Reader-supported: we may earn a commission from links on this page.
Quick answer: The healthiest oil to cook with for most people is extra virgin olive oil. It’s mostly heart-friendly monounsaturated fat, and people who eat more of it tend to have lower heart disease risk. For high-heat cooking, avocado oil is a great choice, as long as you buy a brand tested as pure. Canola oil is a healthy, cheap everyday option: the American Heart Association lists it as a healthy cooking oil. Use butter, ghee and coconut oil in smaller amounts, because they’re high in saturated fat.
Table of Contents
The 7 Cooking Oils Ranked at a Glance
| Rank | Oil | Main fat | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Extra virgin olive oil | Monounsaturated | Everyday cooking, dressings |
| 2 | Avocado oil | Monounsaturated | High-heat searing and roasting |
| 3 | Canola oil | Mono- and polyunsaturated | Budget everyday cooking, baking |
| 4 | High-oleic sunflower oil | Monounsaturated | Neutral high-heat cooking |
| 5 | Peanut oil | Mono- and polyunsaturated | Stir-fries and frying |
| 6 | Ghee or butter | Saturated | Flavor, in small amounts |
| 7 | Coconut oil | Saturated | Occasional baking |
How We Ranked These Oils
We ranked the oils on the two things that matter most at home: how good the fat is for your heart, and how well the oil suits everyday cooking. For heart health we followed the American Heart Association, which recommends oils low in saturated fat (under 4 grams per tablespoon) and rich in unsaturated fats. Where there’s good research on a specific oil, we link to it.
The Healthiest Cooking Oils, Ranked
1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Healthiest Overall
See Atlas Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil has the strongest research behind it. In a Harvard study of over 90,000 US adults followed for 28 years, people who ate more than half a tablespoon a day had a 19% lower risk of dying from heart disease than people who rarely ate it. That kind of study shows a link, not proof, but it fits with decades of research on Mediterranean-style diets.
You can cook with it too. Keep it to low and medium heat, like sautéing vegetables or frying eggs, and use a cheaper oil for very hot searing. Atlas is a well-reviewed Moroccan extra virgin olive oil that the maker markets as high in polyphenols, olive oil’s natural antioxidants.
2. Avocado Oil: Best for High Heat
See Chosen Foods Avocado Oil · See the Chosen Foods spray
Avocado oil has a fat profile similar to olive oil but a neutral taste, and refined avocado oil handles high heat well, which makes it a good choice for searing and roasting. The catch is purity. A 2020 UC Davis study found that at least 82% of the avocado oil samples it tested were stale or mixed with other oils. Chosen Foods was one of only two brands whose samples were pure and fresh. Its spray version makes it easy to use a thin layer instead of pouring.
3. Canola Oil: Best Budget Pick
Canola oil gets a bad reputation online, but the American Heart Association lists it as a healthy cooking oil. It’s low in saturated fat, contains some plant omega-3 fat, has a neutral taste and costs little. Any supermarket canola oil works for baking, roasting and everyday cooking.
4. High-Oleic Sunflower Oil: Neutral and Heat-Friendly
See La Tourangelle High-Oleic Sunflower Oil
“High-oleic” sunflower oil comes from sunflowers bred to make mostly monounsaturated fat, so its fat profile is closer to olive oil than regular sunflower oil. It’s neutral in taste and suits higher-heat cooking. Check the label for “high-oleic”, because regular sunflower oil is a different product.
5. Peanut Oil: Best for Stir-Fries
See Spectrum Organic Refined Peanut Oil
Peanut oil is on the American Heart Association’s list of healthy oils, and refined peanut oil is a classic for stir-fries and frying because it handles heat well and tastes mild. Skip it if anyone at your table has a peanut allergy.
6. Ghee and Butter: Use for Flavor
See 4th & Heart Grass-Fed Ghee
Butter and ghee (clarified butter) add great flavor, but they’re mostly saturated fat, which the American Heart Association recommends limiting because it raises LDL cholesterol. Ghee has the milk solids removed, so it handles more heat than butter. Use either as a flavor boost rather than your everyday cooking fat.
7. Coconut Oil: Occasional Use Only
See Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is often sold as a health food, but about 82% of its fat is saturated. The American Heart Association advises against using coconut oil for heart health, because in controlled trials it raised LDL cholesterol with no benefits to make up for it. It’s fine now and then for baking or its flavor. If you use it, Nutiva’s unrefined coconut oil is one of the most-reviewed options.
Are Seed Oils Bad for You?
Seed oils like canola, soybean, corn and sunflower are often blamed online for inflammation. The American Heart Association disagrees: in 2024 it published an article explaining that there’s no reason to avoid seed oils, and it lists them among healthy cooking oils. Replacing saturated fats like butter with these oils is linked to lower heart disease risk.
Where seed oils do fall short is heat stability. They have more polyunsaturated fat than olive or avocado oil, and polyunsaturated fat breaks down more easily with long, very hot cooking. So choose olive or avocado oil for high-heat cooking and flavor, and don’t worry about using canola for everyday baking and cooking.
Thinking of swapping seed oils for animal fat? Read our research on whether beef tallow is healthy, including what the new dietary guidelines actually say about it.
What Is the Best Cooking Oil for Weight Loss?
No oil melts fat. Every cooking oil has about 120 calories per tablespoon, so the biggest difference is how much you use, not which bottle you buy. For weight loss, pick an oil you like, measure it with a spoon instead of pouring, or use a spray like Chosen Foods avocado oil spray to coat the pan thinly. Extra virgin olive oil is a good default, because it fits the Mediterranean-style eating pattern linked to better health.
The Best Oil for Each Cooking Job
- Sautéing and everyday cooking: extra virgin olive oil
- Searing, roasting and high-heat cooking: avocado oil, high-oleic sunflower oil or peanut oil
- Stir-fries and deep frying: peanut oil or high-oleic sunflower oil
- Baking: canola oil or light olive oil for a neutral taste
- Salad dressings: extra virgin olive oil
- Frying eggs: extra virgin olive oil. See our guide to the best oil to fry eggs
Frying at home? Our guide to the best oil for frying compares deep-frying and pan-frying oils, USDA smoke points and how to reuse frying oil safely.
Does Smoke Point Matter?
Less than you might think. The smoke point is when an oil starts to smoke, but it doesn’t tell you how well the oil holds up in normal cooking. In one 2018 heating study of common cooking oils, extra virgin olive oil stayed the most stable, and an oil’s smoke point didn’t predict how stable it was. (The lead researcher works for an olive oil company, so treat it as one study, not the final word.) Whatever oil you use, don’t let it smoke, and throw out oil that has burned.
The PrimeDigger Verdict
Make extra virgin olive oil your everyday oil, keep a tested-pure avocado oil for high-heat cooking, and don’t be afraid of canola when you need something cheap and neutral. Save butter, ghee and coconut oil for flavor rather than daily use. And if you’re watching your weight, how much oil you use matters more than which one you pick.
If you use protein shakes too, read our investigation into protein powder without lead. It compares the two biggest lab tests and shows which powders tested lowest.
Want the full kitchen guide? Our ebook The Kitchen Truth Bible goes deeper: the seed oil debate, how many avocado and olive oils failed university quality tests and how to buy a real one, heavy metals in everyday food, and a two-minute label routine, with 5 printable checklists. Get the ebook ($19) → See all our ebooks →
This article is for general information, not medical advice. If you have a heart condition, diabetes or high cholesterol, ask your doctor or a registered dietitian which fats suit you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the healthiest oil to cook with?
Extra virgin olive oil for most people. It is mostly monounsaturated fat and has the strongest research linking it to lower heart disease risk. Avocado oil is a great choice for high heat, and canola is a healthy budget option.
Which cooking oil is healthiest for heart health?
Extra virgin olive oil. In a large Harvard study, people who ate more than half a tablespoon a day had a 19% lower risk of dying from heart disease. The American Heart Association also lists canola, peanut, soybean, sunflower and other plant oils as healthy choices.
Is canola oil healthy?
Yes. The American Heart Association lists canola as a healthy cooking oil. It is low in saturated fat, contains some plant omega-3 fat and is inexpensive. For very high heat, avocado or high-oleic sunflower oil is a better fit.
Which cooking oil is best for high-heat cooking and frying?
Refined avocado oil, high-oleic sunflower oil or peanut oil. They handle high heat well and have a mild taste. Keep extra virgin olive oil for low and medium heat.
What is the best cooking oil for weight loss?
No oil causes weight loss on its own. All cooking oils have about 120 calories per tablespoon, so measure your oil or use a spray. Extra virgin olive oil is a good everyday choice because it fits a Mediterranean-style diet.
Should you avoid corn oil and palm oil?
Not corn oil: the American Heart Association lists it as a healthy cooking oil. Palm oil is high in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol, so it is best limited.
What happens when a cooking oil goes past its smoke point?
It starts to break down, smoke and taste bitter. Turn the heat down if your oil smokes, and throw out oil that has burned rather than reusing it.
Sources
- American Heart Association: Healthy cooking oils
- American Heart Association: There’s no reason to avoid seed oils
- American Heart Association: Saturated fats and coconut oil
- Guasch-Ferré et al. (2022), Journal of the American College of Cardiology: Olive oil consumption and mortality
- UC Davis: Study finds 82 percent of avocado oil rancid or mixed with other oils
- de Alzaa, Guillaume and Ravetti (2018): Changes in commercial oils during heating
