Cooking With Hemp: Can you Cook with Hemp Oil?
Can you cook with hemp oil? For the innovative and the enterprising, taking your hemp oil into the kitchen is not only possible but also great fun! This plant-based cooking oil is quickly becoming a fan favorite, and it’s easy to see why.
Whether for sautéing your favorite dish, jazzing up your favorite salad dressings, or virtually any other cooking oil task, you’ll find that cooking with hemp seed oil is a great option. CBD and hemp seed oil bring a distinctive nutty flavor that makes them a tasty alternative to traditional cooking oils.
In this article, we talk about the basics of getting started cooking with hemp oil. If you’re feeling comfortable with the basics and are looking for some more advanced tips, be sure to check out our How-To Guide on Cooking With Hemp.
Types of Hemp Oil: Cooking With Hemp Oil vs. Hemp Seed Oil
One of the most frequent questions we hear about hemp products is about the difference between hemp oil and hemp seed oil. Are they the same thing? And can you cook with hemp oil, hemp seed oil, or both? Let’s clear up the basics.
Hemp oil and hemp seed oil are slightly different products, but they share many common features, including their origin, extraction method, and many of the same applications.
Both are made from the hemp plant, a member of the cannabis species. However, they are made from different parts of the hemp plant and, as such, contain different natural compounds and slightly different tastes.| Hemp Oil | Hemp Seed Oil |
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As you can see, they’ve got a lot in common — but the two common hemp-based oils are different enough that you shouldn’t mix them up!
But can you cook with hemp’s oils? Whichever type of oil you choose, the answer is yes; but cooking with hemp (not seed) oil does bring up a few special considerations — more on that below.
Note: What about “CBD oil”? Is that the same as hemp oil? Yes and no. For more on that topic, see our in-depth guide to CBD Oil Vs. Hemp Oil.
Cooking With Hemp Oil and Hemp Seed Oil
Can you cook with hemp oil? Absolutely! Just like olive, canola, vegetable, or any other popular cooking oil, cooking with hemp oil can provide a useful and flavorful role in many of your favorite dishes!
But just like any cooking oil, you’ll find that cooking with hemp is best suited to certain types of dishes. Here are a few tips for getting started.
Think Savory, Not Sweet
When cooking with hemp oil, it’s usually a good idea to focus on complementary flavors. Both hemp oil and hemp seed oil have distinctive tastes. When combined with sweet flavors, the oil can overwhelm the dish and have unintended consequences for the taste.
We recommend steering clear of sweet dishes when cooking with hemp. Instead, focus on rich, savory flavors that will be complemented by hemp’s earthy and/or nutty flavor.
That said, some users tell us they’ve had great success using hemp seed oil for dessert dishes. In fact, celebrity chef Jaime Oliver famously used hemp seed oil as a topping for ice cream!
As in all things cooking, a bit of trial and error is the best way to please your palate, but we still recommend sticking to savory dishes when you’re first starting.
Cooking With Hemp Oil? Careful With the Heat!
If you’re cooking with hemp (not hemp seed oil), then you may be looking to capture some of hemp’s naturally therapeutic potential in your dish. After all, hemp oil contains all of hemp’s natural cannabinoids, terpenes, and fatty acids responsible for its many wellness applications.
And good news: cooking with hemp oil will infuse your dish with those same therapeutic properties… as long as you don’t overdo it with the heat!
CBD and many other hemp compounds can break down and lose their potency when exposed to high heat.
Experts disagree on the precise temperature you should aim for when cooking with hemp oil. However, it’s generally agreed that your CBD and other cannabinoids should be fine if you keep the temperature below 320˚F.
Note that this only applies to hemp oil, not hemp seed oil. As discussed above, hemp seed oil does not contain any meaningful amount of hemp cannabinoids or terpenes, so it won’t deliver any of hemp’s therapeutic effects no matter how you cook it. So if you’re using hemp seed oil? Go wild and experiment with all your favorite dishes, regardless of temperature!
Cooking With Hemp Oil: In Closing
Can you cook with hemp and hemp seed oil? Absolutely! Both of these popular hemp products are well suited to many of your favorite dishes, and it’s no wonder that more and more users are making the switch to using hemp oils as their go-to cooking oil.
But the two types of hemp oil are different from one another, and they have slightly different applications and flavor profiles.
Be sure to consider whether hemp seed oil or hemp oil is the better choice for your cooking needs. And if you’re using hemp oil for all of hemp’s CBD benefits, be sure to watch that heat!
