Coconut aminos and the best soy sauce alternatives

Updated 11 August 2026 · VegEco editorial desk

Coconut aminos is a soy-free, gluten-free, plant-based sauce made from fermented coconut blossom sap and salt. It is noticeably sweeter and roughly two-thirds lower in sodium than standard soy sauce, so it is a substitute for the salty-umami role rather than an identical swap. Use it 1:1 and then adjust salt upward and sweetness downward.

What to look for

Sodium: Soy sauce is roughly 900–1,000 mg sodium per tablespoon; coconut aminos is roughly 270 mg. If a recipe tastes flat after swapping, it is usually salt, not umami, that is missing.
Gluten: Standard soy sauce is brewed with wheat. Tamari is the traditionally wheat-free version; coconut aminos and liquid aminos are also gluten-free.
Soy: Only coconut aminos avoids soy entirely. Tamari, liquid aminos and miso are all soy-based.
Sweetness: Coconut aminos carries residual sugar from the sap, which caramelises faster. Reduce added sugar in a marinade and watch it under high heat.
Cost per use: Coconut aminos is the most expensive by volume. For high-volume uses like braises, diluted tamari is the cheaper route to the same effect.

The alternatives, and when each one works

The alternatives, and when each one works
Option	Best for	Why it works	Watch out
Coconut aminos	Soy-free and gluten-free households; dipping sauces and dressings	Mild, slightly sweet, low sodium; the only mainstream swap that is free of both soy and wheat.	Burns faster than soy sauce in a hot wok, and you will need extra salt.
Tamari	The closest 1:1 flavour match for gluten-free cooking	Brewed like soy sauce without wheat — deeper and rounder, with full salt and umami.	Still soy; check the label, as a few tamari brands include a little wheat.
Liquid aminos	Seasoning at the table, soups, gravies	Soy protein hydrolysate with a savoury, slightly brothy profile and no wheat.	Sodium is comparable to soy sauce despite the health-food positioning.
Chickpea or white miso, thinned	Dressings, glazes and broths	Fermented depth with control over salt; whisk 1 tsp miso with 1 tbsp water per tablespoon of soy sauce.	Adds body and cloudiness — not right for a clear dipping sauce.
Vegan fish-sauce swap	Southeast Asian recipes calling for fish sauce	Soy sauce or tamari simmered with dried seaweed, a little sugar and a squeeze of lime reproduces the salty-marine note without anchovies.	Steep the seaweed briefly; over-boiling turns it bitter.
Salt plus mushroom powder	Emergency substitute with no bottle in the house	Dried shiitake ground fine supplies glutamate; salt supplies the rest of the job soy sauce was doing.	No liquid volume — adjust the recipe's other liquids.

Coconut aminos
Best for Soy-free and gluten-free households; dipping sauces and dressings
Mild, slightly sweet, low sodium; the only mainstream swap that is free of both soy and wheat.
Watch out: Burns faster than soy sauce in a hot wok, and you will need extra salt.
Tamari
Best for The closest 1:1 flavour match for gluten-free cooking
Brewed like soy sauce without wheat — deeper and rounder, with full salt and umami.
Watch out: Still soy; check the label, as a few tamari brands include a little wheat.
Liquid aminos
Best for Seasoning at the table, soups, gravies
Soy protein hydrolysate with a savoury, slightly brothy profile and no wheat.
Watch out: Sodium is comparable to soy sauce despite the health-food positioning.
Chickpea or white miso, thinned
Best for Dressings, glazes and broths
Fermented depth with control over salt; whisk 1 tsp miso with 1 tbsp water per tablespoon of soy sauce.
Watch out: Adds body and cloudiness — not right for a clear dipping sauce.
Vegan fish-sauce swap
Best for Southeast Asian recipes calling for fish sauce
Soy sauce or tamari simmered with dried seaweed, a little sugar and a squeeze of lime reproduces the salty-marine note without anchovies.
Watch out: Steep the seaweed briefly; over-boiling turns it bitter.
Salt plus mushroom powder
Best for Emergency substitute with no bottle in the house
Dried shiitake ground fine supplies glutamate; salt supplies the rest of the job soy sauce was doing.
Watch out: No liquid volume — adjust the recipe's other liquids.

Frequently asked questions

Is coconut aminos a 1:1 substitute for soy sauce?

By volume, yes — but it is milder, sweeter and much lower in sodium, so taste and add salt at the end. In marinades, reduce any added sugar to compensate.

Does coconut aminos taste like coconut?

No. It is made from the fermented sap of the coconut blossom, not the flesh, so it tastes savoury-sweet rather than coconutty.

Is coconut aminos healthier than soy sauce?

It contains roughly 70% less sodium per tablespoon, which matters if you are managing blood pressure. It also has more sugar. It is not a significant source of any nutrient in the amounts used.

Is soy sauce vegan?

Traditionally brewed soy sauce and tamari are vegan — soybeans, wheat, salt, water and koji. Oyster sauce and fish sauce are not.