The best substitute for coconut oil depends on what you’re making. For baking, butter and vegetable oil are the most reliable swaps. For cooking, avocado oil and grapeseed oil handle heat well without adding unwanted flavor. For skin and hair care, shea butter and jojoba oil work similarly. Here’s how to choose the right one for your situation.
Best Substitutes for Baking
Coconut oil works in baking because it’s solid at room temperature, which helps give structure to cookies, pie crusts, and muffins. That narrows your best replacements to fats that behave similarly.
Butter is the most common swap and works in a 1:1 ratio. It will make your baked goods taste richer and slightly more indulgent, which is often a welcome change. Keep in mind that butter contains more water than coconut oil, so very delicate pastries may come out slightly different in texture. For most recipes, though, the swap is seamless.
Vegetable shortening is another solid-at-room-temperature option and gives you a texture almost identical to coconut oil. It’s especially useful for pie crusts and biscuits where you want flakiness. Use it in a 1:1 ratio.
Vegetable oil or canola oil works when a recipe calls for melted coconut oil. Both have neutral flavors and won’t change how your recipe tastes. Use the same amount the recipe calls for. The main tradeoff: since these are liquid oils, they won’t create the same structure in recipes that rely on solid fat, like shortbread or crumb toppings.
Applesauce is a lower-fat option for quick breads, muffins, and cakes. Replace half the coconut oil with applesauce to keep some richness while cutting calories. It adds a subtle sweetness and extra moisture, so your results will be softer and denser than the original recipe.
Best Substitutes for Stovetop Cooking
Refined coconut oil has a smoke point around 400°F, making it a decent all-purpose cooking fat. If you’re replacing it for sautéing, stir-frying, or pan-frying, you want an oil that can handle similar or higher heat.
Avocado oil is one of the best options. It has a neutral flavor and a smoke point around 520°F, so it handles high-heat cooking easily. It works for everything from stir-fries to searing meat. Use the same amount you’d use of coconut oil.
Grapeseed oil and sunflower oil are both neutral-tasting, plant-based, and tolerate medium-high heat well. They’re widely available and inexpensive, making them practical everyday replacements.
Olive oil works for sautéing vegetables or cooking at medium heat, but extra virgin olive oil has a distinct flavor that changes the taste of whatever you’re making. If you’re cooking something where the oil flavor matters (like a curry or a Thai dish that originally called for coconut oil), olive oil may not be the best fit. Light or refined olive oil has a milder flavor and a higher smoke point, making it more versatile.
Ghee (clarified butter) is a good match if you don’t mind dairy. It has a smoke point around 480°F, a slightly nutty flavor, and performs well for frying and roasting.
Matching the Flavor Profile
Coconut oil comes in two forms, and they taste very different. Refined coconut oil has almost no coconut flavor, while virgin (unrefined) coconut oil has a noticeable coconut taste and aroma. Your substitute should match the version the recipe originally uses.
If you’re replacing refined coconut oil, reach for any neutral oil: avocado, vegetable, canola, grapeseed, or sunflower. These won’t change the way your food tastes. If you’re replacing virgin coconut oil and you actually want that coconut flavor, try adding a small splash of coconut extract to a neutral oil or butter. Nothing else truly replicates it.
Substitutes for Skin and Hair Care
Many people use coconut oil as a moisturizer, hair mask, or makeup remover. Several alternatives work just as well, and some are better for acne-prone skin since coconut oil tends to clog pores.
Jojoba oil closely mimics the natural oils your skin produces, absorbs quickly, and is far less likely to cause breakouts. It works as a face moisturizer and hair treatment.
Shea butter is a solid fat at room temperature, making it the closest physical match to coconut oil for body butters and thick moisturizers. It’s deeply hydrating and works especially well on dry, rough skin like elbows and heels.
Argan oil is lightweight, absorbs fast, and works well for both hair and skin. It’s a good choice if coconut oil feels too heavy for you. Sweet almond oil is another gentle, affordable option that works as a body oil or carrier oil for essential oils.
Why People Switch Away From Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is about 82% saturated fat, which is higher than butter. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend keeping saturated fat below 10% of your daily calories. For someone eating 2,000 calories a day, that’s roughly 22 grams. A single tablespoon of coconut oil contains about 12 grams of saturated fat, which takes up more than half that daily budget in one spoonful.
Switching to oils higher in unsaturated fats, like avocado oil, olive oil, or canola oil, gives you more flexibility with the rest of your diet. These oils also provide heart-friendly fats that coconut oil largely lacks. Some people also switch simply because of allergies, taste preferences, or cost, since quality coconut oil can be significantly more expensive than other cooking oils.
Quick Substitution Ratios
- Butter for coconut oil: 1:1 ratio (1 cup butter for 1 cup coconut oil)
- Coconut oil for butter: Use 25% less. If a recipe calls for 1/4 cup butter, use 3 tablespoons coconut oil, or add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of water per 1/2 cup to account for the difference in water content.
- Vegetable, canola, or avocado oil: 1:1 ratio when replacing melted coconut oil
- Shortening: 1:1 ratio
- Applesauce (low-fat swap): Replace up to half the coconut oil with an equal amount of applesauce