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Don’t have sweet soy sauce and realized you’re all out while you’re making a recipe? Here are the best sweet soy sauce substitute options for any recipe!
Sweet soy sauce is an aromatic, sweet, rich, smooth velvety sauce that is darker in color. This sauce originates from Indonesia and goes by the name kecap manis. It is usually made with soy sauce, palm sugar, and spices.
Sweet soy sauce is used in stir-fries, as a marinade for meats and seafood, sometimes as a glaze, as a condiment, and even as a dip.
But, if you have no sweet soy sauce in your kitchen, then what are the other sauces or combinations that can be used to replace it? Keep reading to find out.
Best substitutes for sweet soy sauce
Regular soy sauce + brown sugar
One of the best and easiest substitutes for sweet soy sauce is a homemade sweet soy sauce made with regular soy sauce and brown sugar.
For this homemade sweet soy sauce, you will need ½ cup of soy sauce, ½ cup of brown sugar, star anise, 2 garlic cloves, 1 piece of fresh ginger, and 1 teaspoon of black peppercorns. Place all of these ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Strain and use in the same way you would use store-bought sweet soy sauce!
A 1:1 substitute ratio is ideal.
Regular soy + palm sugar
Another suitable substitute for sweet soy sauce is a DIY sweet soy sauce made with palm sugar. This substitute is really ideal as store-bought sweet soy sauce is also made with palm sugar.
To make it, you will need equal parts palm sugar and soy sauce, together with garlic cloves, fresh ginger, star anise, and black peppercorns.
Place all of these ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer on low heat until the palm sugar dissolves. Strain the mixture, then use it as you would like.
Regular soy sauce + honey
You can also make a homemade sweet soy sauce with honey. If you have no sugar or palm sugar, then using equal parts honey will work really well.
For this substitute, you will need equal parts soy sauce, and honey, as well as ginger, garlic, and black peppercorns. Whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Strain, then use in the same way you use store-bought kecap manis.
Regular soy sauce + maple syrup
You can also make a maple soy sauce to use to substitute sweet soy sauce.
For this sweet soy sauce replacement, you will need equal parts soy sauce, and equal parts maple syrup, along with garlic cloves, ginger, black peppercorns, and star anise. Mix well, drain then use.
It makes a great dipping sauce, and works great in stir fries and also as a marinade. You can check out my saucy ramen noodles recipe here to see how I use this substitute to make a quick and easy recipe.
Regular soy sauce + agave nectar
Another easy homemade sweet soy sauce recipe that can be used as a sweet soy sauce alternative is a combination of regular soy sauce and agave nectar.
For this sweet soy sauce alternative, you will need equal parts soy sauce and agave nectar. You will also need some spring onion, ginger, star anise, and some garlic. Mix well, strain, and use in any recipe that calls for sweet soy sauce!
Hoisin sauce
Hoisin sauce can also be used as s sweet soy sauce substitute in a pinch. Hoisin sauce is usually made with sugar, soybeans, sesame seeds, salt, garlic, chili pepper, and other spices.
Hoisin sauce is rich, spicy, salty, and sweet and can be used in place of sweet soy sauce as a dipping sauce, in marinades, in vegetables and even noodles and stir fries.
Oyster sauce
Oyster sauce is sweet and salty which makes this sauce another great sweet soy sauce substitute.
Oyster sauce is made mainly with ingredients like oyster juices, salt, and sugar. It can replace sweet soy as a marinade, in stir-fries, dipping sauces, and even in vegetable dishes.
Note that oyster sauce has this distinct fishy smell that is very unlike sweet soy sauce, so it won’t work for you if that smell will affect your recipe.
Teriyaki sauce
Teriyaki is sweet, tangy, sticky, and salty with umami undertones. It is made with ingredients like soy sauce, brown sugar, honey, mirin, garlic, ginger, and vinegar.
Although the flavor is not an exact match to sweet soy, you can use it as a substitute for sweet soy sauce as a dipping sauce, for stir-frying, as a glaze, and even as a marinade for meats and fish.
Tamari sauce + sweetener
Tamari sauce is a more mellow version of soy sauce, but it can be used in place of sweet soy once it is combined with a sweetener.
This means that a great replacement for sweet soy is equal parts Tamari sauce and equal parts sweetener of choice.
Barbecue sauce
Lastly, barbecue sauce can also be used as a sweet soy substitute. This may be quite surprising to many people but barbecue can work in meat dishes in place of sweet soy. Meaning, that while it will not replicate the flavor of sweet soy sauce, it does work great for marinating meats.
