Coconut Oil vs Butter: Calories and Nutrition Compared (2026)

Coconut oil has 0.8 g less protein than butter, which contains 0.8 g. Coconut oil is higher in calories at 892, while butter has 717 calories.

Coconut oil and butter are popular fats used in cooking and baking. Each has distinct nutritional profiles that may influence dietary choices.

What Is the Difference Between Coconut Oil and Butter?

Coconut oil is a plant-based oil extracted from the meat of coconuts, primarily composed of saturated fats. It is often used in cooking and cosmetic products. Butter is a dairy product made by churning cream, resulting in a solid fat that is rich in saturated fats and often used in cooking and baking.

Coconut Oil vs Butter: Nutrition Side by Side

The following table provides a side-by-side comparison of the nutritional values of coconut oil and butter.

Nutrient (per 100 g)	Coconut oil	Butter (salted)
Calories	892 kcal	717 kcal
Protein	0 g	0.8 g
Carbs	0 g	0.1 g
Sugar	0 g	0.1 g
Fat	99.1 g	81.1 g
Fiber	0 g	0 g
Sodium	0 mg	643 mg

Which Is Better, Coconut Oil or Butter?

For weight loss: Coconut oil has 175 more calories than butter, making it less favorable for weight loss.

For muscle and protein: Butter contains 0.8 g of protein, while coconut oil has no protein.

For low-carb or low-sugar: Both coconut oil and butter have very low carbohydrates and sugars, with coconut oil having 0 g and butter having 0.1 g of carbs.

How to Track Coconut oil and Butter Accurately

It's easy to misjudge portion sizes and macros when using oils and butters in cooking. Nutrola is an AI nutrition tracking app that identifies foods from a photo and returns calories and macros from a database of more than 1.8 million foods. It also supports barcode scanning and voice logging. Nutrola is available from EUR 2.50 per month and shows no ads on any tier.

How We Compiled These Numbers

The numbers provided are rounded reference values for educational use and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional for dietary guidance. Values are per 100 g from USDA FoodData Central.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Which has more protein?

Butter has 0.8 g of protein, while coconut oil has 0 g.

Which has fewer calories?

Butter has 717 calories, while coconut oil has 892 calories.

What is the fat content in coconut oil?

Coconut oil contains 99.1 g of fat per 100 g.

What is the sodium content in butter?

Butter contains 643 mg of sodium per 100 g.

How much sugar is in butter?

Butter contains 0.1 g of sugar per 100 g.

What are the carbohydrate levels in coconut oil?

Coconut oil contains 0 g of carbohydrates per 100 g.

Key Takeaways

• Coconut oil has 892 calories per 100 g.
• Butter has 717 calories per 100 g.
• Coconut oil contains 99.1 g of fat.
• Butter contains 81.1 g of fat.
• Butter has 0.8 g of protein.
• Both coconut oil and butter have negligible carbs and sugars.