Keto cooking fats, ranked by net carbs

Cooking fats and oils on keto

Pure fats and oils contain no carbohydrate. Their effect on keto is all about energy: one tablespoon of oil is about 120 kcal. That is why we count fat on the plate rather than everything poured into the pan.

Use olive oil for dressings and moderate heat, butter or ghee for flavour, and coconut oil, lard or tallow for high-heat cooking.

How much you actually eat: not all the fat in the pan reaches your plate. Ketora counts a retained share, 70% by default for pan-frying. The cooking fat calculator shows the defaults by method. If weight loss stalls, added fat is the first thing to measure.

Lowest: Olive oil, Coconut oil, Butter, Coconut milk (canned, full-fat).

Verdicts use a typical serving against a 20 g net-carb day: under 10% is keto-friendly, 10–30% is moderation, over 30% is not keto-friendly. Data: USDA FoodData Central.

Frequently asked questions

Which cooking fats are keto?

At a typical serving, olive oil, coconut oil, butter and coconut milk are keto-friendly — each under 2 g net carbs, or 10% of a strict 20 g day.

Which cooking fats are not keto?

None of the 4 cooking fats listed here uses more than 30% of a strict 20 g keto day at a typical serving; portion size is what matters.