The two concerns with cooking essential oils seem to be:

  1. Alteration of chemical structure
  2. Evaporation

Both of these concerns are valid, but that shouldn’t stop you from enjoying culinary use of essential oils. Minimize exposure to high heat by adding essential oils last, and minimize evaporation by proper dilution and dispersion throughout the recipe. While one would think boiling would eliminate the beneficial properties, but at least one study found that some essential oil properties were better retained during boiling than baking. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26593564).


Remember that cooking with essential oils is largely to enjoy the flavors and fragrance, with a dash of health benefits on the side.