Substitute for Rose Water

Rose water is the fragrant water left after distilling rose petals: it adds aroma, almost no flavor, and a negligible amount of liquid. Recipes use it by the teaspoon to perfume syrups, puddings, pastries and drinks. A substitute therefore needs to supply scent at a similar intensity, and nothing else in the recipe has to change.

Syrups and soaked pastries

Baklava, basbousa, gulab jamun and knafeh are finished with a sugar syrup scented with rose or orange blossom. Orange blossom water replaces rose water at the same amount and is traditional in many of these pastries anyway. Add it after the syrup comes off the heat; boiling drives off the aroma.

Cakes, cookies and frostings

In batters and doughs, some aroma escapes during baking, so a stronger flavoring holds up better. Rose extract keeps a rose identity at a quarter of the amount. If the rose note is just one part of a pistachio or almond cake, almond extract at a quarter gives a different but well-matched fragrance. In buttercream and glazes, which are not cooked, add either a drop at a time.

Drinks and cold desserts

Lassi, lemonade, sherbet, malabi and rice pudding take rose water raw, which shows its scent most clearly. A homemade rose petal infusion keeps the real rose taste. Stir it in after the pudding has cooled slightly, and adjust by taste.

When not to substitute

Turkish delight (lokum), Persian faloodeh and rose-flavored lassi are defined by rose. Orange blossom makes a pleasant but different sweet, and almond extract makes another thing again. If rose is the named flavor, use extract or a petal infusion.

Vanilla extract is sometimes suggested as a swap, but it adds no floral note at all; it only makes a rose dessert taste like a vanilla one. Leaving the rose water out is often better than replacing it with vanilla.

Common mistakes

• Using rose extract at the same amount as rose water. The concentrate makes the whole dish taste perfumed and soapy.
• Boiling the flower water with the syrup. The aroma evaporates and only sweetness remains.
• Using non-culinary rose products. Rose water sold for cosmetics or florist petals can contain additives or pesticides; buy food-grade.
• Substituting rose syrup teaspoon for teaspoon. It adds sugar and pink color without much fragrance at that dose.