rum

5 tips

In a batter, the rum is also liquid. Whatever you choose, replace the full volume: ¼ cup of rum becomes ¼ cup of juice, coffee or diluted extract.
For tiramisu, dip the ladyfingers in cold strong coffee alone, with 1 to 2 tsp of sugar stirred in per cup if you like it sweeter.
For a mojito without rum, muddle the mint, lime and sugar as usual and top up with club soda. For a pina colada, blend the pineapple juice and coconut cream and leave the rum out.
For dark rum in a recipe, add a few drops of molasses per ¼ cup of juice. Juice is already sweet, so go by color and taste.
Juice-soaked fruitcake does not keep the way a rum-soaked one does. Store it in the refrigerator and eat it within a few days.

Questions

5 questions

What is a non-alcoholic substitute for rum in tiramisu?

Strong cold coffee or espresso, in the same amount as the rum. Tiramisu already uses coffee for dipping, so the dessert stays balanced. If a trace of alcohol is acceptable, ¼ teaspoon of rum extract per ¼ cup of coffee adds the rum note.

What can I use in place of rum in drinks?

A bottled zero-proof rum alternative, measure for measure, is the closest. Without one, build on what the drink already has: lime, mint and soda for a mojito, pineapple and coconut for a pina colada, ginger beer and lime for a dark and stormy. A few drops of alcohol-free rum flavoring add aroma.

Is rum extract alcohol-free?

Usually not. Most rum extracts, natural and imitation, use alcohol to carry the flavor, and the label lists it. Used at ½ teaspoon per tablespoon of rum the amount in a serving is very small, but if you need zero, buy a flavoring labeled alcohol-free or use juice.

Does the alcohol in rum cook out?

Only partly. The longer a dish cooks, the less remains, but USDA data show about a quarter of the alcohol still present after an hour in the oven. Uncooked uses such as a soaking syrup, a glaze or a no-bake dessert keep nearly all of it.

How much juice replaces 2 tablespoons of rum?

2 tablespoons of apple, pineapple or white grape juice, with a few drops of vanilla. In an amount that small you can also use water or milk; the flavor of the bake will change very little.