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Baking with Olive Oil – Safe and Delicious

ByElena Paravantes, MS, RD

chocolate cake with EVOO

Lately I’ve been coming across all these articles about desserts made with olive oil or using olive oil in baking as if it is this new trend. Well in a way it is a trend, outside the Mediterranean that is. Many bakers are just discovering the beauty and merits of baking with olive oil. But here in Greece it is a common ingredient for baking.

This is probably due to two factors: First, olive oil was abundant and much cheaper then butter, which was considered a luxury item. Secondly, Greeks had all those fasting days where they were not allowed to consume animal products, so they had plenty of dessert recipes made with olive oil. And many recipes that require butter also have an olive oil version.

So traditionally Greeks have sweets that are made with olive oil such as melomakarona (cookies made with honey, walnuts and olive oil), halva (not to be confused with the tahini based sweet, it is a cake made with semolina and olive oil), koulourakia lathiou (cookies made with olive oil), baklava made with olive oil and other desserts depending on the region. I remember my mom making all sorts of cakes with apple or pear that were made with olive oil. We thought nothing of it, for us olive oil was not weird in cakes and desserts.

Why Bake with Olive Oil

Now obviously by using olive oil you are eliminating a lot of the saturated fat that comes with butter, but you are also getting the good monounsaturated fats and some antioxidants. I’ve been trying olive oil in all sorts of recipes and I find that olive oil can be substituted in many desserts. They work best with desserts that have a citrus ingredient in them so for example cookies with orange rind or the lemon cupcakes I made here. Olive oil also goes well with cakes that have fruit or vegetables in them such as apple, raisins, pears, banana and carrots, check out here and here these recipes for ideas. I also find that olive oil works fine in chocolate cakes and brownies. I recently was making a birthday chocolate cake and absentmindedly put olive oil in the cake and the difference in taste was not that obvious.

In certain cakes especially those with nuts and fruit, olive oil complement them well providing an aroma and another flavor dimension. Olive oil also makes cakes and muffins more moist.

Tips When Using Olive Oil for Baking
  • If the recipe requires a vegetable oil you can substitute with olive oil in equal amounts.
  • If the recipe requires butter, you can substitute with olive oil by using ¾ of the amount. So for example if the recipe requires 1 cup butter use ¾ cup olive oil. Start by replacing part of the fat with olive oil and see how it works.
  • Look for mild tasting olive oils for baking. For example early harvest olive oils tend to have a more peppery taste as also certain olive varieties, you may want to avoid those when baking.
  • Don’t use old olive oil, you will notice the taste in your dessert. Actually never use old olive oil for anything.

Elena Paravantes, MS, RDN is a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist by the U.S. Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). She is an expert on the Mediterranean Diet. She has been active as a clinician, consultant, author and lecturer for 20 years, both in the U.S. and Greece. An expert on the Greek Mediterranean Diet, her interviews and articles have been published in many publications including CNN, U.S. News and World Report, Prevention, NPR, and Shape. Elena has collaborated with a number of organizations including Loyola University, Yale University, University of Missouri, Louisiana State University, and the American College of Greece. Elena earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics and her Bachelor of Liberal Arts and Sciences in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She holds has a Master’s Degree of Science in Health Management.

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5 Comments

  1. I love the traditional Greek sweets of Lent which are made with olive oil–sometimes more than those baked with butter. Olive oil absolutely is the best ingredient in the world–truly, as the ancients said: “liquid gold”!! 🙂

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  3. Yes…olive oil cake with orange – or even better, blood orange – zest is a truly inspired combination. I love butter, but it tends to round out the edges and mute contrasting flavors. Oil doesn’t do that as much. And oil tends to make a moister final product than butter, too…

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  4. Chocolate cake with olive oil looks yummy, delicious and very healthy. I guess it is a part of Mediterranean diet to use olive oil whether in frying or baking. It is good that it is becoming a trend outside the Mediterranean so that increase in healthy diet will continue. Thanks for sharing the healthy benefits of olive oil and how to properly use olive oil as a substitue ingredient to a recipe.

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  5. This is a great post and very informational! I love baking with olive oil and hope others will too.More people in the states need to use olive oil, but it’s still an new concept.

    Reply