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Fennel Seed Substitutes, Ranked by the Job Fennel Is Doing

By · Reviewed · 11 sources

Fennel Seed Substitute

Out of fennel seed? Anise seed is the closest match, since both get their licorice note from the same compound, anethole. It’s stronger, though, so start with half to three quarters as much. In bread or a savory bake, caraway does a similar job with less sweetness, and in a broth, a whole star anise works and fishes out easily before serving. Expect the anise swap to show most in a dish where fennel is the star, like biscotti.

Quick answer

What fennel seed is doingBest substituteStarting amount, per 1 part fennel seedTreatment
Sweet anise note (Italian sausage, tomato sauce, biscotti)Anise seed1/2 to 3/4 part, then add to tasteAttributed
Seed flavor in bread, slaw or a baked pastaCaraway seed1 partAttributed
One of several warm spices in a curryCumin and celery seed, mixedEqual total volume, then adjustAttributed
Steeped in a broth, braise or syrupWhole star aniseAbout 1 star per teaspoon of fennel, removed before servingMethod

How the ratios on this page are labeled

  • Computed: based on a measurable physical relationship.
  • Attributed: a named source publishes this ratio. We quote it as theirs.
  • Disputed: named sources give different answers to the same swap. You get each one, side by side.
  • Method: our starting point, based on how the two compare. Taste and adjust.

The only fennel-seed ratios we could attribute come from one merchant, The Spice House. They’re rules of thumb.

Why the anise-flavored substitutes work, and where they fall short

Fennel, anise seed and star anise get their licorice note from the same compound. America’s Test Kitchen (ATK) traces the licorice flavor of all three to high levels of trans-anethole, but each comes from a different plant with its own secondary compounds. When ATK swapped them in recipes, tasters noticed.1 So a substitute will get you close, but expect tasters to notice.

If fennel is a sweet anise note

This is fennel in Italian sausage, tomato sauces, pork, and sweet baking.

1. Anise seed

Fennel and anise fruits are often confused and swapped for each other, though up close anise is the smaller seed. Anise has more anethole of the two, and The Spice House calls it closer in flavor to fennel but stronger.2

Ratio (Attributed): The Spice House says to start with half to three quarters of the fennel amount and adjust to taste.2 Use it whole or ground, to match the recipe.

ATK found the difference harder to notice in a dish with lots of other spices, like Italian sausage meatballs, and easy to spot in biscotti.1 So anise is a safer swap in a sausage or sauce than in a cookie where fennel is the star.

If you have ground fennel but the recipe wants seed, or the reverse

You don’t need a substitute at all, just a conversion.

Ratio (Computed): McCormick’s conversion is 1 teaspoon fennel seeds to 1 1/4 teaspoons ground fennel.3 That’s a volume figure for grinding, not a measure of strength.

If fennel is seed flavor in bread or a savory bake

Caraway seed

Caraway smells a bit like anise and tastes warm and slightly sharp. Its oil is different, though, and isn’t led by anethole. The Spice House says caraway does a similar job in lasagna but isn’t as sweet as fennel.2 Expect a rye-bread flavor with a hint of anise.

Ratio (Attributed): The Spice House says to use caraway 1 to 1.2

Dill seed

Dill seed’s flavor is warm and slightly sharp, somewhat like caraway. The Spice House says dill seeds give lasagna a similar texture but without the strong licorice or anise flavor.2 Reach for it where fennel is mostly texture and background.

Ratio (Method): Start with an equal amount and expect less sweetness. To bring back some anise, The Spice House suggests a small pinch of crushed anise seed.2

If fennel is one of several spices in a curry

In a curry or spice blend, fennel adds sweetness and aroma alongside other warm spices.

Cumin and celery seed

The Spice House suggests cumin and celery seed together for a curry, saying they bring a similar aroma and sweetness.2 Neither has fennel’s anethole, so this fixes the blend as a whole. It suits dishes where fennel is one note among many.

Ratio (Attributed): The Spice House says to start with an equal total volume to the fennel called for and adjust.2

If fennel is steeped in a liquid

Whole star anise

Star anise oil is mostly trans-anethole, with an anise-like smell and sweet flavor. A whole star is easy to fish out of a broth or poaching liquid.

Ratio (Method): The Spice House says star anise is stronger than anise seed and that 1/2 teaspoon of anise seed replaces one whole star.4 Put that together with its advice that anise is stronger than fennel,2 and one star should stand in for somewhat more than 1/2 teaspoon of fennel. Start with one star per teaspoon of fennel seed, taste as it simmers, and take it out before serving.

If you only have ground star anise, McCormick’s conversion is 1 whole star = 1/2 teaspoon ground.3

Other options

Chinese five-spice powder. Fennel seed is itself one of the five spices, with cassia, cloves, star anise and Sichuan pepper. The cassia and cloves will change the dish. Ratio: start with half the fennel amount, and only where those flavors fit.

Fennel fronds or bulb. Both herb fennel and bulb fennel have an anise or licorice flavor. Chopped fronds can add a fresh fennel note to a finished dish, but they’re a leafy herb, not a seed. Ratio: add to taste at the end.

Anise liqueur. The Spice House says Pernod or anise liqueur adds licorice brightness and suggests starting with a teaspoon.2 It brings alcohol and sugar, so save it for sauces and braises with enough liquid to cook it off.

Licorice root. Anise’s flavor is often confused with licorice, and anise oil is traditionally used with licorice in candy.5 We found no credible source giving an amount for using licorice root in place of fennel seed.

What isn’t known

  • Anethole content varies with the type of fennel and the sample. Bitter fennel tastes pungent and camphor-like,6 and labels rarely say which type is in the jar.

Footnotes

  1. Andrew Janjigian, “Why Anise Seed, Fennel Seed, and Star Anise aren’t Interchangeable”, America’s Test Kitchen, 2020. americastestkitchen.com · Publication ↩ ↩2

  2. “12 Best Fennel Substitutes”, The Spice House, 2018. thespicehouse.com · Merchant ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  3. “How to Grind Your Own Spices”, McCormick. mccormick.com · Merchant ↩ ↩2

  4. “Star Anise Substitute”, The Spice House, 2018. thespicehouse.com · Merchant ↩

  5. L.B. Cardenas and C.C. de Guzman, Pimpinella anisum, PROSEA. uses.plantnet-project.org · Reference work ↩

  6. Purwaningsih, Harmida and M. Brink, Foeniculum vulgare, Plant Resources of South-East Asia (PROSEA). uses.plantnet-project.org · Reference work ↩

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