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If you don’t have this specialty ingredient on hand, here are the best coconut aminos substitutes to use in recipes of all kinds.
Coconut aminos is a common gluten-free and soy-free substitute for soy sauce. It’s savory and salty, and made from the sap of the coconut palm. It doesn’t taste like coconut. It’s like a milder version of soy sauce that’s less salty.
It has loads of umami, or savory flavor, which is what soy sauce adds to recipes. Whether you’re working around an allergy or just can’t find it, here are my favorite substitute ideas for this tasty ingredient.
Best coconut aminos substitutes
1. Soy sauce
The best coconut aminos substitute is soy sauce. If you can eat gluten and soy, go for straight-up soy sauce. It’s possible your recipe calls for coconut aminos because it was adapted for those diets.
You can replace coconut aminos with soy sauce in a 1:1 ratio, but keep in mind that soy sauce is slightly more salty. If you’re worried about the salt content — that’s why many home cooks like coconut aminos in the first place — start with ½ or ¾ of the amount of soy sauce.
2. Tamari (gluten-free)
The next best coconut aminos substitute is tamari. Tamari is also made from soy. It’s specifically a Japanese type of soy sauce. The biggest difference between coconut aminos vs. tamari is that tamari is not soy-free, but both are gluten-free.
Check the label to make sure! In terms of flavor, tamari is similar in flavor to coconut aminos, so you can substitute it in a 1:1 ratio.
3. Liquid aminos (gluten-free)
Another good coconut aminos substitute is liquid aminos. Unlike coconut aminos, liquid aminos contain soy. If you aren’t working around a soy allergy, it’s a great substitute! It has a similar flavor and is more like soy sauce in the level of saltiness, so you may need to use a little less than the recipe calls for.
Related recipes
Here are some recipes where you could use this coconut aminos substitution:
I mean coconut aminos is a replacement for soy sauce… Otherwise people would just use soy sauce which is cheaper and can be found everywhere…
Ummmm. Every single suggestion here for a coconut aminos substitute contains soy. Please, what is a soy-free alternative I can use? I cannot have either soy or gluten, and I cannot find coconut aminos at my grocery store. Yet so many recipes call for it. I’ve tried simply leaving it out, but amy recipes already tend to taste plain and flat and it’s getting difficult to enjoy my food. What else can add some umami flavor besides soy-based products?!
Hi! You could try a chickpea miso — it’s available online if you can’t find it in a store.