The best similar substitutes for peach schnapps are peach juice, peach puree, peach-flavored iced tea, peach soda, peach vodka, and apricot brandy. You can also add a combination of vodka or gin and syrup.
For cocktails or recipes, this type of peach-flavored iced tea will substitute nicely for peach schnapps as a non-alcoholic alternative. Otherwise, most types of brandy will suffice as a good alcoholic replacement.
The rest of the article will cover some ways you can substitute each option. I’ll offer some non-alcoholic options if you’re making drinks for children or simply staying away from alcohol and answer some questions you may have about schnapps in general.
1. Peach Juice
If you or your kids are fans of drinking juice and have peach juice in your pantry, this is the perfect non-alcohol peach schnapps substitute. Alternatively, if you’ve got a juicer and some fresh peaches at home, you can make your own peach juice.
Ideally, you should use peach juice made with real fruits and no added sugar. Freshly squeezed peach juice is inherently sweeter than peach schnapps. If your pre-packaged juice contains sugar, it will be too sweet, and you’ll need to figure out a way to cut the sweetness, such as adding additional alcohol.
2. Peach-Flavored Iced Tea
Another non-alcoholic option that is already present in many homes is peach-flavored iced tea. You can either buy a pre-packaged option or make your own.
No matter which option you choose, ensure your iced tea has a sufficient amount of peach flavor to act as an effective substitute. Additionally, look for an option that doesn’t have much sugar. Like peach juice, peach-flavored iced tea tends to be sweeter than peach schnapps, so starting out with an option with less sugar reduces the amount you’ll need to adjust your cocktail recipe.
If you’re looking for peach-flavored iced tea to substitute for peach schnapps, I swear by this brand of cold-brewed iced tea. The peach flavor is very strong, and it comes unsweetened, allowing you to determine how much (if any) additional sweetener you want to add, making it a perfect addition to cocktails. You can even pick it up on Amazon.
3. Peach Puree
Peach puree is a great option if you’ve got fresh peaches and are looking for a homemade substitute for peach schnapps.
This is a relatively easy alternative to make. All you need to do is peel your peaches and remove the pits. Once that’s done, you can run the peaches through a food processor or blender until you achieve the right consistency, and you’re good to go.
Peach puree is a great option if you want a concentrated peach flavor. Because it’s made from real peaches and you easily make your own, giving you control over the quality of peaches used. You don’t have to worry about added ingredients affecting the final taste of your cocktail!
However, like most non-alcoholic peach schnapps substitutes, peach puree tends to be a sweeter ingredient. That said, as long as you don’t add any additional sugar, the difference in sweetness between peach schnapps and peach puree isn’t too stark, and you’ll likely be okay without adjusting the cocktail recipe to cut the additional sweetness.
Related 15 Best Substitutes For Alcoholic Beverages in Recipes.
4. Peach Soda
The final non-alcoholic option on this list, peach soda is a fizzy, peach-flavored, non-alcoholic drink that makes for an interesting substitute for peach schnapps.
The fizziness of the soda will give your drink an interesting dimension, while the peach flavor ensures your cocktail doesn’t taste much different. This substitute is particularly effective if you’re making non-alcoholic drinks for younger children–they’ll enjoy the sweetness and fizziness.
However, it can be less effective when substituting it for peach schnapps in a cocktail that includes other alcohols, like a Sex on the Beach. The sweetness of peach soda can be hard to counteract, and the flavor isn’t an exact match for peach schnapps. However, it will do as a substitute if you’re in a pinch.
5. Peach Vodka
Peach vodka is a good substitution for peach schnapps if you’re looking for both the alcohol and the peach flavor. As we’ll discuss below, vodka is generally a good substitute for schnapps.
The main difference between peach vodka and peach schnapps is the taste. High ABV schnapps (25%) and low ABV vodka (37.5%-40%), depending on the country) have a relatively similar alcohol content–at least similar enough that you won’t notice the difference immediately.
However, the added sugar makes schnapps much sweeter than peach vodka. So, be prepared to add sugar if you use peach vodka over schnapps. That said, if you prefer a subtler flavor, this is the perfect alternative.
Is Peach Schnapps Just Peach Vodka?
Peach schnapps is not the same as peach vodka. The two drinks have different ABVs, especially if your vodka is a high-ABV vodka, and peach schnapps is a much sweeter drink. Finally, peach schnapps is generally a liqueur, while vodka is a liquor.
6. Apricot Brandy
If you enjoy the fruitiness of peach schnapps but prefer a stronger, tarter kick, apricot brandy is a good substitute. Apricot and peach are both stone fruits, which is why they’re commonly substituted for each other in many recipes, not just cocktails.
Apricot brandy has about double the ABV that the strongest schnapps do (50% vs. 25%), but the tartness of the apricot tends to mask the flavor of the alcohol. That said, keep in mind that if you enjoy the sweetness of peach schnapps, you may have to add sugar to your cocktail to mimic the flavor.
7. Vodka/Gin With Syrup
If you can’t find a substitute that already has a peach (or apricot) flavor, an easy substitute you should be able to make at home is to use vodka or gin flavored with a peach syrup.
Peach syrups are generally liquid left behind in canned peaches. These are extremely sweet, and you likely won’t need more than a few drops to get the taste you’re looking for.
The vodka/gin serves as a substitute for the alcohol portion of schnapps, and this combination can be used to substitute for most flavored schnapps. All you have to do is change up the syrup you use.
As mentioned above, vodka is stronger than schnapps. Gin has a similar ABV to vodka. However, it also has an herbal, pine-based taste, while vodka is flavorless. Though both drinks are subtler than schnapps, the addition of the syrup makes up for the difference in sugar content between the two.
Best Non-Alcoholic Substitute for Peach Schnapps
The best non-alcoholic substitute for peach schnapps is homemade peach juice or peach-flavored iced tea. Peach-flavored iced tea is available in an unsweetened variety, and you have control over how much sugar goes into your homemade peach juice.
Most commercially available non-alcoholic substitutes for peach schnapps are too sweet, requiring you to adjust the cocktail recipe.
While unsweetened peach-flavored iced tea and homemade peach juice are both sweeter than peach schnapps as well, the difference in sweetness is much less as compared to store-bought peach juice, sweetened peach-flavored iced tea, or peach soda. Though peach puree isn’t sweetened, the difference in texture means that not everyone enjoys it as a substitute.
Can Triple Sec Be Substituted for Peach Schnapps?
You can substitute triple sec for peach schnapps. Both alcohols are sweet and fruity, making triple sec a good substitution option. However, triple sec is not as sweet as peach schnapps and is made with citrus fruits rather than peach, so the flavor profile is different.
Ultimately, it depends on what you’re looking for in a liqueur. Triple sec isn’t a good alternative if you want something sweet and peach-flavored. However, if you’re simply looking for something fruity and don’t mind a liqueur that is sweet, but not as sweet as schnapps, then triple sec makes for a great substitute.
Can You Substitute Vodka for Schnapps?
You can substitute vodka for schnapps. However, vodka has a higher alcohol content (ABV) than schnapps and lower sugar content, which makes it a subtler alcoholic drink.
Some people prefer the added sweetness of schnapps, and others choose it for its low ABV. For those people, vodka would not be a suitable substitute on its own. You would either need to dilute the alcohol with water or add sugar for sweetness, depending on why you prefer schnapps.
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For more, don’t miss The 16 Best Substitutes for Rum in a Recipe or Mixer.
Anne James has a wealth of experience in a wide array of interests and is an expert in quilting, cooking, gardening, camping, mixing drinks (worked as a professional bartender), and making jelly.
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