Hemp Therapies Wiki / Hemp Oil & Hemp Seed Oil

Culinary Uses of Hemp Oil

Hemp seed oil is used as a food oil, typically added to dishes rather than used as a primary cooking medium, largely because of its physical properties at high heat.

Common Culinary Applications

Suggested cold or raw applications include salad dressings, pasta, vegetables, smoothies, soups, sauces, hummus, guacamole, and pesto, added after cooking is complete. The oil’s nutty flavor is generally described as better suited to raw or finishing applications than to heated cooking. Beyond the oil itself, hemp-derived edible products on the market include protein powders, specialty oils, energy bars and drinks, hemp milk, hemp butter, bread, cakes, granola bars, and roasted or salted hemp seeds.

Why It’s Not Used for High-Heat Cooking

Hemp oil has a relatively low smoke point, reported at approximately 166°C, or 330°F, which makes it generally unsuitable for frying or other high-heat cooking methods. Suppliers recommend using hemp seed oil cold, added to food after cooking rather than heated during preparation. This lower smoke point, relative to commodity cooking oils, is attributed to the oil’s high polyunsaturated-fat content.

Summary

Hemp seed oil’s culinary role is as a finishing oil rather than a cooking oil — its nutty flavor and nutritional profile suit raw applications, while its low smoke point rules out frying or other high-heat use.