What are coconut aminos? I answer this question as well as listing some of my favourite coconut aminos recipes and how to use this sauce in cooking.
What Is Coconut Aminos?
Coconut aminos is a delicious sauce made from coconut sap. It is dark, rich, salty and slightly sweet in flavour. It resembles a light soy sauce or tamari (wheat-free soy sauce), but it is soy-free and gluten-free – making it the perfect replacement for those avoiding soy and gluten. To make this condiment, the sap is collected from the coconut blossoms, then blended with sea salt and naturally aged.
What Are The Benefits Of Coconut Aminos?
Aside from being soy-free and gluten-free, coconut aminos is low GI and packed with minerals, vitamin C, and B vitamins.
As the name suggests, it is high in amino acid, containing 17 different types. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are essential to our health and nutrition. Amino acids play a vital role in muscle repair, brain and nervous system function. They also assist in boosting the immune system and physical energy levels. This wonder sauce has been found to contain 14 times the amount of amino acids found in soy sauce.
Due to the way the sauce is processed, it remains raw and enzymatically alive – which means it is better for you!
How To Use Coconut Aminos?
Coconut aminos can be used exactly as you would use soy sauce or tamari. For that umami flavour (aka awesome savouriness), add it to the salad dressings, marinades, stir-fries, soups and stews or as a dipping sauce – the possibilities are endless. To get you started we’ve compiled some recipes for you.
Best Coconut Aminos Recipes
Sauces & Dressings
- My Go-To Stir-Fry Sauce
- Paleo Hoisin Sauce
- A dipping sauce for Paleo Sushi
- Paleo Satay Sauce (peanut free!)
- Zingy Ginger Salad Dressing
Marinades & Meat Dishes
- Portuguese Chicken Wings
- 3-hour Lemongrass Beef Short Ribs
- Quick & Easy Chicken Cabbage Stir-Fry
- Chicken Larb Salad
- Balsamic Lamb Stuffed Mushrooms
- Asian-style Pork Meatballs
- Marinated Pork Kebobs
- Beef and Vegetable Stir-fry
- Beef Jerky
Snacks
- Salty Toasted Bar Nuts
Where Can I Buy Coconut Aminos?
You should be able to find it in your local health food store or online. If in Australia, I like coconut aminos from Niulife, in the USA or the UK you can definitely find it at Wholefoods, on iHerb and Amazon, and just Google it for other countries.
Is There An Alternative?
If you react badly to coconut or like me, you just can’t find it locally and the cost of shipping is prohibitive you can try making your own alternate version. Here’s a recipe for a coconut aminos and soy sauce replacement from Melissa of the Clothes Make The Girl. If you make it let us know what you think. Otherwise, I often use some naturally-brewed Tamari wheat-free, gluten-free soy sauce.
I hope you found this post on coconut amino useful. If you have any further questions about this condiment, please leave a comment for me below.
We love coconut amino! Aimee doesn’t eat nightshades so we avoid those with chili but the pure coconut varieties are awesome, so versatile in paleo cooking and so healthy. Yay!
I have made the coconut aminos from the recipe listed – it was fabulous! And best yet, I had all the ingredient in the pantry!
never heard of coconut aminos until today. need them for a paleo stirfry. thanks for info.
Hi
Thank you for publishing your alternative to Coconut Aminos and Soy Sauce. However, I’m sorry that this cannit be considered to be a coconut or soy substitute because it contains meat and fish.
It would be interesting and helpful to provide a substitute for vegetarians if this is possible.
Thank you
What do you mean? Coconut aminos contains meat or fish? Sorry, I am super confused right now.
Excellent information & thank you
Is it gluten free
Yes, 100%
I am a big fan of coconut aminos…using cocoEarth Coconut Amino Sauce because it’s certified organic and vegan-friendly plus I got it in offer 🙂
I am curious in knowing if anyone who is sensitive to fermented foods if this would be bothersome to some people? Is it high in yeast or cause bloating to anyone? I have an allergy to both brewer’s and baker’s yeast. I have been looking for a replacement for soy sauce when having sushi.
I have not heard of anyone experience any of these issues with coconut aminos. The sauce is from fermented sap but it’s the pasteurized kind, not like the live fermented foods. Do you normally get bloating from soy sauce?
I’m telling everyone I know about it ! It makes anything you prepare taste great and the health effects are endless as compared to soy sauce.one of the best blog ever .bookmarked for future read.