Cooking Fats and Oils on Keto: What Matters and What Doesn't
Summary: Ketosis does not depend on which fat you cook with, so butter, olive oil, coconut oil, canola and vegetable oil all work for keto; the real questions are your heart-health markers, your budget, and how much you pour.
On this page
- The short answer
- Three separate questions
- Common cooking fats compared
- Vegetable and canola oil
- Olive oil
- Butter, lard and grass-fed
- Coconut and MCT oil
- What the research says about fat and cholesterol on keto
- The amount matters more than the bottle
- When to check with your doctor
The short answer
Pure cooking fats have essentially no carbs. So for ketosis, the choice of oil does not matter. Pick what you can afford and like to cook with, and measure how much you use.
KetoDick on this: He says there is "nothing wrong" with cooking in olive, canola or vegetable oil for keto (from the video), and that vegetable oils are "not ideal" but "acceptable". His line is "you can be keto at Walmart" (video DWI8qQl5BbY).
Three separate questions
People often mix up three questions when they ask about the "best keto oil". Keep them apart.
| Question | What decides it |
|---|---|
| Will this keep you in ketosis? | Carbs. Fats and oils do not raise carbs. |
| Is this good for your health? | Your cholesterol markers, heart risk and overall diet. A separate question from ketosis. |
| Can you afford it? | Your budget. Keto does not require specialty oils. |
KetoDick makes this split often. He separates what is good for general health from what ketosis needs, and says omega-3s and MCT oil have research behind them but are not tied to ketosis (video ffwBPoKxlDI; video DLRlphyc1t8). In his view, keto is about the carbs you leave out, and "everything else is … window dressing", from the video (video DWI8qQl5BbY).
Common cooking fats compared
| Fat | Works for ketosis? | Cost | What KetoDick says |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetable / canola oil | Yes | Low | Not ideal, but acceptable; that is a separate health issue from keto (video DWI8qQl5BbY) |
| Olive oil | Yes | Medium | Mostly monounsaturated, with a fairly consistent fatty-acid profile (video 1JbK1_ClDmY) |
| Butter | Yes | Low to medium | Grass-fed is better if you can afford it, but not needed for keto (video DWI8qQl5BbY) |
| Lard / bacon fat | Yes | Low | Quality depends on how the animal was raised (video 1JbK1_ClDmY) |
| Coconut oil | Yes | Medium | Limited nutrient profile on its own (video cTGYIFOTPl8) |
| MCT oil | Yes | High | Not necessary; tasteless and does not hold up well to heat (video DWI8qQl5BbY) |
The cost column is a rough ranking, not a price survey.
Vegetable and canola oil
These are the oils many keto forums tell people to avoid. For ketosis, that advice is not needed.
KetoDick tells the story of a viewer abroad going from store to store looking for a "keto oil" because she had been told vegetable oils were not keto (video DWI8qQl5BbY). His answer: the main change on keto is moving from high carb to low carb, and none of that requires giving up vegetable oil. Whether vegetable oil is the healthiest choice is "an unrelated separate health issue", from the video.
He does have his own preferences. He says he has problems with soybean oil and wants to cut back on the soybean-oil mayonnaise he was eating, and that many "olive oil" mayonnaises are still mostly soybean oil (video cTGYIFOTPl8). That is his personal health choice, not a keto rule.
Olive oil
Olive oil is a common choice for dressings and for drizzling over vegetables. KetoDick notes that olive oil is mostly monounsaturated fat and that its fatty-acid profile is fairly consistent from bottle to bottle (video 1JbK1_ClDmY). He calls monounsaturated fats the best for you; the evidence pages behind this guide do not include studies that compare oils on health, so that ranking is his.
Butter, lard and grass-fed
Butter, lard and bacon fat are common keto cooking fats, and they are often cheap. KetoDick cooks vegetables in seasoned oil, bacon fat or butter (video 1vyxuWlxT5M).
On grass-fed: he says grass-fed butter is included for its omega-3s, which have research behind them but are not tied to ketosis (video DLRlphyc1t8; video ffwBPoKxlDI). He says grass-fed products are worth buying if you have the money, but asks "are they keto?" and answers that ketosis does not need them (video DWI8qQl5BbY). He points out that butter and lard are not fixed products; their fat profile depends on what the animal ate (video 1JbK1_ClDmY). If you have a choice between a fancy oil and a fatty cut of meat, he leans toward the meat: chuck roast, pork shoulder and chicken thighs (video DWI8qQl5BbY). See Cheap fatty cuts of meat.
Coconut and MCT oil
Coconut oil and MCT oil are sold heavily to keto dieters. KetoDick's view is that ketosis "doesn't come with a sales campaign" (from the video), so products get pushed instead (video DWI8qQl5BbY).
- MCT oil has research for epilepsy and other uses, but keto does not require it. He says it is tasteless, does not hold up well to heat, and works more as an add-on than a cooking oil (video DWI8qQl5BbY).
- Coconut oil brings fat with few other nutrients. He contrasts it with a fatty steak, which brings a broader range of nutrients (video cTGYIFOTPl8).
More in Is MCT oil necessary? and Bulletproof Coffee.
What the research says about fat and cholesterol on keto
The evidence pages behind this guide cover keto diets as a whole, not single oils.
- The National Lipid Association says low- and very-low-carb diets lower triglycerides and raise HDL ("good") cholesterol, with a variable effect on LDL cholesterol (Kirkpatrick et al., 2019).
- A review of 13 trials lasting at least 12 months found very-low-carb ketogenic diets gave slightly more weight loss than low-fat diets (−0.91 kg), with lower triglycerides and higher HDL, but also higher LDL cholesterol (Bueno et al., 2013).
"Variable" means some people see LDL rise and some do not. The only way to know your own response is a blood test. KetoDick also recommends getting your lipids checked (video cTGYIFOTPl8). See Keto and Cholesterol and Saturated fat on keto.
The amount matters more than the bottle
All cooking fats are dense in calories. Whichever you use, a heavy pour at every meal can stall weight loss. KetoDick's own math puts 20 g of fat at about 180 calories (video NUJNFG6lLWw).
- Measure for a week. Use a spoon, not a free pour.
- Cook in the fat the food already has. Fatty meats render their own.
- Add fat for taste, not to hit a number. See How Much Fat Should You Eat on Keto?.
- Watch hidden carbs, not oils. Sauces and processed foods are where carbs sneak in. See Hidden Carbs.
When to check with your doctor
- High LDL, heart disease or a family history of early heart disease. Ask about a lipid panel before starting and a few months in. Your doctor may also have advice on saturated fat for you. See Keto and Cholesterol.
- Other conditions that need a doctor before keto are listed in Who Should Talk to a Doctor First.
Related
- Guide: Chapter 6: Fat on Keto · Eating Too Much Fat on Keto · What Can I Eat on Keto? · Hidden Calories
- Blog: Keto on a budget · Is grass-fed butter worth it? · Saturated fat on keto · Men's Health keto article rebuttal
- Videos: What do I need for the keto diet? · What foods are banned on keto? · What is bulletproof coffee? · Men's Health hack job on keto
Last verified: 2026-10-31