Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil that is made from repressing the canola plant. Canola oil is used as a neutral cooking oil in baking, deep-frying(great for high-heat cooking), grilling, and even in salad dressings. Wondering what is the best canola oil substitute for your favorite baking recipe?
Canola Oil Substitutes
1. Olive Oil
Olive oil is made out of pressed olives and it is one of the healthiest oils on the market. Don’t get me started with the many health benefits of this oil. It can help prevent high cholesterol and high blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer. It is also good for weight loss and heart health.
I suggest, always to always go for the extra virgin olive oil when you do your choosing. Olive oil can substitute Canola oil the best when it comes to baking. Don’t worry, your baked goods won’t smell or taste like olives, olive oil has a neutral flavor and smell.
2. Avocado Oil
Avocado oil works wonders in baking(especially moist cakes), making them soft and moist. The avocado flesh by itself has natural oils that make every baked good as soft as possible. Just like olive oil, avocado oil is considered to be one of the healthiest oils on the market.
Now, the only downfall of this oil is that it’s a bit pricy for everyday usage. So, just for that, I would say that Avocado oil is not the most reachable product for everyone.
3. Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is also a natural oil made from coconut meat and it’s rich in fatty acids(Omega 6 fats). This type of oil is used in healthy cooking, weight-loss
Coconut oil is a great, healthier substitute for Canola oil in frying on high heat. The fatty acids in this oil are so high that it’s pretty heat resistant.
Coconut oil works great on other types of cooking as well. You can bake with it as well as make raw, no-bake desserts. Even though coconut oil doesn’t have a neutral flavor, it’s still used in the cuisine for frying. Like, imagine coconut oil deep-fried shrimp?!
4. Grapeseed Oil
Grapeseed oil is, of course, made from pressing grapes. Grapeseed oil is extracted from leftover grape seeds. After all the grapes are used for winemaking, the seeds are extracted and left behind.
Grapeseed oil is a minimally processed, healthier alternative for vegetable oils that tend to be highly processed.
5. Butter
Butter is an obvious substitute for any cooking or baking oil. It is a product made by churning the cream from cow’s milk. It is a great Canola oil substitute for sauteing, but mostly for baking.
It makes your baked goods even more delicious and gives them that silky, buttery texture.
6. Vegetable Oil
This type of oil is made out of, well, different types of vegetables, fruits, and seeds. It is one of the most versatile oils on the market even though you can say that it is processed and not the healthiest option out there.
You can put it as a base for salad dressing, cook with it, bake with it, deep-fry with it, and every other variety of cooking techniques. Along with sunflower oil, this is one of the cooking oils that is much cheaper to buy and can get along perfectly fine in any type of food.
7. Peanut Oil
Peanut oil is quite a strong oil with a strong, pungent peanut smell and taste, so I can’t say that complements every dish you’re making. So, this is why peanut oil is not as versatile as the other oils I mentioned before.
It can replace Canola oil in making stir-fry, is an excellent alternative for frying in general, and is a great match for flavoring any recipe from Asian cuisine. It is also a good choice for salad dressings if you want a more nutty taste in your salads.
8. Safflower Oil
Safflower oil is a healthy canola alternative that’s made out of the seeds of the safflower plant. It is a popular oil that is used for cooking in the dietary world and also as a potent beauty product.
This type of oil replaces Canola oil when it comes to frying and deep-frying thanks to its high smoke point and ability to sustain high heat.
9. Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil is a great substitute for baking, cooking, deep-frying, and everything else. Sunflower oil contains a generous amount of polyunsaturated fats that can help with high cholesterol and diabetes.
It’s a known fact that sunflower seeds are full of Vitamin E which is great for healthy skin, healthy hair, and helps prevent breast cancer.[Source]
And on top of that, is so versatile that you can use it in everything baking(like making moist cakes, bread recipes, baking potatoes, etc), frying, and salad dressings.
10. Palm Oil
It’s an edible vegetable oil that’s made out of the fruit of oil palm trees. Two types of oil can be produced out of these trees, crude palm oil, and palm kernel.
Crude palm oil comes from the flesh of the fruit of the palm tree, and the palm kernel comes from its kernels.
Palm oil isn’t the healthiest of oils on the market because it’s highly processed. But unfortunately, palm oil is in nearly everything. It’s in most of the frozen and packaged products sold in supermarkets.
Literally, from pizza, chips, and deep-fried foods, to hygiene products like deodorant, toothpaste, and chopstick. It is a part of the everyday American diet.
11. Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed or linseed oil is a protein and fiber-filled oil that has many health benefits. It may lower the risk of chronic diseases, reduce hunger, lower cholesterol levels, and add nutrients to your dishes.
This seed oil is also used in lots of beauty treatments because of its high Omega 3 fats. These types of fat can prevent any inflammation that you have on your skin, as well as prevent premature aging.
Flaxseed oil has a mild taste which can get along in any dish you put it in, but I must say that is a bit more on the expensive side.