sourceLaury at The Fitness Dish asked:
So you think IF I were to use an oil when baking, canola is the way to go?? I usually use applesauce to replace oil but just curious!!!
Thanks for the question Laury! In my opinion, unrefined, organic, extra-virgin, or raw coconut oil is the best/healthiest fat option for cooking or baking. It is one of the best oils to use for cooking because it does not denature into harmful compounds at high heat AND I’ve read that it makes outstanding raw, vegan desserts (since I know you’re mostly vegan Laury!). Just be sure to read ingredient labels carefully! You want to make sure you are getting what you pay for!
sourceI read an excellent post this morning from The Nourishing Gourmet about coconut oil and thought I should share the link!
Melted organic butter (or grass-fed if you can find it!) would be my other top choice, simply because it is minimally processed and contains a super simple ingredient list: sweet cream!
There are varying opinions about canola oil and whether it is toxic or not. I don’t know what to believe but I will say this; I use canola oil for baking but not regularly and usually when I only need a teensy bit (like a tablespoon). Canola oil is a bit more processed than other oils, being manufactured at high temperatures, toxic chemicals like hexane are often involved. ”Canola oil is degummed, deodorized, bleached and further refined at high temperatures. These high temperatures can change the omega-3 content of the oil. (source) If you are looking to keep canola oil in your cupboards, make sure it is NON-GMO. Canola oil, along with soy and corn oil, have been genetically engineered to withstand crazy amounts of herbicides and other agricultural chemicals!
Hope that helps Laury!
Hey everyone! I use butter infused grapeseed oil from Wildtree Natural Foods. Please feel free to check out my website. Grapeseed oil has a high smoke temp of 419 and is low in saturated fat (8%) while high in polyunsaturated fat (76%). Our butter infusion is dairy free; the butter flavor is derived from coconut. I use this oil in any recipe that calls for room temp or melted butter, shortening, or oil. When using it for wet recipes (cakes, pancakes, etc) use 1/2 of what it calls for in butter. When using it for dry (breads) use 2/3.
I agree! Coconut oil or butter are the best bets! I’ve heard bad things about canola oil, so I try to stay away from it as much as possible.
I’ve always used a combination of vegetable oil (20%) and applesauce (80%). How does vegetable oil compare to coconut oil?
SO I had NO IDEA about canola oil…I’m going to start altering what I use now. Thank you for sharing these resources. I know what I’m buying at Whole Foods tomorrow!
Thanks for the great info Erin! I usually use applesauce too but I’ll have to try coconut oil next time!
Thanks, Erin! I knew about olive oil…but that won’t work for baking with…and coconut oil tends to make things taste like coconut (which isn’t always bad, but not always what I’m going for). Oh..yes…and soybean oils..bleh…I will not support Monsanto and their GMO’s!!!
Thanks for the answer!!!!!! Very helpful!
Love your coco oil and butter answers!
I love coconut oil. I use olive by far the most, with canola a far second. I also have grapeseed oil, peanut oil, and coconut oil in the house. What do you think is the best “neutral-flavored” oil?
I rarely bake, so I’m probably not the best source of info on this… gonna give my 2 cents anyway… I used to only cook with olive oil. Then I bought canola since I thought it was supposed to taste better. To be honest, I can’t hardly tell a difference. I’m sticking with olive from here on out.
Great post!
I recently got coconut oil and have only used it once. I guess I wasn’t sure what to use it in. I never even thought of using it for baked goods. Sounds yummy!
Great informative post with some great resources. I’ve never used coconut oil but I just might have to give it a shot