10 Favorite Foodie Uses for Coconut Oil

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Ah, coconut oil. My Pinterest feed is inundated with posts professing its muli-tasking, beautifying abilities: You can use it as conditioner! As makeup remover! As a natural mouthwash! And so on. While some of those things are definitely true, I still tend to think of coconut oil as a cooking ingredient more than anything else, so today I thought I'd share a few of my favorite foodie uses for the stuff. (And if you want to steal a spoonful for your hair every now and then I certainly won't oppose.)

1. Use coconut oil as a substitute for butter or margarine in cakes and brownies.
For those who don't know: I've eaten a vegan diet for the past 4+ years. Generally speaking I find it very easy to cook for vegan dietary restrictions, however baked goods can sometimes present a bit of a challenge. I see a lot of cake and brownie recipes calling for butter (or even vegan butter, like Earth Balance, in some vegan-specific recipes). It's not too hard to sub margarine for butter, but what if you run out? Also, it can be kind of expensive. Thankfully, coconut oil comes to the rescue: You can substitute coconut oil for butter 1:1 in most recipes, and since coconut oil is sort of buttery in texture when in its semi-solid state, you can even whip it with sugar like you would with regular butter. It also imparts a very faint, delicate nutty flavor. Sometimes I'll adapt recipes and use half "butter" and half coconut oil just because I like the taste.

2. Add a spoonful of coconut oil to your milkshakes for improved texture.
You know how fast food milkshakes tend to have a really smooth texture that's "creamy" without actually being milky? Here's a secret: They often contain vegetable oil. Next time you make a milkshake, try putting in a tablespoon or so of liquified (melted) coconut oil and notice the texture difference. (You can also use canola oil or another light, flavorless oil if your coconut oil is too hard.)


3. Try blending coconut oil into your coffee.
On a similar note, blending a tablespoon or so into your hot coffee (along with milk and any desired sweetener) gives a lovely texture and supposedly provides a nicer, more sustained energy "kick". Than regular coffee alone. I'm not 100% sure about the energy boost, but it provides a nice alternative to drinking plain old black coffee or boring coffee with milk in it. Just make sure you mix it up in a blender so it can emulsify properly.

4. Pop your popcorn in coconut oil.
I strongly prefer air-popped or oil-popped popcorn to the microwave bag stuff. It just tastes more like real food, y'know? And coconut oil is an even more delicious choice than flavorless oils (like canola). If you've never oil-popped before, it's actually really easy: Just heat up about 2-3 tablespoons of oil in a large pot on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add 3-4 kernels and wait for them to pop (this is your way of testing the oil to make sure it's hot enough). Once they pop, add more corn (about 1/2 a cup), put a lid on the pot, and shake it gently back and forth over the heat  (this prevents it from burning) until all of the kernels have popped. Then you can add salt or whatever else you want! That's really all there is to it.

5. Use coconut oil as a spread on toast.
This may sound kind of weird, but a thin layer of coconut oil spread on toast beats margarine any day. Just try it. Add a light sprinkle of cinnamon sugar on top for extra awesomeness.

6. Use coconut oil to sauté your greens.
Before the whole coconut oil craze I just used olive oil to sauté my veggies, but this is an awesome alternative. Kale or spinach + a generous amount of garlic + a hint of salt + a little bit of coconut oil makes for an awesome (and simple) veggie side dish.

7. Use coconut oil in your next curry.
I've always been a big fan of coconut milk curries, but for extra coco-coconuttiness you can use coconut oil to sauté whatever vegetable matter you're putting in at the beginning. (Yes, coco-coconuttiness is a word.)

8. Try roasting potatoes in coconut oil.
Potatoes roasted in olive oil with salt are a classic, but have you ever tried them with coconut oil instead? Just use the same amount of (melted) coconut oil as you would olive oil, toss with potatoes and other seasonings as desired, and roast. The smell is DELICIOUS. Or if you're already planning the menu for your next Thanksgiving feast, try sweet potatoes roasted in coconut oil—yum!

9. Use coconut oil to fry your eggs and/or tofu scrambles.
I don't eat eggs anymore, but for those of you who do, using coconut oil is an excellent alternative to pan-frying them in butter. Just make sure to keep the heat moderate so you don't create a ridiculous amount of smoke and/or burn your eggs. Similarly, if you're a vegan or just a lover of tofu, you can do the same thing with tofu scrambles.

10. Try coconut oil in your next salad dressing recipe.
Coconut oil adds an interesting flavor to salad dressings and vinaigrettes, particularly those with a sweet component to them (i.e. honey or agave nectar). Try replacing half (or more) of your "usual" oil with coconut oil and notice the difference!


Those are a few of my favorite uses for coconut oil—what are yours? By the way, I was inspired to write this because Thera Vita sent me me a jar of their Paradise Organic Coconut Oil to review, and of course I've been using it (and dreaming up new ways to use it). The oil arrived in a liquified state (it is summer) but it solidified easily when I popped it in the fridge. It doesn't have as strong of a sweet/nutty smell and flavor as the other coconut oil I currently have in my possession (Vitacost store brand), but it's perfectly pleasant. It's just more neutral, if anything. In any case, thanks to Thera Vita for fueling my coconutty eating fantasies!


Do you use coconut oil mostly for beauty or cooking purposes? What's your favorite brand?


Disclosure: The coconut oil featured in this post was provided to me for review purposes, however any opinions expressed above are honest and my own. I did not receive any other form of compensation. This post contains affiliate links. For more information, check out my full disclosure policy.