Quick Answer: What Are The Alternatives Of Rum?
The most common are the ever-popular spiced rums, like apple pie and pumpkin pie, apple cider, brandy which typically covers the best spices. Other popular Rum substitutes for Baking and Cooking are peach, apricot, and cherry, grape juice and rum extract.
Rum has been used in recipes for centuries. Rum Substitutes For Baking And Cooking can complement sweet or savory dishes by creating meals rich in flavor. Rum originates from the Caribbean and produces most of the requirements throughout the world, and it’s very popular.
However, rum is an acquired taste and some would prefer something different for their recipes. We’ve found some of the best alcoholic and non-alcoholic alternatives that we think you’re going to love.
Gin
When you think of gin, you probably imagine a tall glass, lots of ice and lime on a sunny day. Who doesn’t enjoy a cooling G&T? However, as well as being a refreshing beverage, gin can be used in baking. Surprised?
With so many gins on the market there are a plethora of choices when it comes to flavors, making it a versatile option for adding a subtle taste to many dishes.
Think of it as similar to adding herbs and spices. Gin works very well in sauces for steak, fish, or chicken. Mixed with cream or yogurt, the complex flavor will create a unique and rich flavor that will complement a meat meal. One tablespoon is all you need.
Gin also works well in cake recipes that include dried fruit. The botanicals in gin create a glorious lemon drizzle or citrus baked cake, perfect for an afternoon tea party with friends.
How To Substitute
The citrus notes of orange and lemon zest in Gin, combined with the spiciness of ginger and cinnamon, will be sure to wake up your senses. This bold and refreshing cocktail will pair perfectly with spicy appetizers, and can even be served over ice for a chilled drink.
Brandy
Brandy is a spirit that’s granted to warm the cockles. But when you’re not swigging it down with ice as a nightcap, it works fantastically in the cooking department. It also makes a great substitute for rum due to its sweetness.
Brandy is so versatile, it can be used in all sorts of cooking. It’s much stronger than wine, so use it sparingly. It works fantastically with turkey, pork, chicken, seafood, and you can create rich and flavorsome sauces.
Brandy produces a fairly exotic taste, and you can even pop a teaspoon into soups to liven it up. It also works well in sweet desserts such as fruit salads and sweet sauces. Brandy is also the key ingredient in a rich and satisfying Xmas cake or pudding.
The best Xmas cake is made months before the big day, so it can soak up all the flavors of the brandy. Gorgeous!
How To Substitute
Brandy is a best substitute for Rum. The brandy is warm and smooth, with a rich, fruity aroma. It tastes like a cross between honey and butterscotch, but with a little bit of an alcoholic kick to it.
Tequila
I bet you didn’t know Tequila was suitable for cooking with? Not only is it a favorite summer drink, but it has a wealth of other uses. Tequila comes from a popular plant called the blue agave that grows in Mexico.
It has a mild sweet flavour and goes fabulously with a variety of popular dishes.
You can create tasty marinades for steak, prawns, or chicken with a mix of lime, chili, honey, garlic, and pepper. Leave to marinate overnight and then cook, you won’t regret it!
Tequila is a great spirit to experiment with as it’s rich in smokey and woody flavors, meaning it goes fantastically with grilled foods. It’s also lovely with desserts and can give a boozy element to summer puddings and cakes.
You can even add it to a sorbet for a refreshing, healthy alternative to calorific puddings.
How To Substitute
If you want to make a margarita, it is the right place for you. The super versatile cocktail can be made with gin, vodka. It works as a deal breaker when mixed with drink or punch.
Apple Juice
If you prefer your rum alternative to be non-alcoholic, then apple juice is a good choice. The acidic and sweet flavor of apples make fantastic sauces, dips, and dressings. It’s interesting to note that apple juice flavor isn’t dissimilar to rum and can be used whenever a recipe asks for rum.
For the best flavor use good quality apple juice not from concentrate. Freshly pressed apples are healthy and work fantastically in recipes. If you have the time, try making apple juice from scratch, you can keep it in a sealed container at room temperature ready for when you need it.
Apples can be used in bread and cake making, and can also be a great base for sweet and savory sauces. It is also perfect for making mulled wine or mixing with other drinks for a non-alcoholic cocktail.
How To Substitute
As a refreshing cocktail, you can substitute rum with apple juice. The sweet and acidic flavor of the easily mixed drink helps satisfy your craving for a perfect fall season. With the consistency of the cocktail, it gives a refreshing taste.
Cognac
Cognac is similar to brandy but has a number of different flavors. There are a variety of different tasty cocktails containing Cognac, but it also adds a dense richness to sauces, especially for meat.
Cognac is produced in France and created using a specific combination of grapes. The spirit is then kept in oak barrels for a minimum of 2 years. This process creates a unique flavor and complements many dishes.
For the chocolate lovers out there, cognac works very well with chocolate based desserts such as Xmas truffles and hot sauce puddings. It also tastes fantastic with snacks such as cheese, apples, nuts, and figs.
Cognac also works well added to peppercorn sauce to serve with a nice juicy steak.
How To Substitute
Cognac is a perfect substitute if you want to vary the flavors of rum. With different alcoholic spirits, it is a delicious and suitable alternative to overwhelm the drink taste.
Apple Cider
Apple cider has become increasingly popular in recent years. It has an abundance of health benefits and any extra usage is well worth it. It is much stronger than apple juice, so it’s important to limit the amount added to recipes.
Apple cider goes great with chicken, and you can create a mouth-watering sauce with chicken stock, mustard, and herbs.
Sausages are also a great match for apple cider. In the same way we serve applesauce with a pork roast, you can blend apple cider with honey and mustard for a lovely sticky glaze.
Another great option is to add the apple cider to gravy for a rich and tasty sauce. It’s the perfect accompaniment to pork. Delicious!
If using apple cider vinegar, you can add it to cakes to help make them rise. The high acidity reacts with baking soda adding to the lift, ingenuous really!
How To Substitute
Creating a refreshing and slightly sweet drink perfect for autumn, apple cider can be substituted with rum. Creating a sweet and spicy flavor, it surely satisfies your sweet tooth.
Port
Port is known for its warming properties. On a cold day, nothing warms your insides like a nice glass of the rich red stuff. Port is wine that has gone through a process of fermentation and is fortified with brandy.
The process results in a strong beverage that is super sweet. You’ll be interested to know that, as with the others, it also works very well in cooking.
There are several types of port such as ruby, tawny, and vintage. Ruby port is the cheapest and usually has flavors of berries and is a rich red color. Ruby and tawny port is good to use in stews and casseroles with beef, pork, or chicken.
There are some excellent recipes online for winter warming comfort food using a good ruby port.
How To Subtitute
Port is a decadent, luxurious, and tasty drink for those who appreciate the finer things in life. It gives a creamy, sweet, and full-bodied blend of port flavor. This rich and decadent treat is perfect for the holiday season.
RELATED: 9 Best Alcoholic And Non-Alcoholic Substitutes For Brandy In Cooking And Baking
Orange Juice
Orange juice is a great non-alcoholic alternative to rum and has a perfect balance of acidity combined with sweetness. It’s great to add sweetness to soup, sauces and marinades. Not only does it taste awesome, good quality orange juice is packed full of vitamin C, which is essential for a healthy functioning immune system.
When following recipes, you can substitute traditional vinegar based sauces with OJ. It also has the benefit of making meat, fish and poultry tender, improving the texture of any dish.
Mix the OJ with some of your favorite herbs and spices such as basil, thyme, oregano and a good dose of garlic. You can even experiment with others such as soy sauce, sesame oil and ginger for a delicious Asian twist.
It won’t surprise you to know that orange juice works fantastically in sweet cakes and desserts. You can use it in place of water or milk in recipes and will add a lovely fresh and citrus taste to cakes or bread.
How To Substitute
Orange juice is an all-rounder substitute that can be used in cooking or baking recipes. To enhance the flavor of your refreshing drinks, you can add the flavor to drink making it much more complex.
Grape Juice
Another excellent non-alcoholic option, and its sweetness enhances the flavors of many dishes. It’s also extremely good for you. Grape juice is full of vitamins and has the benefit of being fibrous, essential for good health.
The antioxidants in grape juice helps migraines, improves digestion, reduces risk of heart disease and many other illnesses.
Just as with orange juice, when a recipe calls for water or milk, replace it with grape juice for a unique and sweet flavor. For a white grape juice cake, mix together flour, sugar, eggs, pecans, and grape juice for a scrummy and sweet treat.
How To Substitute
It is a fun, refreshing cocktail that can be enjoyed all summer long. The drink can be substituted with Rum. The grape juice is mixed with lemon juice and sugar to give the cocktail its fizzy, citrusy flavor. With sweet and tangy flavor, it gives a flavor hard to resist.
Rum Extract
If you want to maintain the rum flavor but not use the alcohol, then rum extract does a great job. Furthermore, you can store extract for a long period of time if it’s kept somewhere dry.
You only need a small amount as it’s very concentrated, but it is very effective when used in cakes and breads. Be sure to carefully select the right extract.
There are many products available that are just an imitation rum and some that are natural. Both tastes are similar, but the discerning taste buds will tell the difference.
As a rule of thumb, if a recipe calls for 2 tbs of pure rum, use 1.5 tbsp of extract. Because the extract is highly concentrated, it’s best suited to sweet desserts and not savory dishes.
So, there you have 10 of the best rum alternatives. Cooking is good for the soul and triggers our creative side, so time to get baking and cook up some great dishes. Bon appétit.
How To Substitute
The refreshing flavor of rum can be altered with rum extract. The tangy, sweet taste of a traditional rum drink, with a hint of orange, creates a tasty and refreshing drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is An Excellent Non-Alcoholic Substitute For Rum?
An excellent non-alcoholic substitute for rum is a drink with a sweet caramel flavor that is not overly sweet. Some famous examples of such beverages are chocolate milk and hot cocoa.
Can You Get Alcohol-Free Bacardi?
Bacardi is a well-known alcoholic beverage that is best known for its popularity in the cocktail daiquiri. It is a clear liquor with a straw-like white appearance distilled from sugarcane and molasses and can be found in various strengths.
It is often mixed with other fruit juices and juices that are made from natural ingredients such as sugarcane.
What Can Replace Rum In A Cake?
Rum is a flavor many people enjoy in cakes, but some people don’t like the taste of it. So when baking with rum, you should avoid using it in all the cake recipes. Of course, you could replace it with water, but it will result in a dry cake.
The alcohol will be cooked off, but the water won’t have any of the flavors. So one option is to replace the rum with pineapple juice. It will add a sweet and tropical flavor to the cake.
Is There Virgin Rum?
No, there is no such thing as a virgin rum. Rum is a type of alcohol, and it’s made from the fermented juice of sugarcane or sugar beets. The word rum is short for rum wine.
Rum is distilled from fermented molasses, which is made by boiling sugarcane or sugar beets with water.
10 Best Rum Substitutes For Baking & Cooking
Rum is a popular ingredient in baking and cooking. Find out which rum substitutes are best for baking and cooking.
Ingredients
Gin
Brandy
Tequila
Apple Juice
Cognac
Apple Cider
Port
Orange Juice
Grape Juice
Rum Extract
Directions
- Choose your favorite substitute from the list given above
- Follow the directions given in the recipe after having substituted the ingredient in the correct ratio
Recipe Video
Through this blog I hope to help others learn the basics and more intricate details of cooking. I know from personal experience how frustrating it can be to cook a meal, only to realize you are missing one ingredient from your list. This is why I love to write articles chatting readers through some great substitutes that can be used in an emergency.
I hope you will find this blog useful, and that it will help you to develop your culinary skills, to help you cook up a storm!
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