Yeast extract substitutes
Yeast extract substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Marmite or Vegemite
Same amount as the yeast extract
If a recipe says yeast extract, reach for Marmite or Vegemite first at 1:1, because they are the same ingredient under brand names. No spread in the house? Use 1 tablespoon of white or red miso paste, or 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, for each teaspoon of yeast extract, and cut the salt elsewhere in the dish.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- gravies
Updated 26 Jul 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of yeast extract | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marmite or Vegemitegravies | Same amountWorks | Works |
| 2 | Miso pastegravies | 1 tbsp white or red miso per 1 tsp yeast extractYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 3 | Soy sauce or tamarigravies and pan sauces | 1 tbsp soy sauce per 1 tsp yeast extractYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 4 | Nutritional yeastvegan cheese sauces | 1 tbsp nutritional yeast + ¼ tsp fine salt per 1 tsp yeast extractYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 5 | Mushroom powder or porcini soaking liquidbraises and stews | 2 tsp mushroom powder, or 3 tbsp strained dried-mushroom soaking liquid per 1 tsp yeast extractTweak it | Tweak it |
| 6 | Worcestershire saucebeef gravy | 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce per 1 tsp yeast extractYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
Marmite or Vegemite
similar taste and texture
These are yeast extract, so this is not really a substitution. Marmite is a touch sweeter, maltier and runnier; Vegemite is saltier, stiffer and less sweet, so a gravy made with Vegemite tastes sharper and more purely salty. Other supermarket own-brand yeast extract spreads behave the same way. If the label on your recipe's ingredient said autolyzed yeast extract, this is the pantry version of it.
- Best for
- gravies, stews and braises, toast, vegan stocks, pasta sauces
Yeast extract is roughly 10 percent salt by weight, so add it before you add any salt and taste after it dissolves.
Miso paste
different taste and texture
The best all-round replacement, and vegan. Yeast extract's job in a recipe is pure umami plus salt plus a dark roasted bitterness, and miso covers the first two beautifully. What changes is that miso is noticeably sweeter and rounder, has none of the malty-bitter edge, and clouds a clear liquid. A stew made with miso tastes gentler and slightly beany. A drop of molasses or a pinch of instant coffee closes most of the gap.
- Best for
- gravies, vegan cooking, soups and broths, marinades, braises
Whisk miso with a little of the hot liquid first so it does not clump, and stir it in near the end. Hard boiling flattens its flavour.
Soy sauce or tamari
different taste and texture
The most likely thing to already be in your kitchen. It delivers the same glutamate savouriness and the same dark colour, but as a thin liquid rather than a paste, and it tastes distinctly fermented and wheaty instead of malty and yeasty. In a gravy the difference reads as slightly Asian rather than slightly beefy. Tamari is the gluten-free option and tastes a little deeper and less sharp.
- Best for
- gravies and pan sauces, stir-fries, marinades, stews, roasted vegetables
You are adding a tablespoon of liquid, so reduce another liquid by the same amount in sauces and doughs. Skip the recipe's salt.
Nutritional yeast
different taste and texture
Made from the same organism but treated completely differently, and they are not interchangeable spoon for spoon. Nutritional yeast is dry, mild, nutty and cheesy, with a fraction of the savoury punch and no salt at all, so it needs help. It also leaves visible yellow flakes and can go slightly grainy in a smooth sauce. Good for savoury depth in vegan dishes, poor at replacing the dark bitterness.
- Best for
- vegan cheese sauces, popcorn and seasonings, soups, dry rubs
Blitz it to a powder in a spice grinder if you need a smooth sauce, and add a small pinch of MSG if you have it for the missing punch.
Mushroom powder or porcini soaking liquid
different taste, similar texture
Dried mushrooms carry a different savoury compound than yeast, and the two taste noticeably unlike each other even though both read as deeply savoury. Mushroom powder brings a woodsy, earthy aroma that yeast extract does not have, and no salt, so salt separately. The soaking liquid is superb in braises and risotto but adds liquid, which rules it out for a dry rub or a thick spread.
- Best for
- braises and stews, risotto, vegan gravies, meat rubs, ragu
Strain soaking liquid through a paper filter or leave the last spoonful behind, because dried mushrooms carry grit.
Worcestershire sauce
different taste and texture
Honest warning: most Worcestershire sauce contains anchovies, so it is not vegetarian unless the bottle says so. What it does bring is savoury salt plus tamarind sourness and clove-and-onion spice, which yeast extract does not have. That makes it a bright, tangy substitute rather than a faithful one, best where a little sharpness is welcome, such as in shepherd's pie, chilli or a beef gravy.
- Best for
- beef gravy, shepherd's pie, chilli, burgers and meatloaf
The added acidity can thin a sauce and curdle dairy, so add it to hot liquid off the boil rather than into cream.
Questions
5 questionsIs yeast extract the same as nutritional yeast?
No, and this trips up a lot of people. Both come from yeast, but yeast extract is a concentrated wet paste that is very salty and very savoury, while nutritional yeast is dried deactivated flakes that are mild, nutty and unsalted. You need about three times the volume of nutritional yeast plus added salt to get anywhere near the same effect.
Is yeast extract the same as MSG?
They are not the same ingredient, but they work the same way. Yeast extract contains naturally occurring free glutamates, the same compound that gives MSG its effect, alongside salt and its own malty flavour. That is why food labels sometimes use yeast extract where a manufacturer wants the savoury boost without listing monosodium glutamate.
Can I just leave yeast extract out?
Usually yes, because it is almost always a booster rather than a structural ingredient. Nothing will fail to set or thicken. The dish will simply taste flatter and less finished, so compensate by salting a little more assertively and adding another savoury element such as a Parmesan rind, a splash of soy sauce or a spoonful of tomato paste browned in the pan.
What is autolyzed yeast extract on an ingredients label?
It is the same thing. Autolyzed simply describes the method, letting the yeast's own enzymes break down its cell walls, as opposed to hydrolyzed yeast extract, where acid or added enzymes do the job. Both taste savoury and salty, and both are what you would replace with Marmite, miso or soy sauce at home.
Is yeast extract gluten-free and vegan?
It is vegan, since yeast is not an animal. Gluten is less certain, because much yeast extract is made from spent brewer's yeast grown on barley. Some brands test below the gluten-free threshold and some do not, so check the specific label if it matters, and use tamari or miso made without barley as a safer swap.
Tips for substituting yeast extract
5 tips- Yeast extract naturally contains free glutamates, which is exactly why it tastes similar to MSG. That also means it multiplies savouriness rather than adding a new flavour, so half a teaspoon stirred into a bland vegetable soup makes the vegetables taste more like themselves rather than making the soup taste of yeast.
- It is intensely strong. Start with ½ teaspoon for a pot of stew serving four, dissolve it fully, then taste before adding more. Too much and everything tastes bitter and salty in a way you cannot pull back.
- Dissolve it in a few tablespoons of hot liquid before it goes into the pot. Dropped in as a lump it clings to the bottom, scorches and turns acrid.
- It reads as brown, so it is one of the fastest ways to fix a pale vegan gravy or mushroom sauce that tastes fine but looks anaemic.
- Do not use yeast extract to replace salt in a curing, pickling or fermenting brine. Those recipes rely on a tested salt concentration for safety, and swapping in a different salty ingredient changes it. Follow the tested recipe and the National Center for Home Food Preservation guidance instead.