soy sauce — 15 ml soy sauce plus 30 ml water and 2 g brown sugar for every 45 ml coconut aminos (3 tsp)
In a hot wok the main jobs are salt, savouriness and a brown tint, which reduced-salt soy sauce covers at two-thirds the volume; regular soy sauce does the same once diluted, and the small loss of caramel sweetness barely shows among the other flavours.
You're cooking gluten-free and the coconut aminos was there because ordinary soy sauce contains wheat.
tamari — 15 ml tamari plus 30 ml water and 2 g brown sugar for every 45 ml coconut aminos (3 tsp)
Tamari covers all four roles once diluted and sweetened slightly, and it is usually brewed without wheat, but check the bottle says gluten-free because a few brands add some.
You're marinating meat or tofu, or brushing on a glaze, and want the outside to caramelise and turn glossy.
kecap manis — 15 ml kecap manis plus 15 ml water for every 30 ml coconut aminos (3 tsp)
tamari — 15 ml tamari plus 30 ml water and 2 g brown sugar for every 45 ml coconut aminos (3 tsp)
Here the sweetness and browning roles matter as much as the salt, so kecap manis gives a stickier, darker crust, while diluted tamari with brown sugar stays closer to the original's lighter sweetness.
You're cooking soy-free, so soy sauce, tamari, miso and kecap manis are all off the table.
fish sauce — 5 ml fish sauce plus 25 ml water and 2 g sugar for every 30 ml coconut aminos (1 tsp)
The stock blend rebuilds salt, savouriness, sweetness and colour from soy-free parts, though it tastes tangier; diluted fish sauce gives stronger savouriness and salt but no colour and is not vegan, so it suits Thai and Vietnamese dishes best.
You're whisking an uncooked salad dressing or dipping sauce where the coconut aminos is tasted raw.
white miso — 10 g white miso whisked into 20 ml warm water for every 30 ml coconut aminos (2 tsp)
Without cooking to mellow it, salt and savouriness are front and centre, so reduced-salt soy sauce keeps the dressing clear and brown, while thinned white miso gives a softer, slightly sweet savouriness at the cost of a cloudy, paler dressing.
What Coconut Aminos does in a recipe
savoury & umami · primary — Fermented coconut sap gives a rounded, savoury background that rounds out stir-fries, marinades and dressings, though it is noticeably milder than soy sauce.
saltiness · primary — Added salt seasons the dish, but at roughly a third of the strength of regular soy sauce, so it is used more generously.
sweetness · secondary — Residual sap sugars give a gentle caramel-like sweetness that balances salt and acid without tasting sugary.
browning & colour · secondary — The dark brown liquid tints sauces and its sugars caramelise on meat and vegetables in marinades and glazes.
15 ml tamari plus 30 ml water and 2 g brown sugar for every 45 ml coconut aminos (3 tsp)
It brings the savoury depth, salt and colour and is usually gluten-free, but it is about three times as salty and needs diluting and a little sugar.
The catch: Mix one part tamari with two parts water and a pinch of brown sugar before using it; keep the one-to-two proportion with whatever spoon you have, because an Australian tablespoon holds 20 ml rather than 15 ml.
15 ml soy sauce plus 30 ml water and 2 g brown sugar for every 45 ml coconut aminos (3 tsp)
It covers savoury flavour, salt and colour, but it is about three times as salty and contains wheat, so dilute it and skip it for gluten-free cooking.
The catch: Use light or all-purpose soy sauce rather than dark, and mix one part with two parts water and a pinch of brown sugar; keep the proportion by ratio, since an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml.
10 g white miso whisked into 20 ml warm water for every 30 ml coconut aminos (2 tsp)
Thinned with water it gives mild savouriness, salt and a little sweetness, but it clouds the liquid and adds little colour.
Covers
savoury & umami, saltiness, sweetness
Misses
browning & colour
Taste
Creamier and more yeasty-savoury, without the caramel note.
Texture
Slightly thicker and opaque rather than clear.
Looks
Pale and cloudy instead of dark brown.
Best for
salad dressings, soups, vegetable glazes
Dairy-freeVeganNut-free
Tried this swap? How did it work?
soy-free stock, balsamic & brown sugar mix
Close enough· probably in your pantry
45 ml double-strength vegetable stock, 10 ml balsamic vinegar and 5 g brown sugar for every 60 ml coconut aminos (11 tsp)
For soy-free cooking, strong stock gives salt and savouriness while balsamic and brown sugar add colour and sweetness, though the result is tangier and less deep.
Noticeably tangier, with a vegetable-stock flavour instead of a fermented one.
Texture
Thin, much like the original.
Looks
Lighter brown than coconut aminos.
Best for
soy-free stir-fries, marinades, braises
Dairy-freeVeganNut-free
Tried this swap? How did it work?
Commonly tried, but skip these
People reach for these, and they let you down.
balsamic vinegar on its own
Skip it
People reach for it because it looks the same and appears in homemade soy-free blends, but on its own it makes stir-fries and marinades sharp and sour while leaving them under-seasoned.
Tried this swap? How did it work?
When to buy the real thing
You're cooking for someone with a soy allergy.
Instead: Buy coconut aminos or use the stock, balsamic and brown sugar mix, and avoid soy sauce, tamari, miso and kecap manis, which are all made from soybeans.
You're cooking for someone with coeliac disease and only have regular soy sauce, reduced-salt soy sauce or kecap manis.
Instead: Use tamari labelled gluten-free or buy coconut aminos, because those soy sauces are usually brewed with wheat.
The recipe uses a large amount, such as half a cup or more, as the main liquid of a dipping sauce or dressing.
Instead: Buy a bottle of coconut aminos, because at that volume the diluted substitutes taste watery or too soy-forward and the gentle caramel sweetness is the main flavour.
Rescue a swap gone wrong
The stir-fry or marinade tastes much too salty.
Why: Soy sauce or tamari went in undiluted, or it was measured with a 20 ml Australian tablespoon when the recipe meant a 15 ml one, making it well over three times as salty as coconut aminos.
Fix: Add a splash of water or unsalted stock, a pinch of brown sugar and a squeeze of lime, then bulk the dish out with extra vegetables, rice or noodles to spread the salt.
The glaze has turned black and bitter before the meat is cooked through.
Why: Kecap manis carries far more sugar than coconut aminos, so it burns quickly over high heat or under the grill.
Can't be fixed — next time: Burnt sugar can't be reversed, so scrape off the worst of it; next time cook the meat first and brush the kecap manis mixture on only in the last few minutes.
The sauce tastes sharp and sour rather than savoury.
Why: Balsamic vinegar was used on its own or too generously in the stock blend, adding acid without enough salt or savouriness.
Fix: Stir in a pinch of brown sugar and a little salt or extra stock, then simmer for a minute to soften the vinegar edge.
The dressing is lumpy or has small grainy bits.
Why: The white miso was added straight to the dressing instead of being dissolved in warm water first.
Fix: Whisk the dressing hard or blitz it with a stick blender, or push it through a fine sieve to break up the lumps.
Key numbers
Sodium in coconut aminos
about 90 mg per 5 mlThis is the figure for leading brands and it varies, so check the label of the bottle you are replacing.
Sodium in regular soy sauce
about 280–320 mg per 5 mlSoy sauce and tamari are roughly three times as salty, which is why they are cut with about two parts water before standing in for coconut aminos.
Sodium in reduced-salt soy sauce
about 40% less than regular soy sauceThis still leaves it close to twice as salty as coconut aminos, so it is used at about two-thirds the volume.
Differences between countries
Applies to Australia
20 ml tablespoon (Australia)
An Australian tablespoon holds 20 ml, while UK, NZ, US and Canadian tablespoons hold 15 ml. Most coconut aminos recipes online are written with 15 ml tablespoons, so an Australian spoon adds a third more, which matters when you are swapping in a saltier soy sauce or tamari.
Salt shown instead of sodium (United Kingdom)
UK nutrition labels list salt in grams rather than sodium in milligrams. To compare a UK label with the sodium figures on this page, multiply the sodium figure by 2.5 to get salt, or divide the salt figure by 2.5 to get sodium.
Sodium given per serving (United States, Canada)
US and Canadian labels give sodium in milligrams per serving, usually one 15 ml tablespoon, rather than per 100 ml. Divide by three to compare with the per-5 ml figures on this page.
Where to buy it
Applies to Australia
Australia · moderate to find
health food aisle or health food shops
Larger supermarkets often stock it alongside other gluten-free and organic sauces rather than with the soy sauces.
United Kingdom · moderate to find
health food shops and larger supermarkets
It is easiest to find in health food shops and online, and is less often stocked in smaller supermarkets.
New Zealand · moderate to find
health food shops and supermarket health food aisle
Look among the organic and gluten-free products rather than in the Asian sauces section.
United States · easy to find
Asian sauces or health food aisle
Most supermarkets carry at least one bottle, often next to the soy sauce and tamari.
Canada · moderate to find
health food aisle or natural food stores
Larger supermarkets usually stock it with the natural and organic products.
Questions people ask
Is coconut aminos the same as soy sauce?
No, coconut aminos is made from fermented coconut palm sap and salt, while soy sauce is brewed from soybeans and usually wheat. Coconut aminos is milder, noticeably sweeter and has roughly a third of the sodium, so it seasons a dish more gently.
Does coconut aminos taste like coconut?
No, it doesn't taste of coconut. The flavour is a soft, salty-savoury one with a caramel-like sweetness, closer to a mild, slightly sweet soy sauce than to anything tropical.
Is coconut aminos gluten-free and soy-free?
Yes, coconut aminos is normally both gluten-free and soy-free because it is made only from coconut sap and salt. Check the label if you are cooking for someone with coeliac disease or a soy allergy, as with any packaged product.
How much coconut aminos do I use instead of a tablespoon of soy sauce?
Start with the same volume and add salt to taste, because coconut aminos is about a third as salty as soy sauce. Using three times as much would match the salt but make the dish too sweet and watery. If the recipe is from the US, UK, Canada or New Zealand, its tablespoon is 15 ml, not the 20 ml Australian tablespoon.
Can I leave coconut aminos out of a recipe?
You can, but the dish will taste flatter and under-seasoned and will be paler in colour. In a stir-fry or marinade, a little salt plus a pinch of brown sugar covers the gap better than leaving it out entirely.
Does coconut aminos need to be refrigerated after opening?
Most bottles recommend refrigerating after opening, so follow the instructions on the label. Keeping it in the fridge helps the flavour stay fresh for longer.
Where Coconut Aminos comes from
Coconut aminos is made from the sap tapped from the flower stalks of coconut palms, which is fermented and blended with salt. Despite the name, it is not made from coconut flesh or coconut milk.
Coconut Aminos is usually dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, nut-free — check the label, and see the disclaimer.