The 9 Best Substitutes for Fresh Pineapple

Who doesn’t love to snack on juicy, vitamin-packed pineapple slices? Pineapple is also a great fruit to bake and use in various dessert recipes.

This tropical fruit also shines in savory dishes. But what if a recipe calls for pineapple and you don’t have it at home or it’s just not ripe yet?

What are the best substitutes for pineapple?

Luckily, there are a number of other fruits that you can use in place of pineapple, including mango, nectarine, green apple, apricots, papaya, and guava. The best substitutes for fresh pineapple are its canned and frozen varieties. For certain recipes, pineapple extract can be useful. 

Read on to find out how and when to use these pineapple substitutes. As a bonus, we’ll also tell you what some substitutes for pineapple juice are in case you’re working with a recipe that calls for it and don’t have any on hand.

Can you substitute the pineapple?

Pineapple is one of those fruits that is equally delicious in both sweet and savory dishes. This tropical fruit is perfect for baked goods and desserts, smoothies, and various beverages.

Pineapple, when paired well, is also a great ingredient in savory dishes that contain shellfish, poultry, and pork .

This juicy tropical fruit is a delight not only as is, but also roasted, grilled or sautéed.

In short, pineapple is a welcome addition to any dish that benefits from its sweet and spicy flavor notes. 

I’m sure you can find a pineapple substitute for just about any dish you make. Although it is difficult to achieve exactly the same flavor using other varieties of fruit, there are certain fruits and fruit combinations that can contribute similar flavor notes.

Knowing what can be used in place of pineapple is especially important for people who are allergic to this tropical fruit or have a hard time finding fresh pineapple in their local stores.

The best pineapple substitutes

There are multiple substitutes for fresh pineapple, from its canned and frozen varieties to other tropical and temperate fruits.

If you want to get as close to the taste of fresh pineapple as possible, you may have to resort to fruit combinations.

Here are the best pineapple substitutes. Choose the one that works best for the particular dish you are preparing.

1. Canned pineapple

Canned pineapple is the best substitute for fresh pineapple. You can substitute fresh pineapple in almost all recipes.

You can use canned pineapple for baking, making various desserts, as well as for grilling and grilling.

If you plan to use canned pineapple slices instead of fresh pineapple, keep in mind that canned pineapple has more sugar, carbohydrates, and calories.

But the good thing about canned pineapple is that it is shelf-stable and can keep in the pantry for 2 years or more.

2. Frozen pineapple chunks

Frozen pineapple chunks are available at many stores. You can buy a few bags of frozen pineapple and keep it in the fridge all year.

Since frozen and thawed pineapple is more mushy than fresh, it is best not to use it to make smoothies or sauces . Frozen pineapple chunks are also good for cooked recipes where the texture of the pineapple is not the most important thing.

If you take the time to thaw frozen pineapple chunks thoroughly, you can also use them to make fruit salads or eat the chunks as is as a snack.

When substituting pineapple chunks for fresh pineapple, use 3 cups of pineapple chunks in place of one medium-sized fresh pineapple.

3. Handles

Pineapples sure channel strong tropical vibes. If you don’t have pineapples at home and need another tropical fruit to replace it, mangoes may be your best option.

You can use mangoes in both sweet and savory dishes. Use mangoes instead of pineapple in chutneys, salads, savory pork and fish dishes, etc. 

Texture-wise, ripe mangoes are smoother than pineapples. Mangoes also lack the acidity that pineapple has. To offset the spicy notes, we recommend adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice to the mangoes.

4. Nectarine

If you are allergic to pineapple, nectarines are another tropical fruit that you can use instead. Ripe nectarines are sweet. If the sweetness of the pineapple is what the recipe calls for, the nectarines can serve you on their own.

You can use nectarines not only for baking and desserts, but also in savory dishes . Nectarines are great in chicken and pork recipes, salads, and sauces.

Although nectarines also have tart flavor notes like pineapples, their tartness may not be enough for the recipe at hand.

In those cases, add some chopped kiwis to the nectarines for an overall more pineapple-like flavor . You can also combine the nectarines with lemon or lime juice to get a more similar flavor.

If you use nectarines instead of pineapple in cooked dishes, such as stir-fries, choose underripe nectarines. Thus the nectarines will maintain their texture even after the cooking process.

5. Pineapple extract

Pineapple is widely used in confectionery. However, you don’t always have access to fresh or canned pineapple, and substituting another fruit for pineapple is not something you want to do.

In these cases, what you need is pineapple extract. Use 1 teaspoon of pineapple extract for 3 cups of dry ingredients.

Although leaving out the fruit will change the overall texture and appearance of your confections, a little pineapple extract will give them a wonderful pineapple aroma.

Pineapple extract is also a good pineapple substitute for smoothies.

6. Green apple

Despite looking very different from pineapple, green apple can be substituted for it in certain recipes that use uncooked pineapple.

What makes these two fruits interchangeable in certain recipes is their flavor.  Both green apple and pineapple have sweet and tart flavor notes.

So regardless of the big differences in texture, you can use green apple instead of pineapple for certain culinary tasks.

7. Apricots

Apricots, like peaches, can work as an alternative to pineapple in certain dishes. Being sweet and sour at the same time, apricots seem like a cross between plums and peaches when it comes to flavor.

You can use apricots to make fruit salads, chutneys, savory dishes with chicken, lamb or duck. Apricots are also a great fruit for baking.

Adding lime or lemon juice to apricots can help make them taste more like pineapple.

8. Papaya

If you need a pineapple substitute for desserts, smoothies, and smoothies, you can turn to papaya. Although the sweet and ripe papaya is most commonly used in the preparation of sweets and dishes, it can also be used in curries, sauces and kebabs. 

9. Guava

If you like to cook with pineapple, you may also like to experiment with other tropical fruits.

Whenever you feel like cooking with a tropical fruit but don’t have pineapples on hand, try cooking with guavas. For example, you can make guava barbecue sauce instead of pineapple barbecue sauce .

You can also make guava paste, which works well not only in desserts, but also in savory dishes, combined with meats and cheeses.

What are the best substitutes for pineapple juice?

Aside from substitutes for real pineapples, you may also need alternatives for pineapple juice. Pineapple juice, like the fruit, can be used in both sweet and savory dishes, as well as in drinks.

Whenever a recipe calls for pineapple juice, you can choose from the following substitutes.

• Grapefruit juice . Since grapefruit juice has both sweet and sour flavor notes, it can be a good substitute for pineapple juice. Grapefruit juice also has just as many health benefits as pineapple juice.
• Orange juice . Another juice from the citrus family that can replace pineapple juice in various cooking and baking recipes. Orange juice is something you probably always have in the fridge. If not, it can always be found in any store.

Since orange juice has both sweetness and bitterness, it can work as a substitute for pineapple juice.

We recommend adding a squeeze of lemon juice to the orange juice, as well as a little sugar if you want to enhance the sweetness of the liquid.

• Passion fruit juice.  With its sweet and sour, yet light flavor, passion fruit juice can substitute for pineapple juice in certain recipes.
• Mango juice . Just like mango can substitute for pineapple, mango juice can substitute for pineapple juice. If you have mangoes in syrup, beat the mixture until smooth, more like pineapple juice in consistency. Add a squeeze of lemon juice to the mixture to enhance the flavor.

In addition to the options mentioned, you can also use apricot and peach juices by adding a few drops of lemon or lime juice.

Papaya and guava juices are also good options if you have them on hand. In the case of guava juice, however, use the juice of unripe guavas to achieve a sweet and sour flavor.