Fats and oils

Coconut oil nutrition, where a spoonful counts.

1 tbsp of coconut oil is 121 calories and 0 g of protein. USDA files this under “Oil, coconut”, and that is the record used here. Use the selector that follows to match your own portion; the panel and the nutrient table track it.

By Alen Yaco · Updated 20 September 2026

Drawn from USDA FoodData Central, FDC 171412. No account, no upload, percentages against FDA Daily Values.

The calorie count for coconut oil

Count 121 calories for 1 tbsp of coconut oil, or 892 for every 100 g. The portion weights in the table are USDA’s own measurements.

What coconut oil offers in protein

For protein, 1 tbsp of coconut oil gives you 0 g, which fills 0 percent of the daily 50 g benchmark. There is next to no protein in coconut oil; nearly all of its energy is fat.

Divide its calories by source and you get 0 percent from protein, 100 percent from fat and 0 percent from carbohydrate.

Buying, keeping and using coconut oil

Coconut oil is the fat pressed from coconut meat. Virgin oil smells strongly of coconut and suits sweet dishes. Refined oil undergoes deodorising and has a neutral scent, which is better for savoury dishes. Look for jars labelled cold-pressed if you want the strongest natural aroma. Avoid jars with hydrogenated options.

This fat melts quickly at room temperature and solidifies when cold. The biggest mistake is adding cold ingredients to melted coconut oil, which makes the fat seize and clump. It has a high smoke point when refined, but virgin oil burns much more easily. Keep the heat moderate when sautéing.

Use this fat to fry spices for South Indian curries or Sri Lankan sambols. It works well in baking, replacing butter in pastry or cakes. Stir some into warm porridge, or use it to roast sweet potatoes and carrots, which brings out their natural sugars.

Coconut oil: the full nutrient profile

No single nutrient dominates here. The complete USDA breakdown is below, scaled to whatever serving you set.

Coconut oil against a daily budget

On a 2,000 calorie day, 1 tbsp of coconut oil is 6 percent of the budget and 0 percent of the protein Daily Value. Whether that is a lot depends on your own numbers rather than on 2,000: the TDEE calculator gives you what you burn, and the macro calculator turns a target into grams.

Three ways to use coconut oil

Each of these comes from the Calorie Counter Team, and each carries nutrition worked out from its ingredients’ USDA entries rather than estimated from the finished dish.

Breakfast · British

Coconut Oil Granola

A baked oat and pumpkin seed mixture for breakfast.

25 min · serves 4

321kcal

8gprotein

18gfat

33gcarbs

Ingredients

• oats 150 g
• coconut oil 45 g
• honey 30 g
• pumpkin seeds 40 g
• salt 2 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160C and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
2. Melt the coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan over low heat.
3. Mix the oats, pumpkin seeds, and salt in a bowl.
4. Pour the melted oil mixture over the dry ingredients and stir.
5. Spread the mixture on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Leave to cool completely before serving.

5 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Dinner · Indian

Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

A spiced red lentil soup cooked on the stovetop.

35 min · serves 4

215kcal

9.8gprotein

8.1gfat

27gcarbs

Ingredients

• coconut oil 30 g
• onion 110 g
• red lentils 150 g
• curry powder 6 g
• water 600 g
• salt 4 g

Method

1. Melt the coconut oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Stir in the curry powder and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add the red lentils, water, and salt to the pan.
5. Simmer on low heat for 20 minutes until the lentils are soft.

6 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Snack · Global

Coconut-Fried Bananas

Pan-fried banana slices cooked in coconut oil.

15 min · serves 2

216kcal

1.1gprotein

14gfat

24gcarbs

Ingredients

• bananas 200 g
• coconut oil 28 g
• ground cinnamon 2 g

Method

1. Peel and slice the bananas into rounds 1 centimetre thick.
2. Melt the coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
3. Add the banana slices to the pan in a single layer.
4. Fry for 3 minutes on each side until light brown.
5. Transfer to a plate and sprinkle with the ground cinnamon.

3 USDA records went into this total. It describes the ingredients as weighed, not the dish after cooking losses.

Calorie Counter Team, food critic

A plate built around coconut oil

A sample plate, not a prescription: coconut oil plus two sides, each line sourced and the sum shown.

Coconut oil against other fats and oils

Per 100 g, each in the form its own page leads with; the second column says which.

Coconut oil: common questions

How many calories does 1 tbsp of coconut oil have?

1 tbsp of coconut oil is 121 calories. That comes from the USDA record “Oil, coconut” (FDC 171412), which is 892 calories per 100 g.

How much protein is in coconut oil?

You get 0 g from 1 tbsp of coconut oil, equal to 0 percent of the daily reference amount; 100 g holds 0 g.

Does coconut oil fit a calorie deficit?

No food causes or prevents weight loss on its own. The useful facts are that 1 tbsp of coconut oil is 121 calories with 0 g of protein, which makes 0 percent of its calories protein; useful alongside a protein source rather than as one.

Why has my coconut oil turned from a liquid into a solid?

This is normal physical behaviour. The oil has a low melting point. It solidifies when the kitchen gets cool and liquefies when the room warms. This transition does not spoil the fat or alter its quality.

Should I store coconut oil in the fridge?

Do not store it there. Refrigeration makes the oil extremely hard, making it difficult to spoon out. Keep the jar in a cool, dark cupboard instead, where it will remain scoopable and fresh for months.

Sources

• Oil, coconut — USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171412
• Daily Values for nutrition labelling, 21 CFR 101.9