Cardamom Substitute

Cardamom has a uniquely complex flavor, so if you’ve run out of this spice, you may think your dish will be ruined, however cardamom flavors are surprisingly easy to recreate with just a couple of pantry spices you probably have on hand. While the substitute for the real thing won’t have the exact same warm, bitter and slightly lemony flavor loved in cardamom, it will do the trick to bring the same essence into your dish.

Substitutes for Cardamom

Cardamom is a loved spice in many different recipes. From this cardamom bread braid to these festive frosted sugar cookies and this cardamom bourbon hot cocoa, cardamom finds its place in almost any dish on the holiday table. If you’re all out and don’t have time to run to the store, try a combination one of these substitutes:

• Cloves
• Cinnamon
• Apple pie spice
• Nutmeg
• Ginger
• Allspice

Because cardamom is such a complex spice, try mixing two of the spices here to achieve the closest replacement for your recipe.

Common Cardamom Substitution Questions

What Is a Good Cardamom Substitute in Curry?

Use a mix of cinnamon and ginger. Ginger is a close substitute for cardamom so it shares many of the same qualities that you’ll find in cardamom. Use a 1-1 ratio of cardamom substitute for cardamom called for in a recipe. For example, if your recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of cardamom, use 1 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon of ginger.

What Is a Good Cardamom Substitute for Baking?

Cardamom is featured in sweet foods just as often as savory, and is also found in drinks! To substitute cardamom while baking a desert or loaf of bread, use equal parts of ginger, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon to create the same spicy feel of cardamom.

What Is Cardamom?