Can I use lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar?

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar = 1 tbsp lemon juice. Similar acid strength, so it does the same job of activating baking soda, tenderising a marinade or souring milk. Citrus rather than orchard fruit. It works well in baking and less well in a slaw, where cider vinegar's roundness is doing the work.

Ingredients · Acids & vinegars

Substitutions

What can I use instead of apple cider vinegar?

Q: Can I use white wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar?

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar = 1 tbsp white wine vinegar. Both are fruit-derived vinegars at roughly the same acidity, so the sourness and the chemical behaviour match closely. Cleaner and sharper, without cider vinegar's rounded apple sweetness. Slightly paler in a dressing.

Q: Can I use rice vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar?

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar = 1 tbsp rice vinegar. Mild and slightly sweet, which puts it in the same tasting territory even though the acidity runs a shade lower. Gentler and less fruity, so a barbecue sauce or a slaw will taste flatter. Not reliable for canning.

Vinegar made by fermenting apple cider twice, first to alcohol and then to acetic acid. Around 5 percent acidity, with a fruity, faintly sweet character and a soft golden colour.

What it does in a recipe: Fruity acidity with enough body to stand up in a dressing or a barbecue sauce. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.

Also called: Cider vinegar, ACV

4substitutes

1close matches

Acids & vinegarscategory

Quick answer

White wine vinegar

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar = 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

All substitutes, best first

4 ways to replace apple cider vinegar

White wine vinegar

Closest match

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar = 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Both are fruit-derived vinegars at roughly the same acidity, so the sourness and the chemical behaviour match closely.

Trade-offCleaner and sharper, without cider vinegar's rounded apple sweetness. Slightly paler in a dressing.

CookingSaucesRaw / no-cookBakingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

Rice vinegar

Reliable

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar = 1 tbsp rice vinegar

Mild and slightly sweet, which puts it in the same tasting territory even though the acidity runs a shade lower.

Trade-offGentler and less fruity, so a barbecue sauce or a slaw will taste flatter. Not reliable for canning.

CookingSaucesRaw / no-cookVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

White vinegar + apple juice

Reliable

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar = 2 tsp white vinegar + 1 tsp apple juice

White vinegar supplies the acetic acid backbone and the juice restores the apple sweetness that gives cider vinegar its character.

Trade-offSharper on the attack and sweeter on the finish, with the two notes sitting slightly apart rather than integrated.

CookingSaucesVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

Lemon juice

Reliable

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar = 1 tbsp lemon juice

Similar acid strength, so it does the same job of activating baking soda, tenderising a marinade or souring milk.

Trade-offCitrus rather than orchard fruit. It works well in baking and less well in a slaw, where cider vinegar's roundness is doing the work.

BakingCookingSaucesVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-freeAlcohol-free

Worth knowing

Unfiltered cider vinegar contains sediment, the so-called mother. It is harmless and adds a slightly fuller flavour, but shake the bottle so you are not measuring from clear liquid one day and cloudy the next.

At a glance

Apple cider vinegar in summary

Category	Acids & vinegars
Job in a recipe	Fruity acidity with enough body to stand up in a dressing or a barbecue sauce
Suits	Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Egg-free, Nut-free, Soy-free
Swaps available for	Alcohol-free Dairy-free Egg-free Gluten-free Nut-free Soy-free Vegan Vegetarian
Number of substitutes	4

More acids & vinegars

Balsamic vinegar4 substitutes Cream of tartar4 substitutes Lemon juice5 substitutes Lime juice4 substitutes Red wine vinegar4 substitutes Rice vinegar4 substitutes

Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.