The best cardamom substitute depends on what you are cooking, because the swap that works in buns is not the one that works in chai. Find your dish in the table, measure, and carry on. For the spice itself, start with our guide to what cardamom is.
| If you're making... | Instead of 1 tsp ground cardamom | Instead of 6 pods |
|---|---|---|
| Cakes and cookies | 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp nutmeg | 1/4 tsp cinnamon + 1/8 tsp nutmeg |
| Cardamom buns and sweet bread | 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp nutmeg + 1/2 tsp grated orange zest | 1/4 tsp cinnamon + 1/8 tsp nutmeg + 1/4 tsp grated orange zest |
| Chai | 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground ginger + a pinch of ground clove | A 5cm cinnamon stick + 1 clove + 2 slices of fresh ginger |
| Coffee | 1/2 tsp cinnamon + a pinch of nutmeg | 1/4 tsp cinnamon + a small pinch of nutmeg |
| Rice and curry | 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/8 tsp ground clove | A 5cm cinnamon stick + 2 cloves + 1 bay leaf |
| Spice blends | 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp ground coriander + a pinch of ground clove | 1/4 tsp cinnamon + 1/8 tsp ground coriander + a tiny pinch of ground clove |
What you're replacing
Green cardamom, the pod of Elettaria cardamomum, is sweet, floral and citrusy, with a cool, eucalyptus note. No single spice has all four, so a good substitute replaces the job cardamom does in your dish rather than the flavour itself.
That cool note comes mostly from 1,8-cineole, the same compound that gives eucalyptus its smell. None of the usual baking spices carries much of it, which is why every swap on this page tastes warmer and rounder than the real thing. The floral, citrus side is a little easier: orange or lemon zest gets part of the way there.
So ask what cardamom is doing in the recipe. In a cake or cookie it mostly adds warm sweetness, and cinnamon with nutmeg covers that well. In buns and custards it adds perfume, which is harder to replace. In chai and coffee it adds brightness that lifts the milk, so you want something with a bit of bite. Each note, and where it comes from, is explained in our guide to what cardamom tastes and smells like.
The best cardamom substitutes, ranked
Cinnamon with nutmeg is the best all-round substitute for cardamom, and the closest for baking. The others below are ranked by how well they stand in across most recipes, and each is used at less than the cardamom amount, because most are stronger.
1. Cinnamon and nutmeg (closest for baking)
Per teaspoon of ground cardamom: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Per 6 pods: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.
Cinnamon brings the warm sweetness and nutmeg rounds it out, so cakes, cookies and crumbles taste properly spiced rather than plain. What it misses is the floral lift and the cool finish. Best for cakes, muffins, cookies, fruit crumbles and sweet breads.
2. Cinnamon and ginger (warmth and a little bite)
Per teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Per 6 pods: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger, or a thin slice of fresh ginger in liquids.
Ginger is a relative of cardamom in the same plant family, and it shares a little of the citrusy warmth. It adds heat that cardamom does not have, so go easy. Best for chai, gingerbread-style bakes, poached fruit and spiced milk.
3. Cinnamon and clove (for chai, use clove sparingly)
Per teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/8 teaspoon ground clove. Per 6 pods: a 5cm piece of cinnamon stick and 1 or 2 whole cloves.
Clove is as strong as cardamom, and it gives chai and rice the aromatic depth that cinnamon alone lacks. It is also sharp and slightly numbing, so one clove too many takes over the pot. Best for chai, rice, curries and mulled drinks.
4. Allspice (the one-jar option)
Per teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon allspice. Per 6 pods: 1/4 teaspoon allspice, or 2 whole allspice berries in liquids.
Allspice tastes like cinnamon, clove and nutmeg at once, so a single jar covers cardamom's warmth. It is stronger and heavier than cardamom, and has nothing of its floral side. Best for cakes, cookies and savoury rubs when you only have one spice to hand.
5. Nutmeg alone
Per teaspoon: 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Per 6 pods: a pinch, about 1/8 teaspoon.
Nutmeg is sweet, warm and nutty, and good with milk and eggs. It has no citrus or cooling note, and it turns heavy and a little bitter in quantity. Best for custards, rice pudding and creamy bakes.
6. Pumpkin pie or apple pie spice
Per teaspoon: 3/4 teaspoon of the blend. Per 6 pods: a scant 1/2 teaspoon.
These ready-made blends are mostly cinnamon, with ginger, nutmeg and clove or allspice, so they already balance the warm spices for you. Check the label: some apple pie spice blends include cardamom, which makes them the best swap in the cupboard. Best for cakes, muffins, cookies and fruit bakes.
7. Citrus zest and cinnamon (for brightness)
Per teaspoon: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1 teaspoon finely grated orange or lemon zest. Per 6 pods: 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/2 teaspoon zest.
Zest brings back the citrus top note that every other swap misses, which matters in light, buttery bakes where cardamom is meant to be noticed. It will not survive a long simmer, so add it near the end in anything cooked on the hob. Best for sweet buns, shortbread, custards and glazes.
| Substitute | Per 1 tsp ground cardamom | Gets right | Misses | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinnamon + nutmeg | 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp | Warm sweetness | Floral and cool notes | Cakes, cookies, sweet bread |
| Cinnamon + ginger | 1/2 tsp + 1/4 tsp | Warmth, a little citrus | Floral note; adds heat | Chai, spiced milk, poached fruit |
| Cinnamon + clove | 1/2 tsp + 1/8 tsp | Strength, aromatic depth | Brightness; clove can dominate | Chai, rice, curries |
| Allspice | 1/2 tsp | Warmth in one jar | Floral and citrus notes; heavier | Cakes, cookies, rubs |
| Nutmeg | 1/4 tsp | Sweet warmth with dairy | Citrus and cool notes | Custards, rice pudding |
| Pumpkin or apple pie spice | 3/4 tsp | A balanced warm blend | Floral note, unless it contains cardamom | Cakes, muffins, fruit bakes |
| Citrus zest + cinnamon | 1 tsp zest + 1/2 tsp cinnamon | Brightness, citrus top note | Cool note; fades with long cooking | Buns, shortbread, glazes |
Cardamom substitutes by dish
The right cardamom replacement changes with the dish. Here is what to reach for in each, with amounts for a typical recipe.
Cakes, cookies and muffins
Use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg for every teaspoon of ground cardamom, whisked into the flour as the recipe says. Pumpkin or apple pie spice at 3/4 teaspoon works just as well. In a pale butter cake, add 1/2 teaspoon of grated orange zest with the butter for a little lift.
Cardamom buns and Nordic baking
Here cardamom is the whole point, so be honest with yourself: the result will be a lovely spiced bun, not a cardamom bun. For 1 teaspoon of cardamom in the dough, use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg and 1/2 teaspoon finely grated orange zest. Do the same in the butter filling. If you have any cardamom at all, even a few pods, grind them in and make up the rest with the swap.
Chai and tea
For a pan of chai that would take 6 cracked pods, simmer a 5cm piece of cinnamon stick, 1 clove and 2 thin slices of fresh ginger with the tea leaves. With ground spices only, use 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a small pinch of ground clove. Black peppercorns, a common chai spice, add some of the bite cardamom would have given.
Coffee and lattes
For a cardamom substitute in coffee, stir a pinch of cinnamon and a smaller pinch of nutmeg into the grounds before brewing, about 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon per pot. For a latte, warm the same in the milk. Arabic coffee is the exception: cardamom is its flavour, and no swap gives you the same drink.
Rice pudding and kheer
Simmer a small piece of cinnamon stick in the milk, then finish with a grating of nutmeg, roughly 1/8 teaspoon per litre of milk. A strip of orange peel in the milk while it cooks adds the brightness; lift it out before serving. If you have rose water, a few drops at the end bring back some of the perfume.
Rice, biryani and curries
In savoury dishes, cardamom is usually one of several whole spices, so it is the easiest place to substitute. For 6 green pods, use a 5cm cinnamon stick, 2 cloves and a bay leaf, fried in the oil at the start. Half a black cardamom pod also works here, as the next section explains.
Garam masala and spice blends
If a blend you are grinding calls for 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom, use 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander and a pinch of ground clove. Coriander seed is citrusy and gently floral, which covers some of what cardamom brings to a savoury mix.
Can you use black cardamom instead?
In sweet food, no. Black cardamom's smoke and camphor clash with sugar, butter and cream, and they make cakes, buns and chai taste medicinal.
In savoury rice and curries it can stand in. Use half a black pod for every 2 to 3 green pods the recipe asks for, cracked and fried in the oil at the start. The dish will be smokier and deeper than intended, which suits biryani, dal and meat curries better than delicate pilafs.
Black cardamom is a different plant from green, not a darker version of it. It is larger and is dried over wood fires, which is where the smoke comes from. The two are compared in our guide to black cardamom versus green cardamom, and if your problem is the other way round, see our guide to substitutes for black cardamom.
Swapping between pods, seeds and ground
Often you do have cardamom, just in the wrong form. Whole pods, loose seeds and ground cardamom all swap for each other, and any of them beats a substitute.
About 10 to 12 green pods make 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom, and the seeds from those pods make about 1 teaspoon of whole seeds. So a recipe asking for 6 pods needs roughly 1/2 teaspoon of ground cardamom.
| Pods | Seeds | Ground cardamom |
|---|---|---|
| 1 pod | 15 to 20 seeds | About 1/10 tsp, a generous pinch |
| 6 pods | About 1/2 tsp of seeds | About 1/2 tsp |
| 10 to 12 pods | About 1 tsp of seeds | 1 tsp |
Ground cardamom releases its flavour all at once, so add it later than you would add pods, and use a little less if your seeds are freshly ground. Our guide to ground cardamom and how much equals a pod has the full conversion table, and our guide to cracking and measuring cardamom pods covers the whole pod.
Can you just leave cardamom out?
In curries and rice, usually yes. In cardamom buns, chai or Arabic coffee, no: there, cardamom is the point of the recipe.
Savoury dishes tend to layer several spices, so losing one leaves the dish simpler but still balanced, especially if cinnamon, clove or bay are already in the pot. Sweet recipes built around cardamom have nothing else carrying the flavour. Leave it out of a cardamom bun and you have plain sweet bread; leave it out of kheer and you have sweetened rice and milk. In those, use a substitute from this page, or save the recipe for when you have green cardamom in.
A grower's note
We grow black cardamom in Sankhuwasabha, eastern Nepal, and the cool, eucalyptus-like note in a cracked pod is the smell of our work. It is the one part of cardamom that no swap on this page brings back.
That note comes from 1,8-cineole, which runs through both green and black cardamom. Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice carry far less of it, so a substitute can get the warmth right, and zest can get some of the brightness, but the finish always tastes rounder and heavier than the real thing. In our own milk tea, made with green cardamom as most Nepali households make it, a cinnamon swap tastes pleasant but noticeably flatter.
It is also why we keep cardamom as whole pods. The husk holds the aromatic oils in, and those cool, bright notes are the first to fade once the seeds are ground. A jar of whole pods keeps its flavour for a year or more, which means fewer evenings spent looking for a substitute at all.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best substitute for cardamom?
There is no exact match, so choose by dish. For cakes, cookies and buns, use cinnamon with a little nutmeg: about 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg for each teaspoon of ground cardamom. For chai, use cinnamon with a clove or some ginger. Add a little orange or lemon zest if the recipe relies on cardamom's brightness.
What can I use instead of cardamom in baking?
Cinnamon and nutmeg together are the closest swap in baking. For each teaspoon of ground cardamom, use about 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, and add 1/2 teaspoon of finely grated orange zest for some of the brightness. Allspice or pumpkin pie spice also work, used a little more sparingly. The bake will taste warmer and less floral.
What can I use instead of cardamom in chai?
Use cinnamon with clove or ginger. For a pan of chai that would take 6 cracked pods, simmer a 5cm piece of cinnamon stick, 1 clove and 2 thin slices of fresh ginger with the tea. With ground spices, use 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and a small pinch of ground clove. The chai will be warmer and less fragrant, but still good.
Can I use cinnamon instead of cardamom?
Yes, and it is the best single swap, but on its own it tastes woody and sweet rather than floral. Use about half as much cinnamon as the cardamom in the recipe, so 1/2 teaspoon for each teaspoon of ground cardamom. A little nutmeg, ginger or citrus zest alongside it brings the result closer to the original.
Can I use allspice instead of cardamom?
Yes, as a one-jar option. Allspice tastes of cinnamon, clove and nutmeg at once, so it covers cardamom's warmth but not its floral, cool note. It is strong, so use about 1/2 teaspoon of allspice for each teaspoon of ground cardamom, or less in delicate bakes, and taste before adding more.
Can I use black cardamom instead of green cardamom?
Not in sweet food. Black cardamom is dried over wood fires, and its smoke and camphor taste medicinal in cakes, chai and desserts. In savoury rice and curries it can stand in: use half a black pod for 2 to 3 green pods, and expect a smokier dish. It is a different plant, not a darker version of green cardamom.
What can I use instead of ground cardamom?
If you have whole green pods, grind the seeds: about 10 to 12 pods make 1 teaspoon. Without any cardamom, use about 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg for each teaspoon of ground cardamom in baking, or cinnamon with a pinch of clove in savoury dishes. Taste and adjust, since every substitute behaves a little differently.
How much substitute do I use for 1 teaspoon of cardamom?
Usually less than a teaspoon, because most substitutes are stronger or heavier. A good starting point is 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon plus 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or ground ginger. Use 3/4 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, 1/2 teaspoon of allspice, or 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg on its own. Then taste, and add more only if the dish needs it.
Can I leave cardamom out of a recipe?
Often, yes. In curries, biryani and most rice dishes, the result will be simpler but still good, especially if other whole spices are in the pot. In cardamom buns, chai, kheer or Arabic coffee, cardamom is the main flavour, so leaving it out changes the dish entirely. There, use a substitute or cook something else.
Sources
- Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plants of the World Online: Elettaria cardamomum
- Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems (2021): Essential oil profile diversity in cardamom accessions from southern India