Peanut Oil vs. Soybean Oil: What’s the Difference?

Smoke Point, Use & Taste

One of the main features of oils is their smoke point. It is essential to know their smoke point to understand how to use these oils and prevent the production of harmful components and unpleasant flavors.

Soybean and peanut oils have similar smoke points, which may vary somewhat due to the oil's quality, purity, and processing method. 

The approximate smoke point of soybean oil is 234°C (453°F), whereas, for peanut oil, it is 232°C (450°F). Both oils can be used for deep frying and baking and withstand high temperatures.

Both oils generally have a mild or neutral taste. However, if the peanut oil is made from roasted peanuts, it usually has a stronger peanut taste and aroma.

Macronutrients & Calories

Both oils consist of 100% fat, are thus absent in carbohydrates and protein, and provide 884 calories per 100g serving. 

One average serving, or one tablespoon, of soybean and peanut oils contains 13.5g of fats, nearly 85% of which are unsaturated, and provides 120 calories.

Peanut oil is richer in monounsaturated fats, whereas soybean oil is richer in polyunsaturated fats and slightly lower in saturated or unhealthy fats.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Soybean oil

2

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 14.9 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 43 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 37.6 g

Peanut oil

1

Saturated Fat: Sat. Fat 16.9 g

Monounsaturated Fat: Mono. Fat 46.2 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 32 g

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated Fat	-11.8%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+17.5%

~equal in Monounsaturated Fat ~46.2g

Vitamins & Minerals

Both peanut oil and soybean oil are abundant in vitamin E; peanut oil has nearly 2 times more vitamin E. Soybean oil is 35 times richer in vitamin K, while peanut oil contains insignificant amounts.

Peanut oil also contains negligible amounts of zinc and iron. Both oils are absent in other minerals and vitamins.

We can visualize their distribution in the diagram below.

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Soybean oil

2

Peanut oil

1

Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+3428.6%
Contains more CholineCholine	+100%

Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E

+93.7%

~equal in Vitamin C ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin A ~0IU

~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg

~equal in Vitamin B1 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B2 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B3 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B5 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B6 ~0mg

~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

~equal in Folate ~0µg

Vitamin E Benefits

Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and lowers the risk of various diseases, including cancer. It also has immune-boosting properties (3).

Vitamin K Benefits

Soybean oil's vitamin K has various functions in the body. It provides anticarcinogenic and bone-forming characteristics. The anti-calcification properties of vitamin K2 may reduce the risk of atherosclerotic calcifications (4).

Vitamin K is also essential in coagulation or blood clotting. Its deficiency may increase the risk of bleeding. On the other hand, those on anticoagulants, such as Warfarin, are advised to consume consistent amounts of vitamin K (5).

Metabolic health

Replacing saturated fatty acids with unsaturated fatty acids lowers the risk of hypertension, atherosclerosis, diabetes, liver disease, and obesity.

According to research, switching from saturated to polyunsaturated fats lowers the risk of diabetes, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and obesity more than switching from saturated to monounsaturated fats. As a result, soybean oil has an extra benefit over peanut oil (6, 7).