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 is a good substitute 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.

Is balsamic vinegar like apple cider vinegar? ›

It is less acidic and is sweeter than Apple Cider Vinegar. The micronutrients found here are mainly from grapes. The calories in both vinegars come from carbohydrates in the form of natural sugars that occur in the fruit juices that the vinegars are produced from.

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.

What is a substitute for apple cider vinegar in bone broth? ›

Then add apple cider vinegar, which is added primarily because the acidity breaks down the collagen and makes it more abundant in the broth. You can also sub lemon juice, but we prefer apple cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cover. Cook for at least 10-12 hours, or until reduced by 1/3 to 1/2.

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.

Are other vinegars as good as apple cider vinegar? ›

Why is apple cider vinegar better than normal vinegar? Raw, organic, non-GMO, unfiltered apple cider vinegar contains probiotics and enzymes, which offer various health benefits. In contrast, distilled white vinegar doesn't contain probiotic bacteria or enzymes.

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.

Is apple cider vinegar better than red wine vinegar? ›

The question of which vinegar is better for you is difficult to answer because both red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar have different health advantages. Apple cider vinegar may help with blood sugar regulation and digestion, while red wine vinegar may contain antioxidants from grapes.

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 or take apple cider vinegar pills? ›

Is it better taken in liquid form or as a pill / capsule? The answer is that apple cider vinegar can be as effective in either form as long as the capsules contain what they say they do (look for a reputable source as the amount of the active components they contain will vary from brand to brand).

Can apple cider vinegar clean out your liver? ›

When it comes to home remedies, apple cider vinegar is a preferred choice since it has amazing detoxification properties. Apple Cider Vinegar works by helping the liver flush out the toxins that can interfere with the body's normal functioning.

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

White vinegar

Ideally, you'd use another type of vinegar to replace ACV as they also contain acetic acid. White vinegar makes a great replacement for apple cider vinegar as it has a neutral flavour profile.

What should you not put in bone broth? ›

However, do not add onions, carrots, celery or herbs to your initial pot of simmering bone broth. Instead, enjoy the pure, rich flavor that comes from just the bones, fat, connective tissue and any small amount of meat that may still be on the bones; it is not something that needs or wants amending.

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 white vinegar and apple cider vinegar interchangeable? ›

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!

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.

What to use instead of apple cider vinegar for fruit flies? ›

Do you need apple cider vinegar for a fruit fly trap? You can make a homemade fruit fly trap without apple cider vinegar. We find that apple cider vinegar works best, but you can substitute beer, wine, fruit juice, or a piece of old fruit like banana or apple. Fruit flies are attracted to any fermented smell.

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