Is Coconut Oil Healthier Than Olive Oil?

Short answer: Coconut oil has substantially more saturated fat than olive oil. Their calorie values are practically similar, not mathematically identical; the advantage of olive oil is its fat profile.

Selected foods: Coconut oil and Olive oil. These specific preparations are compared below.

Which to pick for your goal

If you want	Better pick	The numbers
Fewer calories	About the same	coconut oil 892 kcal, olive oil 884 kcal per 100 g
Less saturated fat	Olive Oil	14 g vs 83 g per 100 g
Overall (Nutri-Score)	Olive Oil	B vs E

Small differences count as a tie: a few calories or a few tenths of a gram won't change your day.

Nutrition side by side, per 100 g

Per 100 g	Coconut Oil	Olive Oil
Calories	892 kcal	884 kcal
Protein	0 g	0 g
Fat	99 g	100 g
incl. saturated	83 g	14 g
Total carbohydrates	0 g	0 g
incl. sugars	0 g	0 g
incl. fiber	0 g	0 g
Salt	0 g	0 g
Nutri-Score	E	B

Rounded values from exact USDA records (see * Data and sources below). Different brands, cuts and recipes can have different values. Diary food cards and the alternative versions below retain their own typical recipes.

For the same amount: 50 g

Equal amount	Coconut Oil	Olive Oil
Calories	446 kcal	442 kcal
Protein	0 g	0 g
incl. saturated	41 g	6.9 g
incl. sugars	0 g	0 g
incl. fiber	0 g	0 g

In a typical serving

One serving	Coconut Oil	Olive Oil
Serving	tablespoon, 14 g (0.5 oz)	tablespoon, 14 g (0.5 oz)
Calories	125 kcal	124 kcal
Protein	0 g	0 g
Saturated fat	12 g	1.9 g
Easy walking to burn it*	41 min	40 min

* For a 70 kg (154 lb) person; the app works it out for your weight and your activities.

Portion size usually moves the numbers more than the choice between two similar foods: a heaping serving of the “healthier” one can easily outweigh a modest serving of the other.

Other versions: typical diary estimates

The first two rows repeat the selected USDA records; other rows are typical diary estimates, without an exact source-record match. The cut, fat level or recipe can change the result. Per 100 g:

Per 100 g	Calories	Protein	Sat. fat	Sugars	Nutri-Score
Coconut Oil	892	0 g	83 g	0 g	E
Olive Oil	884	0 g	14 g	0 g	B
Rapeseed (canola) oil	884	0 g	7.4 g	0 g	B
Butter	748	0.5 g	53 g	0.8 g	E

*Data and sources

Oil, coconut — USDA FDC 171412 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).
Oil, olive, salad or cooking — USDA FDC 171413 (SR Legacy; published 4/1/2019).

Retrieved 2 October 2026. USDA composition is per 100 g; drink values per 100 ml use the record’s measured household weight, with the USDA customary cup of 236.6 ml. Displayed cup servings remain 240 ml. Carbohydrate includes fiber on this US site; salt is sodium × 2.5. The food records are historical reference values, not current brand guarantees.

WHO guideline on free sugars: honey, syrups and fruit-juice sugars count as free sugars. WHO guideline on saturated and trans fats: consider replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat.

FAQ

Which has fewer calories, coconut oil or olive oil?

They're about the same: coconut oil 892 kcal, olive oil 884 kcal per 100 g. In a typical serving that's 125 kcal for coconut oil (tablespoon, 14 g) and 124 kcal for olive oil (tablespoon, 14 g).

Is coconut oil or olive oil better for weight loss?

No single food makes you gain or lose weight — the day's total does. Gram for gram they're close in calories (coconut oil 892 kcal, olive oil 884 kcal per 100 g), so neither is a shortcut. The portion usually matters more: a typical serving of coconut oil (tablespoon, 14 g) is 125 kcal, of olive oil (tablespoon, 14 g) 124 kcal.

Which is better for your heart, coconut oil or olive oil?

On saturated fat, the nutrient heart-health guidelines ask us to limit, olive oil comes out ahead: 14 g vs 83 g per 100 g.

Does this comparison apply to every brand or recipe?

No. The main table uses the two specific USDA foods named and linked on this page. Fat level, ingredients, trimming, cooking and water content can change the result. Use the same amount for a fair comparison and check the label for the product you actually eat.

Log it and see your day

In Calories Not Count every food gets a Nutri-Score grade, a sugar–salt–fat–fiber traffic light, fair same-calorie swaps and the minutes of movement it costs for your weight and your activities — no scale needed. Goals like lower sugar, more protein or more omega-3 can be set in the diary, and swaps there are ranked for that goal.