Bay Leaf substitutes
Out of bay leaf? Here are the best substitutes — what to reach for, why it works, and how much to use. Dried thyme is the top pick.
- 01Dried thymebest pick
Adds a similar subtle background herb note.
1/4 tsp per leaf
- 02Dried oregano
Mediterranean depth in simmered dishes.
1/4 tsp per leaf
- 03Boldo leaf
Similar aromatic leaf used the same way.
1:1
Cooking with bay leaf?
Paste your recipe into Mise — we'll find every ingredient as a real product you can buy, and swap the ones you can't, like bay leaf, for the closest match in stock.
Turn a recipe into a basket →How we choose these
These are tested kitchen substitutes, chosen for matching flavor, texture, and role — with ratios so the swap actually works. Taste as you go; substitutes shift intensity, not just flavor.
Flavor data: Epicure (Radzikowski & Chen, 2026), arXiv:2605.22391, CC-BY-4.0.
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