12 Apple Cider Vinegar Recipes You’ll Want to Try Right Now

Taking apple cider vinegar doesn't have to be a chore.

Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.

Tired of drinking ACV?

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) may have some health benefits, but it’s no secret that its taste isn’t exactly crave-worthy. Maybe you’ve found that diluting the pungent liquid in a glass of water is getting old, but want to continue reaping the potential benefits. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to incorporate apple cider vinegar into daily meals and snacks. From salads and soups to drinks and desserts, here is a sampling of easy-to-make recipes that include a tablespoon or two of ACV. For more apple cider vinegar recipes like these, check out Amy Leigh Mercree’s Apple Cider Vinegar Handbook, which is the source for the following recipes. Mercree is a holistic health expert, international speaker, and published author. And if you’re new to apple cider vinegar all together, learn about all of its potential health benefits.

Halloumi cheese with bruschetta, tomatoes, prosciutto, honey, pine nuts on a plate
ILEISH ANNA/Shutterstock

Halloumi bruschetta

This delicious appetizer makes a great starter for a get-together, or it can just be a tasty snack. Start with a warm, fresh baguette and cut it into slices. Broil the slices for two minutes, cover them, and set them aside. Next, in a slightly warm frying pan, heat up seven ounces of halloumi cheese cut into quarter-inch slices. Cook the cheese until both sides are golden brown, and then set them aside. Heat up two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with one tablespoon of honey in a saucepan for five minutes on medium heat, stirring the entire time. Put the bread slices on a serving dish, top with the cheese, and drizzle the ACV and honey mixture on top. Finally, add a slice of Roma tomato and a basil leaf to each piece of bread, and sprinkle pepper on the whole scrumptious ensemble.

Black bean soup in a bowl
StockphotoVideo/Shutterstock

Black bean stew and brown rice

This hearty soup is sure to warm you up on a chilly day—plus, you get the wonderful health benefits of beans in addition to those of ACV. Heat up a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan, add a chopped garlic clove and a chopped medium onion, and sprinkle the mixture with pepper to taste. Fry the mixture until the onion softens, and then add 2 ½ cans of black beans (approximately 38 ounces). Mix in a tablespoon of ACV, half a teaspoon of dried oregano, and a 14 ½-ounce can of vegetable broth. Season with salt and more pepper if desired, and then cook the mixture for seven minutes. Serve it with a cup and a half of cooked brown rice. This recipe serves four, so there’s lots of soup to go around!

Sinach, quinoa, walnuts and dried cranberries in a bowl on wooden background
Ekaterina Kondratova/Shutterstock

Quinoa and plum salad with ACV dressing

Many apple cider vinegar recipes put a tasty twist on traditional oil-and-vinegar dressing like this one does. This is an easy-to-make, nutritious salad whose different components each pack some great health benefits of their own, in addition to those of the ACV. Prepare a half-cup of raw quinoa according to the package directions (though the Handbook recommends swapping the water for vegetable stock), cover it, and set it aside. Heat up two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan and add four minced garlic cloves, 16 ounces of chopped green beans, and half a teaspoon of dried dill. Sprinkle in some salt and pepper and cook for about two minutes.

On to the apple cider vinegar dressing. Mix together a quarter-cup of olive oil, a teaspoon of mustard, half a cup of ACV, two tablespoons of honey, and just a dash of salt until smooth. When all of the components are prepared, arrange five ounces of arugula on the plate. Crumble four ounces of goat cheese on top; it’s one of the 6 healthiest cheeses you can eat. On top of that, spread the green bean mixture, along with the cubed fruit of two plums. Garnish with some pecans and add the dressing to your heart’s content. This sounds so delicious you just might forget you’re eating a salad. But you’ll get health benefits galore: Protein from the quinoa, vitamins, and nutrients from the plums and green beans, and healthy fats from the olive oil.

Mint Salad with Pomegranate and Wheat Berry in bowl
Dreamer Company/Shutterstock

Fruity ACV salad

Bolster the potential benefits of apple cider vinegar with the antioxidants, fiber, and nutrients found in your favorite fruits. After all, the Mayo Clinic states that fruits’ fiber content may help maintain a healthy weight and reduce other health risks. For this easy-to-make salad, boil a cup of raw wheat berries in three cups of water, and then cook the mixture over medium-high heat for about 30 minutes. Drain, and stir in 15 ounces of garbanzo beans. Next, fry up five cups of chopped raw kale in two tablespoons of olive oil until tender. Pour that mixture into the wheat berries and garbanzo beans and stir them together. To that mixture, add two cups of chopped peaches, a cup of blueberries, a cup of sliced strawberries, and half a cup of chopped almonds. Sprinkle on some cinnamon for some extra sweetness!

Finally, in a separate bowl, whip up your ACV dressing by combining a quarter cup of it with two tablespoons of pure maple syrup, a tablespoon of olive oil, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and a sprinkling of salt. Pour the dressing over the salad and enjoy! This recipe makes enough for four servings.

Edamame salad in small white bowl with spoons
vm2002/Shutterstock

Edamame salad

If you’ve never tried these protein-rich soybeans, you’re in for a treat. Mix together a pound of shelled edamame with a pound of green peas. Add in 12 ounces of black soybeans, half of an onion cut into slices, and a quarter cup of olive oil. Toss all of that with a quarter cup of apple cider vinegar, a dash of salt and pepper to taste, and about a half a cup of chopped basil leaves. Once you’ve mixed everything together, store it in the fridge for half an hour to maximize flavor. Give it a try and discover a yummy new way to eat your greens! Plus, learn about how apple cider vinegar may help promote weight loss.

Close-up of hummus in bowl
etorres/Shutterstock

ACV hummus

If you love having some hummus on hand when you need a quick, healthy snack, this apple cider vinegar recipe is for you. Start with a quarter cup of olive oil and 15 ounces of canned chickpeas (make sure to rinse and drain them). You’ll also need three garlic cloves, two tablespoons of tahini, and three tablespoons of lemon juice. Toss all of the ingredients into a blender, and add in two teaspoons of cumin, a tablespoon of ACV, a pinch of salt, and half a teaspoon of paprika. Blend everything together with two tablespoons of water. When it’s smooth, break out the carrots, pita chips, pretzels, or whatever your favorite hummus accessory is and enjoy. Watch out for these myths about apple cider vinegar that you should stop believing.

Vegetarian sushi California roll with rice and seaweed with chopsticks on black plate
Silver Spiral Arts/Shutterstock

Vegan ACV sushi

Want to nosh on some tasty sushi, but don’t want to spend lots of money at a fancy restaurant? Here’s a simple recipe for at-home sushi—with a serving of apple cider vinegar to boot. This one’s a little more complex, so you’ll need a sushi mat, but it’s also the most creative of these apple cider vinegar recipes since you can choose your own filling! To start, pour a cup of uncooked rice into a bowl and add enough water to cover the rice. Stir it up until the water starts to get cloudy, then strain it and repeat the process. When the water is clear, drain it and put the rice in a pot with two more cups of water. When the mixture comes to a boil, lower the heat and cover the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes; when the time is up, quickly stir the rice. Ideally, the water should all be absorbed. Replace the lid on the pot and set the rice aside.

While you’re waiting for the rice, heat up a tablespoon of ACV mixed with a tablespoon of sugar and a sprinkle of salt. After a few minutes, pour the ACV mixture into the finished rice and mix. Now, use the sushi mat to lay out the rice mixture into a sheet, place your desired fillings in the middle, and roll it up. Sprinkle black sesame seeds on top and cut the large roll into bite-sized pieces. Some recommended fillings include thin carrot sticks, cucumber sticks, bean sprouts, cilantro, green beans, and arugula stalks. Put together your ideal sushi concoction!

butternut squash on wood table
Diana Taliun/Shutterstock

Salt- and vinegar-roasted butternut squash

For this antioxidant-rich veggie dish, you’ll need about two pounds of peeled, cubed butternut squash. Go into it knowing you’re doing your health a huge favor. After all, the Mayo Clinic notes that antioxidants can help protect your cells from damaging free radicals. As a result, they may keep certain diseases like heart disease and cancer at bay.

To start, preheat the oven to 400°F. Place two tablespoons of ACV and two tablespoons of olive oil into a large bowl. Add four chopped sprigs of rosemary, half a teaspoon of salt, and a quarter teaspoon of pepper. Whisk those ingredients, and then add the squash and stir until all the squash cubes are fully covered. Pour the mixture onto a baking sheet, making sure the squash is spread out evenly. Bake for 25 minutes, then remove the baking sheet and flip the squash cubes over. Bake again, this time for 20 minutes, and then drizzle on another tablespoon’s worth of ACV and half a teaspoon of salt, distributing evenly. Use a spatula to loosen the squash cubes from the baking sheet. This yummy side dish serves six. In addition to squash, check out these other antioxidant-rich foods you need in your diet.

Glass of fresh organic pink grapefruit juice ready to drink and two pink-grapefruit halves
istetiana/Shutterstock

ACV grapefruit cooler

Why drink your ACV in water when you could drink it in a tangy-sweet homemade grapefruit drink? Start with a cup and a half of grapefruit juice and mix in two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and two more of honey. With this scrumptious concoction, we bet you might just look forward to taking your ACV every morning.

Three glasses of cranberry juice with ice displayed with rosemary on wooden background
JulijaDmitrijeva/Shutterstock

Cranberry ACV spritz

Get a double dose of antioxidants with your apple cider vinegar, thanks to this tasty cranberry cooler. Combine a quarter-cup of ACV with a quarter-cup of cranberry juice and three cups of sparkling water. Finish it off with four sweet teaspoons of maple syrup! Whether it’s one of these apple cider vinegar recipes or plain water, make sure you’re diluting your ACV in something—taking it as a shot on its own is one of the things you should never, ever do while taking ACV.

Scoop of ice cream with caramel sauce on dark gray table
MaraZe/Shutterstock

ACV caramel sauce for ice cream

Yes, there are some delicious apple cider vinegar recipes for dessert, too. This caramel sauce adds some pizzazz to any bowl of ice cream—and you can make it from scratch. To do that, combine two cups of apple cider with a tablespoon of ACV. Heat them up over medium-high heat until they boil, stirring occasionally. When it starts boiling, stir it for another 10 to 15 minutes until it becomes thick. Lower the heat and toss in a ¾ cup of granulated sugar and a quarter cup of light brown sugar. This time, heat it until it comes to a slow boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Mix in half a cup of heavy cream and two tablespoons of butter, and bring it to a boil again. Continue stirring until the mixture thickens up a bit, then take it off the heat. Add a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Once it cools and thickens, it’s ready to eat. Your sweet tooth won’t know what hit it!

Fresh ripe blueberries and strawberries on a fat free sponge cake topped off with low calorie fluffy whipped cream
Renamarie/Shutterstock

Berry blast topping for shortcake

Spruce up a shortcake dessert with this rich dessert sauce that blends four of your favorite berries. Mix one cup of each of the following: Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and sliced strawberries. Add a half a cup of red or black currants as well, if you’d like. Mix in two tablespoons of ACV and one tablespoon of sugar. When all those ingredients are blended, refrigerate them overnight in a sealed container. When you’re ready to serve your shortcake, scoop the desired amount of topping onto each piece. Top with whipped cream and garnish with mint leaves. Now that’s a berry good dessert that you can feel good about eating. As more motivation to make these apple cider vinegar recipes, check out the things that happen to your body when you have ACV every day.

Sources
Medically reviewed by Jessica Levinson, MS, RDN, CDN, on August 13, 2019

Meghan Jones
Meghan Jones is a Staff Writer for RD.com who has been storytelling since before she could write. She graduated from Marist College with a Bachelor of Arts in English and has been writing for Reader's Digest since 2017. Her creative nonfiction piece "Anticipation" was published in Angles literary magazine in spring 2017. Meghan is a proud Hufflepuff and member of Team Cap.