If you've ever baked an olive oil cake and liked the results, you might want to explore other ways of adding olive oil to your baked goods. But baking substitutions can be tricky, so it's best to know the ins and outs of ingredients before making adjustments—such as if you should use the same amount of olive oil as butter when making a swap. Here, we explain when you can use butter instead of olive oil in baking and when it's not a good idea, plus our tips to do it succesfully.
Maybe you want to use olive oil in place of butter in a favorite recipe for health reasons, or maybe you're in a pinch, and olive oil is all you have on hand. While butter is well-suited for baking, there is no question that olive oil contains healthier fats and polyphenols that butter does not. Olive oil is also a choice that adds a unique depth of flavor to baked goods. Whatever the reason you want to bake with olive oil, know that it can be swapped for butter in many baking recipes, but not all.
When to Swap
If a recipe calls for melted butter, it's pretty safe to use olive oil instead. Recipes that use melted butter typically produce baked goods that are more moist and a bit dense, such as firmer cakes, muffins, quick breads, brownies, and granola. Adapt your favorite recipe or try some of these as starters: Chocolate-Peanut Butter Sheet Cake, Apple Oatmeal Muffins, Cheddar Bread, and Apple-Cider Doughnut Cake.
How to Swap
For successful baked goods, add slightly less olive oil than butter. When adjusting recipes:
Use three parts olive oil to four parts butter. In other words, if a recipe calls for four tablespoons of butter, use three tablespoons of olive oil.
When to Avoid
On the other hand, olive oil does not make for a great substitution in recipes that call for room-temperature butter. These recipes almost always have a step called creaming, where room-temperature butter and sugar are beaten until light and fluffy. The creaming technique creates light, airy cakes, which can't be achieved with olive oil. When a recipe involves creaming, avoiding olive oil and sticking with butter is best.
Olive oil's flavor shines through in baked goods, which will impact the overall flavor. Our test kitchen's choice is always high-quality extra-virgin olive oil for baking (and cooking). Extra-virgin oil retains the most health benefits and purity. Within this category, each brand and type of olive produces a unique flavor profile; this is where the choice comes into play for baking. Start by tasting the oil before baking with it. If you don't like the taste of the oil on its own, don't cook with it or bake with it.
Once you know which oils you like, select the final one you'll use in a specific recipe based on how its flavor complements the baked good. Mild and buttery olive oils with low bitterness and fruity notes are overall best suited for baking. More robust, peppery, or pungent oils are amazing for drizzling on finished savory dishes, but they're less likely to be a suitable swap for butter in baking. If you want to explore baking with a more robust oil, start with chocolate desserts, as chocolate can stand up to the more assertive flavor.
Usually, olive oil is best used as a substitute for butter in baking recipes that call specifically for liquid butter. In these cases, olive oil should be substituted for butter in a 3:4 ratio by volume. So if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, then you would use ¾ cup of olive oil.
How do I substitute olive oil for butter in cakes and other baked good? As a general rule of thumb, substitute three-quarters of the butter in a recipe with olive oil. In other words: If a baking recipe calls for a stick of butter (8 tablespoons), for example, use 6 tablespoons of olive oil.
What about substituting oil for butter? Depending on the type of oil, it can add complex flavor and welcome moisture to your baked goods. A good rule of thumb is to replace about 3/4 of the butter in a recipe with olive, canola, or vegetable oil. (If the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ¾ cup oil.)
For one thing, butter is made up of 63% saturated fat, whereas olive oil only has 14%. Olive oil also contains heart-healthy monounsaturated good fats and antioxidants. Butter's high saturated fat content, on the other hand, is shown in studies to lead to heart disease and other health issues.
Cookies and cakes baked with olive oil have a light and unique flavor. The fruity aroma of olive oil can also bring out other flavors commonly used in baked goods, like chocolate, nuts, spices, and fruit. However, you want to be careful not to let olive oil's flavor overpower everything else.
It yielded the best results in terms of appearance, texture, and flavor. Why does butter make the best cookies? It contains about 18% water, which results in the perfect amount of spread: cookies that aren't too tall or too flat.
Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness. It also coats the flour uniformly, which keeps the layers from being tough even if the batter is overbeaten.
Choosing vegetable oil is the best option for baking moist, delicious baked goods. Canola oil, the most common vegetable oil used in baking, doesn't add a strong flavor. It allows your cake's flavor will shine through while still achieving a moist texture.
It is possible to replace oil with butter in a muffin recipe as generally most muffin recipes are quite forgiving and you may find that butter gives a better flavour.
Any olive oil is fine, but we find the best olive oil for baking is made with Aberquina olives ($19, Target). This type of olive oil will come labeled as "mild" olive oil, which allows for a light, mild flavor rather than the more aromatic extra virgin olive oil on the shelves.
The main thing that happens when olive oil is heated is that some of the flavor compounds will evaporate. This means that some of the rich, pungent flavor is lost in the cooking process, however, in most cases, the oil remains stable and retains most of its beneficial nutrients.
Usually, olive oil is best used as a substitute for butter in baking recipes that call specifically for liquid butter. In these cases, olive oil should be substituted for butter in a 3:4 ratio by volume. So if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, then you would use ¾ cup of olive oil.
Using olive oil instead of butter in mac and cheese is a simple and healthy way to enjoy this classic dish. By choosing the right type of olive oil, making a roux, and adding flavor and toppings, you can create a creamy and delicious mac and cheese that's lower in saturated fat and calories.
Olive oil is an extremely versatile type of cooking oil and can be used for anything from baking to frying to sautéing. When recipes call for the use of either butter or any other type of refined oil, such as vegetable oil, we highly recommend substituting this for olive oil instead.
Yes, it's true!Extra virgin olive oil is a great substitute for butter or other fats when baking cakes. It gives cakes a wonderfully moist texture and a light, subtle flavor that pairs perfectly with other ingredients like fresh fruit and nuts. Plus, it's healthy and packed with antioxidants and healthy fats.
The spongy texture and moist flavor that oil creates can be a boon to certain recipes. Not to mention oil is cheaper and easier to work with. Butter will always provide superior flavor and that melt-in-your-mouth texture. In many recipes, combining the two gives the best of both worlds.
Introduction: My name is Velia Krajcik, I am a handsome, clean, lucky, gleaming, magnificent, proud, glorious person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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