10 Best Substitutes For Peanut Oil

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Peanut oil, also known as arachis oil or groundnut oil, according to Healthline, is simply the oil derived the edible seeds of the peanut plant (scientific classification: Arachis hypogaea, via PeanutBase). Or in other words it is the oil sourced from the peanut itself, when in its purest form or in a refined form. Peanut oil is prized by chefs around the world — an in particular those steeped in various Asian cuisines — for its high smoke point (it does not combust until 450 degrees Fahrenheit, according to MasterClass), and for the subtle nutty flavors it can impart into various dishes.

But not all peanut oils found on store shelves are one and the same.

In fact, the most common "peanut oil" available at many lower cost retailers is not pure peanut oil at all, but rather a peanut oil blend also featuring cheaper oils such as canola or soybean oil. Also common is so-called refined peanut oil in which the liquid has been refined, deodorized, and bleached, a process that removes the dangerous peanut allergen but also removes much of the flavor that makes the oil unique. Cold pressed and gourmet peanut oils maintain the rich flavor derived from the peanut and can be used in cooking or in their pure form, though of course they do still have the allergens that can cause severe symptoms in some people, including but not limited to redness and rashes on the skin, digestive discomfort and diarrhea, a runny nose, and in severe cases anaphylaxis, which can be life threatening as it leads to constricted airways, a drop in blood pressure, and shock, according to The Mayo Clinic.

Whether you must eschew peanut oil for health concerns or you simply don't have any of the stuff handy, here are 10 good substitutions for peanut oil.

Refined sunflower oil (or sunflower seed oil, as it is often and accurately called) is a great stand-in for peanut oil, and indeed most sunflower oil you will find is refined, even organic options. According to PCC Markets: "Oils recommended for high-heat cooking and deep-frying are 'high oleic' safflower, sunflower, and peanut oil. These oils are from varieties high in monounsaturated fats, which are well-suited for high heat." So you can use sunflower oil just like you would use peanut oil even when the heat is on, so to speak, with a one-to-one swap. Like peanut oil, sunflower oil has a slight nutty flavor that can improve some dishes but that is subtle enough not to be noticed in others.

Sunflower oil is a great stand-in for peanut oil for essentially all reasons save one: the cost. "Sunflower oil has become the most expensive vegetable oil in the world, its prices in Europe exceeded the prices of rapeseed oil for the first time in four years," according to an AgriWell report from late 2020. That noted, the oil is still priced within the budget of most cooks, so while perhaps not a great choice for deep frying based on its cost, it is a fine choice to use instead of peanut oil in most cases, and it can readily be found in many stores or online.

Considering the immense amount of grapeseeds needed to produce a useful amount of grapeseed oil, it's amazing how relatively affordable this oil is. According to Above House: "Grapeseed oil is extracted from the grape seeds left behind after the process of pressing grapes in winemaking. It is a painstaking task because each little seed only produces a tiny bit of oil. In fact, you will need a ton of grapes to produce just 1 bottle of grapeseed oil." Fortunately the wine industry produces a plethora of grapes, thus this oil is hardly unaffordable, despite being priced above most.

Grapeseed oil has a notably lower smoke point than peanut oil, potentially igniting above 390 degrees Fahrenheit (via MasterClass) but based on its cost, you would seldom use it for deep frying applications where that would be a risk anyway. And when refined, the smoke point of the oil is increased some, though it remains well lower than that of peanut oil. Grapeseed oil has a flavor usually described as bland if described at all, so while it will not impart the nuttiness or faint peanut flavors of peanut oil, it will have no deleterious impacts on the taste of any dish when used as a stand-in. It can be used as a direct swap for peanut oil in most cooking.

Generally speaking, vegetable oil is a find stand-in for peanut oil in all sorts of cooking, and as it is usually quite affordable, it's a good choice for use in lieu of peanut oil for deep frying when you need a large volume of oil. It usually has a similar smoke point to peanut oil and most vegetable oils are quite neutral in flavor and thus won't affect the taste of your dish. The problem with vegetable oil can come from the fact that, according to Time, it is far from a precise term. In fact vegetable oil may refer to a pure canola or soybean oil, for example, or to a blend of multiple different oils, so it's important you read the label and know what you are actually getting.

With that in mind, vegetable oil is a fine choice for all sorts of uses given that low cost, but it's hardly the healthiest oil, often packing lots of saturated fats, so it's best to choose vegetable oil when need be, but stick with peanut oil or some other option when another option is available. 

Be very careful when selecting a sesame seed oil, because they range in flavor from the almost totally bland to the almost overpowering. According to Web MD: "Sesame oils from raw seeds are light in color and have a delicate, neutral flavor. Toasted varieties, on the other hand, are darker, richer, and have a nuttier taste. Both have many culinary applications. Sesame oil is often used to sauté meats and vegetables or is added to dressings and marinades." To replace a peanut oil used for cooking, you will want a pale, non-toasted sesame oil, and varieties of this type can be used all but interchangeably with peanut oil.

Sesame oil has a smoke point around 410 degrees Fahrenheit according to MasterClass, so it can't withstand quite as much heat as peanut oil, but up to that point it will handle in almost just the same manner. It has a nutty flavor similar to peanut oil, according to Better Homes and Gardens, and as sesame oil is common in Asian cooking, like peanut oil, it's no surprise the two can stand in for one another. Sesame oil would be one of the best choices to replace peanut oil were it not for the fact that toasted sesame oil has such a strong flavor and that many sesame oils are on the pricier side.

Like the crop from which its sourced, corn oil is cheap and plentiful. But unlike corn, which actually boasts many more positive health attributes than most credit the foodstuff for (along with some deserved and accurate negatives), according to Healthline, corn oil is quite an unhealthy option by most metrics. Another Healthline article states in part: "Corn must go through a complex refining process to produce corn oil. This process gives the oil many unique characteristics, though not all of them are positive." It's high in fat, and not in good, healthy fats, it can cause inflammation, and it's high in calories. Though corn oil is very high in beneficial vitamin E, it should be noted.

Negatives aside, for occasional use as a substitute for peanut oil, corn oil is a fine choice. As noted, it is very affordable, and it handles much like peanut oil, with same smoke point of 450 degrees and with a very neutral flavor that will not impart any off notes to your cooking, or really any noticeable taste at all, for that matter. Corn oil is commonly used in refined food products like nondairy butter substitutes, and it is also common in industrial applications, serving as a lubricant for machinery, as fuel for diesel engines (or a base for ethanol that can be burned in combustion engines) and in cosmetic products like soaps.