Coconut Oil Smoke Point: Smoke Points of Common Cooking Oils

Do you ever start heating up butter or oil on the stove, turn away for just a second (or, you know, sometimes a minute or two), and suddenly your butter or oil starts smoking in the pan? Eureka! It has reached a smoke point — now turn down the heat!

Cooking with Fats, Oils, and Their Smoke Points

The smoke point of coconut oil, or other fats and oils, is just as it sounds: when the oil is heated, it begins to smoke at a certain temperature. While a smoking pan is never ideal in the kitchen, the cooking oil’s smoke point signals that it is breaking down, releasing harmful free radicals, and producing ignitable gases. Just ask me about the time my friends and I caused a pan to go up in flames for five seconds. That stovetop inferno introduced me to high-temperature cooking oils!

Besides scorching pots and pans, heating cooking oils in high temperatures can accelerate the rate of oxidation. When the smoke point of coconut oil, or other cooking oils is reached, the quality of that oil is severely degraded. Degraded cooking oil becomes rancid and can cause many health problems with your blood and heart. Overall, you should try to avoid crossing a cooking oil’s smoke point threshold.

In general, you should use oils with high smoke points for high-temperature cooking, and oils with low smoke points for low-temperature cooking and salad dressings. Coconut oil’s high smoke point makes it a great option for searing, sautéing, deep-frying, or stir-frying, as they require high-temperature cooking oils. Keep in mind what you’re cooking, how hot you want your cooking vessel ⏤ stove, oven, grill, etc. ⏤ to be, and what flavor you’d like to have. Then, choose your oil or fat accordingly.

Looking to try some new oils? Start Here with Wildly Organic’s Cooking Oils!

No matter what kind of cooking you’re doing, we have cooking oils of varying smoke points here at Wildly Organic! Try out some of our favorites:

Wildly Organic Sauté Oil

Try Wildly Organic Sauté Oil. This unique oil is made by blending organic virgin coconut oil, extra virgin organic olive oil, and organic sesame seed oil. The extra virgin olive oil, sesame, and coconut oil’s smoke point make this blend great for sautéing food in a skillet and can even be used in dressings due to its unique, yet mild flavor. Its smoke point is around 350°F.

Try Wildly Organic Sauté Oil in these recipes:

• Grilled Peaches with Almond Butter Drizzle {Paleo, Vegan, Gluten Free}
• Kabocha Squash Soup

Coconut Oil

Are you looking for high-temperature cooking oils? Wildly Organic carries three different types of coconut oil: Refined Coconut Oil, Cold-Pressed Coconut Oil, and Centrifuge Extracted Coconut Oil for high-temperature cooking. If you aren’t sure which coconut oil is best for you, you can learn about Why All Coconut Oils Aren’t Created Equally (& how to find the best one!).

Centrifuge Extracted and Cold-Pressed coconut oils have a smoke point of 350°F and the Refined coconut oil has a smoke point of 400°F. Coconut oil is also great to use for beauty applications and around the house. In fact, check out these 7 Ways to Use Coconut Oil Around the House! Trust me, coconut oil is a must-have in any household.

Try Wildly Organic Coconut Oil in these recipes:

• Dairy-Free Fruity Coconut Nice Cream Cake
• No-Bake Fudgy Frosted Coconut Bites {gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, no refined sugar}
• DIY Homemade Chocolate Lip Balm

Organic Butter Alternative

Made from organic, unrefined red palm oil and steam-pressed refined organic coconut oil, Wildly Organic Butter Alternative is a popular 1:1 replacement for dairy butter. It has a mild buttery taste that makes it a fantastic popcorn topper and thanks to the palm oil’s high smoke point of around 450°F, you can also use this oil for stir-frying, baking, and sautéing!

Try Wildly Organic Butter Alternative in these recipes:

• Sweet ‘n Spicy Nuts
• Blissful Holiday Cranberry Bars {gluten-free, grain-free}
• Low-Oxalate Green Superfood Soup

Unrefined Organic Red Palm Oil

With a smoke point of 450°F, red palm makes a great high-temperature cooking oil. Wildly Organic Red Palm Oil is sustainably sourced, RSPO-certified by the supplier, and minimally processed to preserve its many nutritional qualities. Palm oil has been getting a bad reputation in recent years, but you can read all about our sustainably sourced palm oil to see how ours is different!

Red palm oil has a beautiful red-orange hue, and a rich, earthy flavor. The cooking oil’s high smoke point makes it ideal for sautéing and is a customer favorite in soups and stews!

Try Wildly Organic Red Palm Oil in these recipes:

• Paleo Brazilian Fish Stew
• Cheesy Herbed Cauliflower Rice {Low Carb, Keto, Grain-Free}
• Make-Ahead Vegetarian Egg Bake {easy for busy mornings!}

Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil

Olive oil is perhaps one of the most popular cooking oils found in most kitchens. But did you know that some olive oils are actually fake? Don’t worry, Wildly Organic Olive Oil is the real deal! It’s produced by a co-op of small farmers through an extremely careful and rigorous process.

Similarly to coconut oil’s high smoke point, extra virgin olive oil can be used in high and low-temperature cooking. Its smoke point is around 405°F. Olive oil is great for sautéing, marinades, salad dressings, and drizzling over finished dishes.

Try Wildly Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil in these recipes:

• Greek-Style Salad with Olive Oil Dressing {10-minute recipe!}
• Real Food Tapenade {a healthy olive spread for bread, crackers, & pasta!}
• Colorful Vinegar Coleslaw {Gluten Free, Vegan, Paleo}

Organic Sesame Seed Oil

Wildly Organic Sesame Seed Oil is cold-pressed, never roasted, and never toasted. The flavor is light, mild, and slightly nutty, with a gentle hint of tahini. It’s completely unrefined and similar to coconut oil’s smoke point, making it a great high-temperature cooking oil. The cooking oil’s smoke point of 350°F makes it wonderful for baking and cooking.

Sesame seed oil is delicious and versatile. Along with high-temperature cooking, you can use the oil in salad dressings, over pasta, or on rice dishes. It also pairs well with other oils for a unique flavor. 

Try Wildly Organic Sesame Seed Oil in these recipes:

• Quinoa Sesame Stir Fry {with a peanut-free satay sauce!}
• Moringa Sesame Vinaigrette

Organic Unrefined Avocado Oil

Wildly Organic Avocado Oil is a versatile low and high-temperature cooking oil that’s fantastic for grilling, frying, and broiling. You can even use it as a moisturizer! This one is an extra virgin, cold-pressed, unrefined, organic avocado oil with a smoke point of 482 °F, much higher than coconut oil’s smoke point. In fact, when it comes to cooking oil smoke points, nothing beats avocado oil. The flavor is mild so it won’t overwhelm the flavor of your dish.

Try Wildly Organic Avocado Oil in these recipes:

• Spring Salad with Avocado Lemon Dressing
• Cilantro Lime Shrimp
• Baked Sweet Potato Fries {Gluten-Free}

Organic MCT Oil

Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) is an easily digestible fat that’s naturally present in coconuts and dairy. It’s absorbed fast by the body and is quickly turned into energy which is why it’s popularly used by athletes as an energy source. Studies have shown that MCT oil can fight yeast and bacteria and boost metabolism among several other health benefits. 

Wildly Organic MCT Oil is a fractionated coconut oil derived from 100% organic coconuts and has a smoke point of 320°F, which is quite similar to coconut oil’s smoke point. You can use it for ketogenic, paleo, and vegan diets by adding it to your beverages, dressings, and cooking with it.

Try Wildly Organic MCT Oil in these recipes:

• Sheet Pan Sesame Roasted Vegetables
• Keto Pumpkin Fat Bombs

Shop Healthy Cooking Oils From Wildly Organic

As you’ve learned, all oils are not created equal. Cooking oils have different smoke points and characteristics, making each ideal for specific cooking needs. You can’t use unrefined flaxseed oil to fry chicken as it can burn your food and create stovetop fires. Coconut oil’s high smoke point, on the other hand, makes it versatile for frying, roasting, and drizzling over rice dishes.

Now that you know about different cooking oil smoke points, which oils do you plan to have in your kitchen? Wildly Organic has the largest selection of nutrient-rich cooking oils to satisfy diverse tastes and cooking needs. From high smoke point coconut oil to butter alternatives, we have every cooking oil you need to make nutritious and flavorful food. Shop our organic, naturally delicious cooking oils and get free US shipping on orders over $49.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.