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Don’t have this specialty ingredient on hand? Here’s the best coconut aminos substitute to use in recipes of all kinds.

Coconut aminos substitute
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Making a recipe that calls for coconut aminos and don’t have it? 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 (savory flavor), which is what soy sauce adds to recipes. Whether you’re working around an allergy or just can’t find it, here substitute ideas for this tasty ingredient.

Best coconut aminos substitute

1. Soy sauce

The best coconut aminos substitute? Soy sauce. If you can eat gluten and soy, go for straight up soy sauce: because 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, start with ½ or ¾ the amount of soy sauce. Read more at Coconut Aminos vs Soy Sauce.

2. Tamari (gluten free)

The next best coconut aminos substitute? 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 is in a 1:1 ratio.

3. Liquid aminos (gluten free)

Another good coconut aminos substitute? Unlike coconut aminos, liquid aminos contains 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.

Here are some recipes where you could use this coconut aminos substitution:

About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

Leave a Comment

3 Comments

  1. Anonymous says:

    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…

  2. Jen Hawkins says:

    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?!

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Hi! You could try a chickpea miso — it’s available online if you can’t find it in a store.