Vegemite substitutes
Vegemite substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Marmite
Same amount as the Vegemite
Plus a small pinch of salt if you want it closer
Marmite is the closest swap and works 1:1, though it tastes sweeter and maltier, so add a pinch of salt if you want it to read like Vegemite. Promite or Mightymite are milder and sweeter and suit kids. For cooking rather than toast, 1 tablespoon of miso paste or 1 tablespoon of soy sauce replaces 1 teaspoon of Vegemite.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- toast and crumpets
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of Vegemite | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marmitetoast and crumpets | Same amountPlus a small pinch of salt if you want it closerWorks | Works |
| 2 | Promite or Mightymitetoast for beginners | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 3 | Any yeast extract spreadcooking | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 4 | Miso pastegravies | 1 tbsp white or red miso per 1 tsp VegemiteYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Soy sauce or tamaripie fillings | 1 tbsp soy sauce per 1 tsp VegemiteYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Salted butter with a whisper of soy saucetoast | For 1 slice of toast: butter as usual + ¼ tsp soy sauce brushed overYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Marmite
similar taste and texture
The same category of ingredient, but they are genuinely not identical and Australians will tell you so. Marmite is looser and stickier, distinctly sweeter and maltier with a treacle note, and slightly less salty. Vegemite is stiffer, sharper and more purely savoury with a bitter finish. On toast, Marmite tastes rounder and almost caramel-like where Vegemite tastes brisk and salty. In a gravy or stew the difference all but vanishes.
- Best for
- toast and crumpets, gravies, stews, savoury scrolls and pastries, vegan stocks
Spread Marmite even thinner than you would Vegemite the first time, because its sweetness makes it easier to overdo without noticing until the aftertaste.
Promite or Mightymite
similar taste and texture
The other Australian spreads in the same aisle, and the gentlest way in. Promite is smoother and sweeter with a slight tang, closer to a savoury sauce than a bitter extract, and Mightymite sits between Promite and Vegemite. If you are buying for someone who has never eaten yeast extract, or for a child, these are the forgiving option. In cooking they contribute less depth, so use a little more.
- Best for
- toast for beginners, children's sandwiches, mild gravies, savoury glazes
Promite is sweeter, so it can taste out of place in a very savoury beef gravy. Add a dash of soy sauce alongside it.
Any yeast extract spread
similar taste and texture
Supermarket own-brand yeast extract, Bovril's yeast-based versions and European equivalents such as Cenovis are all doing the same job: salt plus concentrated savouriness plus a dark malty bitterness. Strength varies more than you would expect between brands, so the honest advice is to taste a smear on a fingertip before you commit a whole gravy to it. Colour and behaviour in the pan are the same.
- Best for
- cooking, toast, vegan broths, marinades
Check the salt figure on the nutrition panel if you are sensitive. It varies noticeably between brands.
Miso paste
different taste and texture
For cooking only, and it is excellent there. It provides the savoury salt that Vegemite contributes to a stew or gravy, but it is sweeter, softer and much less bitter, and it clouds a clear liquid. A gravy made with miso tastes rounder and slightly beany rather than sharp and malty. On toast it is simply wrong: too sweet, too grainy, and the fermented soy flavour dominates.
- Best for
- gravies, stews and braises, vegan cooking, marinades, soups
Whisk it with a spoonful of the hot liquid before it goes in, and add it late so hard boiling does not dull it.
Soy sauce or tamari
different taste and texture
The everyday cooking fallback. Same savoury glutamate hit, same dark colour, but thin instead of thick and clearly fermented and wheaty rather than yeasty. In a meat pie filling or a pan gravy this is a completely respectable swap. It is not spreadable, so it does nothing for toast. Tamari is the gluten-free version and tastes a shade deeper.
- Best for
- pie fillings, gravies, stir-fries, mince dishes, roasted vegetables
You are adding a tablespoon of liquid, so pull back another liquid by the same amount and skip the recipe's salt.
Salted butter with a whisper of soy sauce
different taste and texture
This is the honest least-bad answer for Vegemite on toast when you have no yeast extract at all, and it is worth being blunt: it does not taste like Vegemite. You get salt and a faint savoury depth, but none of the bitter malty complexity that is the entire point. If you are homesick for it, order a jar. If you just want salty savoury toast right now, this delivers that.
- Best for
- toast, crackers, emergency substitution
Add a tiny pinch of nutritional yeast on top for a closer aroma. Do not use more soy sauce than a quarter teaspoon or the bread goes soggy.
Questions
5 questionsCan I substitute Marmite for Vegemite one for one?
Yes for cooking, and mostly yes for toast, but they do taste different. Marmite is sweeter, maltier and runnier; Vegemite is saltier, thicker and more bitter. Swapping one for the other in a gravy is undetectable. Swapping on toast is noticeable to anyone who grew up with one of them, so start with a thinner smear of Marmite and add a pinch of salt if you miss the sharpness.
What can I use instead of Vegemite in a recipe like cheesymite scrolls or savoury pastry?
Marmite or any yeast extract spread at 1:1 is the answer, because you need something thick and spreadable that will not make the dough wet. Miso paste works but is sweeter and can brown faster in the oven, so drop the temperature slightly or cover the tops. Soy sauce is too thin here and will make the dough sticky.
Can I just leave Vegemite out of a recipe?
If it is a small amount stirred into a stew, gravy or mince for depth, yes, and nothing will go wrong structurally. Salt the dish a touch more assertively and add another savoury element such as a splash of Worcestershire sauce or a spoonful of tomato paste fried in the pan. If Vegemite is the actual topping, as on toast or in scrolls, there is nothing to leave out and you need a real substitute.
Is Vegemite vegan and gluten-free?
It is vegan, since yeast is not an animal product. Gluten is the open question: yeast extract spreads are typically made from spent brewer's yeast grown on barley, and gluten status varies by brand and by testing. If you need certainty, check that specific jar's label and use tamari or a barley-free miso as a substitute.
Why is Vegemite so hard to find outside Australia and New Zealand?
It is mostly a distribution matter rather than any ban. Look in the international or British aisle of larger supermarkets, in specialist import shops, or online. In the meantime Marmite is stocked far more widely in the UK, Canada and the US and is the closest thing on a normal shelf.
Tips for substituting Vegemite
5 tips- Vegemite goes on scraped, not spread. Butter the toast first while it is hot, then take the smallest amount on the knife and drag it thin so you can still see the bread through it. Almost everyone who dislikes it on a first try used about five times too much.
- In cooking it is a browning and depth agent, not a flavour you should be able to identify. Half a teaspoon in a pot of stew for four, or a teaspoon in a litre of gravy, deepens the colour and makes the meat taste meatier without anyone spotting the source.
- Because it contains natural glutamates, it amplifies whatever else is in the pot. That makes it the fastest fix for a mushroom sauce or a lentil soup that tastes technically fine but flat.
- Always dissolve it in hot liquid before adding it to a pot. A lump dropped into a stew sinks, sticks and scorches into something genuinely bitter.
- Do not use Vegemite as the salt in a pickling, canning or fermenting brine. Those recipes depend on a tested salt concentration to be safe, and substituting a different salty ingredient changes the acidity and salt balance. Follow the tested recipe and the National Center for Home Food Preservation guidance.