Out of Olive oil, one case

Can you substitute coconut oil for olive oil?

4 options, ranked, with the exact amount

Use thisBest of 4 options

Use Refined coconut oil, melted

1 cup for every cup of olive oil

Yes, for cooking and baking: use 1 cup coconut oil, melted and measured liquid, for each cup of olive oil. Refined coconut oil tastes neutral; virgin coconut oil tastes of coconut. Coconut oil turns solid below about 76°F, so it does not work in salad dressing, marinades kept cold, or any dish served chilled.

Verdict —: You'll taste it
The tweak —: Melt it gently, then measure it liquid. In baking, bring eggs and milk to room temperature first, or the oil hardens into lumps when it hits them.
Best for —: sauteing and stir-frying

One casethe full olive oil card

Every option, one card

Ranked

Olive oil substitutes compared
#	Substitute	Instead of 1 cup olive oil	Verdict
1	Refined coconut oil, meltedsauteing and stir-frying	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
2	Virgin coconut oil, meltedcurries and stir-fries that already use coconut	1 cupYou'll taste it	You'll taste it
3	Canola oildressings and marinades	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
4	Avocado oilvinaigrettes	1 cupTweak it	Tweak it
Not a swap	Coconut oil, in dressings and cold dishes	not a swapNot for this	Not for this

What changesWhat changes, option by option4 options

Refined coconut oil, melted

neutral, with none of the olive flavor

Coconut oil is all fat, as olive oil is, so it swaps in equal amounts once melted. The refined kind has had the coconut flavor removed and handles normal sauteing and roasting heat.

Best for: sauteing and stir-frying, roasting vegetables that will be eaten hot, brownies, muffins and quick breads
Prep: Melt it gently, then measure it liquid. In baking, bring eggs and milk to room temperature first, or the oil hardens into lumps when it hits them.
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Contains: coconut
Where it fails: Vinaigrette, pasta salad, hummus, dipping oil and anything refrigerated, where it sets into white, waxy flecks. Food roasted in it can feel waxy once it cools.

The jar label says refined or virgin (sometimes "unrefined"). If it smells of coconut, it is virgin.

Virgin coconut oil, melted

sweet and clearly coconut

The unrefined jar measures the same way but tastes and smells clearly of coconut, and it starts to smoke at about 350°F, lower than refined.

Best for: curries and stir-fries that already use coconut, banana bread, chocolate cake and granola, sauteing over medium heat
Prep: Melt and measure liquid. Keep the pan at medium heat.
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Contains: coconut
Where it fails: Italian, Greek and other Mediterranean dishes, where coconut tastes out of place, and high-heat searing or roasting above 350°F.

Canola oil

neutral taste

If there is any neutral liquid oil in the cupboard, it is the easier swap: it stays liquid when cold and needs no melting.

Best for: dressings and marinades, high-heat cooking, baking
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Where it fails: Raw uses where olive oil was the flavor, such as dipping bread.

Avocado oil

mild and slightly buttery

Refined avocado oil stays liquid in the fridge and takes high heat, which covers the two places coconut oil falls short.

Best for: vinaigrettes, searing and roasting, mayonnaise
Suits: vegan, dairy-free
Where it fails: It does not taste of olive.

Coconut oil, in dressings and cold dishes

waxy when cold

Coconut oil melts at about 76°F. On a cold salad or in the fridge it goes back to a solid.

Best for: nothing here
Contains: coconut
Where it fails: Vinaigrette, marinades stored in the fridge, pasta and grain salads, pesto, hummus and dipping oil. The dressing turns cloudy and then sets hard.

Tips for substituting olive oil

5 tips

Measure it melted: 1 cup liquid coconut oil per cup of olive oil, 1 tbsp per tablespoon. A cup scooped solid from the jar is not the same amount.
To melt it, set the jar in a bowl of hot tap water for a few minutes, or microwave what you need in 15-second bursts.
Baking: have eggs, milk and other cold ingredients at room temperature, and stir the melted oil in last. Cold batter makes it seize into small hard beads.
Use refined coconut oil for general cooking and when you do not want coconut flavor. Keep virgin coconut oil at 350°F or below.
Serve food cooked in coconut oil hot. As it cools, the fat firms and leaves a white film on the surface.

Questions

5 questions

Is coconut oil a 1:1 substitute for olive oil?

Yes by amount, when the coconut oil is melted and measured as a liquid. Both are pure fat. The differences are flavor, heat tolerance for the virgin kind, and the fact that coconut oil turns solid below about 76°F.

Can I use coconut oil in place of olive oil in baking?

Yes, cup for cup, melted. Bring the eggs and milk to room temperature so the oil does not harden into lumps in the batter. Baked goods are slightly firmer when cool than they would be with olive oil. Use refined coconut oil unless you want the coconut taste.

Can I use coconut oil for roasting vegetables?

Yes, with refined coconut oil, melted and tossed with the vegetables in the same amount as the olive oil. Serve them hot. At room temperature the oil firms and the vegetables can feel waxy.

Can I use coconut oil in salad dressing?

No. It solidifies when it touches cold greens or goes in the fridge. Use canola, avocado or another liquid oil for dressing.

Will the food taste like coconut?

Only with virgin, or unrefined, coconut oil. Refined coconut oil is neutral. Neither tastes of olive, so dishes where olive oil was the main flavor will taste plainer.