21 Best Cooking Cognac Substitutes

Cognac is one of the greatest brandies available; it is matured for at least two years in wood barrels and takes its name from the region in which it is produced: Cognac, France.

It is manufactured from grapes and has a 40% alcohol concentration per bottle. Cognac, on the other hand, is not inexpensive; because to the tight manufacturing standards, a bottle of cognac might cost several hundred dollars.

If your recipe asks for cognac but your budget does not allow for it, or you just want to remove alcohol from the meal, here are some fantastic cognac replacements you may use at any time. We listed both alcoholic and nonalcoholic cognac replacements.

Best Cognac Alternatives – Alcoholic

If the presence of alcohol is not the reason you are seeking for a cognac replacement, there are various different alcoholic drinks that are a good substitute for cognac.

You may need to adjust the quantity of each replacement, but the end outcome will be fantastic.

1. Brandy

Since cognac is a form of brandy, brandy is a great substitute. Brandy may be synonymous with burned wine, yet it is a delicate and well-aged spirit. Brandy is an excellent replacement for cognac for creating drinks and steak or meat recipes.

Brandy, like cognac, has a somewhat sweet and fruity flavor. Instead, unless you want to be able to taste the different components of the meal or drink, you may use an unflavored brandy instead.

2. Whiskey

Whisky is an excellent alternative to cognac, albeit it is harsher and more acidic in flavor.

When replacing whiskey for cognac in a recipe, pay close attention to the measurements. Start with a little amount and experiment with the different tastes until you obtain the right taste.

3. Rum

Black rum is another fantastic cognac substitute. Rum, like whiskey, has a strong taste, so add a bit at a time to prevent spoiling your meal; this will give you the greatest results. Replace the cognac with roughly a third rum.

Since rum has a sweeter flavor than cognac, you may wish to alter the amount to your liking.

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4. Bourbon

Bourbon has a strong taste and is an excellent substitute for cognac. Just as with rum, a third of bourbon is required in lieu of the required quantity of cognac. It’s simple to get bourbon, but go for an unflavored kind.

Flavored Bourbon works well as well, although it may have a somewhat sweeter flavor than anticipated from cognac. To help lessen the harshness of vanilla bourbon, add a dash of vanilla extract or brown sugar to the spirit.

5. Sherry

Dry sherry is a fantastic and widely accessible substitute for cognac, but adding too sweet a component will damage the taste of the meal.

6. Armagnac

Armagnac is one of cognac’s closest relatives, which makes them both similar and distinct.

They use distinct distillation technologies yet have similar tastes. Unlike cognac, Armagnac is less expensive because to less manufacturing regulations.

7. Coffee Liqueur

A coffee liqueur is a good alternative for cognac when cooking desserts like tiramisu. This alcohol goes well with sweets and, like cognac, may add something very special to a meal.

8. Wine

Another fast and simple cognac alternative is wine. Since Cognac is created from grapes, wine is an excellent substitute. Therefore, proceed with care. Not all wines are the same, and you want to make the appropriate pick.

9. Red Wine

Red wine is a better cognac substitute than white wine when cooking with meat.

10. White Wine

White wine lends the ideal touch of fruity flavor to sweets and sauces.

11. Port

When substituting port for cognac, make sure it’s full-bodied and not overly sweet.

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Nonalcoholic Substitutes for Cognac

If you don’t want the alcohol in the meal, there are still methods to get that cognac taste. You may need to do some experimenting, but you will undoubtedly create something remarkable.

12. Fruit Juice

Fruit juices are far less expensive than cognac, are widely available, and come in a wide range of flavors. While you may use any taste, pear, apple, apricot, and peach juices work well as cognac alternatives.

Due to the extremely sweet flavor of fruit juice, you may need to lower the quantity of cognac required in half.

Fruit juice may be used in place of cognac in deglazing, desserts, sauces, and gravy. You may add some wine or cooking vinegar to the meal to provide some acidity.

13. Cooking wine + sugar

When alcoholic wine is placed into a pan and cooked, it loses most, if not all, of its alcohol content. Cooking wine may be used in place of cognac in gravy, deglazing, desserts, and even steak au poivre.

Replace one cup of cognac with two tablespoons of brown sugar and one cup of cooking wine. Cooking wine has a tart flavor, but it may be too sugary, so omit the brown sugar if the wine is sweet enough for you.

Cooking time may need to be increased to allow the taste to emerge.

14. Alcohol-Free Brandy

You may use alcohol-free brandy to get the same flavor integrity as cognac. They are widely available and can be obtained in most grocery shops, and they contain no alcohol.

15. Soy Or Worcestershire Sauce

This may seem unusual as a cognac substitute, but with a little experimenting, you can make it work in some meals.

Cognac Substitutes For Cooking

When replacing another wine for cognac in cooking, keep in mind that the appropriate substitution is determined by the dish. Some cognac substitutes work better in certain meals than others.

16. General Cooking

Bourbon, brandy, wine, and fruit juice are the greatest cognac substitutes for general cookery. They have comparable tastes and are widely available.

If you have the time, you may try out several of the choices given and see which one you like. You can be innovative and do big things.

Here are a few meals that call for cognac, as well as the best substitutes. These examples should help you determine which kind of substitutes work best with certain types of foods.

17. French Onion Soup

Soy and Worcestershire sauces are good cognac substitutes in French onion soup.

18. Gravy

Red and white wine, bourbon, brandy, and Armagnac are all acceptable alternatives for cognac in any gravy.

19. Steak au Poivre

To make a wonderful alternative for cognac in steak au poivre, combine lemon juice and rum. You may also use brandy.

20. Beef Bourguignon

When used as a cognac substitute, white or red wine, brandy, and sherry have comparable taste profiles to cognac and may bring out the flavors of the food.

21. Cocktails

Cognac may be substituted for sherry, wine, brandy, and fruit juices in cocktails. You may choose whichever drink appeals to you the most.

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