The 5 Best Substitutes for Apple Cider Vinegar (2024)

Apple cider is a pantry staple enjoyed in cooking, baking, and preserving. Whether you make your favorite salad dressing, a delicious baked apple pie, or a recipe that calls for this golden yellow, fruity-flavored cider, don’t feel stuck when you don’t have any on hand.

You can still bring your favorite dishes to life with some suitable replacements. We have come up with five best substitutes for apple cider vinegar; scroll on to see if you have any of these easy swaps.

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What Is Apple Cider Vinegar?

Apple cider vinegar is made from apple juice, yeast, and sugar. The vinegar is produced with a two-step fermentation, where food processors first add yeast to ferment the sugars in the apple juice to an alcohol. The apple juice alcohol is then fermented to form acetic acid, also known as vinegar.

What Does Apple Cider Taste Like?

Apple cider vinegar has a sharp and vinegary taste. The tartness and sourness of the cider also offer the subtle sweetness of apples.

Uses of Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar is a popular ingredient often used to brighten the flavor of dishes. When used in homemade salad dressings, this golden liquid offers a bold flavor without overpowering the fresh earthiness of your greens.

Apple cider vinegar is also a main ingredient in making glazes and sauces like barbecue sauces, where the fruity-flavored cider offers sweetness and caramelizes in heat.

The sweetness from apple cider vinegar also amplifies the overall taste of the main ingredient, making it a good option for pickling, adding the finishing touch to dishes, roasting vegetables, making apple butter, and more.

In beverages, apple cider vinegar also lends well to switchels, shrubs, ciders, tonics, and turmeric teas.

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Apple Cider Vinegar Substitutes

If you find yourself without apple cider vinegar and yet you don’t want to make a trip to the grocery store, there are six pantry staples that you can use to replace apple cider vinegar:

White Wine Vinegar

White wine vinegar is another good alternative to apple cider vinegar because of their similar acidity profiles. White wine vinegar offers a relatively neutral flavor that lacks the subtle fruitiness of apple cider vinegar. Add ¼ teaspoon of citrus fruit juice for every tablespoon of white wine vinegar used to mimic the fruitiness for vinaigrettes and salad dressings.

Use a 1:1 ratio of white wine vinegar to apple cider vinegar.

Rice Wine Vinegar

Rice wine vinegar (aka rice vinegar) has a slightly tangy and acidic flavor. Like white wine vinegar, it doesn’t have the fruitiness. Still, you can also ¼ teaspoon of citrus fruit juice or table sugar for every tablespoon of rice wine vinegar to replace apple cider vinegar.

Rice wine vinegar will be an excellent option to replace apple cider vinegar in stir-fries, rice dishes, and soups. Use a 1:1 ratio of rice wine vinegar to apple cider vinegar.

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Balsamic Vinegar

Balsamic vinegar is the next best substitute for apple cider vinegar, especially in making vinaigrettes and dressings. However, balsamic vinegar can also replace apple cider vinegar in entrees to balance the savoriness of meat, poultry, fish, slaws, and roasted veggies.

Because balsamic vinaigrette is made with fermented grape juice, it is fruitier and sweeter than apple cider vinegar. Balsamic vinegar also has a darker color than apple cider. If color isn’t a concern, balsamic vinegar is a forerunner for substituting apple cider vinegar.

Use a 1:1 ratio of balsamic vinegar to apple cider vinegar.

Lemon Juice

Freshly squeezed lemon juice or pre-squeezed or bottled lemon juice can be an easy substitute for apple cider vinegar, especially for salad dressings and marinades, as lemon juice and apple cider vinegar are both fruity and acidic.

Use a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to apple cider vinegar.

Lime Juice

Fresh or pre-squeezed lime juice can replace apple cider vinegar in salad dressings and marinades like lemon juice. Keep in mind that lime juice has a bolder flavor than lemon juice—start with a 1/2 to 1 ratio as a taste test and adjust to a 1:1 ratio depending on your taste preference.

Related:

  • 15 Ways to Cook With Apple Cider Vinegar
  • The 6 Best Rice Vinegar Substitutes
  • Best Main Dish Recipes That Get a Kick from Vinegar
The 5 Best Substitutes for Apple Cider Vinegar (2024)

FAQs

The 5 Best Substitutes for Apple Cider Vinegar? ›

Freshly squeezed lemon juice or pre-squeezed or bottled lemon juice can be an easy substitute for apple cider vinegar, especially for salad dressings and marinades, as lemon juice and apple cider vinegar are both fruity and acidic. Use a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to apple cider vinegar.

What can be substituted for apple cider vinegar? ›

Freshly squeezed lemon juice or pre-squeezed or bottled lemon juice can be an easy substitute for apple cider vinegar, especially for salad dressings and marinades, as lemon juice and apple cider vinegar are both fruity and acidic. Use a 1:1 ratio of lemon juice to apple cider vinegar.

What is a good substitute for vinegar? ›

White vinegar substitute: If you need a different vinegar to substitute for white vinegar, use apple cider vinegar or malt vinegar. You could also swap in lemon or lime juice, depending on your recipe. When you're canning or pickling, there are no comparable substitutes.

What is stronger than apple cider vinegar? ›

White vinegar is stronger than apple cider with a higher percentage of acetic acid. Reach for apple cider vinegar when you want to add flavor to salad dressings and sauces. Choose distilled white vinegar when you want to pickle foods or add acidity without imparting any extra flavors.

Is balsamic vinegar like apple cider vinegar? ›

The micronutrients found in cider vinegar is mainly from apples. Apple Balsamic Vinegars are produced through the fermentation of crushed and cooked grapes, with an infusion of apple essence after the grape must is fermented into vinegar. It is less acidic and is sweeter than Apple Cider Vinegar.

What is a substitute for apple cider vinegar in coleslaw? ›

Distilled white vinegar is a great substitute for apple cider vinegar. Lemon Juice. I don't recommend making a substitution for the lemon juice.

What is a good substitute for apple cider vinegar for hair treatment? ›

You can also use white vinegar, and its smell dissipates more quickly than ACV, but neither lingers after rinsing and drying. If the smell really bothers you, trying adding a few drops of essential oil to the water-vinegar mix ahead of the "conditioning" step.

Which vinegar is best for health? ›

Research suggests that apple cider vinegar may have beneficial health properties, including antimicrobial and antioxidant effects. Apple cider vinegar is a popular home remedy. People have used it for centuries in cooking and natural medicine. It may have some health benefits.

Which vinegar is best for weight loss? ›

Proponents of apple cider vinegar claim that it has numerous health benefits and that drinking a small amount or taking a supplement before meals helps curb appetite and burn fat.

Is it better to drink apple cider vinegar at night or morning? ›

Aside from potentially lowering fasting blood sugar, drinking apple cider vinegar right before bed doesn't appear to make much of a difference in terms of its health benefits. To prevent adverse effects, it's best to enjoy it diluted or in a dressing and at least 2-3 hours before lying down.

Are other vinegars as good as apple cider vinegar? ›

Just note that apple cider vinegar has a slightly sweeter and fruitier flavor compared to the more neutral taste of white vinegar. So, the substitution may alter the taste of your recipe slightly. But for most dishes, the substitution should work just fine!

Can I use Worcestershire sauce instead of balsamic vinegar? ›

Worcestershire Sauce

As with soy sauce, you can always try adding a drizzle of lemon juice and sweetener to Worcestershire to help it replicate balsamic vinegar's flavor more closely.

What is real balsamic vinegar called? ›

Authentic balsamic vinegar, or “Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale”, can only be named as such if it has been certificated by either the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Modena or the Consorzio Tutela Aceto Balsamico di Reggio Emilia.

What does apple cider vinegar do in baking? ›

Vinegar helps with the rise of our baked goods

When vinegar reacts with baking soda, it creates carbon dioxide bubbles, which act as leavening agents. So as the batter bakes, these tiny bubbles expand, causing the cake to rise and giving it that light, airy texture we all love.

Are vinegar and apple cider vinegar interchangeable? ›

White vinegar and apple cider vinegar can often be used interchangeably in recipes, but apple cider vinegar has a milder, slightly fruity flavor, while white vinegar is more neutral and acidic.

How do I substitute apple juice for apple cider? ›

If you don't have apple cider, your go-to alternative can be apple juice. They have the closest flavor profile since they're both made from apples. Although, apple juice may be too sweet for some dishes since it's been processed and pasteurized. Substitute apple juice for apple cider in a 1:1 ratio.

What can I substitute for apple cider vinegar in barbecue sauce? ›

Whether you're using your barbecue sauce on pulled pork, ribs, chicken, or meatballs, a little apple cider vinegar can really improve the flavor. If you don't have any ACV on hand, red wine vinegar (made from fermented red wine) will do in a pinch.

References

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