Cooking with Coconut Oil

Today I want to share with you some of the things I have learned when experimenting with coconut oil. I am still learning about how to use coconut oil in recipes to get the maximum benefit of this delicious, healthy oil. I hope to share with you some perfected recipes in the future. In my experimentation I have discovered that coconut oil is not only healthy, but it does some amazingly wonderful things when added to baked goods.

Some things I have learned about cooking with coconut oil

1. Adding coconut oil even in small amounts to recipes using white whole wheat flour makes the texture softer and more like an all-purpose flour taste. I have not tried traditional whole wheat flour with coconut oil, but I imagine it would also created a softer texture.
2. Coconut oil is a natural preserver. Recipes containing even a small amount of coconut oil have a much longer shelf life than the same recipe without coconut oil. I have heard they used to use coconut oil in theatre popcorn because they could serve the same fresh tasting popcorn for days. I made hamburger buns using the Easy Whole Wheat Bread recipe and stored them in a ziplock bag in the refrigerator. We ate them four days later and they tasted as soft and fresh as the day I baked them. 
3. If a coconut flavor is desired in a recipe, you can use coconut oil for the majority or full amount of fat called for in the recipe. An example of this kind of recipe would be homemade granola.
4. Being a solid or a liquid depending on its temperature, coconut oil can be used to replace a variety of solid and liquid fats. It makes me feel especially good when I can use it in place of an unhealthy fat like shortening for similar results, or in place of a less heart healthy oil like butter.
5. Coconut oil doesn't have to be an all or nothing ingredient. 

• Replacing a small amount of the fat called for in a recipe with coconut oil can significantly enhance the taste and texture in many recipes.  

• Using coconut oil in small amounts doesn't make your food taste like coconut.  

• Only adding a small amount of coconut oil in dishes is a great way to stretch this costly ingredient.

Recipes in which I have used coconut oil (all successfully!)

• Easy Whole Wheat Bread
• Hamburger Buns
• Pizza Crust
• Granola
• Popcorn
• Chocolate Chip Cookies

Recipes in which I would like to experiment using coconut oil

• Muffins
• Biscuits
• Tortilla Shells
• Pie Crust
• Granola Bars
• Oatmeal Cookies
• No-Bake Cookies
• Pancakes
• Use as a Cooking Oil

Interested in purchasing coconut oil? I have really enjoyed using Tropical Traditions coconut oil. 


Do you use coconut oil? I would love to hear your favorite ways to use coconut oil!

Some of the above links are affiliate links. If you have never ordered from Tropical Traditions before, you will receive a free book on virgin coconut oil and I will receive a discount coupon for referring you. Using the affiliate link does not effect the price of the product.