The short answer: to make infused coconut oil, melt 250 g of coconut oil with 2 tablespoons of dried herbs or spices. Keep it warm, well below a simmer, for about 1 hour, then strain it while it is liquid. Use only dried ingredients. Store it in a closed jar in the fridge and use it within a month.
Coconut oil is solid in a cool kitchen and melts at about 24 °C (76 °F), so you can scoop it like butter or pour it like oil. Infused coconut oil carries the taste of rosemary, chili, cinnamon or vanilla into everything you cook with it. Use a savoury one for roasting and curries and a sweet one for baking and popcorn.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Ratio | 250 g coconut oil to 2 tablespoons dried herbs or spices |
| Time | About 1 hour on the stove, or 2 to 3 hours hands-off |
| Heat | Gentle: warm, never bubbling |
| Keeps | About 1 month in the fridge |
Ingredients
- 250 g (about 1 cup) coconut oil, refined or virgin
- 2 tablespoons dried herbs or whole spices (see the flavours below)
- Optional: a pinch of salt for savoury versions
Refined or virgin? Refined coconut oil tastes neutral, so the herbs lead. Virgin coconut oil tastes of coconut, which suits sweet flavours like vanilla and cinnamon. Refined oil also copes better with frying: it has a smoke point of about 200 °C (400 °F), against about 175 °C (350 °F) for virgin.
Why dried only? Fresh garlic, fresh herbs and fresh chili carry water. In oil, that water lets harmful bacteria grow. Dried ingredients avoid that problem.
How to make infused coconut oil on the stove
- Set up a water bath. Put a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water.
- Melt. Add the coconut oil to the bowl and let it melt.
- Add the flavour. Stir in the dried herbs or spices. Crush leafy herbs between your fingers first.
- Infuse. Keep it warm for about 1 hour, stirring now and then. The oil should never bubble or fry the herbs.
- Strain. Pour it through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter into a clean jar, while it is still liquid.
- Cool and store. Close the jar and let it set. Keep it in the fridge.
A hands-off version with the NOIDS Herb Lab
If you would rather not watch a pan, the NOIDS Herb Lab holds the temperature for you.
- Put the coconut oil and the dried herbs or spices into the Glass. Stay under the MAX mark.
- Cover with the Dish Lid and place the Glass in the Main Body.
- Turn the Rotary Control to Oil. The cycle holds 100 °C (212 °F) for about 120 to 180 minutes, then cools by itself. The coconut oil melts in the first minutes.
- When the Glass has cooled to a safe temperature but the oil is still liquid, strain it through the Filter Set into a jar.
Six flavours to try
| Flavour | For 250 g coconut oil | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Rosemary and thyme | 1 tbsp each, dried | Roast potatoes, vegetables, flatbread |
| Chili and garlic | 1 tbsp chili flakes, 1 tbsp dried garlic flakes (fridge, use within 4 days) | Stir-fries, eggs, noodles |
| Curry spices | 1 tsp each cumin, coriander and mustard seeds, 1 tsp turmeric | Curries and dal |
| Cinnamon | 2 cinnamon sticks, broken | Porridge, banana bread, popcorn |
| Vanilla | 1 vanilla bean, split | Cookies, granola, pancakes |
| Orange | 2 tbsp dried orange peel | Brownies, muffins, glazes |
Cooking and baking with it
- In baking: swap it 1 for 1 for butter or other oils. Use it melted where a recipe asks for melted butter, and soft and scoopable where it asks for soft butter.
- For roasting: melt a spoonful and toss vegetables in it before they go into the oven.
- For popcorn: pop the corn in plain coconut oil, then pour over a little melted cinnamon or chili oil.
- Hard in the fridge? Leave the jar out for 15 minutes, or scrape it with a spoon.
For liquid oils made the same way, see our guide to infused olive oil.
How to store infused coconut oil
- Fridge: in a clean, closed jar for about a month. Any version with garlic, even dried garlic flakes, gets 4 days, or freeze it. Penn State Extension allows up to 3 months; we use the shorter time. Even with dried ingredients, the fridge is the safe choice.
- Clean spoon: always use a clean, dry spoon so no water or crumbs get in.
- Labels: write the flavour and the date on the jar.
For the full rules on keeping flavoured oils, read our guide on whether chili oil needs to be refrigerated.
Questions
How long does infused coconut oil last?
About a month in a closed jar in the fridge, when it is made with dried ingredients and strained well.
Can I infuse coconut oil with fresh garlic or herbs?
It is safer not to. Fresh ingredients carry water, which lets harmful bacteria grow in oil. If you do, keep it in the fridge and use it within 4 days.
Can I use infused coconut oil instead of butter in baking?
Yes, in most recipes, swapped 1 for 1. Melt it for recipes that use melted butter, and use it soft for recipes that cream butter with sugar.
Should I use refined or virgin coconut oil?
Refined for savoury flavours and frying, because it tastes neutral. Virgin for sweet flavours, where a little coconut taste helps.
Why did my coconut oil turn grainy?
It set slowly in a cool room. That is harmless. Melt it gently and cool it in the fridge so it sets smooth.
