Apple Cider Substitute

When you hear 'apple cider,' your mind may go to cool fall or winter nights and the warm taste of this delicious drink. Often paired with mulling spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, apple cider is the perfect flavor for the holidays.

While apple cider is wonderful to enjoy on its own, it can also be used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. It's used in cooking ribs and pork chops, salad dressings, marinades, and baked goods (my apple cider donuts, for instance). So you never know when one of these substitutes will come in handy.

1. Apple Juice

If you want the same apple flavor, then apple juice is the best replacement for apple cider. While apple juice is made from juicing apples and apple cider is made from pressing apples, they have a very close flavor profile.

While apple cider is served hot, apple juice is traditionally served cold. However, this will not affect your recipe.

Since apple juice can be heated up it makes an easy (and often less expensive) substitute for apple cider. I recommend unsweetened apple juice because this will offer a closer level of sweetness.

Apple juice can be used in a 1:1 ratio for apple cider in any recipe.

2. Hard Cider

If your goal is a drink that tastes like apple cider, consider taking the adult beverage route and using a hard cider. Hard ciders are essentially cold apple cider that contains alcohol.

Most hard cider brands have a distinctive apple flavor and are made by fermenting apples (or other fruit like pears). However, depending on the brand, they may be more or less sweet than regular cider. In addition, since cider is fermented, it will add some acidity to your recipe.

Using hard cider straight from the bottle will add alcohol to a recipe, but cooked recipes will cook it out.

3. Honey Cider

Depending on where you live, you may not be as familiar with honey cider as you are with apple cider. However, honey cider is quite close to apple cider, making it a great alternative.

This type of cider is also made with apples but is also made with honey (and sometimes honeycomb). Since it has an apple base, it will provide a similar flavor profile to apple cider.

Keep an eye out for it at the grocery store or a local farmer’s market and consider giving it a try if you haven't.

Due to its similar flavor, it can be used in a 1:1 ratio for apple cider in any recipe.

4. Lemon Juice

Lemon juice may seem like an interesting substitute for apple cider. However, the juice of lemon provides a lovely alternative to apple cider when cooking.

While it has a more acidic base than apple cider, the acidity can easily be balanced with the addition of a bit of sugar or honey. This makes for a nice alternative to apple cider in dressings and marinades.

Although lemon juice will work well in small quantities when cooking it will not provide an exact substitute in large quantities. Therefore, it is best used to replace apple cider in small measurements in recipes.

Use lemon juice in place of apple cider in a 1:1 ratio if the measurement is less than ¼ cup. If needed, add a sweetener of choice to taste. If you need more than a ¼ cup, then consider using apple juice instead.

5. Other Fruit Juices

While apple juice is the ideal substitute, you can use other fruit juices. As mentioned above, lemon juice can replace apple cider in many recipes. A handful of other fruit juices can work in certain recipes, too.

Lime Juice

If you have limes at home instead of lemons, you can use those in the same way. They will provide a similar acidity that lemons do, with a hint of fruit flavor. In addition, you can also add some sugar or honey to increase the sweetness.

Pineapple Juice

Pineapple juice has a distinctly different taste than apple cider but has a similar sweetness. While you cannot swap pineapple juice for a holiday apple cider drink, you can use it in cooking.

Pineapple juice is a great choice instead of apple cider when making ribs. It will add the same moisture and sweetness. You can use it in a 1:1 ratio.

Orange Juice

Another substitute that will work well for making ribs is orange juice. Like pineapple juice, it will provide a similar level of sweetness plus moisture. It can also be used in a 1:1 ratio.

In addition, orange juice may also work in small quantities for dressings and marinades.

6. White Wine

While white wine is not the ideal swap for apple cider it does have some similar fruity notes that can work in certain recipes. It is especially suited for salad dressings and marinades.

White wine is also more acidic than apple cider. However, it is the acidity that makes it a good substitute in dressings.  

Since white wine is less fruit-forward you can use twice as much: 2 tablespoons of white wine for 1 tablespoon of apple cider. To enhance the sweetness you can also add a pinch of brown sugar or honey.

If you don’t want the alcohol, then bring the wine to a boil and let cool before using. This reduces the alcohol content (but does not completely eliminate it).

7. Apple Cider Vinegar

If you don’t have apple cider at home, you may have a bottle of apple cider vinegar. While the names are similar, their tastes are quite different.

Although apple cider vinegar has the same original base as apple cider, it has been fermented, making it much more stringent and acidic.

Despite the similarities in name, apple cider vinegar is not the ideal substitute for apple cider. However, it can work in small quantities in recipes such as dressings and marinades to bring out the apple notes.

Use half the amount of apple cider vinegar instead of apple cider when cooking.

If you stumbled upon this page looking for an apple cider vinegar substitute, you can find those here.

8. Other Kinds of Vinegar

In addition to apple cider vinegar, there are several other types of vinegar you may have at home. Like apple cider vinegar, these are not the first choice as a substitute, however, they can all work in some capacity.

The kinds of vinegar have been listed in the order of the best choice to the least favored choice. As with any vinegar, remember these will all add acidity to your recipe.

They are also less sweet than apple cider, so you may want to add some sugar, maple syrup, or honey.

Moreover, each of these will shift your recipe's flavor (and possibly the color). Therefore, be mindful of choosing a substitute that you are somewhat familiar with. This will help you to find one that will best pair with the flavors in the other ingredients.

While these kinds of vinegar are less stringent than apple cider vinegar, it is still best to start small. Begin with half the suggested measurement of apple cider. Then, if needed, slowly add more.

1. White Wine Vinegar
2. Rice Wine Vinegar
3. Champagne Vinegar
4. Sherry Vinegar
5. Red Wine Vinegar
6. Balsamic Vinegar

Best Apple Cider Substitute

If you are going to the grocery store for apple cider and they happen to be out, then the best choice is to pick up a bottle of apple juice. This alternative will give you the closest original flavor to your recipe.

However, if you are in a pinch and do not have apple cider or apple juice, then peek in the fridge (or pantry) and see what you have on hand. Sometimes, the best substitute is simply the one you have at home.

Baking Substitutions
Arrowroot Powder	Buttermilk	Cream Cheese
Coconut Sugar	Cornmeal	Potato Starch
Tapioca Starch	Cornflour	Creme Fraiche
Masa Harina	Brown Sugar	Vanilla Extract
Shortening	Lemon Extract	Molasses
Eggs	Honey	Sour Cream
Almond Flour	Vegetable Oil	Baking Powder
Cornstarch	Baking Soda	Milk
Evaporated Milk	Xanthan Gum	Applesauce
Butter	Lard	Cream of Tartar
Rice Flour	Powdered Sugar	Sweetened Condensed Milk
Heavy Cream	Agave Nectar	Ricotta Cheese
Cake Flour	Nutritional Yeast	Corn Syrup
Coconut Milk	Maple Syrup	Coconut Flour
Cocoa Powder	All-Purpose Flour	Coconut Oil
Oat Flour	Meringue Powder	Marshmallow
Agar Agar	Buttermilk Powder	Yogurt
Creme de Menthe	Golden Syrup	Lingonberry Jam
Peanut Butter	Apple Pie Filling	Cranberry
Pecans	Peanuts	White Sugar
Currants	Bananas	Custard Powder
Apple Cider	Rye Flour	Self-Rising Flour
Half & Half	Mace	Walnut
Vanilla Bean	Star Anise	Unsalted Butter (for salted)

These tasty apple cider substitutes are perfect for a variety of different recipes. Leave a comment down below and let me know which apple cider alternatives you have tried with success.

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