Raspberries are delicious, there’s no denying that. They add a special touch to just about anything, being perfect for desserts, in yogurt, smoothies, bakes, drinks – it’s just an all-round great flavor!
Now, raspberry extract is one of the easiest and most convenient ways to add that raspberry zing without changing your dish’s texture – it’s also easier than squeezing out a ton of raspberries!
Raspberry extract is as versatile as the flavor itself is, working in bakes, drinks, cooking, and so much more! That being said, not all raspberry extracts are worth your time or money, which is why we’ve gone and tested a ton of them, and then ranked them according to which one’s we’d recommend for you to buy!
Let’s check them out!
What is raspberry extract?
Raspberry extract is a liquid that contains a powerful raspberry flavor. It’s made by putting raspberries in alcohol, which is usually unflavored vodka. The alcohol then draws out the flavor of the raspberries over a long period of time – right around 8 weeks!
Once the time has passed, the liquid is strained, leaving us with the absolutely delicious raspberry extract!
How to use raspberry extract in recipes
Raspberry extract contains the sweet and tart flavor of raspberries in a really concentrated form. This can be used to add the delicious flavor to basically anything you want!
You can add it to things like beverages (I love to drop some raspberry extract into a cold glass of sparkling water), bakes (think of the delicious raspberry flavor-infused waffles, cookies, and cakes you can make), yogurts, oatmeal, and so many more things!
If you want a unique way of using it, switch out the vanilla extract that a recipe calls for with raspberry extract to get a big flavor twist – just be mindful that it can create quite a different flavor.
Start flavoring beverages with about ½ to 1 teaspoon, and then add more as desired – be ready to experiment until you get a flavor that you like! For baking, try 1-3 teaspoons of raspberry extract in standard baking batches.
Another great way to use raspberry extract is to put a bit in dishes that use actual raspberries in order to enhance the flavor!
A little goes a long way, and you may have to play around a little until you get a flavor that you desire!
3 great recipes to use your raspberry extract
Try these delicious recipes with your raspberry extract to take your tastebuds on an amazing journey:
- Coconut milk berry smoothie: Raspberry extract is a great thing to pair with smoothies, and this specific one is absolutely delicious that really levels up with a bit of extra flavor! You can make it with actual raspberries and then drop in some raspberry extract to boost the flavor even more!
- Cinnamon tea: This one might seem like it’s coming from left field, but cinnamon and raspberry can be a wonderful flavor combination! It’s not for everyone (I personally like it), but try adding just a few drops of raspberry extract into this delicious cinnamon tea for a pop of fruity sweetness!
- Coconut berry bars: Coconut and berries just go so well together, and this recipe gives you lots of flexibility as to what kind of berries you use! I recommend trying raspberries, and then adding 1 teaspoon or so of raspberry extract for that extra bit of flavor!
How to choose the best raspberry extract
Finding the best-of-the-best raspberry extracts can seem like a daunting task – but don’t worry, we got you! All the research has already been done by us, and we’ve tested all we need to create a list of extracts that you’ll love! Here’s some of the criteria we used when making our rankings:
- Ingredients: Let’s skip the artificial stuff, as the best raspberry extracts use natural ingredients!
- Consumer feedback: If there are complaints about a product, we’ll know about it! Listening to customers lets us see each extract from a different perspective, helping us make a more well-rounded list!
- Track record: A brand shouldn’t have any shady practices or negative customer support, so we make sure to check out each one’s reputation!
- Price: Raspberry extracts can be affordable or more expensive – we’ve got all ranges of prices!
Let’s jump into the rankings!
#1 Best Overall: McCormick
The best overall raspberry extract is from McCormick!
These guys are no stranger to being at the top of the list, providing high-quality extracts consistently! In fact, odds are that you’ve heard of or even used McCormick’s stuff – they’re basically synonymous with “flavoring agents.”
Their raspberry extract is a wonderful representation of what real raspberries taste like, providing a highly concentrated extract that is the perfect addition to anything you want! It costs $3.38 per fluid ounce, and is extremely well reviewed – it has 4.7 out of 5 stars with over 32,000 reviews…that’s amazing!
Give this one a try, it’s wonderful!
Ingredients: Alcohol, Water, Natural Flavor (Including Raspberry Extract), & Citric Acid.
#2 Best Value: OliveNation
The best value raspberry extract goes to OliveNation!
OliveNation consistently makes wonderful extracts that boast bold and delicious flavors. Their raspberry extract is another home run, coming in a sugar-free package that may make it the best choice for some people!
It also has over 2000 reviews, and is well-rated. But, besides its amazing flavor and effectiveness, OliveNation raspberry extract only costs $1.12 per fluid ounce, which makes it the absolute best value!
Try it out!
Ingredients: Alcohol, Water, Red Raspberry Juice Concentrate, Glycerin, and Natural Flavors.
#3 Best In Bulk: Watkins
If you want a large amount of raspberry extract at once, Watkins has you covered!
They offer their delicious raspberry extract in a package of 6, with each being 2 fluid ounces for a total of 12 fluid ounces per purchase! This gives you a ton of wiggle room, as you can experiment with it to your heart’s content without running out anytime soon!
And Watkins raspberry extract is a really great one – Watkins has been in the game for over 150 years, and is a crowd favorite in the flavoring community. So, feel confident picking this one up!
Ingredients: Water, Alcohol, Citric acid, Natural flavors, Extractive of raspberry.
#4 Best Kosher: Happy Home
Happy Home takes the number 4 spot with their awesome raspberry extract!
This raspberry extract is kosher-certified, and comes from a small business that’s been perfecting their craft for over 90 years! You’ll enjoy a delicious raspberry extract that blends the sweet and tart flavors of raspberry well, and is made in the USA!
Give this one a shot!
Ingredients: Natural Flavors, Water, Alcohol, Propylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Benzoate (as a preservative).
#5 Honorable Mention: Native Vanilla
A special shoutout goes to Native Vanilla!
This brand has the wonderful goal of leaving a positive mark on the world by working with micro-farmers to create the most sustainable and energy-efficient processes and products possible!
Plus, their raspberry extract is really good, showing how amazing these guys are at taking care of the earth and making a delicious flavoring agent!
Support a great cause with this one!
Ingredients: Alcohol, water, raspberry juice concentrate, glycerin, and natural flavors.
#6 Honorable Mention: Silver Cloud Flavors
Another honorable mention goes out to Silver Cloud Flavors!
You might know these guys as Apex Flavors, and they’ve given us a solid raspberry extract here! They balanced the flavors really well, and it provides a good raspberry flavor that’ll take care of whatever you need it to!
It’s in the middle of the pack in terms of price, costing you $3.09 per fluid ounce. That’s pretty decent, and you get good value for the money!
Give them a try!
Ingredients: Alcohol, Water, Red Raspberry Juice Concentrate, Glycerin, and Natural Flavors.
#7 Honorable Mention: Vanilla Bean Kings
Vanilla Bean Kings get an honorable mention for their raspberry extract!
It’s an overall solid choice, doing exactly what it needs to: boosting your dishes with the delicious raspberry flavor! We like this brand as they consistently make solid flavoring agents, and their raspberry extract is also gluten-free, non-GMO, and crafted in the USA!
For the price of $3.75, it’s a good choice – it’s a little on the pricier side of average, and doesn’t do enough to let it rank higher. That being said, we think you’ll enjoy this one as it’s another great extract from Vanilla Bean Kings!
Ingredients: Propylene glycol, water and natural flavor.
#7 Best Keto: Dolce Foglia
If you need a raspberry extract that works with your keto diet, look no further than Dolce Foglia!
It’s an overall solid flavoring agent. It’s sugar-free, gluten-free, and alcohol-free, which makes this a little different than actual extracts which are made specifically with alcohol. However, it’s a good flavoring oil that’ll fit into your keto needs!
It’s the most expensive on this list, coming in at $7.48 per fluid ounce, so keep that in mind if you don’t specifically need a keto one.
Ingredients: Natural Flavoring.
Others we reviewed
We also reviewed Amoretti’s raspberry flavoring product, which is not a bad choice because it tastes bad…
Rather, it’s way too expensive for us to recommend it when there are many other more affordable (and generally better) options in the list above. It comes in at $16.96 per fluid ounce, which is over twice as expensive as the priciest on our list!
That said, we’re sure you’ll find a raspberry extract you love within those rankings!
Links on this page may be affiliate links, for which the site earns a small commission, but the price for you is the same
Leave a Comment