Where Can You Purchase Watkins Butternut Flavoring?

As of 2015, J.R. Watkins’ official website does not list butternut extract as one of its products, and several web-based distributors of Watkins products confirm that the company no longer makes butternut extract. Other spice companies, including McCormick, Faerie’s Finest Flavors and LorAnn produce natural and imitation vanilla butternut flavorings.

J.R. Watkins is a manufacturer of gourmet cooking extracts as well as body and home care products containing natural plant extracts. Watkins’ Butternut Extract is a popular flavoring used to provide a concentrated buttery flavor in cakes, cookies and other baked goods. However, this extract is not listed in Watkins’ web-based catalog as of June 2015. One web-based Independent Watkins Consultant, Melody Thacker, indicates that the flavoring is no longer available because of a fungal blight that affects the health of butternut trees, limiting the availability of the nut.

Several other spice companies, including McCormick and Faerie’s Finest Flavors, make a vanilla version of the butternut extract that contains artificial butternut flavoring. These companies also carry all-natural nut extracts, including black walnut, almond and hazelnut extracts, that can serve as substitutes for butternut extract. Adams, a company that also produces plant-based extracts, recommends substituting a mixture of one-third butter flavor, vanilla and almond extracts for butternut extract.