Babassu Oil

Babassu Oil: Nutrition and Information

Babassu oil is extracted from the seeds of the babassu palm (Attalea speciosa), a palm tree native to the tropical rainforests of northeastern Brazil, particularly the states of Maranhão, Piauí, and Pará. It is a highly saturated fat with 81.2 g of saturated fat per 100 g — similar in composition to coconut oil (82.5 g saturated fat), with a predominantly medium-chain fatty acid profile: primarily lauric acid (C12) with meaningful capric (C10) and caprylic (C8) acids. Babassu oil has been a traditional food and source of income for indigenous and rural communities in northeastern Brazil for centuries — the babassu nut harvesting is a cottage industry providing livelihoods for thousands of families. The oil is used in Brazilian cooking as a coconut oil substitute, for making soaps and cosmetics, and increasingly for artisan food products. It is solid at temperatures below about 25°C and liquid above, like coconut oil.

Nutritional Value and Uses

Babassu oil provides 884 kcal and 100 g of fat per 100 g, with 81.2 g of saturated fat. Nutritionally and functionally it closely resembles coconut oil — it can substitute for coconut oil in virtually all applications. Use in tropical-influenced baking and cooking, as a vegan solid fat, and in preparations where a solid-at-room-temperature vegetable fat is required. The flavour is milder than coconut oil with less distinctive character.