Whether experimenting with a new baking recipe or whipping up a long-time favorite, you may not think much about the oils you use for baking. Cooking oil, a seemingly small detail, can change how your baked goods turn out. To create the most delicious baked goods, you should consider what types of oils you're using for different recipes.
Deciding what oils are best for baking may seem intimidating, but La Tourangelle - Artisan Oils can help you understand the difference between baking oils.
Types of Cooking Oils
There are many different types of oils that you can use, and each type will subtly influence your results in the kitchen. Below, we'll discuss some of the most common oils for cooking and their different uses.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil, or EVOO, is a delicious oil commonly used for drizzling over dishes, making salad dressing and dips and cooking meat. Depending on the region that your extra virgin olive oil originates from, the flavor can be different. Extra virgin olive oil can be buttery, fruity, grassy, or even peppery, bitter and pungent. With a smoke point of around 375 degrees, you should avoid using extra virgin olive oil at very high temperatures such as deep frying, as the heat can ruin the flavors you worked so hard on in your recipe.
Extra virgin olive oil is of higher quality with no defects compared to standard olive oil and is sometimes harvested early and pressed at a lower temperature by cold pressing. These methods can help the oil maintain more antioxidants and monounsaturated fats, resulting in a more complex flavor profile. The higher quality of extra virgin olive oil often makes it more expensive as well.
Like many of the other oils on this list, olive oil is a popular source of healthy fats in many diets, such as the ketogenic diet.
Check out some of our favorite olive oil recipes!
Olive Oil Pecan Pie
Ultra Small Batch Olive Oil Brownies
Olive Oil Apple-Spiced Cake
Yogurt and Honey Olive Oil Cake
Ultra Small Batch Olive Oil Brownies With Tahini
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil, one of the best oils for baking, goes well with bananas, chocolate, and tropical flavors. It has bold, aromatic flavors and can even contribute to a DIY body care routine, moisturizing your skin and hair. As a solid at room temperature, you can use coconut oil as a butter substitute in cookies, cakes and more. With a lower smoke point than some other oils, coconut oil is an excellent option for low-heat recipes like Virgin Coconut Oil Lemon Curd.
Coconut oil baking recipes:
Creamy Loaded Blueberry "Scuffins"
No Bake Lemon Tart
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Bites
Sesame Oil
A nuttier option for cooking oils is sesame oil, which is a great option for sautéing or adding to pickled salads. With a medium-high smoke point, you can use sesame oil for coating your fry pan or wok before frying meat and vegetables. With toasty, nutty flavors, sesame oil is a common ingredient in Asian-inspired dishes and complements interesting recipes.
Peanut Oil
If you’re looking to add a classic peanut flavor to your cooking or baking, then peanut oil is the best oil to do just that. The strong peanut taste of this oil can complement many Southeast Asian dishes, such as the national dish of Thailand, pad Thai with a high smoke point, you can also use peanut oil for frying and deep-frying.
Peanut oil may start to expire before other oils, so you should consider buying it in smaller quantities to reduce waste.
Peanut Butter Cookies
Peanut Banana Bread
One-Bowl Chocolate Cake
Vegetable Oil
Including corn and canola oil, vegetable oil is a highly used oil that has a high smoke point and a low-price tag. This oil has no strong taste, so it brings out the flavors of the ingredients you use in the kitchen. Vegetable oil may not be the best baking oil for your health, so you may want to opt for a healthier option if your diet is a concern. However, you can use this oil for fried chicken, stir-frying and deep-frying.
La Tourangelle - Artisan Oils offers a GMO-free blend of canola oil and sunflower oil to provide a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
Grapeseed Oil
Grapeseed oil is great to use in recipes that require emulsification of ingredients and low-temperature cooking. It is one of the best baking oils for health because it is a great source of vitamin E and oleic acid. Another great bonus of grapeseed oil is that, like vegetable oil options, it doesn't have a strong flavor. Use grapeseed oil when mixing sauces and dressings or whipping up mayonnaise.
Jelly Donuts
Gluten Free One-Bowl Lemon Poppy Seed Cake
Avocado Oil
This oil is a great option when it comes to grilling. Avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points among cooking oils, so use it when cooking at high temperatures on the grill's flames. Its buttery flavor and texture also make it a great choice when frying eggs and stir-frying meats and vegetables. This oil is even a healthy source of monounsaturated fats. Don’t hesitate to use this oil as a drizzle or garnish either.
Some of our favorite avocado oil recipes!
One Bowl Banana Bread Loaf
Chocolate Avocado Oil Cake
Sunflower/Safflower Oil
Sunflower oil is the best baking oil to substitute for vegetable oil. It has a similar flavor, texture, and smoke point. You can easily use sunflower oil in recipes calling for vegetable oil.
Like peanut oil, however, sunflower oil may start to go bad before other oils, so you should consider what quantities to buy it in to reduce waste.
Best Oils for Baking
Baking a cake from scratch requires the right ingredients for the best result. Choosing vegetable oil is the best option for baking moist, delicious baked goods.
Canola oil, the most common vegetable oil used in baking, doesn't add a strong flavor. It allows your cake’s flavor will shine through while still achieving a moist texture. However, when deciding on which oil to use, you should also consider the smoke point. Smoke can add toxins to your dessert, so make sure the smoke point is higher than your baking temperature. Canola oil has a smoke point of 425 degrees, and most cakes are baked under 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
For vegan recipes, you can use applesauce as a replacement. Alternatively, olive oil may also offer a healthier option, but use light olive oil when baking to avoid impacting the taste. When baking a cake, also be sure to grease the pan with cooking spray. This step will ensure the cake does not stick to the pan and fall apart before you can frost it.
Find the Perfect Oil With La Tourangelle - Artisan Oils
La Tourangelle - Artisan Oils is careful to find and use the highest quality ingredients and processes wherever possible. We produce our expeller-pressed oils naturally, with no added chemicals. We care about sourcing quality, non-GMO ingredients for our oils and are committed to healthy and sustainable business partnerships. For delicious, nutritious oils for your baking needs, browse our products online today.