Joey Rea - May 16, 2018

Baking With Olive Oil

Baking with olive oilBaking with olive oil may not have ever even crossed your mind, but it truly does make a world of difference in your baked goods. I love to bake with extra virgin olive oil, not only because of the added health benefits, but because of the rich, buttery flavor it adds to each tasty treat that comes out of my kitchen.

Baking With Olive Oil

Substitute Olive Oil For butter or margarine

Butter and/ or margarine can have their place in baking - but if I'm not making a biscuit or pie crust, I am using olive oil all the way. For starters, extra virgin olive oil is by far a healthier choice than butter or margarine. It is packed with antioxidants, omega 9s (aka brain food), and it comes from plants, making it a good vegan option. We have whipped up this handy conversion chart to make baking with olive oil as easy as 1.2.3.

Baking with olive oil


Olive Oil instead of canola or other vegetable oils

This comparison is a no brainer for me. When it comes to the food I put in my body, I choose the best of the best because why wouldn't I?! Obviously, the best of the best leads me straight to olive oil - I try to avoid processed and refined oils such as canola oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil. I can always rely on extra virgin olive oil for my baking needs and feel good about what I am eating because EVOO is full of very powerful antioxidants, it is a great source of vitamins A, D, E & K, it can even provide anti-inflammatory actions and support cardiovascular health.

 

What Olive Oil do i bake with?

This is where the fun begins... when baking a basic treat (cookies, muffins, loafs, etc.) I'll typically go for an olive oil that was harvested from very ripe olives. This is sure to give the oil a buttery, delicate and mellow flavor with some floral overtones. This way, the flavor of the olive oil isn't overpowering, but it still gives a nice balanced taste to the baked good along with providing moisture and richness. I recommend our Delicate Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

There are exceptions to my go-to Delicate oil though... Baking with flavored olive oils takes my baking game up a level. If I am baking a cake or some tasty breakfast (like waffles or pancakes), I will usually go for a Vanilla Bean Olive Oil, because of the smooth flavor it provides. And then we have the Dark Chocolate Olive Oil... this one takes the cake, literally. It is DELICIOUS when used in a chocolate cake, brownies, cookies, honestly anything that could use a chocolate touch - it is my absolute favorite!
I also like to play around with the Lemon, Lime, and Orange olive oils when baking because they add an incredibly flavorful and refreshing twist into any baked good - you can get super creative with these ones and make some absolute masterpieces.

 

Our favorite recipes to bake with olive oil  


I hope this blog sparks your baking interests - Please share your kitchen creations with us in the comments below! 

 What is EVOO? FREE Ebook

Written by Joey Rea