Table of Contents

I’ve personally taste-tested a variety of peanut oil substitutes to find the best one for every cooking occasion.

Whether you’re on the hunt for the closest flavor match, in need of a last-minute pantry substitute, or seeking an alternative tailored to your specific dietary requirements, rest assured that I’ve got you covered.

Refined avocado oil is my go-to substitute for peanut oil, thanks to its tolerance for high temperatures. You an also go for other (cheaper) vegetable oils like canola or corn oil. If you want a nutty twist to your dish, try ghee or macadamia nut oil.

The experiment

I fried several batches of chicken wings to test different peanut oil substitutes.

Peanut oil boasts a neutral flavor (although some brands do have nutty notes) and a high smoke point (450F), making it a favorite for deep-frying purposes. It’s also low in saturated fats and a good source of monounsaturated fats.

For each oil that I tested, I made notes on the taste, aroma, how crispy my wings were, and any other things I noticed (e.g. lard was much harder to clean).

Pro tip: research says you can still consume peanut oil even if you’re allergic, but it’s better to be safe than sorry!

Here are the substitutes I tested and my verdicts:

Substitutes	Substitute Directions	Verdict
Refined Avocado Oil	Replace in a 1:1 ratio	10/10
Other Cooking Oils	Replace in a 1:1 ratio	10/10
Ghee/Clarified Butter	Replace in a 1:1 ratio	9/10
Tallow	Replace in a 1:1 ratio	9/10
Lard	Replace in a 1:1 ratio	8/10
Macadamia Nut Oil	Replace in a 1:1 ratio	8/10

Common uses of peanut oil

Here are some popular ways to use peanut oil and the best substitutes for each situation:

For high-heat cooking applications (sauteing, deep-frying, etc.): Try using corn oil or canola oil. You can also use ghee or avocado oil, but it’ll be more expensive.
For baking and roasting: Try using refined avocado, sesame oil, or ghee/clarified butter. Butter will add a nice richness to your meal.

Refined avocado oil

If you have a peanut allergy, consider trying refined avocado oil instead!

This fruit-based oil boasts the highest smoke point of any cooking oil, a whopping 500F, making it perfect for deep-frying and stir-frying.

It gave my chicken wings a picture-perfect golden crust – they looked like they came from a professional kitchen!

And just like peanut oil, refined avocado oil is flavor-neutral, so it won’t alter the original taste of your dishes.

Refined avocado oil is also rich in monounsaturated fats (i.e the heart-healthy kind). Yay!

The downside? Avocado oil is on the more expensive side.

How to substitute: Replace peanut oil in your recipe in a 1:1 ratio with refined avocado oil.

Other cooking oils

Avocado oil is my go-to option. But there are plenty of other cooking oils on the market you can choose from if you can’t use peanut oil.

Here’s a few along with their smoke points:

Canola oil: 400F
Light olive oil: 465F
Refined coconut oil: 450F
Refined sunflower oil: 440F
Safflower oil: 450F
Refined corn oil: 450F
Soybean oil: 450F
Refined almond oil: 420F
Rice bran oil: 450F
Refined sesame oil: 410F (not toasted sesame oil!)

All these cooking oils have a mild or neutral taste, so they won’t compromise your dish’s flavor.

And most of them are relatively low in saturated fats. Coconut oil is an exception here, so use it in moderation!

Psst… if you’re looking for a cheap option – canola or refined corn oil are your best bets.

How to substitute: Replace peanut oil in your recipe in a 1:1 ratio with your choice of cooking oil.

Ghee/clarified butter

If you’re doing some simple sautéing or roasting with the peanut oil, you can use plain butter in its place.

It will add a nice richness to your dish.

But regular butter doesn’t work well with high-heat cooking – for this you need to turn it into ghee or clarified butter.

The clarifying process removes the water and milk solids from the butter, which are the main causes of burning.

And although it might not reach the dizzying heights of avocado oil, ghee cam withstand heat up to about 482F!

The only catch? This can get pricey if you’re aiming to deep-fry, because you’ll need about 6-19 cups of oil if you’re using an electric deep fryer or Dutch oven.

My chicken wings were DELICIOUS though.

How to substitute: Replace peanut oil in your recipe in a 1:1 ratio with ghee or clarified butter.

Tallow

If you’re not on a plant-based diet, consider giving tallow a shot.

It’s rendered from beef fat, making it a solid substitute for those with nut allergies.

And although tallow’s smoke point isn’t as high as peanut oil (400F VS 450F), it can still comfortably handle the heat required for deep frying.

Like peanut oil, it doesn’t have a strong flavor, but some brands do have a distinct meaty essence to them.

Therefore this might not be the best choice if you’re frying up some donuts, but it worked wonders for my chicken wings – I couldn’t stop eating them!

Wondering where to buy tallow? Your local butcher should have it, or you can try making your own if you have an afternoon to spare.

How to substitute: Replace peanut oil in your recipe in a 1:1 ratio with tallow.

Lard

Lard is another animal-based substitute to try.

Its very similar to tallow in that there’s no real flavor to it, but it has a rich, meaty undertone that’s hard to describe.

Lard is typically easy to find and won’t put a dent in your wallet, making it an excellent alternative to peanut oil for those budget-friendly cookouts!

One downside is that lard can be a pain to clean up.

How to substitute: Replace peanut oil in your recipe in a 1:1 ratio with lard.

Macadamia nut oil

If your budget allows and you don’t have a nut allergy, why not try macadamia nut oil?

This premium oil has a uniquely rich, buttery flavor that will add complexity to your dishes.

And it’s got one of the highest levels of monounsaturated fats amongst cooking oils, do you don’t have to feel guilty about using it.

In short – it’s amazing!

How to substitute: Replace peanut oil in your recipe in a 1:1 ratio with macadamia nut oil.

Substitutes to avoid

Not all oils are good substitutes for peanut oil (despite what other websites might say!). Here are two I wouldn’t use:

Palm oil: palm oil is one of the most accessible and cheapest cooking oils available. It’s well suited to most cooking applications, but I wouldn’t recommend it as a substitute for peanut oil because of the negative environmental impact.
Walnut oil: I saw a few people mention this, but you can’t cook with walnut oil! You can only use it as a finishing oil or in salad dressing. The same goes for toasted sesame oil.