If you’re wanting to get that orangey twist to your bakes, but don’t have the time (or in my case, patience) to squeeze or zest an orange, then orange extract is perfect for you!
Orange extract is chock-full of flavor, convenient, and is a quick solution that’ll get you baking your favorite recipes in no time.
However, you’re going to want a proper and high-quality orange extract that meets your needs, because not just any old product will do…
So, let’s check out the best orange extract you can buy!
What is orange extract?
Simply, orange extract is a concentrated flavoring made from orange zest or oil. It’s made by steeping orange zest or orange oil in a solvent, usually alcohol, to extract the essential oils and flavors from the fruit. This liquid is then filtered and concentrated to create the orange extract.
It adds a citrusy punch to recipes, which is a great way to add some uniqueness to your bakes and beverages! However, a little goes a long way with orange extract, so use it sparingly.
Also, orange extract comes in both natural and artificial forms. Natural versions are taken from real oranges, while artificial versions contain synthetic flavor compounds – I’ve only included the natural ones in this list!
How to use orange extract in baking and cooking
You’re likely using orange extract as a substitute to fresh orange juice or orange zest, in which case you’ll want to check out this handy conversion chart:
| Orange extract is equivalent to… | 1 teaspoon |
| Fresh orange juice | 4 tablespoons |
| Orange zest | 1 teaspoon |
Basically, orange extract is 12 times as potent as fresh orange juice is! That means you need much less of it to get the same effect…but that also means you need to be quite particular with the measuring.
Since orange extract is so strong, you’ll want to make sure you get the exact measurement that’s called for in your recipe, otherwise you will be left with a very orangey final product if you add even a pinch too much.
On the flip side, it’s nice that you only need a very small amount of orange extract to get the same effect as when using WAY more fresh orange juice, which makes most recipes much more convenient.
2 great recipes to use your orange extract
Your mouth will water with this delicious recipe that uses orange extract: keto orange chicken!
This delicious recipe not only has a wonderful taste, but is also low in carbs – perfect for keto diets!
It’s made with gelatin and orange extract (although you could use orange essential oil or orange zest as well) to create a sticky sauce that covers deep fried chicken. In fact, it tastes exactly like takeout but without the extra carbs!
This recipe is also great because you can easily make it paleo-friendly by using raw honey, coconut sugar, maple syrup, or cane sugar instead of erythritol – the diet versatility is awesome!
The other great recipe is orange coconut creamsicles!
The recipe calls for orange zest, but you can easily make substitutions by using the conversion chart above (you’ll still want to use the orange juice this recipe calls for in this case so you’re mixing your flavors a bit). Plus, these are paleo-friendly and dairy-free, making it a summer treat that almost everyone can enjoy!
How to choose the best orange extract
If you want the best, you’ll need to use the right criteria. Here is the exact list of how we decide on ranking the brands:
- Ingredients: Ingredients make or break a product, so we want to keep it to the purest stuff: orange, water, and alcohol. We’ll avoid additives and artificial flavors, and prefer organic extracts over others.
- Consumer feedback: Reviews are king in this day and age, especially since bakers tend to be quite honest on what works or doesn’t work for them. I’ve looked into the feedback on each of these products to help me create this list.
- Track record: A brand’s track record tells a revealing story about their products, so I’ve looked into them to ensure that each one takes the most care in creating high-quality products consistently.
- Price: Orange extracts range in prices, so I’ve included options ranging from low to high dollar signs.
This will get you the best of the best, but I’ve also included the best orange extracts for organic options, best for gifting, kosher, etc., so that you can pick the one that suits your needs the most!
With that said, here are the rankings:
#1 Best Overall: Watkins
The Watkins brand has been in business since 1868, and has been making their products in the same factory for over 152 years! When a business is around for that long, they definitely know what they’re doing – as is very evident in their orange extract!
Watkins’ orange extract is completely natural, and has a delicious taste to it that’s hard to beat. It balances the boldness and citrusy taste of orange extract perfectly.
Their reviews are great and consistent, and they’ve won awards for this high-quality product. The price is in the middle of this list, but closer to the low side, which makes it an even more attractive option.
Plus, it’s made right here in the USA!
Ingredients: Alcohol, orange oil
#2 Best Organic: Flavorganics
Flavorganics is another brand that makes all their products in the USA, and has the USDA Organic badge associated with their orange extract.
They provide a delicious taste through purely natural ingredients, even using organic alcohol as their base.
Flavorganics is also competitively priced, being only slightly more expensive than the Watkins orange extract. Their ratings reflect the quality and care that Flavorganics puts into this orange extract, and you’ll have a tough time finding an organic version of it that balances taste, healthy ingredients, and price so well.
Ingredients: Organic Alcohol, Water, Organic Orange Oil
#3 Best Value: Spice Supreme
Spice Supreme offers a pack of 2 for 2 fluid ounce bottles at $6.99 – that’s only $1.75 per fluid ounce! You’ll be hard-pressed to find a deal like that for an orange extract that not only provides a strong, delicious taste, but is also kosher certified.
Also, click the button below and check out the 1000+ reviews that rave about how great this is – cheap doesn’t always mean low quality, and this orange extract clearly delivers!
The bold taste goes well in bakes, but it also goes great mixed into cocktails, added to marinades, or used in sauces and salad dressings.
Be sure to keep this one on your radar, as the value for the quality is amazing!
Ingredients: Alcohol, orange oil.
#4 Best Gift: Nielsen-Massey
I’m a sucker for packaging, and always make sure to get something unique and classy when I’m giving out gifts. That’s why Nielsen-Massey’s orange extract gets the “best gift” ranking here – their products come with a wonderful gift box that’ll make a great present for your favorite baker, but it’ll also give them an amazing orange extract that has one of the highest customer ratings on this list!
It comes in an 18, 4, and 2 fluid ounce options, so you have a wider variety of choice here.
All-in-all, this is a win-win product.
Ingredients: Cane alcohol, orange oil, water.
#5 Baker’s Favorite: Cook’s
I’ve been monitoring this orange extract from Cook’s for a while, and it’s been holding up a 4.8 out of 5 stars for a long time until it recently received a 1 star review, which brought it down to a 4.6 – and I’ll be honest, I believe this review was made with poor intentions, as it isn’t constructive or even really critical at all.
Taking that one review away from the many other amazing reviews, Cook’s has been a top orange extract amongst bakers for a while. It has a wonderful balance of flavors, and avoids the bitter aftertaste that some orange extracts suffer from. Plus, it’s non-GMO and gluten free, making it an even more attractive option for the health-conscious!
Ingredients: Alcohol, water, and orange oil
#6 Trusted Brand: McCormick
You’ve probably heard of this popular brand if you’ve been anywhere near spices and flavorings.
McCormick has given us a consistent and high-quality orange extract, which is expected from a company that operates across 170 countries and territories. They do some great work toward sustainable practices, and their orange extract is non-GMO, which is always a welcome characteristic.
You’ll be paying a bit more than some of these other brands, but that’s what happens when a big organization stands behind their products. However, McCormick orange extract will definitely get the job done for your orange extract needs.
Ingredients: Alcohol, water, and oil of orange.
#7 Honorable Mention: OliveNation
OliveNation has some great products available (including their orange extract) and hasn’t been around in the space as long as Watkins and McCormick. However, their orange extract is on par to a lot of the others on the list, but has limited shipping options which I found to be unfortunate. For example, they don’t ship to every country, and you’ll have to buy directly from their site if you’re from somewhere like Canada.
Amazon also only offers the 8 fluid ounce option, which is fine if you’re planning on using orange extract a fair amount, but could be too much if you just want it for a recipe here and there.
I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with this orange extract at all!
Ingredients: Alcohol, water, and terpeneless orange oil
#8 Honorable Mention: Angel Bake
Angel Bake orange extract is the most reviewed product on this entire list, so you can be sure that the great rating is accurate!
However, they use a 5-fold extraction process that makes the flavor a bit more intense than these others on the list, which could make using it a bit more tricky with less room for error – and there’s already such little room with orange extract!
It’s also one of the pricier orange extracts, coming in at $5.98 per fluid ounce – something to keep in mind!
So, if you’re up for an extra potent orange extract, Angel Bake’s may be for you!
Ingredients: 5-fold Valencia Orange (California), grain alcohol
#9 Honorable Mention: Happy Belly
Now, although Happy Belly orange extract is a good choice, it’s the most expensive option on this list – you’ll be dropping $6.39 for just one fluid ounce!
That being said, it comes in a one ounce bottle, which may be why it’s pricier. This sizing could be good or bad – you might be wanting to work with orange extract fairly consistently with several recipes or beverages, in which case I recommend looking at a different brand with bigger sizing options. Or, you might use orange extract rarely, for maybe one or two recipes that just require one fluid ounce – check your needs before buying!
Ingredients: Alcohol, orange oil.
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