Who doesn’t enjoy a glass of orange juice for morning breakfast?
We do, but it isn’t just a beverage; its acidity and refreshing flavor are useful in baking and savory dishes, such as orange poppyseed cake or Duck an ‘Orange!
But what happens if you are allergic to oranges, have no orange juice available, or don’t like the flavor?
There are orange juice substitutes you can replace it with.
These alternatives can capture the same texture and flavor orange juice offers. Others have different flavors but similar texture and flavor profiles to achieve an interesting and unique dish.
Check out these best substitutes for orange juice!
How can I choose the best substitute for orange juice?
While we mentioned what the best substitutes for orange juice are, here’s a cheat sheet to choose the most suitable one based on the recipe you’re making:
- When making cocktails that require orange juice, use orange concentrate, lemon juice, orange extract, or Grand Marnier.
- If you’re making sauces or salad dressing, use apple cider vinegar, citric acid, or lemon juice for acidity.
- For a light and airy texture in baked goods, use coke or lemon zest.
- Desserts and fillings will do well with orange zest, orange marmalade, or lemon zest. You can also use this on savory dishes!
The 10 Best Orange Juice Substitutes You Can Try!
We all know where orange juice comes from! You can purchase them from stores, being highly accessible and readily available products.
Orange juice can either have pulp or no pulp, sweetened or unsweetened or mixed with other fruits and flavors.
It’s a citrusy beverage with a high acidic profile you can enjoy as a drink in baked goods, desserts, sauces, marinades, or even salad dressings.
If you’re experiencing an “I’m out of orange juice” emergency, we’ve got you!
Try any of these orange juice alternatives:
1. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice is one of the best substitutes for orange juice, which you can buy in the grocery store, too. Besides lemon juice, you can also find lemon juice concentrate without sugar.
Lemon juice will give your recipe a hint of flavor without overpowering the taste of other ingredients. However, use it in small amounts and dilute it with water, mixing 1 part lemon juice and 1 part water.
2. Orange Extract
Orange extract is a popular orange juice substitute, coming in three different forms: Oil, imitation, and liquid.
The orange extract coming in oil form is more concentrated and potent than the other forms.
You can use a few drops of orange extract, and you can capture the similar flavor you’re trying to get out of orange juice.
It’s an excellent substitute for baking recipes.
3. Orange Concentrate
The orange concentrate is frozen juice coming from, obviously, oranges.
It’s made of fresh oranges and can be used in so many recipes, as well as in cocktails and baking processes.
Mix the orange concentrate as the packaging instructs you to, then use the same amount as you would with fresh orange juice.
4. Citric Acid
Citric acid is a great orange juice replacement in recipes that look for citrus zest and orange juice. It’s a preservative so add it to your recipe after cooking to keep its flavors. (*)
We recommend using citric acid in baking recipes, particularly fruit cakes, and pies. For every cup of orange juice required, add ¼ teaspoon of citric acid.
5. Meyer Lemon
If you don’t have lemon juice, you can make your own using Meyer lemons! This lemon variety is a hybrid fruit between a lemon and mandarin orange, so it isn’t as sour as regular lemons.
This is a good idea if you have a juicer but no oranges around. For this orange juice alternative, you can use a 1:1 replacement ratio.
You can use this for various baked goods, savory dishes, and smoothies.
6. Grand Marnier
Grand Marnier is an excellent orange juice substitute if your recipe asks for champagne. This beverage has a high alcohol content percentage, only in liqueur form.
If you use this orange juice substitute, strain the liqueur through a coffee filter before adding it to the recipe. Besides Grand Marnier, you can also use orange-flavored liqueurs on cocktails looking for orange juice.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar is another excellent orange juice substitute, coming in various forms in grocery stores.
It’s a good option if your main goal is to add acidity to recipes without caring for the orange flavor.
The best type of vinegar to use is apple cider vinegar, though you can also use white wine vinegar if that’s not available.
When using this substitute for orange juice, mix equal parts of vinegar with water, enough for what the recipe calls for.
8. Coca-Cola
Coke sounds like an odd replacement, but you’ll be surprised by how well it works!
It’s the best choice for cake and cookie recipes asking for orange juice.
As a result, you get a light and fluffy cake or batch of cookies with a unique flavor!
9. Orange Marmalade
If push comes to shove and you can’t find any orange juice alternatives above, you can always go for orange marmalade. However, this is very sweet, so reduce the amount of orange marmalade used or the sugar your recipe calls for.
You can also counter the sweetness with a splash of lemon juice or vinegar, adding a bit of acidity.
10. Buttermilk
Buttermilk might sound like another odd option, but it works very well!
You can also use plain white yogurt or sour cream, which gives a bit of acidity your recipe needs. But like vinegar, it won’t share your recipe with the orange flavor.
You can also use milk with a squeeze of lemon or lime for the tangy taste! If you need a vegetarian or vegan option, almond milk makes a great alternative to orange juice.
11. Make fresh orange juice
Yes, you can make your own orange juice at home, or any fruit juice for that matter! All you need are oranges and a juicer.
Cut your oranges in half and place them in your juicer, letting it do the magic and produce juice. And that’s pretty much it; you have freshly squeezed orange juice.
Different juicing methods can get you different colors, tastes, and colors of orange juice. The variety of orange you choose will also alter the taste and color, whether you’re using navel orange, blood orange, Valencia orange, clementine, or tangerine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you still have unanswered questions about orange juice and substituting this versatile ingredient? Here are frequently asked questions to give you more insight:
1. Are there other extra tips to substitute orange juice?
Here are other things to follow when you want to replace orange juice with other ingredients:
- If you heard that grapefruit juice was an appropriate substitute, it is NOT! It’s incredibly bitter, and the flavors don’t reduce after cooking.
- While Tang might sound appealing and convenient, only use this when you have nothing else left.
- Besides what was mentioned above, you can try using citrus juice, such as pineapple juice, apple juice, or lemonade. However, these are more suitable for baking, not dressings and marinades.
Wrapping It Up
Looking for the best orange juice replacement doesn’t need to be complicated. Try any of the options we mentioned above for salad dressings, flavoring marinades, or baking food now!
