Both olive oil and canola oil are rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats and are widely recommended as alternatives to butter and other solid fats. But they aren’t identical. Olive oil brings natural antioxidants and a simple, mechanical extraction process; most canola oil, by contrast, is heavily refined and often produced from genetically engineered crops.
Here’s how they compare so you can choose the best oil for your kitchen.
Olive Oils vs Canola Oil At-a-Glance Comparison
Type
- Olive oil: Fruit oil pressed from olives.
- Canola oil: Seed oil made from a variety of the rapeseed plant.
Grades & Standards
- Olive oil: The International Olive Council has established a grading system for olive oil that dictates how olive oil is graded and labeled.
- Canola oil: No standards exist for Canola oil. While virgin canola oils exist, there is no consumer protection regarding the labeling.
History & Usage
- Olive oil: Used for thousands of years in Mediterranean cooking, medicine, and cosmetics.
- Canola oil: Developed in the 1970s as a modern, low-erucic-acid version of rapeseed oil.
Cost
- Olive oil: Prices vary depending on grade and quality; extra virgin olive oil generally costs more.
- Canola oil: Usually one of the less expensive bottled oils in the supermarket.
How It’s Made
- Extra virgin olive oil: Made by physically crushing olives and separating the juice—no chemicals, no high-heat refining.
- “Olive oil” / “pure” or “classic” olive oil: Refined and/or blended, but still starts with olive juice.
- Canola oil: Produced through an intensive refining process that often includes degumming, neutralization, bleaching, deodorizing, and the use of chemical solvents.
Solvents
- Olive oil: No solvents are used to produce pure, classic, light or extra virgin olive oils.
- Canola oil: Commonly extracted with chemical solvents, such as hexane, before being refined.
GMO Status
- Olive oil: There are currently no genetically modified olive trees, and no GMO olive oils on the market.
- Canola oil: Most canola grown in North America comes from genetically engineered crops, although non-GMO canola does exist.
Antioxidants & Minor Compounds
- Olive oil: All grades contain natural antioxidants; extra virgin olive oil is especially rich in polyphenols, which have been linked to heart, brain, and overall health.
- Canola oil: Antioxidant content is reduced during heavy refining.
Rancidity & Shelf Life
- Olive oil: Antioxidants help protect the oil from oxidation and rancidity, especially in extra virgin olive oil. Proper storage (cool, dark place; cap on) helps it stay fresh.
- Canola oil: Also prone to oxidation over time and should be used quickly to avoid stale or “off” flavors.
Flavor
- Olive oil: Extra virgin olive oil has a fruity flavor. Pure and light olive oils have a neutral flavor.
- Canola oil: Very neutral flavor designed to “disappear” in recipes.
Smoke Point & Cooking
The smoke point of oil varies depending on the oil sample. The numbers below represent the top temperatures that an oil can reach before smoking.
Approximate smoke points:
- Refined olive oil: 468°F (242°C)
- Canola oil: 445°F (235°C)
- Extra virgin olive oil: up to 410°F (205°C), depending on quality
Many people are confused and use smoke point to guide their cooking oil choices but its more complex than that. Instead of just looking at one number, you want an oil that can handle normal cooking temperatures and stays stable when it’s hot. In studies, extra virgin olive oil was found to be the most stable cooking oil, producing fewer harmful breakdown products than seed oils like canola, which performed among the worst.
So…Which Should You Choose?
Both olive oil and canola oil are unsaturated, heart-healthy options that are better choices than solid fats high in saturated fat. But olive oil, especially extra virgin, offers important additional advantages:
- Natural antioxidants and polyphenols
- A simple, chemical-free extraction process
- A long history of use in one of the world’s healthiest dietary patterns (the Mediterranean diet)
- Flavor that can actually make it easier to enjoy more vegetables, beans, and whole grains
If you want to get the most health and culinary benefits, make extra virgin olive oil your everyday default for salad dressings, drizzling, dips, and all of your cooking.