What Are The Healthiest
Cooking Oils?

Comparison Guide to the Best Cooking Oils

Easily compare cooking oils and learn important facts about each one, ensuring that you'll be able to
find the best cooking oil for each recipe you create, optimizing for both flavor and health.

Want to learn more about healthy cooking oils? Check out our Culinary Oil Change Infographic.
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Coconut Oil

Thanks to its versatility, transcendent flavor and plethora of health benefits, coconut oil has become the "must-have" oil for chefs around the world. Cooking with coconut oil is almost fool-proof due to its high smoke point, and it imparts a rich flavor with subtle hints of tropical paradise into every dish. Coconut oil is extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconuts harvested from the coconut palm. It can be substituted for almost any other oil at a 1:1 ratio and is commonly used in baked goods and sautés. Coconut oil is a healthy saturated fat—one of nature's best sources of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are quickly absorbed by your body to deliver a natural boost of energy (not stored as fat). You can buy coconut oil in two forms: refined and virgin. Virgin coconut oil retains its natural scent and taste of fresh coconuts, while refined coconut oil has a more bland taste due to the refining process. Both have a shelf life of up to 2 years.

  • Nutty, sweet flavor
  • Baked goods, pastries, sautés
  • Extracted from kernel of matured coconuts
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Coconut Oil

"This brand of coconut oil is fresh and has great taste and flavor! Luv it!"
Reviewed by: poultrylady

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
351°F 2 years No baking, frying 117 92% 6% 2%

Recipes with Coconut Oil

Olive Oil

Olive oil is a traditional cooking staple in many kitchens. It's commonly used for sautéing and often appears as an ingredient in salad dressings and bread dips. Its flavor is often used in Mediterranean-style dishes. Italy, Spain and Turkey make up the largest U.S. imports of olive oil. Like many other oils, it's available in several varieties including virgin and refined.

  • Intense, robust, fruity, smooth, buttery flavor
  • Salad dressings, bread dips, sautés
  • Made by grinding olives and extracting oil
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Olive Oil

"This olive oil is very rich and has a very light taste. I would recommend this product."
Reviewed by: Fortunate

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Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
419°F 2 years Yes dressings, dips, sautés 119 14% 73% 11%

Recipes with Olive Oil

Best Homemade Pesto
Best Homemade Pesto

Yummy Healthy Easy

Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad
Grilled Corn and Black Bean Salad

Baking with Blondie

Tangy Tahini Dip
Tangy Tahini Dip

Swanson Health Products

Flaxseed Oil

Flaxseed oil (also known as linseed oil) is made by cold-pressing flaxseeds, a blue-flowered plant that is grown on prairies in western Canada and northern U.S. This oil is a natural source of omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, but because it has a low smoke point (225°F), it's best to use on cold dishes like in dressings, dips, smoothies, etc. It has quite a short shelf life, and even if it's kept refrigerated, it only lasts a few weeks.

  • Nutty flavor
  • Best as a cold ingredient—salads, smoothies, etc.
  • Alternative to fish oil because of Omega-3 and -6 content
  • Made by cold-pressing flaxseeds
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Flaxseed Oil

"I have tried other flaxseed oils but none have been able to compare to the Swanson brand. I love the nutty taste and use it on salads, bread, pasta and rice."
Reviewed by: hannie5

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
225°F 2 weeks Yes cold recipes 120 8% 17% 75%

Recipes with Flaxseed Oil

Magic Quinoa
Magic Quinoa

Swanson Health Products

Breakfast Booster Smoothie
Breakfast Booster Smoothie

Learn Love Lift

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is quickly gaining popularity due to its high smoke point, which makes it great for sautéing and stir-frying, and its likeness to olive oil when used in salads and with vegetables and dips. It can be stored away from heat and light for up to one year, and is high in monounsaturated fats and vitamin E. Swanson Kale Salad features delicious vegetables and this buttery, smooth oil. Avocado oil has a smoke point of 491°F.

  • Buttery, smooth flavor
  • Salad dressings, cooking oil, stir-fry
  • Cold-pressed from fleshy avocado fruit
  • Mexican, Mediterranean, American
  • Compares well with olive oil
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Avocado Oil

"Avocado oil is a favorite of mine for cooking. It stands high temperatures and develops a subtle bacon-like flavor when used to pan sear things like chicken breast. Along with tea seed oil for delicate use and extra-virgin olive oil for normal use, avocado oil is a staple here when it comes to saute use. It also can be used effectively in salad dressings."
Reviewed by: NormSPUB

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
491°F 1 year Yes high heat 120 12% 74% 14%

Recipes with Avocado Oil

Cucumber Watermelon Summer Salad
Cucumber Watermelon Summer Salad

Art and the Kitchen

Crockpot Siracha Chicken
Crockpot Siracha Chicken

Cooking with Team FIT

Fresh Kale Salad
Fresh Kale Salad

Swanson Health Products

Pumpkin Seed Oil

Pumpkin seed oil is unique in color, as it ranges from red to gold to green. It's commonly used in salad dressings, especially when combined with olive oil or honey. Many people also find its unique taste a good fit for dessert recipes. Since it has a relatively low smoke point of 320°F, direct heating is not recommended.

Pumpkin seed oil has been produced and used since the 18th century, commonly in Austria and Slovenia.

  • Dark-colored oil
  • Nutty flavor with earthy tones
  • Combines well with honey or olive oil
  • Made from pressed roasted, hulled pumpkin seeds
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Pumpkin Seed Oil

"Pumpkin seed oil is worth buying for two reasons. First of all it has numerous proven health benefits. Secondly, it has an amazingly good, and unique, flavor. Swanson offers the lowest price I've seen on this oil, and the quality is great. I highly recommend."
Reviewed by: monxon

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
320°F 1 year Yes cold recipes 130 8% 36% 57%

Recipes with Pumpkin Seed Oil

Pepita Granola
Pepita Granola

The Sassy Spoon

Chicken with Green Mole Sauce
Chicken with Green Mole Sauce

Back Road Journal

Cranberry Walnut Breakfast Cookies
Cranberry Walnut Breakfast Cookies

Swanson Health Products

Macadamia Nut Oil

Macadamia nut oil is a non-volatile oil that comes from the macadamia nut, a native Australian nut. Found in recipes like Swanson Grilled Miso Chicken, Pineapple Curry Coleslaw and Luscious Dark Chocolate, this oil is great at high heats and has a healthier unsaturated to saturated fat ratio—even better than olive oil! It can be stored unrefrigerated for one to two years, and is compared to olive oil's simple productions process, which makes it a more naturally processed oil. The smoke point of Macadamia nut oil is 410°F.

  • Buttery, nutty flavor
  • Frying or salad oil
  • Expressed from the nut meat of macadamia
  • Substitute for vegetable oil
  • Modern Australian cuisine
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Macadamia Oil

"Is great for frying and sauteing and using as dressing for salads. The flavor is mild and does not overwhelm the flavor of foods."
Reviewed by: Enik

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
410°F 2 years No high heat 130 13% 84% 3%

Recipes with Macadamia Nut Oil

Creamy Maple Nut Salad Dressing
Creamy Maple Nut Salad Dressing

Wunda Woman Wellness

Anzac Biscuits
Anzac Biscuits

Healthy Chef

Banana Muffins
Banana Muffins

Livin Paleo Cuisine

Walnut Oil

Walnut oil is extracted from English walnuts, which are also known as Persian walnuts. It's light-colored and carries a delicate scent and flavor. It has a short shelf life of six months, and has a fairly low smoke point of 320°F. Walnut oil is considered most valuable when it's used in cold dishes like salad dressings. Walnut oil features essential fatty acids and antioxidants. The walnut itself also delivers a number of health benefits, but it takes a smaller serving size of walnut oil to deliver the same benefits as walnuts. For example, a 35-gram serving of walnut oil provides the same nutritional benefit as 50 grams of walnuts.

  • Nutty flavor
  • Turns bitter when heated
  • Great for salad dressings
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Walnut Oil

"This walnut oil make wonderful salad dressing. It goes well with salads that have fruit and feta, gorganzola, or blue cheese. Just add vinegar, honey, a little water or orange juice, and a tiny sprinkle of zantham gum so it will cling to the salad contents. It stays nice and liquid in the frige."
Reviewed by: JaneElla

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
320°F 6 months Yes cold recipes 130 9% 23% 63%

Recipes with Walnut Oil

Hemp Seed Oil

Hemp seed oil is a dark to clear light green color with a grassy, nutty flavor. The darker the color of the oil, the grassier the flavor and the more natural vitamins and antioxidants. This oil is best on salads or vegetables, and due to its low smoke point, is not suitable for frying. Best stored for up to two years in a cool, dark place in a dark glass bottle, hemp seed oil is unique in that it has a 3:1 ration of omega-6 to omega-3 EFAs, which matches the balance of EFAs that is required in our bodies.

  • Nutty, grassy flavor
  • Salads, vegetables, baked potatoes
  • Extracted from cold-pressed hemp seeds
  • Compared with olive oil
  • Low smoke point
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Hemp Seed Oil

"great taste, great on salads and cold cereals. even my picky eater loves the taste"
Reviewed by: wannabe

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
329°F 2 years Yes cold recipes 120 9% 12% 79%

Recipes with Hemp Seed Oil

Soba Noodle Bowl
Soba Noodle Bowl

Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes

Sesame Oil

Sesame oil is known as one of the world's first condiments. Toasted sesame seed oil is preferred in East Asian cooking, and features a deep golden-brown color. Cold-pressed sesame oil is more widely used in Western cultures, and has a higher smoke point. The toasted variety is often added to dressings, marinades and dips, and cold-pressed oil is more suitable for stir-frying and even deep frying. It's best to store sesame oil in a cool, dark cabinet or fridge.

  • Popular varieties include cold-pressed and toasted
  • Derived from sesame seeds
  • Popular in Asian cuisine
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Sesame Oil

"I absolutely love, love love, this product! I use it in my home-made raw nut and seed butter as well as on salads. It is the only raw sesame seed oil that has a strong fragrant wonderful taste... and the price is right!"
Reviewed by: Zahn

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
351°F 6 months Yes baking, frying 120 14% 43% 43%

Recipes with Sesame Oil

Safflower Oil

A flavorless, colorless oil, safflower oil is nutritionally similar to sunflower oil, and is a great substitute for sesame seed oil in stir-fries. The high smoke point makes it great for sautéing, baking or frying. It's a great source of monounsaturated oleic fatty acid, and can be store for up to six months when kept in a dark, air-tight container in the refrigerator. Interestingly, there are two types of safflower oils that are each used for different purposes when cooking. Monounsaturated safflower oil can be used for hot dishes due to its high smoking point. Polyunsaturated safflower oil should not be used for high heat cooking—rather, it's best on salads, in sauces or on veggies. Due to its lack of flavor, safflower oil is best when you don't want a lot of flavor added to your dish, or mixed with other, more flavorful oils.

  • Popular varieties include cold-pressed and toasted
  • Flavorless
  • Extracted from safflower seeds
  • High smoke point
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Safflower Oil

"Great for cooking foods at a high heat and not having a oily flavor to it! Pops popcorn well too!!"
Reviewed by: Momjan

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
509°F 6 months Yes high heat, salad dressing 120 10% 13% 77%

Recipes with Safflower Oil

Red Palm Oil

Not to be confused with palm kernel oil, red palm oil is derived from the reddish pulp of the fruit of the oil palms. Its recognizable red color comes from its high beta-carotene content, which exists in most fruits and vegetables but is covered up by the green chlorophyll in plants. Red palm oil has a juicy, fruity flavor that is very different than most cooking oils. It has a fairly high smoke point (425°F), which makes it a great option for high-heat cooking. Red palm oil has been used for centuries in African countries, and remains a popular choice when cooking African dishes.

  • Derived from the fruit of the oil palm tree
  • Natural red color from high beta-carotene content
  • Loaded with antioxidants
  • Juicy, fruity flavor
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Red Palm Oil

"The EXTRA VIRGIN RED PALM OIL is a joy to fry with! It doesn't burn @ higher temps., & it imparts a unique & tasty flavor to every fried food imaginable, e.g. bacon & eggs, sauteed veggies, fried rice & fish."
Reviewed by: DUTCH777

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
425°F 1 year Yes high heat 130 52% 38% 10%

Recipes with Red Palm Oil

Grilled Togo Chicken
Grilled Togo Chicken

Global Table Adventure

Ghee

Originating in South Asia, ghee is a clarified butter that is made by boiling butter and removing the residue (mostly water). Spices are added for flavor and it is often used in south Asian and Indian cuisine. Its smoking point is 482°F, which is above most vegetable oils and what makes it great for deep frying. Traditional ghee comes from buffalo milk in India and Pakistan. Ghee has a long shelf life and as long as it's kept in an airtight container, needs no refrigeration.

  • Buttery flavor
  • Deep frying
  • Clarified butter
  • South Asian cuisine
  • High smoke point
  • Compare with butter
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Ghee Oil

"This has a GREAT flavor! I use it on toast, to cook my eggs, veggies and anything else on the stove. LOVE it :)"
Reviewed by: Blaire

Smoke Point Shelf Life Refrigeration Good For Calories Sat Fat Monounsat Fat Polyunsat Fat
482°F 1 year No high heat 124 65% 32% 3%

Recipes with Ghee

Ghee Roasted Chicken
Ghee Roasted Chicken

My Kitchen Antics