• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Paleo Leap
  • Recipes
    • Beef and Red Meat
    • Chicken and Poultry
    • Pork
    • Fish and Seafood
    • Eggs
    • Soups
    • Salads
    • Sides, Veggies and Appetizers
    • Sauces, Dips & Vinaigrettes
    • Drinks
    • Sweets and Snacks
    • Cooking Tips
  • Learn
  • Your Starting Point
    • Topic Index
    • Paleo 101
    • Paleo Meal Plan
    • Paleo Food List
    • Transitioning to Paleo
    • Am I Doing it Right? - Checklist
    • Mini-Course for Beginners
  • Popular Topics
    • Recipes for Beginners
    • Breakfast Ideas
    • Homemade Condiments
    • Legumes
    • Wheat & Gluten
    • Dairy
    • Nightshades
  • More
    • Compilations
    • Foods
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Chicken
  • Pork
  • Snacks
  • Salads
  • Learn Paleo
  • Paleo Cooking Tips
  • Paleo Diet Foods
  • Paleo Recipe Compilations
  • Keto Diet Recipes
  • Paleo Beef and Red Meat Recipes
  • Paleo Drink Recipes
  • Paleo Egg Recipes
  • Paleo Fish and Seafood Recipes
  • Paleo Sauces and Dips
  • Paleo Sides, Veggies and Appetizers
  • Paleo Soup Recipes
  • Paleo Tips & Tricks
  • Paleo Topic Index
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Chicken
    • Pork
    • Snacks
    • Salads
    • Learn Paleo
    • Paleo Cooking Tips
    • Paleo Diet Foods
    • Paleo Recipe Compilations
    • Keto Diet Recipes
    • Paleo Beef and Red Meat Recipes
    • Paleo Drink Recipes
    • Paleo Egg Recipes
    • Paleo Fish and Seafood Recipes
    • Paleo Sauces and Dips
    • Paleo Sides, Veggies and Appetizers
    • Paleo Soup Recipes
    • Paleo Tips & Tricks
    • Paleo Topic Index
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ร—
    Home ยป Learn About Paleo & Keto Diets

    How To Replace Everything Coconut

    Last Modified: Jan 31, 2023 by Paleo Leaper ยท This post may contain affiliate links ยท Leave a Comment

    Sharing is caring!

    586 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Reddit

    Yeah, yeah, if you eat enough coconut oil youโ€™ll be able to lose fat while gaining muscle, fast until 4pm without hunger, and squat twice your bodyweight until youโ€™re 150.* But even though coconut is an excellent source of healthy fat, some people just donโ€™t react well to it โ€“ from rashes, to indigestion to everything in between. So hereโ€™s a practical guide to replacing all things coconut with other Paleo-friendly alternatives.

    *Not really. Sorry.

    Coconut oil (for cooking)

    Coconut oil is the staple cooking fat for Paleo meals, but itโ€™s far from your only choice. You have so many other Paleo choices for cooking fat that replacing coconut oil is a snap. Tryโ€ฆ

    • Animal fat (lard, tallow, schmaltz, etc.). Tallow, or beef fat, is particularly good for cooking at high heat because itโ€™s very saturated, just like coconut oil.
    • Butter
    • Healthy plant fats (olive oil, avocado oil, macadamia nut oil, or red palm oil). Avocado oil is especially good if you want something without a strong taste of its own.

    Your favorite of this list will depend on what youโ€™re using it for, but thereโ€™s something for everyone in the non-coconut fat department.

    Just as a point of trivia, red palm oil actually contains a respectable concentration of medium-chain triglycerides, the famously healthy fats that make coconut oil so fantastic. So if youโ€™re looking specifically for an MCT substitute, then palm oil is your next-best choice.

    Coconut oil (for beauty/cosmetic uses)

    Coconut oil isnโ€™t just for the table! Itโ€™s also used as a moisturizer, hair conditioner, mouth rinseโ€ฆfor any product you can buy at CVS, thereโ€™s probably a coconut-oil version of it somewhere. But even if your skin rebels at the thought of putting cheap moisturizer on it, you still have non-coconut options:

    • Skin: jojoba oil, cocoa butter, avocado oil, or shea butter are all excellent choices for moisturizers and general Paleo skincare.
    • Hair: if your skin is so sensitive that you canโ€™t do any commercial products, look into the no-(sham)poo method. The most popular way to do no-poo is to rinse with baking soda, and condition with vinegar, but you also have plenty of other options as well.
    • Teeth: toothpaste can be an issue with coconut allergies because sodium laurel sulfate (the ingredient that makes the toothpaste foam) is derived from coconut. But there are some brands without it; just look for โ€œSLS-freeโ€ on the label. Alternately, if youโ€™re into oil pulling, you can just replace coconut with sesame seed oil.

    Coconut milk (and/or coconut cream)

    paleo canofcoconutmilk

    This oneโ€™s a little tougher. So many Paleo recipes call for coconut milk to add a creamy texture to curries, sauces, and desserts. But you do have alternatives. For a substitution, why not tryโ€ฆ

    • Almond milk: tastes a little โ€œnutty,โ€ which not everyone likes, but itโ€™s widely available.
    • Cashew milk: slightly sweeter, and has a taste that most people find a little closer to cowโ€™s milk.

    Either would work well in a curry or drink recipe, or just as something to lighten your coffee with. If youโ€™re struggling to get the texture right, a pinch of gelatin might also help thicken up a gravy and provide the same creaminess as coconut milk.

    You can get both at grocery stories, but almost all grocery-store versions come with added sugar and flavorings along for the ride. A cheaper and healthier option is to make them yourself at home. Hereโ€™s a recipe for almond milk, and hereโ€™s one for cashew milk.

    Coconut flour

    paleo flour

    Coconut flour is used in everything from Paleo cookies to the breading on your fried chicken. But with so many excellent grain-free flours out there, itโ€™s not hard to find a substitute. Just beware: you cannot substitute coconut flour 1-to-1! Coconut flour sucks up a lot more water than just about anything else, so you canโ€™t just chuck any old powdered thing in there and call it a day. If youโ€™re not a master grain-free baker, itโ€™s usually best to look for a recipe specifically calling for whatever flour youโ€™re looking for, instead of trying to substitute one for another.

    • For baking or breading, try: almond flour, hazelnut flour, or any other nut flour.
    • For thickening sauces, try: tapioca starch or arrowroot powder.

    Another option is to find recipes that donโ€™t use any flour at all, like these flourless brownies.

    Itโ€™s also worth mentioning that this shouldnโ€™t really be a huge deal. If your โ€œPaleoโ€ diet is comprised mainly of โ€œPaleo cookiesโ€ washed down with โ€œPaleo breadโ€ and โ€œPaleo pizza,โ€ then itโ€™s not really Paleo; itโ€™s a sad, second-rate imitation of standard American junk food. Any kind of flour replacement should be an occasional treat, not an everyday staple. But for those times when you do want a special treat, coconut flour is far from the only option.

    Coconut flakes

    Coconut flakes are mostly used to add that special touch of chewy sweetness to cookies, macaroons, or other treats. Sometimes theyโ€™re also sprinkled on top of a dish to add a crunch. Substitutions will vary depending on how youโ€™re using them, but tryโ€ฆ

    • As a sweet, chewy ingredient: raisins, dried cranberries, or other dried fruit.
    • For crunch on top of a salad: sunflower seeds, flax seeds, crumbled nut topping or dehydrated blueberries (or other berries).
    • As a โ€œcrustโ€ ingredient: see one of the non-coconut flours listed above.

    Coconut aminos

    Coconut aminos are the Paleo answer to soy sauce. They deliver the same salty tang, only with no soy and no wheat. Unfortunately, if you also struggle with coconut, then this isnโ€™t exactly an ideal solution.

    For a different option, hereโ€™s a recipe for a replacement with no soy, wheat, or coconut products. Let the stir-fries resume!

    Coconut water

    Found in bottles and juice boxes in the checkout line, coconut water is touted as an all-natural electrolyte replacement and energy drink, a little like Mother Natureโ€™s Gatorade.

    Thatโ€™s all true enough: it does have electrolytes, and it is better for you than chugging down a bottle of bright blue food coloring. But you can also make your very own electrolyte drink by squeezing a lemon into a bottle of water and adding a pinch of salt. Shake it up and gulp away; no coconut required.

    Coconut sap/coconut sugar

    Letโ€™s get this straight: coconut sugar is sugar. Sugar does not magically become healthy because itโ€™s made from the sap of a tree that also produces coconuts! So the bad news is that there's nothing magical about "coconut sugar" that makes it healthier than any other kind of sugar. But the good news is that if it's not special, it's easy to replace. If you need a sweetener, you can substitute honey, molasses, or another Paleo-friendly sweetener, but bear in mind that no matter how โ€œnaturalโ€ it might be, youโ€™re still essentially eating a spoonful of sugar. Keep it occasional and donโ€™t try to fool yourself that itโ€™s a health food.

    Coconut: Optional, not Required

    Coconut is a Paleo darling. And it is very good for you, but itโ€™s certainly not required, and if itโ€™s causing a bad reaction, then just skip it! Anything you can do with coconut, you can do with something else. From moisturizing your face to fueling your workout, thereโ€™s nothing that you have to rely on coconut for. So don't let this one food stand between you and Paleo; it just shouldn't be that big of an obstacle.

    More Learn About Paleo & Keto Diets

    • closeup of a white bowl filled with Garlic & Roasted Onion Salsa
      Garlic & Roasted Onion Salsa
    • plate filled with blackened tilapia and sliced lemon
      Blackened Tilapia
    • Crab Stuffed Salmon served on a cutting board
      Crab Stuffed Salmon
    • 17 paleo bars & bites to snack on featured
      17 Paleo Bars & Bites To Snack On

    Sharing is caring!

    586 shares
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Reddit

    Filed Under: Learn About Paleo & Keto Diets

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    paleo leap square logo

    Hi, I'm Rick! Paleo Leap is the oldest and biggest resource online, covering everything about the paleo diet. We have over 1500 recipes categorized and plenty of meal plans for you to try.

    More about me โ†’

    Popular

    • Bacon-Wrapped Salmon Featured
      Bacon-Wrapped Salmon Recipe
    • Almond Milk Custard
      Almond Milk Custard Recipe
    • Flourless Banana Pancakes Featured
      Flourless Banana Pancakes Recipe
    • Turban Squash Soup Featured
      Turban Squash Soup Recipe

    Recent Recipes:

    • closeup of a glass of Almond banana cinnamon smoothie on a wood table
      Almond Banana Cinnamon Smoothie
    • glass of Peach and chocolate green smoothie on a wood table with peaches in the background
      Peach and Chocolate Green Smoothie
    • closeup of two glasses of cinnamon and Coconut vanilla milkshake
      Coconut Vanilla Milkshake
    • Pumpkin smoothie in a glass on a wood table with cinnamon sticks in the background
      Pumpkin Smoothie

    Footer

    โ†‘ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Cookie Policy

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    For your information only. The statements on this website are merely opinions. Paleo Leap does not provide medical or nutritional advice, treatment, or diagnosis. Read the full disclaimer.

    Copyright ยฉ 2023 Paleo Leap