What Can I Substitute for the Flavor of Lime Juice?

Lime juice is used in many desserts.

Lime juice is a common ingredient in many tasty and popular desserts. Luckily for avid bakers, in instances when fresh-squeezed or bottled lime juice is not available, there are several other ingredients that can be used in its place.

Juices

Lemon juice is a popular substitute for lime juice.

The most popular juice substitution for lime juice is lemon juice. The similarity of the two fruits accounts for a final product that tastes nearly identical to the original recipe, so this is the best option if the lime juice is being added for flavor.

Juices of similar acidity -- for instance, orange juice or passion fruit juice -- can also be used when both lime and lemon juice are unavailable. Passion fruit juice will alter the final taste of the product, but produces a pleasing flavor in key lime pie recipes.

White Wine

White wine can be substituted for lime juice.

When substituting white wine for lime juice, use the same amount of white wine as you would lime juice in the original recipe. White wine is less acidic than lime juice, so the flavor that results will be slightly different from the original recipe.

Vinegar

Vinegar is a possible substitution for lime juice.

Vinegar is best used as a substitute for lime juice when the lime juice is present in the recipe for its acidic content. This kind of inclusion is often to cut some of the heat out of spicy food.

References

• The Joy of Baking: Ingredient Substitution
• AllRecipes: Common Ingredient Substitutions
• Cook's Thesaurus: Juices