Canola Oil vs. Vegetable Oil: How to Choose the Right One

These pantry staples are similar, but not identical.

Igor Aleks/Getty Images

Many of us frequently shop for cooking oil, and are used to feeling overwhelmed courtesy of a myriad of options. This is especially common if you’re choosing between canola oil vs. vegetable oil—two popular oils on the market. These widely used cooking oils have similar features and uses, but technically, they’re not the same. Here, learn the differences between canola oil and vegetable oil, plus how they stack up nutritionally, as well as which cooking oil you should use for various recipes.

Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil. It comes from the seeds of the canola plant, also known as rapeseed. The plant is part of the Brassicaceae family, meaning it’s related to vegetables like cauliflower, kale, broccoli, and cabbage.To make canola oil, manufacturers heat and crush the seeds to extract the oil, explains Michael Handal, a chef at the Institute of Culinary Education. The oil is then refined and filtered to remove its color and odor. Because of this process, canola oil “is a mild, neutral-tasting oil with a high smoke point—approximately 450 F,” says Handal. This makes it suitable for many different cooking techniques.

Canola oil consists mainly of unsaturated, or “healthy” fats, according to Kristen Carli, MS, RD. This includes omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids. As a rich source of these unsaturated fats, canola oil is considered heart healthy, and can play a role in lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol, reducing blood pressure, and decreasing heart disease risk, shares Carli.But that’s not all! Canola oil also provides vitamins E and K, according to Carli. “These nutrients are beneficial for supporting immunity, blood clotting, bone health, skin health, and vision,” she says.

Now, here’s where things can get confusing. Canola oil is a type of vegetable oil, but a product labeled “vegetable oil” can be made with one or more types of oil, not just canola. A vegetable oil might include canola oil, as well as soybean, safflower, corn, and sunflower oils, according to Handal. For example, most vegetable oils sold in grocery stores are made of 100 percent soybean oil.Regardless of the specific blend, vegetable oil is produced using similar methods as canola oil. Plant seeds are crushed to extract the oil, which is then filtered and refined to remove impurities. The resulting oil has a “neutral taste and lower smoke point than canola oil—approximately 400 F, depending on the blend,” Handal says.

“The nutrients found in vegetable oils differ depending on the blend,” says Carli. But generally, vegetable oils contain more saturated fats than canola oil. For context, canola oil contains about 6 percent saturated fat, while other vegetable oils can range between 6 to 92 percent saturated fat, according to Carli.Here’s why this matters: Saturated fats, or “unhealthy” fats, are more likely to raise LDL cholesterol, which can increase the risk for heart disease, shares Carli. What’s more? A high intake of saturated fats can increase energy intake and decrease insulin sensitivity, possibly contributing to unwanted weight gain, adds Carli.Also, vegetable oils can contain varying amounts of unsaturated fats and vitamins A, D, E, and K—but again, it depends on the specific blend.

Thanks to its high smoke point, canola oil can be used at high heat without burning. It also won’t burn and “take on a bitter, acrid flavor, which may be transferred to the food being prepared,” says Handal. Examples of high-heat cooking methods well-suited for canola oil include sautéing, searing, pan frying, deep frying, and stir frying, according to Handal.The only catch? “When heated, canola oil can sometimes have a fishy smell,” says Nathan Lyon, a chef, cookbook author, and television personality. “This is because canola oil has omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.” The odor is more likely to develop when canola oil is heated in a fryer, which is worth keeping in mind if you’d like to avoid a fishy smell.You can also use canola oil in uncooked recipes, like salad dressings, marinades, or other preparations that would benefit from a neutral-flavored oil, notes Lyon.

Vegetable oil, like canola oil, is suitable for most high-heat cooking methods. This includes sautéing, pan frying, and light searing, according to Handal. However, you may want to avoid using vegetable oil for deep frying, especially if “you don’t know its specific blend of oils,” he says. Per Lyon, you can also use vegetable oil for baking.As with canola oil, vegetable oil works well in uncooked recipes, too. “Salad dressings, marinades, and mayonnaise [can all be] prepared with vegetable oils,” explains Handal.

So, can you use canola oil in place of vegetable oil—and vice versa? In most cases, yes. “Because canola oil and vegetable oil have many of the same characteristics, they’d generally be considered [interchangeable] in most recipes,” declares Handal. There might be slight differences in the flavor, but typically, this shouldn’t be noticeable in finished recipes, he clarifies.

The exception is if you need to deep fry food. In this scenario, your best bet is canola oil, which has a higher smoke point than vegetable oil.If nutrition is a priority, there are other things to keep in mind. “Canola oil is considered one of the healthiest oils because of its low saturated fat content, but vegetable oils [can] also provide an attractive nutrient profile,” explains Carli. Thus, “if you already consume a diet high in saturated fat and use oil for a variety of meals, canola oil could be a great choice for you.” On the other hand, vegetable oil can vary in nutritional content and smoke points, whereas canola oil is a more consistent product, notes Carli.