Cast iron really isn’t that complicated, and your oil blend doesn’t have to be either. This DIY cast iron seasoning oil works very well for first time and repeated seasonings on your favorite skillets.
Not all skillets are created equally, and cast iron is one of those exceedingly wonderful cooking tools that you really ought to embrace.
Do we all remember the days of teflon non-stick pans with a cringe? Or is that just me?
Cast iron offers the non-stick without the leeching. While it isn’t always perfectly non-stick, correct and consistent seasoning will ensure a non-stick skillet that also stays hot longer for great frying, searing, and sautéing.
It doesn’t stop there. I often bake in my cast iron skillet, and I’ve also been known to bake a cake, cobbler, cornbread, pancakes, shepherd’s pie, and breakfast biscuits in my favorite skillet. If it’s possible, I’ll try to make whatever I can in it.
It is a pretty darn versatile tool in your kitchen.
People often wonder how our family doesn’t have a dishwasher (we even remodeled our kitchen and didn’t put one in). And this handy tool is one reason we don’t need one. It makes clean up a breeze. I wrote a whole post on how to care and cook with it here.
The key to successful cast iron cooking is in the seasoning. Without a good seasoning, your food will stick, which leads to a not-so-great cooking experience.
Tips For Making DIY Cast Iron Seasoning Oil
- Create a double boiler by filling a saucepan with a few inches of water and placing a glass or metal bowl on top.
- I wouldn’t recommend substituting the coconut oil for a different oil in this recipe. Coconut oil is firm at room temperature and swapping it out with a more liquid oil would change the texture of this seasoning blend.
- Cooking tip: Preheat your pan. Adding food to a cold skillet is a sure fire way to ask for sticking. It is also important to move the food as little as possible, whether that is flipping or stirring.
- Use this recipe as a way to keep your seasoned cast iron in tip top shape. If you need to re-season your skillet, you can follow the directions below.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
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How To Season Cast Iron
- Scrub your pan with warm, soapy water. Dry thoroughly. If it is old or rusty, make sure to scrub it well with something abrasive, like a stainless steel scrubber.
- Apply cooking oil (use an oil with a higher smoke point like avocado, coconut, flaxseed, etc.), all over the skillet, inside and out, including the handle and sides. Buff with a towel to leave a very fine layer of oil, but prevent extra oil from pooling when heated.
- In your oven, preheated to 450, bake the skillet for 60 minutes.
- After the 60 minutes are up, remove your *very hot* skillet (carefully with proper protection).
- Repeat process if necessary, until the skillet is black and shiny. Sometimes it can take 3 or 4 times for best results.
Now that your skillet is seasoned, it’s essentially maintenance free! Every use that involves some type of fat will add to your layers of seasoning. In addition, I like to add a light layer of this cast iron seasoning oil blend after each use of my skillet, once it’s clean and dry.
How To Clean A Cast Iron
The are essentially two rules of cleaning cast iron. 1) Don’t use soap. 2) Make sure it is completely dry.
Once it is highly seasoned, you can just wipe it clean and put it away until the next use. If something is super stuck on, remove it with a little water and a stainless steel scrubber.
Season with DIY cast iron seasoning oil before putting it away.
How To Make DIY Cast Iron Seasoning Oil
Combine all three ingredients in a double boiler until melted. Pour in a jar or tin.
Allow to cool completely. It will thicken up as it cools.
After washing and thoroughly drying your cast iron, rub this on with a tea towel, to condition the cast iron. It is something nice to just keep by your stove to continue seasoning well-used cast iron.
If you’re a seasoned professional (see what I did there?) or completely new to the world of cast iron, I hope this information was helpful. Perhaps it was simply a refresher, but cast iron care really is simple and rewarding.
FAQ
Which oil is best for seasoning cast iron?
Oil with a higher smoke point is best for your cast iron. Stick to oils such as coconut, avocado, flaxseed, etc.
Avoid using low smoke point varieties such as extra virgin olive oil or butter.
You should never use a non-stick spray to season your skillet, as they normally contain numerous additives that can be harmful to your cast iron.
Can you use olive oil instead of vegetable oil to season cast iron?
Olive oil has a lower smoke point and isn’t recommended for seasoning cast iron. If you are trying to avoid using vegetable oil, then avocado, coconut, or flaxseed would work.
Is it okay to use coconut oil on cast iron?
Yes. Coconut oil is a great tool for developing a healthy, seasoned surface on your cast iron skillets.
How many times should I season my new cast iron?
I recommend 1-4 rounds of the oil-buff-bake method, followed by a quick oil and buff after each use.
Find my favorite cast iron recipes:
- Vegetable Hash Recipe in a Cast Iron Skillet
- Cast Iron Einkorn Cornbread with Popcorn and Honey
- How to Make Crispy Potatoes in a Cast Iron Skillet
- Sourdough Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler
- How to Make Sourdough English Muffins
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone
DIY Cast Iron Seasoning Oil
Make this easy DIY cast iron seasoning oil blend to help protect your skillet and keep it non-stick.
Materials
- 1 tablespoon beeswax melted
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
Tools
- Double boiler
- Measuring spoons
Instructions
Combine coconut oil, flaxseed, and beeswax in a double boiler over medium heat until melted.
Pour in a jar or tin and allow to cool.
After washing and thoroughly drying your cast iron, rub a little bit of this on using a tea towel to condition it.
Notes
Keep this close to the stove for easy reach, to season your skillet after each use.
Linda says
Where do you buy beeswax?
Kim Domingue says
A craft store such as Hobby Lobby or Michael’s should carry it. I’ve also found it at health food stores.
Sharon says
What a great idea! Thank you for sharing. Do you have a link for the metal containers you keep the seasoning oil in?
Ashley says
In #1 you said clean with warm
Soapy water , then a few steps down , tell us not to use soap ???
Lisa says
That was only for seasoning a rusty or dirty pan. The first step is to essentially “strip” down the non-seasoned pan an then add the seasoning to it. Once it’s seasoned, you go into maintenance mode. No more soap after that!
MARLENE says
I had the same question. Thanks
Kim Domingue says
Sunflower oil has a high smoke point….what are your thoughts on using that? (It’s what I currently have in the cabinet, lol!)
Sally L. says
It would be helpful to have suggestions on where to buy beeswax.
barbara says
Amazon sells beeswax
Deanna says
Where do you get the oils from?
Kathaleen says
Hi, I was wondering if I can use a different oil besides flaxseed oil in the seasoning recipe? Thanks Kathaleen
Katelin says
Flaxseed oil, also called linseed oil, has the highest rate of polymerization of any widely available food-grade fat, which means that it bonds to the cast iron more completely than any other. You can season cast-iron with any kind of high smoke point (I frequently use straight soy or vegetable oil if it’s what I have on hand), but nothing will give you as good a non-stick surface as flaxseed/linseed oil.
Lori C. says
Thanks. I was going to skip it and just use coconut, but will make a point to buy it. I’ve never gotten the hang of using cast iron and recently bought an expensive, pre-seasoned skillet, which I think I wrecked by putting food in before it was hot enough.
Rose says
I was hoping to find this on Amazon, but not found there. The ones that are range in price to very expensive to cheaper but few have decent reviews.
Any suggestions?
Jo says
I didn’t see a link to the tins you used to store the seasoning oil in. Can you please send the link for the ones that you use?
Thank you!!
Cristy Altona says
Do you have a link to buy the tins you used for this?
Aleta says
I’ve been looking at my local thrift stores for small tins to use but apparently so has everyone else because I can’t find any, use to find tons of them.
Mary Kaiser says
I want to make some of this for my cast iron pans. Where did you get the tins? How big of a batch did you make to fill the tin? I am going to get the supplies so I can make this for my cast iron pans.
Diane says
Can I substitute another oil for flax oil? As I never have flax oil on hand.
Nathania says
Thanks for the recipe. I love using cast iron but never realized I was using the wrong oil! Where is a good place to buy the beeswax?
Pamela Loftis says
Hubby is allergic to coconut…what can I substitute for coconut oil?
Kristine says
I have never used beeswax. Can you make/sell me some of your cast iron mixture?
Kristine says
I am very interested in trying this. Where do you get your ingredients? What brands do you use?
Pati says
Hi Lisa, I searched your whole blog trying to find this oil since I saw your how to care for cast iron video. Could you please make a video on what sizes and brand of your cast iron skillets? Thank you!
Rosemary says
Hi there! Love this post. I am definitely planning on purchasing a cast iron skillet, pans and a dutch oven. Can wait to try this oil seasoning. The one thing is that the recipe requires beeswax. Since I’m a vegan, I don’t use this product. Can you recommend a substitute for the beeswax? It would truly be appreciate.
Stacey says
Try soy wax, it’s a common switch out in skincare/candles/wax wraps.
Kim says
You can up the coconut oil a little in place of the beeswax.
Brenda R. McDonald says
I really enjoy reading your newsletter. It has so much good info that I use. I’m a country gal (I like to call myself a refined country gal), born and raised near Nashville, Tenn, so I love 💘 country living.
Nikki Rudolph says
Hello! There is no affliate links on the oils/wax. <3 I was thinking about making something similar but with grapeseed oil instead of flax. I figured I may as well let you get a commission off any beeswax purchase though. I'd love to support ya'll.
Morgan | Little Home on the Iowa Prairie says
I love cooking with cast iron, but I’ve never done much to maintain it besides trying to clean it right after I finish cooking. I told my husband (who also loves looking with cast iron) about this cast iron seasoning oil recipe and we want to try it once I get the ingredients together!
Sherry says
I am confused, in how to clean a cast iron, you say don’t use soap. But, then in the section on applying cooking oil and heating it in the oven you say to wash with warm soapy water. So is it ok to use soap?
Lisa says
That is only for cleaning up a pan that needs to be seasoned. Once it is seasoned, don’t use soap.
Stephanie says
If I follow these steps will the seasoning be sticky? Every other time I’ve tried to season a pan the oil goes sticky and gets covered in dog hair – 3 German shedders 🤦🏼♀️
Donna says
If you leave too much oil on it, it gets sticky, so make sure to buff it in to remove excess before seasoning. After cooking I wash my seasoned pan out if needed, set it on a hot burner to dry well, and pour a few drops of oil in it, then rub it around w/ a cloth or paper towel so that it’s a very light coat. Then I turn the burner off and leave the skillet on it as they both cool. If my oven’s hot I set it in the oven instead.
Martha Gallagher says
Hi Lisa, is there a food grade beeswax or do you use cosmetic grade? I’m not finding anything but cosmetic grade.
Abigail Moore says
Can I use something in place of flax seed oil?
Kim says
I don’t have flashed oil. Can I substitute with avacado oil?
Daria says
Hi, Lisa. When I follow the process described my cast iron pot and the whole the kitchen get an awful smell. I use coconut oil which I usually bake with and it normally has a pleasant smell. What am I doing wrong? Best wishes, Daria
Teagan Morrow says
I’m new to using cast iron, and after seasoning I’m left with this black coat that wipes off easily with a towel. Is this normal and does it happen every time you season? Your post are so helpful, but for some reason I don’t hear people talking about this. Thank you have a blessed day.
Jessie Fuetter says
Made this and it worked wonderfully! My skillets are shiny and black. Love it! Will be making a big batch for the future!
Shawna says
Does this expire ever?
Stacey A. Downs Smith says
Than you for tShis!
Stacey says
Tjis. My kindle likes to mess up.my words in autocorrect.
Joy says
Hello ! Could you please show me what Flaxseed oil that you use ? Thank you 😎