Canola oil is one of those ingredients that are great for a variety of uses.
Whether you’re frying up some food or preparing for some baking, chances are that canola has a decent chance of being one of your most useful ingredients.
However, if you find yourself running low for your next recipe, or you simply live in an area where it is difficult to get a hold of this versatile oil for some reason, you’re going to need to find something that can step up to the plate.
Or perhaps, step up to the pan.
Fortunately, there are a few ingredients that you can use instead of canola oil if the situation calls for it, and we are going to show some of them to you here!
Profile Of Canola Oil
Before we start discussing why the substitutes that we have chosen are good, we should probably first explain some of the attributes that canola oil has, and why it is such a useful oil in the first place. It will also help us spot the aspects that you will be looking for in a substitute.
These are the qualities that canola oil is best known for.
- Canola oil is generally considered a very light oil, in color, texture, and flavor.
- Its light flavor means that it can be used in a variety of different recipe types, from savory meals to sweet desserts and confectionaries.
- The temperature that canola oil burns at, or the burning point, is quite high, meaning that it is more difficult to produce smoke when cooking with this oil.
With so many benefits, it is no wonder that canola oil has been used in some shape or form for over 4000 years!
1. Olive Oil
Starting this list with an oil that’s used and loved around the world, olive oil has been around for almost as long as canola oil has.
Olive oil is a favorite for cooks in the kitchen, thanks to both its distinct flavor, as well as the relatively high burn point that it has, making it difficult to start smoking or ignite. In the latter’s case, this makes olive oil very similar to canola oil.
However, one thing that does distinguish the two massively is the flavors that each has.
While canola oil is relatively neutral in its flavor. Olive oil has a very distinct taste to it of, unsurprisingly, olives.
This makes olive oil unsuitable for baking, unlike canola oil.
However, if you are sautéing, you’ll find that olive oil is a great substitute.
2. Vegetable Oil
Another of the most popular oils to use in cooking, vegetable oil is probably one of the best-selling oils that you can buy out there right now.
Being made from a variety of extracted oils from vegetables, this variety of oil has a very neutral flavor to it, meaning that it can be used in several different recipes for both baking and cooking.
When you combine that with a relatively decent burn point, you also have a relatively safe oil to work with too if you do not have any canola oil handy.
Plus, finding vegetable oil is incredibly easy in stores across the country and is a cheap option too.
If you are looking for a substitute for canola oil that can do almost anything that it can, vegetable oil is a very good substitute.
3. Sunflower Oil
Next to vegetable oil, sunflower oil is probably one of the easiest oils to find out there.
This also means that it is one of the cheaper substitutes for canola oil, great for people who are on a tight budget.
In terms of how it behaves when making food with it, it has a similarly light color and flavor to canola oil, making it suitable for a massive variety of recipes, just like canola.
Plus, this oil is high in vitamin E and polyunsaturated fats, making it quite a healthy oil to use.
Couple that with a high burning point, and you have an excellent substitute for canola oil.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, while canola has some excellent qualities, there are plenty of substitutes for it that can do the job that it does just as well.
3 Canola Oil Substitutes
Run out of canola oil in your pantry? Want to know what other substitutes you may have that can work instead of it? This guide shows you the best of them!
Ingredients
Olive Oil
Vegetable Oil
Sunflower Oil
Directions
- Decided on what substitute you need
- Pick a substitute from the list above
- Read what you need to substitute with
- Create the recipe and enjoy
Recipe Video
Cooking is great for your mental, physical, and emotional health. What’s the worst that could happen? Find a recipe that you like the sound of and cook it along with me. You might even unlock a new passion!
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