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Coconut Oil Substitutes for Baking and Cooking

7 Best Substitutes for Coconut Oil

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Coconut oil can be replaced by several fats depending on your cooking method and desired flavor. Match the smoke point and texture by choosing from olive oil, butter, avocado oil, vegetable oil, ghee, cocoa butter, or applesauce.
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Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 6 minutes
Total Time 13 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Substitutes
Cuisine: General
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 tablespoon Olive Oil Fruitier, less sweet; use extra virgin for low heat sauté or vinaigrettes, refined for baking and medium heat cooking; skip if strong fruity flavor unwanted
  • 1 tablespoon Butter Creamier, richer; chill if solid fat needed, soften if mixing; burns at lower temp so reduce heat slightly
  • 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil Mild, buttery; good for high heat cooking up to 520°F, no solidifying at room temp; skip if firm fat needed
  • 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil Neutral, no aroma; one-to-one swap, stays liquid, handles up to 400°F; skip if coconut sweetness needed
  • 1 tablespoon Ghee Nutty, no milk solids; high smoke point near 485°F, solidifies when cool; adds caramelized flavor
  • 1 tablespoon Cocoa Butter Sweet, chocolate undertones; melts gently, sets firm; use only in sweet recipes
  • ¾ cup Applesauce Adds moisture, cuts fat; reduces fat content and sweetness, use unsweetened; avoids too much moisture

Method
 

  1. Choose your substitute based on cooking method: baking, sautéing, frying, or texture needs.
  2. Prepare the substitute as needed: chill butter if solid fat required; melt cocoa butter gently; use unsweetened applesauce drained if necessary.
  3. Apply substitution ratios carefully, generally 1:1 for oils and butter, or ¾ cup applesauce per cup of coconut oil.
  4. Adjust cooking temperature if needed, especially lowering heat slightly with butter to prevent burning.
  5. Consider flavor impact: olive oil adds fruity notes, ghee adds nuttiness, cocoa butter provides chocolate undertones, applesauce adds sweetness.
  6. Avoid substitutions for recipes requiring solid fat to set unless using ghee or cocoa butter which solidify.
  7. Taste and texture test your dish to confirm the substitute works well before finalizing the recipe.

Notes

Drain applesauce well before use to prevent extra moisture that makes baked goods soggy.

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