Our Guide to the Best Soursop Substitutes

Soursop, also known as graviola and Brazilian paw paw (among others), is a South American botanical that has gained great popularity recently, as both the fruit and the leaves are believed to have positive benefits. However, the cautionary information around the consumption and use of soursop is also mounting.

Soursop fruit is often consumed in juices and smoothies, and sometimes in things like ice cream, jams and jellies, and bitters. The leaves are used in smoothies, as a seasoning, and brewed as a tea. Join us as we explore eight alternatives to soursop, and how to use them in your cooking and DIY body care products.

8 Soursop Substitutes

1. Aronia Berries: Aronia berries add complex tart, bitter fruity flavor and deep color to beverages and are great, used like other dried fruits, in a variety of foods from spreads and salsas to oats and baked goods. They work wonderfully with spices like cinnamon and ginger, with other berries like rosehips, elderberries and goji berries, and with flowers like rosehips and hibiscus. Try aronia berries in iced tea, using 1 Tbsp. aronia, 1 Tbsp. hibiscus, 1/2 Tbsp.orange peel, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon stick chips in 3 cups water; cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Sweeten to taste with honey or sugar. Allow to cool, then strain into a glass of ice.
2. Elderberries: Elderberries also add a somewhat tart or bitter flavor, depending on how they’re used. Their earthy undertones and fruity aroma develop in things like jams and jellies, sweet syrups, ice cream and other desserts, and warming winter cordials. Elderberries work wonderfully in herbal teas, tinctures (with proper preparation), or syrups with things like astragalus, reishi and elderflower, the citrusy flavors of orange and lemon peel, and the spices cinnamon, clove, nutmeg and ginger. Try them in this simple syrup or elderberry gummies.
3. Rosehips: Rosehips are berry-like fruits with a tangy and distinct flavor featuring both fruity and spice-like notes. Rosehips can be mixed into syrups, jams, jellies, beverages, pies and bread, in wine, and in delicious wellness herbal teas. They impart a slightly sweet flavor to decoctions and can be used to balance the bitter flavor of other herbs like dandelion root or burdock root. They also work well in both hot and cold infusions, and combine wonderfully with orange peel, mints, and flowers like lavender. You can also use them in your DIY soaps, lotions and hair products. To prepare as tea, pour 8 fl. oz. boiling water over 1 tsp. rosehips; cover and steep 5-10 minutes.
4. Nettle Leaf: Stinging nettle leaf has a pleasantly herbaceous taste with slight bitterness and a faint herbaceous aroma. The "stinging" constituents of nettle leaves quickly dissipate when dried — so not to worry, the stinging sensation isn’t present when using the dried herb. Nettle leaves can make tasty herbal teas and are often combined in infusions with other herbs like alfalfa, oatstraw, raspberry leaf, dandelion leaf and cleavers herb. For culinary uses, they’re wonderful in soups, smoothies and stir-fries. You can also use nettle in your DIY skin care products, as well as shampoos and hair rinses. To prepare as tea, pour 8 fl. oz. boiling water over 2 tsp. nettle leaves; cover and steep 5-10 minutes.
5. Rasberry Leaf: Raspberry leaves are a pleasant-tasting, caffeine-free herb with a complex flavor that’s earthy and vegetal with a slight bitterness and tannic acidity. Most commonly used to make tea, red raspberry leaves are sweeter and bolder than leaves commonly used in other teas. Raspberry leaves can be prepared as an infusion (hot or cold) or a tincture, and are often combined with other herbs like nettles, oatstraw and alfalfa. You can also use red raspberry leaves in DIY herbal body care products. To prepare as tea, pour 8 fl. oz. boiling water over 1 Tbsp. of raspberry leaves; cover and steep 5-10 minutes.
6.  Milk Thistle: Milk thistle's hard, dark-colored seeds have a slightly bitter, oily taste and a faint aroma. Milk thistle seed can be consumed in many ways: as tea, in capsules, as a tincture and of course in foods. Use the whole seed to sprinkle on salads, sandwiches, and cooked foods, mix in with trail mix, or grind them to incorporate into baked goods and smoothies. For tea, crush the seeds for more thorough steeping. To make tea, pour 8 fl. oz. boiling water over 1 tsp. crushed seeds; cover and steep 20 minutes.
7. Calendula Flower Petals: Calendula flower petals have a delicate, slightly sweet herbal aroma and lend a subtly bitter and salty taste to foods. Only the petals are edible, and they're often used in salads, to color cheese, and as a substitute for saffron. Calendula can be enjoyed as a tea, and works wonderfully with lemon balm, chamomile and lavender. You can use this gentle herb in all types of skin care preparations, including soaps, body washes, creams, ointments and lotions, as well. Or, you can make calendula-infused oil to apply as a massage or skin care oil or as a base for salves. For skin applications, calendula works wonderfully with yarrow and comfrey. To prepare as tea, pour 8 fl. oz. boiling water over 1 Tbsp. of calendula petals; cover and steep 5-10 minutes.
8. Hibiscus Flowers: Hibiscus flowers are caffeine free, making them ideal for herbal wellness tea blends. They deliver a tart flavor with a hint of cranberry, and a gorgeous red color. Hibiscus flowers can also enhance green and black teas with their robust flavor. These flowers are tart and colorful, which makes them a nice addition to any cuisine. Calendula petals make wonderful hot or cold tea, alone or blended with other herbs, but they’re also great mixed in juices (such as cranberry) and lemonade, infused in cocktails or kombucha, or in sparkling water for a refreshing spritzer. To prepare as tea, pour 8 fl. oz. boiling water over 1 tsp. of hibiscus flowers; cover and steep 3-5 minutes.