There is no fast and set rule in the debate of coconut oil vs. butter that defines one winner over the other. While the argument can be made that there are more health benefits to consuming antioxidant-rich coconut oil than there are to consuming butter, both are still high-fat foods that you should eat in moderation.
Neither one is basically better or worse than the other, but both make life a little more delicious, so there's no reason to ban them from your kitchen entirely. However, we recommend you use both sparingly. Here's why: Saturated Fats: Both butter and coconut oil, in terms of nutrition, are loaded with saturated fats.
Coconut oil significantly increased HDL cholesterol ('good' cholesterol) compared to butter or olive oil. Interestingly, C-reactive protein (a general marker of inflammation) was significantly lower in the coconut oil group compared to both the olive oil and butter groups.
Bottom line: Olive, canola and safflower oils are healthier choices overall than butter and most margarines. Use them as replacements for butter and margarine in most of your cooking, but watch the amounts – those fat calories can add up fast.
Summary. Butter and coconut oil are high caloric foods and are high in saturated fats. While butter is high in cholesterol, coconut oil has negligible amounts of cholesterol.
Other times, you can decrease calories and fat, improve the nutrition profile, or build a recipe to suit your dietary needs by replacing butter with avocado, applesauce, yogurt, or even pureed beans.
Coconut oil can replace butter in baking at a 1:1 ratio, though it may slightly change the flavor, with some types of coconut oil affecting taste more than others. Unrefined coconut oil tends to taste more like coconut than refined varieties. It works great for recipes that require tropical or rich chocolate flavors.
"Balance is everything," she says. Her recommendation is to save cooking with butter for when it's really going to add to the dish. If either one can be used, go for olive oil. "When able to, cut back on butter and replace it with olive oil as you gain the nutrient-dense benefits highlighted in the study," she says.
Oils with more monounsaturated fats, such as rapeseed and olive, are also less susceptible to heat. Rapeseed oil (often sold as generic vegetable oil) and inexpensive olive oil are therefore the best choices for cooking. All cooking fats add fat and calories to your diet.
If you are looking for a diet to lose weight, you must pick a cooking oil that has the least amount of saturated fat in it. Coconut and canola oils are your best bets.
Myth: Coconut oil is a heart-healthy cooking alternative.
The reality: Coconut oil has been shown to raise cholesterol levels — the good and the bad kinds — more than other plant-based oils like olive or canola.
Some experts say you should avoid coconut oil because of its high levels of saturated fat (saturated fat is known to raise cholesterol). Others say that the structure of the fat in coconut oil makes it less likely to add to fat buildup in the body and that, for that reason, it's healthy.
The proponents of coconut oil claim that coconut oil contains MCT-saturated fat which helps to boost good cholesterol (HDL). Therefore, it makes coconut oil less bad for overall heart health. However, critics are quick to point out that it also raises the bad cholesterol (LDL).
Olive oil is a better choice for your health than coconut oil. Its health benefits are supported by more scientific evidence. It may lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and some cancers, and it is better suited for deep-frying.
In short, butter beats vegetable oil because butter is a “whole, fresh food” and vegetable oil is not, says Ken Immer, president and chief culinary officer of Culinary Health Solutions. However, he points out that butter contains heart-unhealthy “bad” cholesterol, while vegetable oil does not.
“Good” unsaturated fats — Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats — lower disease risk. Foods high in good fats include vegetable oils (such as olive, canola, sunflower, soy, and corn), nuts, seeds, and fish.
Saturated and trans fats are bad for you. Less than 7% of your total daily calories should come from saturated fats.
Replacing Oil With Butter
It couldn't be easier to substitute butter for oil using a 1:1 ratio. This should work with olive, canola, vegetable, and coconut oils. Simply melt and cool the butter to room temperature, then continue with your recipe (if the recipe calls for ½ cup oil, use ½ cup melted and cooled butter).
When it comes to baking, substituting butter for oil is simple. Most cake mixes call for oil, but butter will bring in amazing flavor. To substitute butter for oil in baking just melt the butter, measure it, let it cool, and add it as you would the oil.
Butter certainly works for fried eggs, but oil is the fat of choice for cooks who want a runny yolk with a satisfying crispy white. Extra-virgin olive oil is most popular, and yields a satisfyingly crunchy bottom that will soak up luscious flavor.
In short, the nutritional difference between butter vs coconut oil is that coconut oil is roughly 40% higher in saturated fat– the “bad” kind, according to the American Heart Association.
Fat: replace 1 cup of butter with 6/8 heaped cup of coconut oil / replace 100g of butter with 80g of coconut oil.
As part of a healthy diet, CSIRO and Heart Foundation recommend the use of margarine / table spread over butter. Using Nuttelex Original in place of butter will reduce the saturated fat intake by 2.5kg* per year *Based on 20g of margarine versus 20g of butter per day.