Is it okay to mix canola and olive oil? A complete nutritional guide

October 26, 2025 •

4 min read

A common practice in many commercial kitchens and bottled blends is to mix oils, combining different attributes for culinary and economic benefits. But for home cooks, the question remains: is it okay to mix canola and olive oil? This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to do it effectively and when to be cautious.

Quick Summary

Mixing canola and olive oil is a safe and common practice, blending olive oil's flavor and heart-healthy benefits with canola's neutral taste and higher smoke point for functional cooking. The key is understanding that the mixture's smoke point is determined by the lowest point, and high heat can diminish extra virgin olive oil's antioxidants and delicate flavor.

Key Points

Mixing is Safe and Common: Blending canola and olive oil is a well-established and safe culinary practice, used commercially to balance cost, flavor, and function.
Smoke Point is Key: The mixed oil’s smoke point is determined by the lowest-temperature oil in the blend (extra virgin olive oil), not an average. This makes it unsuitable for high-heat applications like deep frying.
Balances Flavor and Neutrality: Use olive oil for its rich flavor and canola for its neutral taste, allowing for a versatile oil that can be used in a variety of dishes without overpowering them.
Combines Nutritional Benefits: The blend offers a combination of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats from olive oil and a good ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acids from canola oil.
Customizable for Culinary Needs: By adjusting the ratio, you can control the flavor intensity and cost. A simple 1:3 ratio of olive to canola is a great starting point for everyday cooking.
Store Properly for Freshness: To maximize shelf life and prevent rancidity, store your mixed oil in a cool, dark place in an airtight container, just as you would with individual oils.

The Synergy of a Blended Oil

Mixing oils like canola and olive can create a hybrid with more versatility than either oil alone. This blend allows you to leverage the best of both worlds: the robust, fruity flavor of olive oil and the high-heat stability of canola oil. By combining a more expensive, flavorful oil with a neutral, affordable one, home cooks can also manage costs without sacrificing quality for many applications.

The Nutritional Perks of a Mixed Oil

From a nutritional perspective, combining canola and olive oils offers a diverse range of benefits. Olive oil, especially extra virgin, is a cornerstone of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet, known for its high content of monounsaturated fats (like oleic acid) and potent antioxidants called polyphenols. Canola oil, on the other hand, is known for its low saturated fat content and a favorable ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, which also contribute to heart health. Blending them combines these fatty acid profiles, offering a mix that is beneficial for cardiovascular health.

Culinary Applications for Blended Oils

This versatile blend is suitable for various culinary tasks where you want a hint of olive oil flavor without overpowering the dish. For example, a mixture is ideal for sautéing vegetables, creating marinades, and even baking recipes where a neutral-but-flavorful oil is desired. The ratio can be adjusted based on the desired olive oil intensity, with some chefs recommending a 30% olive to 70% canola mix for a balance of taste and function.

Important Considerations Before Mixing

While mixing oils is generally safe, there are critical considerations to keep in mind, especially regarding heat and quality.

The Smoke Point Rule

One of the most important factors when cooking with mixed oils is the smoke point. The smoke point of the mixture is not an average of the two oils; rather, it is determined by the oil with the lower smoke point. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) has a lower smoke point (around 320-383°F) than refined canola oil (around 460°F). This means that if you are using a blend containing EVOO, you should not heat it past the EVOO's smoke point, or it will degrade and burn, producing off-flavors and potentially harmful compounds.

Protecting Nutritional Quality

Cooking with a mixed oil at high temperatures can degrade the beneficial components. The antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil are delicate and can be destroyed by excessive heat. To preserve the health benefits and nuanced flavor of high-quality olive oil, it is best to use a blended oil for low-to-medium heat cooking, and to reserve pure, high-quality EVOO for dressings or finishing dishes.

When Not to Mix Oils

Deep Frying: For high-heat applications like deep frying, a high-smoke-point oil like pure canola or peanut oil is preferable. Mixing in olive oil will lower the overall smoke point and lead to a quicker breakdown of the oil.
Using Old Oil: Never mix fresh oil with used oil. The old oil will have degraded, oxidized, and may contain harmful compounds, which can contaminate the fresh oil and accelerate its breakdown.
Flavor-Neutral Baking: For recipes where you want a perfectly neutral oil to avoid affecting the flavor, a pure, refined canola oil is the better choice.

How to Create Your Own Canola and Olive Oil Blend

Creating your own blend is simple and allows you to customize the flavor intensity. Here are the steps:

Select Your Oils: Choose a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for flavor and a standard canola oil for heat tolerance and cost-effectiveness. Consider expeller-pressed or cold-pressed canola if you prefer less-refined options.
Determine Your Ratio: A good starting point for a versatile, everyday oil is a ratio of one part olive oil to three parts canola oil, which provides a noticeable but not overpowering olive flavor. For a stronger flavor, increase the olive oil proportion.
Mix and Store: Combine the oils in a clean, airtight glass bottle. Store the mixture in a cool, dark place away from heat and light to prevent oxidation and rancidity.

Canola vs. Olive Oil for Blending


Feature	Canola Oil	Olive Oil (EVOO)
Flavor	Neutral, mild.	Fruity, peppery, robust.
Smoke Point	High (~460°F), ideal for high heat.	Low-to-medium (~320-383°F), best for low heat.
Processing	Highly refined (bleached, deodorized).	Unrefined, cold-pressed.
Saturated Fat	Very low.	Moderate.
Omega-3s	Rich source of Omega-3s.	Contains very little.
Antioxidants	Low to none (removed during refining).	Rich in polyphenols.
Cost	Budget-friendly.	More expensive, especially EVOO.
Best For Blending	Provides a high smoke point and neutral base.	Contributes flavor and antioxidants.

Conclusion: Mix with Intention

Mixing canola and olive oil is an excellent strategy for achieving a versatile and economical cooking fat, but it requires an understanding of what each oil brings to the table. By combining the high smoke point and neutral flavor of canola with the heart-healthy fats and rich taste of olive oil, you can create a customized blend for everyday use. Just remember that the mixture's heat tolerance is limited by the lower smoke point of the olive oil. Use your blend for moderate-heat tasks like sautéing and marinades, and save your pure, high-quality extra virgin olive oil for cold applications or as a finishing drizzle. With this knowledge, you can enjoy the benefits of both oils while making smart, healthy choices in the kitchen.

American Heart Association - Healthy Cooking Oils

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, you can safely mix extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with canola oil. This is a common practice to achieve a balance of flavor from the EVOO and the higher smoke point and neutral taste of canola oil.

No, the smoke point of a blended oil is not an average. The mixture's smoke point is limited by the oil with the lowest smoke point, so a canola and EVOO blend will have the lower smoke point of EVOO.

People mix these oils for several reasons, including achieving a balanced fatty acid profile, adding the flavor of olive oil to dishes, increasing the smoke point of EVOO for moderate cooking, and reducing the cost of using pure olive oil.

It is not recommended to reuse or reheat cooking oils multiple times, whether mixed or not. Repeated heating causes oil to break down and oxidize, which can form harmful compounds.

Mixing can combine the health benefits of both oils. However, using the mixed oil for high-heat cooking can destroy the beneficial antioxidants in the olive oil. For maximum benefits, use the blend for lower-heat cooking.

A common and recommended starting ratio is one part olive oil to three parts canola oil. This provides a subtle olive oil flavor while leveraging canola's higher smoke point for general cooking.

No, it is not ideal for deep frying, especially if you are using extra virgin olive oil. The mixture's low smoke point will cause it to break down and burn at the high temperatures required for deep frying. A pure high-smoke-point oil is a better choice.

A blended oil is perfect for moderate-heat cooking such as sautéing, roasting vegetables, and making salad dressings and marinades, where you want a balanced flavor profile and cost-effectiveness.