Stored

Coconut oil is solid and opaque white at cool room temperature, liquefying above 76°F.

Shows the defining solid-at-room-temperature property that most readers find surprising or confusing about coconut oil.

Oils & Fats

Coconut Oil

Fragrant, solid-at-room-temp fat for baking and frying

Faintly sweet and tropical, coconut oil is solid at cool temperatures and melts to a clear liquid for frying or baking. Store it at room temperature; it keeps for ages.

Coconut oil is extracted from the meat of mature coconuts and is unusual among kitchen fats for being solid at room temperature and unusually high in saturated fat — roughly 82–90%, the most saturated of the common cooking fats, higher than butter. It melts to a clear liquid above about 76°F. Unrefined (virgin) coconut oil carries a distinct coconut aroma and flavor; refined coconut oil is neutral and takes higher heat. It's a staple in South Asian, Southeast Asian, and Caribbean cooking, and a popular vegan butter substitute in baking, though best used like other saturated fats rather than as a health food.

Measured in: ml
Storage: Room Temperature

Find it in

Oils Vinegars

Types & varieties

Virgin (unrefined) coconut oil

Cold-pressed, full coconut flavor and aroma.

Refined coconut oil

Neutral taste, higher smoke point, all-purpose.

Fractionated coconut oil (MCT)

Stays liquid; used for supplements and cosmetics, not baking.

How to choose

Pick virgin coconut oil when you want coconut flavor (curries, coconut cakes, granola). Choose refined when you want the texture and stability without the taste — searing, neutral baking, vegan pastry.

How to use

Because it's solid when cool, it behaves like butter or shortening — you can cream it, cut it into pastry, or melt it to liquid. In baking it substitutes 1:1 for butter or shortening by volume, though it makes crisper, slightly more brittle results.

Vegan butter swap in cookies and pie crust
Sautéing for curries and stir-fries
Granola and energy bars
Popping popcorn for a buttery note

Common uses

Sautéing for Thai and Indian curriesVegan baking and pie crustsGranola and snack barsPopcorn and stovetop poppingNo-bake desserts and chocolate shellsCoconut-forward cakes and cookiesSautéing plantains and tropical vegetables

Tips & pitfalls

Substitute 1:1 for butter or shortening in most baking recipes.
If it's solid and you need it liquid, warm the jar in hot water — don't microwave the whole tub.
Use refined coconut oil any time you don't want a coconut flavor.
It firms up cold, so it's great for setting raw desserts and chocolate coatings.