- By Michelle Minnaar
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If you're missing the key sweet and sour ingredient for a piña colada, Thai curry, fruit salad or any other dish, we've got the perfect pineapple juice substitute for you!
That's because even though pineapple juice brings a distinctive taste that strikes the perfect balance between sweet, savory and fruity flavors, with a little ingenuity it's possible to find a fitting alternative.
So, let's get fruity and find the very best pineapple juice substitutes, fit for any occasion!
The Best 14 Pineapple Juice Substitutes
In terms of availability and flavor profile, there's no better substitute for pineapple juice than orange juice.
With a similar sweet and sour flavor profile, orange juice does a good job standing in for pineapple juice. Much like its more exotic cousin, orange is also a citrus fruit, so it brings a similar zest and tangy flavor.
While some of other more offbeat entries on this list but have a more similar taste to pineapple juice, none are as readily available as the humble orange.
Add a twist of lime juice into the mix to get even closer to the taste of pineapple juice. Use orange juice as a pineapple juice substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
What-berry juice? Yes, you read it right. Pineberries are small berries that are like inverted strawberries. These delicious little white fruits with red dots are related to strawberries, but have a taste that's more similar to pineapple – hence the name.
As well as pineapple undertones, they also have a subtle taste of pear and apricot. While they are hard to come by, you can find them in certain international grocery stores – pineberries are grown in Chile, so any South American stores are a good bet.
While these fruits aren't a suitable replacement for those looking for an easy to find alternative, if you have a pineapple allergy and need an exotic fruit for a piña colada alternative, for example, pineberry juice could be a great substitute.
Use pineberry juice as a pineapple juice substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
These curious little fruits taste similar to pineapples but look like guava fruits crossed with a lime. The flavor is kind of like a mix of pineapple and lime, which makes feijoa juice a great pineapple juice substitute.
Native to South America, feijoa is hard to find though, which means it's more suited for those looking for a specific long term alternative to pineapple juice (those with allergies, for example).
Use feijoa juice as a pineapple juice substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
The tart citric flavor of lime juice makes it an ideal substitute for pineapple juice in all kinds of recipes, in particular in savory and baked dishes.
The best way to use lime to substitute pineapple juice is to mix it with other fruit juices. In particular orange juice, lemon juice, grapefruit juice and passion fruit juice.
Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting pineapple juice with lime juice.
Another excellent zesty, tart, citrus fruit that makes a great pineapple juice substitute, lemon juice is a solid stand in for pineapple juice. It's especially ideal for sauces, dressings or in sweet baked goods.
You can also use lemon juice as a substitute for pineapple juice in tandem with other ingredients, including lime juice or mango juice, for example.
Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting pineapple juice with lemon juice.
Grapefruit is definitely an acquired taste. The mild bitterness turns a lot people away, but it's these bitter notes that actually make grapefruit juice a good substitute for pineapple juice.
However, grapefruits have quite a wide range of flavors, so opt for a red grapefruit over the more tart and bitter varieties, such as white and pink.
Again, you can complement the flavor of grapefruit juice with another fruit to sweeten the deal. A sweet orange would be a winning combination.
Use grapefruit juice as a pineapple juice substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
Another sweet and tart fruit, passion fruit is an excellent pineapple juice replacement. With a sweet and tart flavor akin to pineapple, peach and mango, although a little less sweet and fruity than all three, passion fruit juice is especially ideal for co*cktails and sweet desserts.
Use a 1:1 ratio when swapping in passion fruit juice for pineapple juice.
There's a good balance of sweetness and bitterness to papaya juice that makes it very interesting ingredient, both for sweet and savory dishes, as well as for co*cktails. The taste is quite similar to pineapple, although usually less sweet. A little drop of honey or some sweeter fruit juice mixed in can help.
Use papaya juice as a pineapple juice substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
With its delicious sweet and sour flavor profile, pomegranate juice makes it one of the more interesting substitutes for pineapple juice. Obviously the colors are polar opposites – the vivid red of pomegranate juice will completely dominate the dish colorwise – but taste wise there's a lot going on here.
If you're looking for a pineapple alternative in a co*cktail or a sweet and sour sauce, pomegranate juice could be an excellent addition.
Use as a substitute at a 1:1 ratio when swapping pineapple juice with pomegranate juice.
A little less exotic than the likes of pomegranate juice and guava juice. Still, apple juice is readily available and brings that sweet punchy, tarty flavor in the absence of pineapple.
If you want to get a little creative, try combining with other fruit juices such as mango, papaya, passion fruit, lime or lemon. You can even add a deeper, more complex flavor with the addition of apple cider vinegar.
Use a 1:1 ratio when using apple juice instead of pineapple juice.
The delicious sweet and fruity flavor of mango can work wonders in sweet and savory dishes alike.
You'll be lacking that sharp tartness that pineapple juice brings, so be sure to find a little balance by adding some sourness to the dish. Something like lime juice would be ideal – just play around with the ratios until you find that sweet/sour spot!
Use mango juice (with optional lime) as a pineapple juice substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
This one is not so readily available, but it tastes fantastic! It's almost pear and apple like, but does lack that punchy citric flavor that pineapple juice delivers.
That's why it's best to add an extra flavor maker to bring a little extra zing. Again, lime juice would be ideal, as would lemon juice.
Use a 1:1 ratio when substituting pineapple juice with guava juice.
If citrus fruits fall by the way side, you could turn to other methods. The balance of sweet and sour is key when it comes to replicating the taste of pineapple juice. Honey and lemon juice bring a great harmony of flavor that works especially well in sweet and sour savory dishes, sauces and marinades.
Use a 1:2 ratio when substituting pineapple juice with honey and lemon juice.
When all else fails, turn to two cornerstone ingredients that you'll most likely never be without in your kitchen pantry.
Adequate substitutes for pineapple juice, sugar and vinegar cover the basic bases of the pineapple flavor profile , adding that essential sweet and sour element to savory sauces and marinades.
Play with the ratios of vinegar and sugar until you have the correct balance.
Pineapple juice FAQs
How is Pineapple juice used in cooking?
Pineapple juice is often used to bring a sweet and sour element to sauces, casseroles, marinades and meat dishes, particularly in Asian, African and Caribbean cuisines.
It's also delicious in sweet baked recipes, as well as ice cream and dessert recipes and co*cktails like piña coladas. Speaking of which...
What's the best substitute for pineapple juice in piña colada?
If you can find them, fresh pineberries or feijoa are both excellent pineapple juice alternatives in piña coladas. Exotic fruits aside, a combination of orange and grapefruit juice makes for a very good replacement.
What should you look for in a pineapple juice substitute?
The primary reason for using pineapple juice as an ingredient is its perfect balance between sweet and sour taste. These two flavors are crucial when it comes to finding a suitable alternative – you want to find a fruit (or other kind of ingredient) or even a mix of fruits that can hit both sweet fruitiness and that tangy sourness.
It's also worth thinking about consistency. If looking for pineapple juice substitutes for a sauce or marinade, for example, you need something that won't alter the other thickness.
If you want to replace pineapple juice, it's worth looking at other citrus fruits. Here, you'll often find the right balance of flavors, as well as the correct consistency needed – and if you get the chance, blend different fresh fruit together until you get as close to that wonderful pineapple flavor as possible.
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