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Read MoreSubstitute For Soy Sauce & Coconut Aminos
http://www.MelJoulwan.com/2014/03/01/substitute-soy-sauce-coconut-aminos/
I don’t want to be a big baby or anything, but sometimes I get really tired of the fact that my “special food” — i.e., food that is healthy and real and not poisoned with unpronounceable ingredients — costs twice as much as the crappy, regular version. The target of my ire recently was coconut aminos.
Don’t get me wrong: I love coconut aminos for the way they healthily replace soy sauce. But I’m damn tired of paying $7.00 a bottle for this stuff. It’s not like it’s Chanel No. 5 and will magically transform me into a goddess like Marilyn Monroe. It’s a kinda salty, kinda sweet, brown liquid that transforms ingredients into goodness like Sunshine Sauce, Stir-Fry Sauce, and the Gyoza Sauce in Well Fed 2.
I did some poking around online and found a recipe for soy sauce substitute, then I noodled with it a little bit to come up with the recipe below. It’s based on beef broth, vinegar, and spices. I added a small amount of fish sauce to amp up the umami; if you don’t have fish sauce, you can just skip it or add a mashed anchovy. Another key ingredient is the blackstrap molasses. (That means this sauce is not Whole30 approved because it contains a sweetener.)
Because I’m generally a stick in the mud about added sweeteners, I want to address two things about blackstrap molasses that make it OK for me in this recipe: its sugar content and its healthful properties.
The Sugar: This recipe includes 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon molasses — which represents 17 grams of carbohydrates. The recipe produces 2/3 cup of soy sauce substitute, which is 5.33 ounces. That means each tablespoon of the faux soy sauce includes 1.5 grams of carbohydrate (sugar). That’s some pretty minimal sugar, right there. And even if you went crazy and, in a moment of inexplicable thirst, guzzled the entire batch of faux soy sauce at once, you would be consuming 17 grams of sugar. I can live with that. (Although I can’t really live with the idea of you drinking 2/3 cup soy sauce substitute. Ew.)
The Health Benefits of Blackstrap Molasses: Blackstrap molasses is the byproduct of turning cane sugar into table sugar, which means it’s all the nutrient-rich stuff that’s stripped from sugar during the refining process: manganese, copper, iron, calcium, magnesium potassium, B6, and selenium.
When buying blackstrap molasses, look for brands that are organic and unsulfured. I chose Brer Rabbit because it fits the criteria, and it has a super cute label with a bunny on it.
The Taste Test
I tried this faux soy sauce as a substitute for coconut aminos in Sunshine Sauce and Stir-Fry Sauce, and it worked beautifully. It didn’t taste just like soy sauce — how could it?! — but it did taste enough like coconut aminos that it worked for me. I also tried it as a dipping sauce for Riceless Sushi and preferred the coconut aminos. So… for cooking and recipes where it’s used as a seasoning element, it’s awesome: cheap, easy to make, and quick to throw together from stuff you have in your pantry. For something where you’ll really taste it, you probably want to use coconut aminos.
Soy Sauce Substitute
Makes 2/3 cup | Prep 2 minutes | Cook 10 minutes
Ingredients:
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
4 teaspoons blackstrap molasses
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon coarse (granulated) garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce (optional) — I like Red Boat!
Directions:
1
Place the following in a small saucepan: broth, balsamic vinegar, cider vinegar, molasses, black pepper, garlic powder, ground ginger. Bring to a brief boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer — small bubbles should just break on the surface. Cook until reduced to about 2/3 cup — this takes about 7-10 minutes. (NOTE: If you accidentally cook it for, say, 15 minutes, like I did the first time, the flavors of the vinegar and molasses will be concentrated, and it becomes quite sweet. Keep an eye on the clock and don’t miss that 10-minute max.)
2
Remove the pan from the heat. Add the salt and fish sauce; stir to combine and taste to make sure it’s salty enough for you. Pour into a BPA-free container and allow to cool. Store in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. This sauce can be used in any recipe that calls for soy sauce. Splash it around willfully!
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Thanks for this … it looks fab!! Can’t wait to try it. One quick question, was your beef broth a salted or no-salt version?
I used homemade that was seasoned with a little salt. You add the salt at the end, so it doesn’t matter whether you use salted or unsalted broth — just taste it before adding salt and see if it needs it. I like mine pretty salt, but if you add 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon at a time, you’ll be in good shape.
What do you think of using vegetarian stock instead of the beef broth?
I really don’t know. I mean, it will work in that it will make a flavored liquid… I just don’t know if it will have the depth of flavor without the beef underneath. But it only uses a cup of broth, so why not experiment? Give it a try and let us know what you think!
If making a veg version, use shiitake broth.
So I also had a question of what to sub for the beef broth since my boyfriend is vegetarian and I’ve recently started eating paleo. Sub for beef broth says: to add soy sauce or miso paste. He nixxed beef bouillon besides as you posted it would most likely have chemicals and preservatives. Someone recommended shitake sauce, but that sounds like it would be as or more expensive than the coconut aminos…
I wonder if a couple dashes of Kitchen Bouquet to the vegetable broth would suffice? It also has preservatives, but ingredient list is very small compared to most things these days. I may end up having to just use Soy Sauce for him and make this substitute for me.
My goal for him is to get him off his processed vegetarian “food,” most of which you can hardly tell what is in it. But when making Seitan, (for him) you certainly need something flavorful to cook with. Any suggestions from paleo vegetarians or anyone else who deals with this would be great. Thanks! 🙂
Use the vegetarian beef boillons to brew your own broth. They are usually very inexpensive and available in the health food section.
If you use bouillon cubes, be sure to check the ingredients list — they usually contain chemicals, sugars, and starches.
Make your own beef broth. Lok up “bone broth” – it’s healthy (really healthy) and tastes awesome. I would never add beef boullion to anything I eat. You make bone broth by putting beef “knuckles” in 6-8 cups water (enough to cover the bones) put ina crock pot for 24 hours on low. Add vegtables (Celery, onions, carrots) a little vinegar or apple cider vinegar (doesn’t affect the taste put pulls nutrients from the bones). Salt to taste – you drink it (great for stomache issues, helps with joint pain). Good luck!
You can find vegan “beef” bouillon cubes at Sprouts. The brand is Edward & Sons “Not-Beef Bouillon Cubes.”
Thanks for the tip!
Hi Melissa, I’m totally new to Whole30 and just made your awesome Paleo Pad Thai tonight, even my 3yo and 18mth old kids loved it! In the homemade substitute for soy or coconut aminos, you mention beef broth. I’m such a cooking novice, I have no idea how to make that! I assume it’s the same as beef stock (what we call it in Australia), but how do you make a Whole30 compliant beef broth? I’d prefer not to buy commercial unless I have to.
Here are some good options for beef broth (stock):
http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3615609338/slow-cooker-beef-bone-broth
http://stupideasypaleo.com/2014/07/23/bone-broth-101-how-to-make-best-broth/
can you not make the receipt without pictures so we can print it off without having to use 7 pages and waste ink
There’s a green “Print This Recipe” button at the end of the recipe that fits the recipe to one page, without a photo. Hope you enjoy the recipe.
You never cease to amaze me with your inventiveness. This is just wonderful! Your cookbooks are staples in my kitchen and I can’t wait to try this thrifty addition to my pantry. Thank you!
You have made my day, no my month! Just this morning I was whining about this very thing, made worse since I discovered I don’t tolerate fruit and even (expensive) coconut aminos became a thing of the past. I’ll sub a vinegar I can use for the cider; that’s easy enough. I’m not a bit excited over the small amount of molasses included, and I can forgo this during a Whole30. Luckily, you cannot see my happy dance, as I’m a bit of a klutz.
Thank you.
You have been reading my mind! I like coconut aminos but would like to be able to control the budget, too. Thanks for this!!!
You’re fabulous! I’m excited to try this recipe. It always kills me to buy the coconut aminos and we got through a lot of it.
I reduced my coconut aminos cost by purchasing the one gallon size from Amazon.com for $89.99 delivered. The gallon size works out to $0.70 per ounce, lots cheaper than buying small bottles. I keep a dispensing bottle of coconut aminos on my counter. The only problem is that I use it more now that I have my costs down!
They sell it by the gallon?!?!?
o_O
Coconut Aminos I am able to buy are $13 a bottle. Luckily I use it very sparingly.
Yay for blackstrap molasses and a great recipe! many people poo-poo blackstrap molasses but fail to realize it’s nutritious properties. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you! You have helped me so much in our paleo journey! Love your blog and cookbooks! Can’t wait to try ths!
Thank you for this! I have been reacting badly to coconut products lately (even the aminos), so this is just what I need.
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I was able to find coconut aminoes @ the vitamin shoppe for about $7..but thats still rather expensive..can’t wait to try this recipe!!
Thanks for spending the time to come up with this recipe. I have tried the coconut aminos but the price made me reluctant to keep buying. Hooray for this recipe, and to those who don’t want or need it, keep it moving…I’m sure there’s plenty recipes on the web you would like…go find them
Coconut Aminos are $20.50 a bottle in NZ ($17.20 USD). I look forward to trying this recipe.
NZ = New Zealand
How big is your bottle!?
We sell one for $12.
Oh, I gotta try this!
Since it’s made of beef broth, it does not keep I assume, does this freeze well? Then I can make a big batch and freeze in small batches.
I haven’t tried freezing it myself, but I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t. Just be sure to defrost it in the fridge — should work great!
I would think freeing this in ice cube trays would work great. After frozen put all in a ziploc bag and take out 1 or 2 cubes at a time for use. Bigger batches can be made without worry of it spoiling if not used in time.
wow this is awesome! i never have any beef broth in the house but i can always find it in the store. definitely trying this out since coconut aminos are so expensive. i do always have a hefty supply of blackstrap molasses to take for anemia! tastes horrid on its own so this looks like a better way to take it.
The way to totally take care of your confusion about salt is to make it a rule to never add salt until you have tasted your recipe. At the end.
Please! Please don’t use commercial beef broth. Make your own, fabulous recipes all over the paleo world. I am 72 years old, I drink a cup of home made beef broth every day. I can do three reps of fifteen body squats and my knees do not crack. catch up Joanna.Be happy.
david – that’s awesome! i just turned 50 and am already having chronic arthritis pain in my neck. do you make your broth with meat or just the bones?
your take on broth made from chicken feet?
I LOVE putting chicken feet in my broth; it makes it VERY gelatinous. My current go-to is a few pounds of wings, a few carcasses from roasted chickens, and a few poudns of chicken feet, plus 2 carrots, a few garlic cloves, an onion, a few celery stalks, 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar, and a teaspoon of whole peppercorns. I simmer it for 24 hours, strain and store the broth, then fill the pot with water again and make another batch. Two batches seems to be the max for chicken bones.
Hey, this is nice. i will surely try it as coconut aminos is $30 per bottle in my country. I am a little bit confused about salt. What if i add salt in middle instead of at the end?
The way to totally take care of your confusion about salt is to make it a rule to never add salt until you have tasted your recipe. At the end.
Thanks, sounds like a lovely idea! (While I can and do eat small amounts oof fermented soy, I have a couple of friends who cannot. Nice to see options.)
This sounds amazing, Melissa. And I agree, the coconut aminos is expensive, and sometimes after spending that high price, I’ve had bottles of it go bad after opening before I can use it all up. Grrrr. What a waste of $$$. I look forward to trying your creative sauce.
Sounds interesting. I don’t have any molasses in the house (it’s on the short list of things I actually miss), but I can get it in bulk at the supermarket.
Next time I make something that calls for more than a couple of tablespoons of coconut aminos, I’ll give this a shot. Which reminds me – I need to make some beef stock soon. I guess I’m off to the farmer’s market this weekend to get some bones.
THIS IS AWESOME. We avoid coconut aminos (and fish sauce) because the high (natural) glutamate content makes my husband “twitchy” (his words). But this might just work as a substitute!
Oh how happy this makes me! I live in Turkey, so coconut aminos are rare nectar that I dole out drop by drop. I have a slow cooker full of beef broth cooking right now. I’m trying this the minute it’s ready!
I am very excited for this recipe. My 18 month old needs gf products but LOVES Chinese!! Soy sauce has wheat….. Big bummer since anytime he eats Chinese, soy related foods, he does his best eating (he has been considered failure to thrive for unknown reasons). Anyway…this will help greatly to up so calories and gives his taste buds a little happy dance and mommy too!!! I am so thankful for your culinary creativity. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Oh and using easy to find products, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Tamari soy sauce is gf
Yep, gluten free but still soy, so for people who are avoiding soy, it’s no-go.
There’s sugar in balsamic vinegar too, for those of us watching sugar intake. (About 3 grams of carbs per Tablespoon, unless you have reduced it, then there’s obviously more per tablespoon, not sure how much.)
This is cool! As for the sugar content, coconut aminos already have more carb in them than soy sauce does, even the wheat-free stuff. In fact I think the carb count for CAs is about the same as for your homemade sauce. So it’s a wash, really… and only really matters if someone’s at a stage of VLC eating, where every carb literally counts. When you have more wiggle room it matters less.
Agreed! I only mentioned the sugar/carb content above because I’m usually such a stickler about everything I post being Whole30 compliant, but trace sugar like this doesn’t matter for the majority of people.
Just made this and it’s wonderful! Thank you Melissa 🙂
Right on! Glad you liked it!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
This looks AMAZING and I will try it this week. Time for some fried cauli-rice!
URA GENIUS
Hallelujah. My favorite marinade in the world (Best Flank Steak Ever) has 1/4-1/2 cup of coconut aminos. I don’t make it very often because coconut aminos are so damn expensive. NOW…flank steak every DAY. Just kidding, but seriously…those things I make that involve huge amounts of CA’s that don’t lend huge amounts of flavor are going to get a makeover. Thank you again, Vicious Melicious.
Definitely going to try this! Should this be stored in the fridge or on the shelf?
In the fridge for up to 10 days.
Coconut aminos cost the earth here in NZ and are hard to find, to boot. I’ll be trying this in my beef heart jerky marinade.
I have everything but granulated garlic. Could I use fresh or ground?
Either will work. For fresh, use 1 clove. For ground, maybe just a pinch.
Nice recipe. Perhaps if you reduce the broth and THEN add the other ingredients you wouldn’t intensify the balsamic, etc. but would maintain the intense flavor of the broth. Just a suggestion.
I get my coconut aminos at Azure Standard for much less. You can even buy it by the gallon for even cheaper. Also organic molasses.
I get my coconut aminos at Azure standard for much cheaper and you can get a gallon. They also have organic molasses. Now they deliver to NC, SC, and GA.
@Diane Bidgood–thanks for that great info! I’ve been looking for a good co-op, and I’m surprised at how great Azure Standard looks! =)
Praise the Lord for non-soy soy sauce! My youngest has a soy allergy and I have truly missed it! My middle son has a fish allergy so I will try this with no fish sauce. I wonder if it will freeze well. Don’t think I would go through it all in 10days.
This is BEGGING to be put on my next batch of beef jerky.
Did this work with your beef jerky? I’m just starting to make my own and am wondering if this recipe is a good substitute for coconut aminos in the marinade!
Thank you. =)
I’ve never tried it in beef jerky, but it should work just fine.
Hi there. I cut out soy completely from my diet for a period of time and was using coconut aminos. But I’ve read that fermented soy is actually not only not bad for you, but actually quite nutritious. I avoid regular soy sauce because of the gluten, but organic wheat free tamari, is a good option. http://www.naturalnews.com/025513_soy_food_soybeans.html
Thanks for this! I’ve found so many great resources like these online. My entire family has a long list of food allergies and we do buy coconut aminos, but it hurts. And we need more right now, so instead, I’ll just make this! Thanks for tinkering with the recipe, I’m sure we’ll enjoy it!
Thanks for this wonderful recipe. I have an extreme allergic response to soy sauce because of the mold that is added in the processing. This is a life saver since I adore oriental cuisine.
Hi Melissa, l love your blog, made Merguez Meatballs tonight!
How do you think this sauce would hold up if frozen? Or other ways of keeping it past 10 days? Thanks!
I haven’t tried freezing it myself, but I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t. Just be sure to defrost it in the fridge — should work great!
This was the perfect recipe to pull me out of the bind I found myself in when I discovered that my back up bottle of coconut aminos was a figment of my imagination!
I have dubbed it Fauxminos. 🙂
is this ok to have while doing the whole 30?
thank you!
It’s not Whole30 compliant because of the molasses. You could try making it with a dried date, if you want… put all the ingredients in the food processor, purée, then simmer according to the recipe instructions. It won’t taste exactly the same, but it might work.
Thank you for answering!
Have you tried using Marmite in your experimentation? Don’t know if you like it, but I love to use it in gravies and sauces for that umami flavor (especially the gravy for Swedish meatballs). It’s one reason I miss bread (the few times I do) — Marmite on buttered toast. Sigh.
I haven’t — when I find a recipe that works, I stop experimenting 🙂
Just wanted to say (although it still is pricey)- I found a gallon of coconut aminos on therawfoodworld.com for $63 and $10 to ship..but there is a coupon on there, so the total was $70. It might be cheaper in the long run…?
I just wanted to say, this is now a staple in my kitchen – I label it “coco-not aminos”. I can’t thank you enough!
Cutest name ever! Glad you like it!
Just tried making it, and not sure if it tastes right. Melissa, have you ever thought about producing it in larger quantities and selling it? I for one would buy it from you, and I live in Australia 🙂
It doesn’t taste good on its own — it has to be used as an ingredients in recipes that call for soy sauce. And no, no plans to get into the food production biz 🙂
THANK YOU! I’ve been soy free for a long time, but I just realized I’m completely sensitive to coconut, which makes AIP Paleo eating not much fun at all. This might help!
Made this today to use as a substitute ingredient for a friend who can’t tolerate soy. It is excellent. Thank you!
I am also allergic to vinegar. Is there any way to make a substitute without it? Thanks.
Hmmm… the vinegar adds some needed acidity… I haven’t tried this myself, but if you want to experiment, you could try lemon juice. Just replace the two vinegars with 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Good luck!
Are you allergic to all types of vinegar?
Hi Mel,
Thanks for posting this. I, too, am looking for a sub, because my hubby has renal disease. My question is how do you think this will work in a marinade, say for something like Bulgogi or Kalbi? My hubby is Korean and misses his Korean food, a LOT. 🙂 Thanks in advance.
Jessica
This is great in marinades! Enjoy.
Make the beef broth yourself because commercial beef broth is typically 44% salt of dry weight (what a scam, charging money for basically kitchen salt) and do the maths to figure out if the blackstrap molasses contains more potassium than he is allowed.
Finally, another use for my blackstrap. I bought mine to make homemade Worcestershire for my blog. I don’t use the Worcestershire much so the blackstrap just sits in the back of my cupboard. I am so excited to add this recipe to my arsenal.
Thanks so much, I too have been cruising the internet looking for soy sauce substitutes. I have both of your books and I use many of the recipes regularly. You have introduced me to many different tastes, that I would not have experienced otherwise. Thank you for sharing your creativity!
Oooh! Going to Pin this on Pinterest!!! THANKS!!
I have made this and used it extensively. It is fantastic! Making the 2nd batch today — so handy to have there in the fridge. It even survived an interstate plane trip it — leaked all over the suitcase on the 5-hour flight but hey, it didn’t go off!
I do wonder at the “splash it around” remark though, cos mine “gelifies” when stored in the fridge, because of the beef broth. In order for folks to add their own at the table, I have to heat a portion in a small dish until it “melts”.
Coconut aminos makes me flare, so thank you so much. I don’t need to avoid Asian food anymore. Yea!
Hooray! I’m so glad you found this recipe. Have fun playing around with it in Asian food — should work great!
All I have to say is amazing! I needed a sub for amigos in a paleo berry glazed crockpot chicken recipe and this was perfect! Thanks again :). Nicole
This is the first soy sauce recipe that I have found that is also Paleo and it has beef broth! So sad; I’m intolerant to red meat; I can’t even eat the broth! Thoughts on substitutes? I can eat poultry and fish, but no red meat and no pork. Thanks!
Hmmm. I don’t think that chicken has a ‘dark’ enough flavor to work, if you know what I mean. But turkey might! If you can get some turkey broth, I think that might do the trick.
I’ll have to try it out! Thanks!
Count yourself lucky, I just brought some for £9.99 which was the cheapest I could find it in the UK, which works out about 16 dollers. I’m so excited to be able to make thai/chinese food next week though that it will be worth it. Being intolerant to Soy is such a nightmare!
I have a sensitivity to sour (vinegar and citrus). I have so many recipes that use soy sauce especially vegan. Is there a good soy sauce recipe that does not use either?
Every recipe I’ve seen includes some kind of vinegar. The only thing I can think of is for you to try making one of the recipes — like mine — without the vinegar and see if you like the way it tastes in a recipe. Good luck!
Very excited to find this recipe! My son has a an eosinphilic disorder with tons of food allergies. Soy being a biggie and he LOVES Asian food. Can’t wait for him to try this after not having Asian food for almost six years. Thank you so much!
Is Liquid Aminos the same as Coconut Aminos? Or used as a substitute?
Nope. Liquid Aminos contain soy, but Coconut Aminos are made only from coconut and are soy free. Taste-wise, they’re pretty similar, but if you want to be paleo, you’ll want to avoid soy.
I’m so glad I found this! I received Well Fed yesterday as a gift and I’m really excited to try some new recipes. Unfortunately I’m allergic to coconut. I’ll be making this for sure!!
Thank you! I’m allergic to coconut and soy. Can’t wait to try this out!
I would like this to keep in the fridge for weeks instead of days. Like Worcestershire.
Would adding 1/8 tsp of ascorbic acid help to allow it to keep longer?
I really don’t know; sorry!
Think I will try this. Since the shelf life isn’t real long, I will make a bunch and freeze in ice cube trays. A cube or two will probably be perfect for any of my recipes.
question back about Tamari; it may be soy but it is fermented and everything i have read says that people that stay away from soy can usually have a fermented product as it reacts differently, although i still love the idea of your home made version. can’t wait to try it!
I would like to try this recipe but I am allergic to all protein/food products that come from animals with fur so no beef broth for me. Any suggestions?
You could try vegetable broth, I suppose. I haven’t tested it that way, so I can’t guarantee the results, but it might work.
Have you tried Bragg’s Liquid Aminos?
Yes, but it’s no good for me (and not paleo) because it includes soy.
I can’t tell you how excited I am to have found this recipe! My husband and our boys are very sensitive to coconut (they even react to the aminos) so I had pretty much given up ever being able to make them “soy” sauce. I can’t wait to try this out!
I hope this works for you!
Try Amazon. You can get dry goods like coconut aminos, vinegars, nuts and oils for a fraction of what the grocery store sells them for. They have organic and in bulk options too that can save you even more.
Thank you for sharing this recipe! Have you tried using a little date syrup in place of the molasses in order to make it Whole30 compliant?
I haven’t, mostly because I don’t have date syrup and, honestly, I’m not sure that date syrup is Whole30 compliant. If the only ingredient is dates, then it’s probably OK to sweeten something savory (liek this, for example), but not in a sweet dessert. That would violate the spirit of the Whole30.
Melissa thanks for the recipe. I laughed when I found it.” The target of my ire”, I was right there in my own ire, searching for an alternative. You have a great google presence on this subject!
Coconut Aminos are amazing, but I love dumping them on everything and that is outside my budget. Have you received any feedback from the Vegetarians substituting a vegetable broth?
I saw the question raised but no feedback on results?
I am currently vegetarian. It is a weird place, only been Veg for about 6 months now. I feel great, enjoy a lightness of heart that I felt last time I went veg. I hope to maintain my strength with better diet and less stressful life this time. So many Vegi staples are processed? I do miss the convenience and nutritional value animal products afford. Any feedback you can get us Veggies is appreciated. You are the maven on this topic.
Thanks again
Andrew
Hey, Andrew. I haven’t made this with veg broth, but I think it should work just fine. The beef flavor doesn’t come through in the end product; the recipe uses broth just because it has more depth than water. So veg broth should be OK. If you try it, let me know what you think.
I checked the ingredients for apple butter and it contains only apples and cinnamon. If you sub this for the molasses the recipe is whole30 compliant. I’ve used it a a substitute for honey in salad dressings too, especially good if using apple cider vinegar.
That’s a great idea!
Thank you for posting this recipe for soy sauce substitute. I too hate paying exorbitant prices for simple substitutes.
Happy blogging!
how long will this last in the refrig? i’m allergic to coconut and have to watch the budget too. thanks!
This is kind of a gross answer, but… it won’t go bad in the fridge, you just have to watch for it to eventually get moldy. But it lasts a good long time before that happens.
What about a tiny bit of apple juice as a sweetener instead of the molasses to make it W30 compliant? Anyone tried this?
The molasses adds a deep, mineral-ish flavor, along with the sweetness. But you might experiment my cooking down some sugar-free applesauce until it thickens quite a bit, then use that instead of the molasses. Could be worth a try — but I haven’t tried it myself.
Thanks for offering this alternative. I am allergic to all things coconut and was just skipping the coconut aminos in the recipe and now I have a substitute!
Can this soy sauce substitute be frozen in small amounts for later use? I’m not sure I would use this all in 10 days.
I haven’t tried freezing it, but I can’t think of why it wouldn’t work. My recommendation: put a small amount in the freezer, freeze it solid, then defrost it. If the texture seems good to you, then it’s OK to freeze it. Always defrost in the refrigerator!
This was a life saver!!! Made it last night for use in an AIP teryaki dish (sans pepper) and it turned out wonderful! It’s hard enough having to eliminate so many foods, but to try to follow this pan without tolerating coconut is 100x more difficult. Perfect!
I’m very happy this worked for you! AIP is a commitment — good on you for taking care of yourself.
I have tried coconut aminos in replacement of Tamari sauce for sushi. Side note: I’m a Sushi Chef.
This stuff is horrible, not only have I tried what many claim is the best brand, but have also tried with several customers, family members and all the other chefs at the restaurant I work to compare. It is god awful, and I have yet to see 1 person say it tastes anything like Tamari or Soy Sauce. Are you guys all smoking something I’m not? I’m really confused. I see blog after blog swearing by this garbage? Please answer, I really am confused. Thanks!
I think the answer is this: There are a lot of us that cannot eat soy for health reasons. Coconut aminos is the closest substitute we’ve got. Is it as luscious as true soy sauce? No. But it’s an alternative that allows us to enjoy sushi without eating it dry. If you don’t have health issues, by all means, continue on with the soy sauce and enjoy it for all the rest of us that have to steer clear.
Also, if you’re sincerely curious, maybe don’t use phrases like, “Are you guys all smoking something I’m not?” That’s insulting and sarcastic.
Mr Sushi Chef… I’m really happy for you, in that apparently you have no dietary restrictions. I pray that you never do… And that you never have to walk in our shoes. I would challenge you to voluntarily try it for 2-3 months and see how it goes for you. Recipes like these are really a game changer for me, and countless others who are trying creative ways to prepare delicious meals in spite of our limitations. Since you seem to be boasting your chef skills, why don’t you create a better alternative and share it with us? (PS My stepfather was a chef and won several national culinary competitions, so I’m familiar with the mindset you are conveying. It’s not flattering.)
Thanks so much, needed a substitute for soy & coconut aminos
Right on! Glad it’s helpful!
Hello from South Africa, where only the rich and richer know about coconut aminos, which costs a whopping R240….that is like…equivalent to…the same cost of carton eggs, milk, butter, bread, x 2….thats a lot! Im always looking for new recipes which I eventually try over time…so for me…Thanks for the beef roth, chicken broth and onion snack recipe….sure to try these in near future. Definitly will give the substitute a go becaue I definitely would rather by ore groceries than one bottle of something I never even heard of (coconut aminos)
Thanks.
Take care and God bless you and yours.
I made the recipe with pantry ingredients. I used regular molasses and oyster sauce. This freezes well and so easy to make. Thank you for a great site and a great sauce.
Oh, awesome! I’m glad this worked well for you.