Lime Juice Substitutes

Out of lime juice? These are the swaps that actually work, with conversion ratios for any recipe size and notes on how each one changes the result.

Need to convert lime juice between cups, grams, or ounces first? Open the lime juice converter.

What to use instead of lime juice

  • Lemon Juice

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup lime juice = 1 cup lemon juice (1:1 by volume)

    Lemon juice is milder and a touch sweeter than lime juice. Close in weight (255 g vs 248 g per cup), so swap 1:1 in dressings, marinades, and curd; expect a less floral result.

    See lemon juice substitutes →

  • White Vinegar

    Ingredient swap

    1 cup lime juice = 1/2 cup white vinegar (for chemical leavening only)

    White vinegar is sharper at around twice the acidity, so halve the volume when subbing for baking soda activation. Skip for flavour swaps: vinegar has no citrus aroma.

    See white vinegar substitutes →

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I substitute for lime juice?
There are 2 workable substitutes for lime juice, depending on what you have on hand and which property of lime juice matters most for your recipe. The closest swap is usually 1 cup lime juice = 1 cup lemon juice (1:1 by volume). Each option below lists the conversion ratio for any recipe size, plus notes on how the swap changes the texture, flavour, rise, or browning.
Will substituting lime juice change how my recipe turns out?
Yes, every swap trades one property for another: fat content, moisture, acidity, or protein. The notes on each substitute describe what changes in texture, flavour, rise, or browning, so you can choose the swap that matters least for your recipe. Open the lime juice converter
How do I measure lime juice accurately?
Weighing in grams is more reliable than scooping cups, especially when a substitute has a different density from what the recipe expects. The lime juice converter on this site converts between cups, grams, ounces, millilitres, fluid ounces, tablespoons, and teaspoons, so you can scale a recipe up or down without losing the ratio. Open the lime juice converter

Other ingredient and produce substitutes

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