Simple Swaps with Coconut

Whether you’re taken by the benefits of coconut products, simply love them and want them more, or need to find alternatives due to allergies, intolerances or dietary choices such as veganism, there are tonnes of simple swaps. Here we dive into the swaps you can make, bringing coconut on board, and how and why you’d make that swap.

Swap soy sauce for coconut aminos

Soya is a protein that comes from the soya bean, a legume.

It may be an uncommon allergy compared to nuts or dairy, but soya allergies are problematic for a sizeable minority. Given as much as 60% of manufactured goods contain soya, this is a big problem. There are also some concerns that too much soya can be challenging because, while fundamentally good for you, too much soy brings oestrogen-mimicking effects. There’s also the problem that many soybeans are genetically modified.

But soy sauce is a critical ingredient in many of our favourite dishes, especially if we’re partial to anything with an Asian-influence.

Swap it: The great news is that we know how important the taste of soy sauce is to so many of your favourite foods, so have created coconut aminos. These can be used in a straight swap way in place of soy sauce. And because we’re so fabulous, we don’t just offer all-purpose coconut aminos but teriyaki and barbecue too! They don’t taste of coconut as they are made using coconut sap, not the flesh of the seed.

Swap butter or vegetable oil for coconut oil

Want to cook with butter but want to avoid dairy? Want to get frying but are a little wary of the health profile of vegetable oil? Want an oil which also brings the benefits of being anti-inflammatory and possessing anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties?

Swap it: Coconut oil has many uses, but it’s a great swap for vegetable oil and butter. When you’re cooking with coconut oil, you generally swap it for other fats on a 1:1 basis. Coconut oil isn’t so great in flaky pastries, but everywhere else, you’re good to go. It does have a slight coconut taste, but we’re yet to find a recipe where that isn’t a good thing!

Swap honey for coconut nectar

Honey is not vegan. The bees don’t happily go about the hard work of making honey for human benefit and many vegans consider human farming and consumption of honey as exploitative. So if you’re following a vegan diet, you will want to avoid honey. But sometimes that glorious gooey stickiness is called for in baking or even simply slathered on a slice of toast.

Swap it: Coconut nectar comes to your rescue. This all-natural plant-based syrupy wonder is exactly what you need. Enjoy it neat or use in baking with a 1:1 ratio where honey or other syrups are needed. It has a caramel-like flavour and is made from coconut sap, so is quite neutral tasting.

Want to try it in action? Get cosy with a Pear and Date Crumble Custard Pot.

Swap cow’s milk for coconut milk

Cow’s milk allergy is one of the most common allergies, and indeed is more prevalent in British children than anywhere else in Europe. And that’s before you factor in all of the people who are intolerant to it, finding it causes all manner of issues from bad skin to gut problems. Then there’s the fact that cow’s milk isn’t vegan either.

Swap it: A super simple swap for cow’s milk is to use coconut milk. Whether you want to use it to make a deliciously creamy porridge as pictured here, or fancy a warming chai latte, coconut milk is an excellent alternative.

A convenient way to use coconut milk is to use coconut milk powder, which can be kept in the cupboard for months without worrying about short expiry dates. Coconut milk powder can be made up quickly into milk by adding water, and can even used to make a cream substitute.

Swap wheat flour for coconut flour

1 in 10 Brits avoid gluten in their diet. Yet still our most easily available baked goods (and ingredients for them) depend on wheat flour. Sometimes you can’t beat a warm drink and a slice of delicious cake, yet this can be a problem for anyone who doesn’t want to eat wheat flour.

Swap it: Coconut flour is an ideal baking substitute for wheat flour. You can still enjoy scrumptious baked items, or even thicken a sauce, without any gluten getting a look in.

While many coconut swaps can be done on a 1:1 basis, swapping in coconut flour can be a little more complex. You’ll need to increase the amount of liquid in the recipe. It can be easier to use dedicated coconut flour recipes. Try out our Double Chocolate Banana Loaf – you won’t look back!

Swap cane sugar for coconut sugar

Oh, we love the sweet stuff, even if we know we need to limit how much we have. Occasionally we want to sweeten a drink, or even treat ourselves to the crumble of a cookie or the indulgence of dessert.

The trick is to be sugar savvy and choose alternatives to highly refined and processed cane sugar.

Swap it: Organic coconut sugar is an unrefined natural sweetener which blows cane sugar out of the kitchen. It comes from pure coconut sap and as such retains some of the trace nutrients that are found in the sap. It has fewer calories gram for gram than white sugar and it has a lower Glycaemic Index.

You can use coconut sugar in any recipe swapping it in on a 1:1 basis. Try it in our Double Chocolate Coconut Sugar Biscuits. Be warned: these are so delicious that they’ll never make it into the biscuit tin!

Choose your coconut swap

Coconut products bring lots of different health benefits for everyone, but they also make it much easier for those with food allergies and intolerances to enjoy their favourite dishes. They are also vegan-friendly and, if you choose an ethical producer, like The Coconut Company, are often far less refined and have far fewer additives than their non-coconut counterparts.

Have fun browsing The Coconut Company shop and enjoy making your swaps!