Best 3 Lemon Juice Substitutes - Wholehearted Eats (2024)

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The three best lemon juice substitutes for any uses, from salad to baking, plus some honourable mentions so you always know what to use! If you don't have a lemon on hand, try some of these instead.

For some more handy tips, tricks, and go-to recipes, learn how to cook beans in the oven, read more about tahini replacements, or use the basic granola ratio to make your own at home.

Best 3 Lemon Juice Substitutes - Wholehearted Eats (1)
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  • Best Lemon Juice Substitutes
  • Other Citrus
  • Vinegar
  • White Wine
  • Cream of Tartar
  • Citric Acid
  • More Kitchen Staples

Best Lemon Juice Substitutes

Whether you're cooking, baking, or making a vinaigrette, there are options to replace lemon juice for any use. This can be other citrus juice, various vinegar types, wine, and even citric acid.

Lemon extract is an option, especially for baking, but I find it often has a strange flavour that doesn't taste much like lemon. It's not a very good substitution for lemon juice (and if you don't have lemons, what are the chances of having extract?).

Other Citrus

Perfect in baking, for co*cktails, and in salad dressings.

Lime Juice: use an equal amount, or 1:1 ratio. This is often the best substitute for lemon juice but it depends on what you're making, because lime has a stronger taste than lemon.

Orange Juice: substitute 1:1 for lemon juice. Orange juice is ideal for anything sweet, but works well for some savoury dishes too.

Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and rice vinegar can all be substituted at a ½:1 ratio. If your recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then, sub 1 tablespoon vinegar and replace the rest with water if needed. Usually you won't need to add any extra liquid but it depends on the recipe.

Vinegar works well in baking if an acid is necessary (usually if baking soda is being used) or to make your own buttermilk.

White Wine

To deglaze when cooking, use a 1:1 ratio to replace lemon juice with a dry white wine.

Cream of Tartar

For baking only, substitute ½:1 for lemon juice and make up the remainder with water. For 2 tablespoons lemon juice, then, use 1 tablespoon cream of tartar and 1 tablespoon water.

Citric Acid

A teaspoon of citric acid is equal in acidity to about ½ cup of lemon juice, so use only a small amount. Depending on use, you may also need to adjust the wet to dry ratio (replace the amount of lemon juice called for with an equivalent amount of water).

More Kitchen Staples

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Lemon Juice Substitutes

The three best lemon juice substitutes for any uses, from salad to baking, plus some honourable mentions so you always know what to use! If you don't have a lemon on hand, try some of these instead.

Prep Time5 minutes mins

Total Time5 minutes mins

Servings: 1

Author: Sophie

Ingredients

  • 1:1 lime juice
  • 1:1 orange juice
  • ½:1 apple cider, white wine, or rice vinegar
  • 1:1 white wine for deglazing/cooking only
  • ½:1 cream of tartar for baking only
  • Citric acid

Instructions

  • Lime or orange juice: use equal amounts to replace lemon juice in almost any recipe with no changes needed.

    1:1 lime juice, 1:1 orange juice

  • Vinegar: use half the amount of vinegar to replace lemon juice and replace the remaining liquid with water if needed.

    ½:1 apple cider, white wine, or rice vinegar

  • White wine: only for cooking, use an equal amount of dry white wine to replace lemon juice.

    1:1 white wine

  • Cream of tartar: this only works for baking. Replace half the lemon juice with cream of tartar and add water to make up the difference.

    ½:1 cream of tartar

  • Citric acid: 1 teaspoon citric acid = ½ cup lemon juice, so use it sparingly and replace the liquid lost from the lemon juice with an equivalent amount of water.

    Citric acid

Best 3 Lemon Juice Substitutes - Wholehearted Eats (2024)

FAQs

Best 3 Lemon Juice Substitutes - Wholehearted Eats? ›

Lime or orange juice: use equal amounts to replace lemon juice in almost any recipe with no changes needed. Vinegar: use half the amount of vinegar to replace lemon juice and replace the remaining liquid with water if needed. White wine: only for cooking, use an equal amount of dry white wine to replace lemon juice.

How much real lemon equals the juice of one lemon? ›

When cooking, three tablespoons of ReaLemon (45 mL) equals the juice of one medium lemon. Always shake the bottle well before using, and refrigerate after opening for best taste.

How much lemon juice to substitute for lemon extract? ›

Opt for two tablespoons of lemon juice for every tablespoon of lemon extract if you want a potent lemon flavor. In baked goods, you may need to adjust the ratio of other liquid or dry ingredients to get the right final texture.

What is a substitute for 1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice? ›

Orange juice is close to lime juice as a lemon juice substitute and can be used in most recipes in the same 1:1 ratio. Similarly, grapefruit juice is another great option. The reason it's second to lime juice is that orange juice is still citrus but less tart and sweeter, which gives it a different flavor profile.

Is bottled lemon juice the same as real lemon juice? ›

However, if you've ever tasted bottled lemon juice, you'll notice that the flavour is a little off – not bright and lemony like the real stuff. This is because bottled lemon juice usually contains additives and preservatives such as Sodium Metabisulphite (E223) or Potassium Metabisulphite (E224).

Can balsamic vinegar replace lemon juice? ›

That being said, like wine vinegar, it tends to work best as a substitute for lemon juice in marinade, dressing, sauces, and savory seafood or chicken dishes. Balsamic is not an ideal lemon juice substitute for baking.

Is ReaLemon real lemon? ›

ReaLemon and ReaLime are made with the juices of high quality lemons and limes, concentrated to a uniform strength. Then, enough filtered water is added to return this concentrate to the natural strength. Oil from the peel is added and the true taste of lemon comes through!

Is real lemon 100% lemon juice good for you? ›

The Bottom Line. Lemons contain a high amount of vitamin C, soluble fiber, and plant compounds that give them a number of health benefits. Lemons may aid weight loss and reduce your risk of heart disease, anemia, kidney stones, digestive issues, and cancer.

Does real lemon need to be refrigerated? ›

Whole lemons can be stored on the countertop but our experts prefer to store their citrus in the refrigerator because this keeps the lemons fresh for longer.

What is a good substitute for limoncello? ›

If you wish to avoid alcohol then a mixture of 150ml/⅔ cup of elderflower cordial (elderflower syrup) and 100ml/7 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice would be the best alternative. In the UK and most of Europe, elderflower cordial can be found in many supermarkets.

What to use on fish instead of lemon? ›

When cooking savory dishes, lime juice and orange juice make a good substitute for lemon juice. Replace the lemon juice with lime juice in equal amounts (e.g. 1 teaspoon for 1 teaspoon). Or, you could substitute the lemon juice with half as much white wine or white vinegar.

Is lemon extract good for you? ›

Based on their nutritional value, such extracts may have physiological benefits and reduce the risk of chronic diseases [17,18]. For example, citrus fruit species are associated with decreased inflammation and reduced oxidative stress markers [19].

What to use if there is no lemon juice? ›

Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, and rice vinegar can all be substituted at a ½:1 ratio. If your recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, then, sub 1 tablespoon vinegar and replace the rest with water if needed. Usually you won't need to add any extra liquid but it depends on the recipe.

Can I use pineapple juice instead of lemon juice? ›

Orange, grapefruit, or even pineapple juice are great substitutes in a marinade or vinaigrette recipe that calls for lemon.

What is a substitute for lemon juice in applesauce? ›

Tips For Making Applesauce

If you don't have any lemon juice, just substitute it with some apple cider vinegar. If the applesauce is too think, add more water to think it out. In this recipe we added lemon zest. You could also try adding orange zest.

Can bottled lemon juice be substituted for fresh lemon juice? ›

Still, when heat isn't involved, there's very little that can replace the flavor of fresh lemon juice. Why? Bottled lemon juice has additives and preservatives to make it more shelf-stable. It also sits oxidizing longer than the fresh-squeezed stuff.

Can I use jif lemon instead of a real lemon? ›

Jif Lemon 100ml can be used in recipes that require or recommend the use of lemon juice. Jif Lemon 100ml is a great way of adding low calorie flavour to dishes.

Can I use lemon oil instead of lemon juice? ›

Lemon oil is not lemon-infused oil, but rather highly aromatic oil that is pressed from lemon rinds; as such, it is used in recipes to replace lemon zest (and not juice). Lemon oil is much more potent than lemon extract, which is lemon oil diluted in alcohol.

References

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