Yeast extract rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 10 recipes to cook with it.

What is yeast extract?

Yeast extract is a thick, dark, savory paste made from spent brewer's or baker's yeast. Marmite and Vegemite are the famous names, but the plain ingredient also turns up in stock cubes and gravy granules, and in many a vegetarian recipe as a flavor booster.

The flavor is pure umami: deep and meaty in a salty way, almost like the bottom of a good roasting pan, with a faint bitter edge. That savory punch comes from naturally occurring glutamates, the same compounds that make aged cheese and soy sauce taste so satisfying.

It looks alarming and tastes intense straight from the jar.

In a dish, though, a tiny amount disappears into the background and makes everything around it taste rounder and more savory.

How to Use Yeast Extract

Think of yeast extract as a seasoning, not an ingredient you build a dish around. Half a teaspoon stirred into a pot of soup or a gravy adds a savory depth that is hard to place.

The same trick works in a stew or a pan of caramelized onions: easy to miss once it is gone, but unmistakable once you know to look for it.

It does its best work in meatless cooking, where it stands in for the savory backbone that meat usually provides. A Walnut & Mushroom Roast and Peanut Burgers both lean on it to taste fuller and more satisfying.

It also seasons hearty vegetable dishes like Harvest Hot Pot and rounds out a Chunky Leek & Potato Soup.

Stir it in late and off direct high heat. Dissolve it in a splash of hot cooking liquid first so it does not sit in a stubborn lump, then taste before adding salt, since the extract is already very salty.

Bakers use it too. A small spoonful in a savory loaf, like a Seeded Multigrain Boule, deepens the flavor of the crust and crumb. And of course there is the classic: a thin scrape on hot buttered toast.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Yeast extract loves the company of mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, lentils, root vegetables, and beef. It deepens a beef gravy or a mushroom risotto, and it gives vegetarian stocks the savory weight they often lack.

The biggest mistake is using too much. This is a "less is more" ingredient, and a heavy hand turns a dish bitter and overwhelmingly salty. Start with a quarter to half a teaspoon for a whole pot and build up.

The second mistake is forgetting how salty it is. Always add yeast extract before you finish salting, then taste; many dishes need little or no extra salt once it is in.

Substitutes

For depth in a cooked dish, soy sauce or tamari is the easiest swap, bringing similar salty umami in liquid form. Reduce other liquid slightly to account for it, and note the flavor leans toward fermented soy rather than toasty yeast.

Miso paste is another strong option, especially in soups and braises, with its own savory funk. Worcestershire sauce works in gravies and stews if the dish is not vegetarian, since it contains anchovy.

Nutritional yeast is not the same thing and does not melt into a savory base the way the paste does. It is dry and flaky, milder, with a cheesy, nutty taste, made from deactivated yeast that was never extracted.

Use nutritional yeast for finishing, sprinkled on top, rather than as a one-to-one swap for the deep background depth the paste gives from within a dish.

Buying and Storing Yeast Extract

You will find yeast extract in jars in the spreads or international aisle of most supermarkets, and reliably anywhere British or Australian foods are sold.

Marmite, Vegemite, and Bovril are common brands, each with its own balance of salt and bitterness, so it is worth tasting a couple to find your preference.

A jar lasts an extremely long time. The high salt content makes it shelf-stable, and a little goes so far that one jar can outlast a year of regular cooking.

Store it in the cupboard with the lid on tight. It does not need refrigeration, though the fridge does no harm. The main enemy is moisture, so always use a dry spoon, and if the paste near the top dries or darkens, just scrape past it.

Quick facts

In Chinese

酵母抽提物

British (UK) term

Yeast extract

en français

extrait de levure

en español

extracto de levadura

Recipes using yeast extract

There are 10 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 10 recipes