With its mild taste, high smoke point and bounty of healthy fats, peanut oil is one of the most important tools in a cook's arsenal. However, there are times when it's useful to know which other oils can fill in for peanut oil, whether you're cooking for someone with a nut allergy or have simply run out of peanut oil. Some fats may have a similar health profile, while others boast similar versatility in the kitchen.
Description and Uses
Peanut oil scores points on many fronts, from versatility to health. Made from the expressed oil of the common peanut, peanut oil boasts heart-healthy monounsaturated fats as well as polyunsaturated fats. Both of these fats are believed to lower blood cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar rates, according to the Mayo Clinic. Because of its high smoking point, peanut oil serves as a useful fat for sautéing, stir-frying and even frying, but its mild taste also gives it an edge for a range of salad dressing and baking uses.
Canola Oil
Like peanut oil, canola oil contains a healthy mixture of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Canola oil's concentration of polyunsaturated fats is especially useful because it contains omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3s are linked to a lower incidence of heart disease and high blood pressure, notes the Mayo Clinic. Manufacturers extract canola oil from the seeds of the leafy crop known as rape. The mild-tasting oil is like peanut oil in that it can be used as a substitute for butter and shortening in baked goods, as well as in sautés, stir-frying and salad dressings.
Olive Oil
Although olive oil's stronger taste makes it harder to blend with sweet foods, in other respects it is as versatile as peanut oil and certainly as healthy. Pressed from olives, olive oil is an excellent source of monounsaturated fats. Use it to replace the saturated or trans fat of butter and margarine when sautéing foods, topping cooked vegetables or dressing crunchy bread. Olive oil is also a classic salad dressing ingredient. Use extra-virgin olive oil for uncooked foods and virgin or refined olive oil for cooking.
Alternative Oils
Other nut and seed oils are also high in monounsaturated fats and, in some cases, polyunsaturated fats. Among them are almond, cottonseed, macadamia nut, walnut, hazelnut, flax seed, safflower and sunflower oils. Few of these are as versatile as peanut oil. Flax seed, for example, cannot be cooked without destroying its omega 3 fatty acids. Most nut oils possess a stronger taste than peanut oil, requiring extra care to match the food to the oil. Additionally, many of the nut oils are more expensive than peanut oil. For salad dressing choices other than peanut, olive or canola oils, RecipeTips.com recommends safflower, sesame seed, sunflower seed, cottonseed, flaxseed, grape seed, hazelnut, almond, apricot kernel or avocado oils. For pan-cooking when you don't have peanut, canola or olive oil, turn to sunflower, blended vegetable, walnut oil, apricot kernel, avocado, grape seed, safflower or rice bran oil. Avoid tropical oils such as palm and coconut oils, as they are very high in saturated fat.
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