In this blog post we will be chatting about all things baking with olive oil. This article will be handy if you are wondering whether you can substitute the butter in a recipe, or even substitute another oil with olive oil.

We recommend baking with olive oil as often as you can, because it imparts a delicious flavor to your baked goods (especially when the oil is flavored), and is arguably healthier than using butter in all your baked goods. Olive oil is also high in monounsaturated fat, a fat that is recommended for a healthy diet, and contains polyphenols, micronutrients that are packed with antioxidants. Other sources of monounsaturated fats are nuts, seeds, avocado, and fatty fish like salmon. Butter, on the other hand, is high in saturated fat, which is less nutrient dense and if consumed in excess can clog arteries. 

Now, you may be wondering: Can the polyphenols in olive oil survive a hot oven? The answer is yes, they can! According to a study from the Institute of Food Science Technology, baking with olive oil retains more phenolic antioxidants than frying or boiling does. So, it is definitely worth trying to bake with EVOO. 

Another hot topic is about the flavor of olive oil itself, and how it may affect your baked goods. Ideally, you enjoy the taste of olive oil, and want to impart a little bit of the wonderful flavor of olive oil into your baked good. Extra virgin olive oil adds a floral, slightly peppery flavor to baked goods, so while you may not want that flavor in your birthday cake, it would suit a rustic apple cake or a rich chocolate cake perfectly. It goes without saying that olive oil is perfect for savory baked goods like scones, rolls, flatbreads, or focaccia. In particular, olive oil pairs particularly well with cornmeal cake, pie crust, and citrusy muffins according to Oleologist Maia Hirschbein. One of our favorite ways to use olive oil is in granola, which makes a perfect snack or addition to ice cream, yogurt, or smoothies!

Now that you understand when to choose EVOO for baking, here's a quick conversion table to reference when looking to swap olive oil for butter in your baking recipes:

Now that you're armed with all this knowledge about using olive oil in your baking, here are a few recipes to get you started: 

1. Lemon Olive Oil Cake
2. Olive Oil Chocolate Chip Cookies
3. Rosemary Focaccia
4. Pumpkin Bread
5. Double Chocolate Olive Oil Cookies
6. Chocolate Olive Oil Cake 
7. Olive Oil Granola 

And that's it on baking with olive oil!