What Is a Substitute for Balsamic Vinegar?

What's the best balsamic vinegar substitute?

Mix 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar with 1/2 teaspoon of brown sugar to replace 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. The brown sugar provides the sweetness; the red wine vinegar provides the wine-based acidity that's central to balsamic's flavor profile.

For extra depth, add a drop or two of molasses (about 1/8 teaspoon per tablespoon) to the mixture. This adds the dark, slightly bitter notes that aged balsamic has. The DIY substitute works well in salad dressings, marinades, and most cooked applications.

Can you use sherry vinegar as a substitute?

Sherry vinegar is the closest single-ingredient substitute for balsamic vinegar. Use 1 tablespoon of sherry vinegar for 1 tablespoon of balsamic. The complexity, slight sweetness, and aging notes are similar enough that the substitute works in nearly any recipe.

Sherry vinegar is less sweet than balsamic, so add a small pinch of sugar (1/8 teaspoon per tablespoon) for the closest match. For Spanish-influenced recipes and certain Mediterranean dishes, sherry vinegar is often interchangeable with balsamic without any adjustment needed. The flavor profile complements similar ingredients in both cuisines.

What about reductions and aged balsamic specifically?

For balsamic glaze (the thick, sweet reduction): combine 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar with 1/4 cup of brown sugar in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes until the mixture reduces to 1/4 cup and becomes syrupy. The result mimics commercial balsamic glaze closely.

For aged balsamic (traditional balsamico tradizionale), no substitute fully matches because the long aging process develops specific flavors. For drizzling on strawberries or Parmigiano-Reggiano, a tiny amount of high-quality balsamic glaze (or the DIY reduction above) provides the best approximation. For everyday cooking applications, the cheaper substitutes work fine.

When does the balsamic vinegar substitute fail?

For Italian recipes where balsamic is the defining flavor (Caprese drizzle, strawberry balsamic desserts, certain pasta sauces), the substitute matters most. Sherry vinegar gets close; red wine vinegar plus brown sugar produces a noticeably different result.

For balsamic-glazed dishes (chicken, salmon, vegetables), the DIY reduction works well. The thick, syrupy texture is part of what makes the glaze appealing visually and texturally. For traditional balsamic vinaigrette where the vinegar's complexity carries the dressing, the substitutes work but the dressing tastes less sophisticated. For everyday cooking, the substitutes work fine.