My diet:

Coconut oil

No E-numberFats & oilsOrigin: Plant
Get a personal answer

Pick your family’s diets in the bar above.

Every diet

VeganYes

Coconut oil is pressed from coconut meat.

Gluten-freeYes
HalalYes
KosherYes
KetoYes

Coconut oil is used as a cooking fat on keto.

Low-FODMAPYes

The oil has no FODMAP carbohydrate. Coconut flour and coconut milk are different foods.

The short answer
Coconut oil is a vegan plant fat that stays solid in a cool kitchen. It is popular on keto labels. Feeding trials show it raises LDL cholesterol more than unsaturated oils do.
Use in moderation

Safe in small amounts; may bother some people or raise blood sugar.

E-numberNone
Comes fromPlant
What it doesFats & oils
Glycemic index—
Daily limitNot set
Also calledCoconut oil, Virgin coconut oil

Rules by country

🇺🇸 US FDANot evaluated as an additive
🇪🇺 European UnionNot evaluated as an additive
🇨🇦 Health CanadaNot evaluated as an additive
CaliforniaNo extra rules

Coconut oil is a food, not an E-number. Regulators treat it as an edible fat. The nutrition question is the saturated-fat content, which is higher than in butter.

Daily limit: Experts haven’t set a number because normal food amounts are far below any level of concern.

What is it?

Virgin coconut oil is made from fresh meat and smells like coconut. Refined coconut oil is often made from dried copra and then deodorized, so a cookie can use it without tasting of the fruit.

Where it comes from: Coconut oil is pressed from the meat of the coconut. Most of its fatty acids are saturated, and a large share of those are lauric acid. Virgin oil keeps a coconut aroma. Refined oil is neutral.

Why it’s in food

  • Fries with a coconut note
  • Solidifies a vegan frosting
  • Carries scent in a bar
  • Replaces butter in a dough

Often found in

CurriesGranolaVegan butterPopcornCoffee creamersBaked bars

Also listed as: Coconut oil, Virgin coconut oil, Refined coconut oil, Copra oil

Health & gut impact

LDL cholesterolConcern

Coconut oil is roughly four-fifths saturated fat. In controlled diets it raises LDL cholesterol compared with unsaturated vegetable oils.

Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)

Lauric acidUnder study

Much of that saturated fat is lauric acid, which also raises HDL. The LDL rise is the reason this page sits in the moderation band.

Fatty-acid composition of coconut oil

What can I use instead?

Cocoa butter

Ratio: Another firm plant fat, with less coconut aroma

Best for: Chocolate and coatings

Palm kernel oil

Ratio: A similar lauric fat from a different seed

Best for: Soap-like confectionery fats

Related

More fats & oils:

Beef tallowBeef tallow is cattle fat. It is not vegan. It is gluten-free and used for high-heat frying. Halal and kosher versions exist only when the animal and the plant are certified.Use in moderationButterButter is a dairy fat. It is not vegan. It is gluten-free, and a normal pat is low enough in lactose that many low-FODMAP plans allow it. Peanut butter and cocoa butter are not this food.Use in moderationCanola oilCanola oil is a neutral cooking oil from low-erucic rapeseed. Canola oil is vegan and gluten-free. The old worry about erucic acid applies to industrial rapeseed, not to the canola sold as food.Generally safeCocoa butterCocoa butter is the vegan fat of the cocoa bean. It is what makes chocolate snap and then melt. It is gluten-free and keto-friendly, and it is not a dairy butter.Generally safe

Common questions

Is coconut oil keto?

Yes. It is fat, with no starch or sugar.

Is virgin coconut oil healthier than refined?

Virgin oil keeps the aroma and some minor compounds. The saturated-fat content is essentially the same in both.

Is Coconut oil safe?

Use in moderation (64/100). Coconut oil is a food, not an E-number. Regulators treat it as an edible fat. The nutrition question is the saturated-fat content, which is higher than in butter.

Is Coconut oil vegan?

Yes. Coconut oil is pressed from coconut meat.

Spotted a mistake on this page? Report it ›

Scientific sources & regulatory citations
  • Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)
  • Fatty-acid composition of coconut oil