If you want to have some choices on caraway seeds substitutes, you have come to the right place. Caraway seeds appear in European cooking as they add a distinct flavor to typical dishes. Because of frequent uses, you may run out of them when you are cooking.

There is no need to worry about that. This article contains viable caraway seed substitutes for your consideration. All of them work very well in place of caraway seeds in any recipe. Let’s see which of them is available at your home and grab it now!

Before going to the main section, it is time to know more about caraway seeds!

A Brief Information About Caraway Seeds You Need To Know!

Caraway Seeds Wooden — Caraway seeds offer a distinct flavor to your foods without overpowering them.

People also call caraway seeds meridian fennel or Persian cumin. These seeds are dried fruits of a plant that belongs to the carrot family. Compared to ground caraway, people prefer using caraway seeds as they are crunchier in texture.

Caraway seeds are widely used in European, Middle-Eastern, and African cuisine. You can find them added to various savory dishes, including rye bread, Goulash, vegetable dishes, sauerkraut, casseroles, or sausages. Besides, they are also used in liqueurs. ⁽¹⁾

The Unique Flavor Of Caraway Seeds That Make It Popular

Loaf Sliced — The unique and distinct flavor of caraway seeds is indispensable while baking rye bread.

Caraway seeds have a slightly peppery, nutty, bitter, sweet, and earthy flavor with a hint of citrus and licorice. They also give a reminiscent of anise flavor. The aromatic flavor of caraway seeds makes every dish added with them have a delightful and irresistible taste.

Do Caraway Seeds Affect Positively To Your Health?

As an herb, caraway seeds have low calories, just 7 calories per teaspoon. Nonetheless, they are a great source of vitamin A and other essential nutrients, antioxidants, and minerals, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

As a result, this type of seed offers your health a variety of advantages. Let’s discover those potential health benefits of caraway seeds!

The high level of fiber loaded in caraway seeds can help to boost the digestive system function and prevent constipation problems.
Caraway seeds also lower the risk of anti-inflammation, gas, cramping, and bloating.
They are also packed with various health-benefiting essential oils that are good for your body’s functions. ⁽²⁾

More facts about caraway’s health benefits that are waiting for you to explore!

Watch this video: No more bloating with caraway seeds

Mind-Blowing With These Amazing Substitute For Caraway Seeds

If you are cooking a recipe that calls for caraway seeds, you have run out of all of them. Do not rush if you have no ideas about their alternatives. You will find the most suitable replacement in place of caraway seeds for your recipe through the table below!

Caraway Seed Substitutes	Quantity needed (For a teaspoon of caraway seeds)
Fennel seeds	1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds	1 teaspoon
Nigella seeds	1 teaspoon
Anise seeds	½ teaspoon
Star anise	¼ teaspoon and more if needed
Celery seeds	1 teaspoon
Coriander seeds	1 teaspoon
Dill seeds	1 teaspoon
Cloves	Start with a small amount before adding more
Dried oregano	½ teaspoon

1. Fennel Seeds

Raw Organic Fennel — Fennel seeds frequently appear in Italian sausages and meatballs because of the featured aroma.

Fennel seeds and caraway seeds come from the same family and share a similar flavor profile. Both of them have a robust and aromatic flavor with a hint of licorice. There is no doubt that fennel seeds are the best substitute for caraway seeds.

However, fennel seeds give a slightly warmer and sweeter flavor than caraway seeds. You can use them in place of caraway in baking and cooking. The must-try one is cheese spread. Besides, they also taste good in sauces, stews, and curries.

In addition, fennel seeds help get rid of the solid meaty note in dishes. The substituting ratio is 1:1, which means that you can use a teaspoon of fennel seeds to replace every teaspoon of caraway seeds in any recipe that calls for them.

Making fennel sausage frittata by following the best chef’s recipe. Why not?

Watch this video: How To Make Fennel Sausage Frittata

2. Cumin Seeds

Ground Cumin — Cumin seeds are easier to find at any grocery store than caraway seeds.

Besides fennel, cumin seeds are also one of the best substitutes for caraway seeds. You can recognize it by the oval shape that resembles caraway, but they vary in color, ranging from white, green, black, to brown-yellow.

You should roast cumin seeds to enjoy their best flavor when substituting for caraway seeds. Like caraway seeds, cumin seeds taste earthy and sweet. They can replace caraway seeds in sauces, stews, and curries.

Cumin seeds can transform a boring and typical dish into a tastier and irresistible dish. To replace a teaspoon of caraway, use an equal amount of cumin seeds. You can add more cumin seeds later to suit your eating habit.

People also grind dried cumin seeds to make cumin powder. You can find it at any grocery store. Besides the earthiness and sweetness of cumin seeds, cumin powder also carries a hearty and warm flavor with a hint of citrus.

3. Nigella Seeds

Nigella Sativa — Although nigella seeds are the excellent choice to replace caraway, they are different in color.

Nigella seeds are also known as Charnushka, black onion seeds, and kalonji. They appear in every Indian, European, and Egyptian curry, stew, and bread. That’s why they are the most suitable alternatives to caraway seeds in curry and stew dishes.

The most notable similar flavor of nigella and caraway is the intense licorice flavor. Nigella can work well in the place of caraway seeds in various savory dishes.

If you opt to replace caraway seeds with nigella seeds, use an equal amount of them to have the best result. Remember to roast or fry them before adding them to your recipe to explore their full flavor.

Don’t miss this quick and easy banana bread loaf with nigella seeds!

Watch this video: Banana Bread Loaf with Nigella Seeds

4. Anise Seeds

Anise seeds and caraway seeds have the same root and similar flavors to substitute for each other. However, anise seeds emphasize the sweet taste more. They are also much more robust in licorice flavor than caraway seeds.

However, they do not contain the aromatic and delicate flavor of caraway. As a result, it is not a wise choice if you use anise seeds to replace caraway in savory dishes. You can replace caraway seeds with anise seeds in desserts like cookies and bread.

You can also use anise seeds in place of caraway to make drinks. Because they contain a pungent licorice taste, you should use just a half teaspoon of anise seeds to replace 1 teaspoon of caraway seeds.

5. Star Anise

Essential Oil Anise — Star anise has an eye-catching appeal as well as a potent licorice flavor you are looking for!

Star anise gives an earthy, subtly bittersweet, and strong licorice flavor that will remind you of caraway seeds’ featured flavor. It is pretty famous in some Asian countries, particularly China.

It is mainly identified by its particular appearance: an eight-cloves star with a brownish-green color. Star anise is often used to substitute anise seeds in producing licorice-flavored candies and liqueurs.

When substituting for caraway, star anise can enhance the flavor of cakes, bread, jams, or pickles. Since it is potent in licorice notes, just use ¼ teaspoon of it for a teaspoon of caraway. Otherwise, this high potent spice will ruin your dish.

6. Celery Seeds

Among the caraway seeds substitutes listed in this article, celery seeds are the most popular ones, as they appear in many family kitchens. However, celery seeds lack the distinct licorice flavor resembling caraway.

But, thanks to their earthy and slightly bitter taste, they can work well as a replacement for caraway seeds. To replace caraway with celery seeds, you can use the 1:1 ratio.

Here are some recommendations about recipes using celery seeds instead of caraway seeds: salad dressings, soups, pickling recipes, and vegetable dishes. People also sprinkle them on top of their coleslaw or potato salads.

7. Coriander Seeds

Coriander Bowl — Coriander seeds still work well in the place of caraway despite lacking the licorice flavor.

Coriander is very popular and used in various national dishes, mainly Chinese and Mexican cuisine. Although all the parts of the coriander plant are edible, people tend to use coriander leaves and seeds.

Coriander seeds are a decent option to substitute for caraway seeds because they bring a similar flavor to caraway. Coriander seeds add a peppery, earthy, tart, citrusy, and aromatic smell to any recipe that calls for caraway seeds.

Some recipes that taste good when added with coriander seeds are soups, stews, stir-fries, and Indian curries. Coriander is also a crucial element in many spice mixes and marinades. You can use the same amount of caraway seeds when substituting.

8. Dill Seeds

Another go-to option to substitute caraway seeds! Dill seeds and caraway seeds share a similar flavor profile. Both of them bring an aromatic and unique licorice flavor to any dish they are added to.

On the other hand, dill seeds taste slightly earthier than caraway, but they taste less aromatic and licorice. Therefore, you can add dill seeds in light savory dishes, such as cream-based soups, rye bread, cabbage-based dishes, and other sweet recipes.

As they are less intense in flavor than caraway seeds, the dishes added with dill seeds are also more kid-friendly. You can use the 1:1 ratio to replace them with caraway seeds.

9. Cloves

Cloves On Spoon — Pay attention to the number of cloves when adding them to not overpower your foods.

Cloves are dried seeds in the sun that are mainly grown in Indonesia, Madagascar, and India. Compared to caraway seeds, cloves also have a sweet and subtly bitter flavor. Nevertheless, there is a noticeable level of heat in cloves.

Therefore, when substituting cloves for caraway seeds, you should start with a small amount of them. Then, you can add more. It depends on your eating habits and what type of dish you are cooking.

Cloves can be used instead of caraway in sweet recipes, such as marmalade and jam. Moreover, they also enrich an aromatic flavor and warm note to some savory dishes, including soups, rice dishes, sauces, and some Indian dishes.

Renew your snack menu with this sweet clove pockets recipe! Watch this video to know more:

Watch this video: Sweet Clove Pockets Recipe By Food Fusion

10. Dried Oregano

Bowl Dried Oregano — Grab this fragrant and flavorful dried oregano to use as caraway seeds replacement now!

Dried oregano is the best substitute for caraways in recipes that require a robust peppery and subtly bitter flavor. As it carries an intense flavor, you should begin with half of the number of caraway seeds when substituting.

You can find dried oregano in Middle-Eastern, Mediterranean, and especially Italian cuisine. Some recipes that dried oregano works well as a caraway seeds alternative are soups, meat, stews, and sauces.

On top of that, dried oregano is also a great source of nutrients and has no adverse side effects. You can easily find it in the dried ground form at any nearby grocery store.

3 Mouth-Watering Recipes That Call For Caraway Seeds

Let’s take a look at some popular recipes, including caraway seeds! You can find alternative caraway seeds with their substitute in these recipes.

1. Caraway Rye Bread

Caraway is used mainly in baking, and rye bread is one of the recipes that call for it. Rye bread is a light bread and has a deep flavor with a touch of sour taste.

The most popular eating caraway rye bread is eating it with cream cheese and smoked almond. You can also try Mediterranean honey and ricotta rye bread. You do not have to toast rye bread before using it because it tastes better when it’s fresh.

2. Hungarian Beef Goulash

Hungarian beef Goulash is the most famous Hungarian dish. It consists of tender beef that absorbs all the flavor of spices and herbs. Hungarian paprika and fragrant caraway seeds are vital ingredients that contribute to this flavorful Goulash.

You can serve Hungarian beef Goulash with warm cooked white rice, mashed potato, or some slices of bread. Because Goulash has an intense flavor and aroma, it tastes better when served with light and mild food.

3. Grilled Polish Sausage And Sauerkraut

In case you have never heard of sauerkraut, it is a famous German national dish. Sauerkraut is made from fermented cabbage that carries a distinct sourness.

The tartness of sauerkraut pairs very well with the smoky flavor of grilled Polish sausage. People also sprinkle caraway seeds on top to make the dish more flavorful. It is the most suitable dish to serve your family as it is also kid-friendly.

FAQs

Below are the answers to some questions you may have after reading this article. I hope you will no longer be confused about any information related to caraway seeds and their replacements.

What is the difference between caraway and fennel seeds?

Caraway seeds and fennel seeds are different from each other, but they are interchangeable. The main difference is the color, you can recognize caraway by its brown color, and fennel seeds are greenish-brown.

Are caraway seeds the same as rye?

No, they are not. Caraway seeds and rye are distinguished. Caraway seeds are also called Persian cumin, and they come from a biennial plant. At the same time, rye is a grain and belongs to a wheat family used to make flour.

Why do people add caraway seeds to rye bread?

Caraway seeds are frequently added to rye bread because their distinct and robust flavor combines perfectly with rye bread. Moreover, caraway seeds are also packed with numerous health benefits.

Are caraway seeds a herb or spice?

You can find caraway seeds labeled as spice at any spice market or grocery store. However, if caraway is grown in your home garden, you can eat its leaves and roots. Therefore, caraway can be both spice and herb.

Are caraway seeds and dill seeds the same?

There are 2 different seasonings. Although they come from the same family and share some similar flavors, dill seeds taste earthier than caraway. Also, they taste less aromatic and licorice than caraway seeds.

What can I use to substitute caraway seeds in soda bread?

You can add any caraway seed substitutes that share a similar flavor profile, such as cumin, fennel, and dill seeds. Alternatives that carry a strong licorice taste are also preferred, such as anise seeds, star anise, and Nigella seeds.

What are caraway seed substitutes in Goulash?

There are various substitutes for caraway seeds in Goulash. Dried oregano, coriander seeds, Nigella seeds, cumin seeds, and fennel seeds can work well in place of caraway seeds in any stewed dish, and Goulash is not an exception.

What can replace caraway seeds in a cake?

The caraway seed substitutes in cake need to be strong in licorice flavor to not taste bitter after baking. Some suitable alternatives are star anise, anise seeds, Nigella seeds, and dill seeds.

Can I make rye bread without caraway seeds?

Although caraway seeds are a vital ingredient of rye bread, you can remove caraway seeds to suit your taste. In case you need some substitutes for consideration, go for fennel seeds, anise seeds, and star anise.

Are caraway seeds the same as ajwain?

No, they do not. Caraway seeds are widely used in Middle-Eastern, African, and European dishes, whereas ajwain appears mainly in South Asian cuisine. Also, ajwain carries a thyme-like flavor, which is herbal and slightly bitter.

What can work well in place of caraway seeds in sauerkraut?

The best substitute for caraway seeds in sauerkraut is fennel seeds because they taste very similar to caraway seeds. On top of that, dill and anise seeds also work. But you should pay attention to the amount added because they are more pungent.

Further Tips To Have A More Successful Substitute Result

I have introduced to you the detailed information about caraway seeds and all of their suitable replacements. However, different recipes require different replacements. You should pay attention to the recipe you are cooking to choose the most appropriate alternative.

Besides, although I have suggested substituting, the amount needed for these replacements also depends on your recipe and eating habit. You can adjust to suit them. And because they are solid and intense, use them in moderation to not overwhelm the whole dish.

Which one of the caraway seed substitutes above you will use? Comment to let me know in the comment section below. Also, do not forget to like, share this article and allow the notification to not miss any fascinating upcoming post.