What is a good substitute for sassafras?

December 17, 2025 •

3 min read

In the 1960s, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned the use of sassafras oil as a food additive due to concerns over its carcinogenic compound, safrole. This regulatory action led many home cooks and commercial brewers to seek safe, alternative flavorings for traditional recipes like root beer and herbal tea.

Quick Summary

Safe and flavorful alternatives for sassafras include wintergreen, sarsaparilla, birch bark, and spicebush, which replicate its signature taste in recipes like root beer and tea.

Key Points

FDA Ban: Sassafras root bark and oil were banned by the FDA for use in food and beverages due to the presence of safrole, a carcinogenic compound.
Wintergreen is a Primary Substitute: Commercial root beer manufacturers primarily use wintergreen to replicate the cool, candy-like flavor of traditional root beer.
Sarsaparilla Offers an Earthy Flavor: Often confused with sassafras, sarsaparilla root provides a unique earthy and vanilla-like taste, and is frequently used in modern root beer blends.
Birch Bark is a Similar Alternative: Birch beer and root beer share similar flavor characteristics; birch bark can be used to add a slightly minty, robust note to homemade brews.
Okra is a Filé Powder Alternative: For gumbo, okra is the most common substitute for filé powder (made from sassafras leaves), providing similar thickening properties.
Custom Blending Replicates Complexity: Combining various spices like wintergreen, anise, ginger, and citrus peels is an effective way to approximate the complex profile of sassafras flavor.
Safrole-Free Extracts are Available: For those who want the pure sassafras taste, commercially produced, safrole-free extracts and syrups can be purchased.

Understanding the Need for a Sassafras Substitute

Traditional root beer and certain teas relied on the distinct flavor of sassafras root bark for centuries. However, this practice was halted in the 1960s by the FDA, which banned sassafras oil as a food additive. This decision was based on animal studies that linked safrole, a major component of sassafras oil, to liver cancer. The ban led to the modernization of classic root beer recipes, which now use a blend of spices and artificial flavorings to mimic the taste. While the FDA ban applies to the oil, wild-harvested sassafras root is also considered unsafe for consumption due to its safrole content. Safe, commercially available safrole-free sassafras extracts do exist, but many still prefer using natural, full-flavored substitutes.

Top Sassafras Substitutes for Brewing

For recreating the taste of homemade root beer or herbal tea, several ingredients offer similar flavor profiles, from spicy and warming notes to cool, candy-like essences. Experimenting with different combinations can help achieve the desired result.

Wintergreen

Often considered the closest commercial substitute for sassafras, wintergreen provides a cooling, candy-like flavor that is a hallmark of modern root beer.

Flavor Profile: Cool, minty, and slightly sweet.
Best For: Root beer, homemade sodas, and herbal teas. It captures the essential character without the safrole risk.

Sarsaparilla Root

Sarsaparilla is a different plant often confused with sassafras, and it provides an earthy, slightly vanilla-like flavor.

Flavor Profile: Earthy, rooty, with subtle vanilla undertones.
Best For: Blending with other spices to create a more complex, multi-dimensional root beer or herbal brew.

Birch Bark

Birch beer has long been a popular regional alternative to root beer, and birch bark offers a similar spicy and sweet flavor.

Flavor Profile: Sweet, slightly minty, with a creamy, robust quality.
Best For: Adding complexity and a smooth mouthfeel to homemade brews.

Spicebush

Native to North America, spicebush offers a flavor similar to sassafras, especially the twigs and berries.

Flavor Profile: Spicy and aromatic, with notes of allspice and pepper.
Best For: Homebrewers seeking a locally foraged, authentic alternative.

Crafting a Custom Sassafras Flavor Blend

Since no single ingredient perfectly replicates sassafras, combining spices can achieve a balanced, flavorful result. A common approach is to layer different elements to build a complex, warm flavor.

For Warmth and Spice: Add ground cinnamon sticks, ginger root, and star anise.
For Freshness: Introduce orange or lemon peel, and a small amount of spearmint leaves.
For Sweetness and Body: Use a splash of vanilla extract or a bit of molasses.

Alternatives for Filé Powder in Gumbo

Unlike the root bark, sassafras leaves do not contain significant levels of safrole and are processed into filé powder, a common thickener for gumbo. However, if filé powder is unavailable, excellent substitutes can provide similar thickening and flavor.

Okra: This highly mucilaginous vegetable is the most common and classic substitute for filé powder. It adds a slightly different flavor but provides the desired thickening properties.
Roux: A traditional roux, made from flour and a fat like butter or oil, is another reliable thickener for gumbo. Many recipes call for both okra and roux.

Sassafras Substitute Comparison Table


Substitute	Flavor Profile	Best For	Pros	Cons
Wintergreen	Cool, minty, sweet	Root beer	Widely available, clean flavor	Can be overpowering if not balanced
Sarsaparilla Root	Earthy, subtle vanilla	Root beer blends	Provides authentic root beer notes	Distinctly different flavor than sassafras
Birch Bark	Sweet, slightly minty	Homemade brews	Adds authentic depth	Can be difficult to source
Spicebush	Spicy, aromatic	Foraged homebrews	Authentic, native flavor	Availability depends on region
Okra	Mild, vegetable-like	Gumbo	Excellent thickener	Flavor is different from filé powder
Safrole-Free Extract	Mild sassafras flavor	All uses	Safest way to get the flavor	Less robust than the original root bark

Conclusion

Finding a good substitute for sassafras is important for safely replicating traditional flavors in beverages and culinary dishes. Given the ban on safrole, the active compound in sassafras root bark, alternatives like wintergreen, birch bark, and sarsaparilla are now standard. For thickening gumbo, okra and roux are widely used in place of filé powder. By understanding the distinct flavor profiles of these substitutes and experimenting with blends, home cooks can continue to enjoy the nostalgic, complex taste of classic root beer and other regional specialties without compromising safety.

Reference

Mountain Rose Herbs: Offers a variety of ethically and sustainably sourced herbs for crafting homemade blends, including many sassafras alternatives like sarsaparilla and wintergreen.(https://mountainroseherbs.com/)

Frequently Asked Questions

Sassafras was banned by the FDA in the 1960s because its root bark contains high concentrations of safrole, a compound that caused liver cancer in lab animals when tested.

No, filé powder, which is made from dried and powdered sassafras leaves, is considered safe for consumption because the leaves do not contain significant levels of safrole.

Yes, you can purchase commercially available safrole-free sassafras syrups and extracts that have had the harmful compound removed during processing.

While both are roots used in traditional root beer, sassafras has a spicy, warming quality, whereas sarsaparilla has a different, earthier flavor with subtle notes of vanilla.

Wintergreen is often the best single substitute for replicating the classic, candy-like and cooling flavor that many associate with root beer.

The most common and effective substitutes for filé powder in gumbo are okra or a traditional flour-and-fat roux.

Yes, blending is an excellent approach. Combining wintergreen with spices like star anise, cinnamon, vanilla, and orange peel can achieve a complex flavor profile similar to sassafras.