Can You Use Olive Oil in Desserts?
2022-10-15
Olive oil can also be used in creating delicious desserts!
A quality olive oil can lift all number of dishes and your sweet treats at the end of a delicious feast with family and friends are no different.
Using Olive Oil in Baking and Desserts
Olive oil’s strong, grassy, peppery flavour may make you think the taste would overpower the rest of your ingredients. However, a “mild” or “light” olive oil will make the perfect substitute for vegetable oil or other cooking oils — and of course, with no additives, preservatives or cholesterol — using olive oil in your desserts is a far healthier alternative!
Can You Use Olive Oil Instead of Butter When Baking?
Absolutely! Whether you’re looking to reduce the cholesterol in your diet, have a plant-based diet, or simply prefer the taste of olive oil, you can certainly use olive oil as a butter substitute in your baking or in desserts.
Using a quality olive oil can introduce a complex, delicate flavour and moisture to cakes and other baking. The ratio for substituting butter for olive oil is to replace it with ¾ olive oil.
If your recipe requires butter, use ¾ of that amount with olive oil. E.g. 1 Cup of Butter = ¾ cup olive oil.
Olive Oil for Healthy Baking and Desserts
Swap those harmful saturated fats (found in butter and other cooking oils) with the heart healthy monounsaturated fats found in olive oil! Olive oil is also high in antioxidants which help to promote a healthy lifestyle and compared to other oils, La Espanola Olive Oil is also free from additives, chemicals and preservatives!
5 Dessert Recipes that Use Olive Oil
Keen to add the complexity of flavour that a quality olive oil can add to your desserts and baking? Check out these 5 recipes that use olive oil as its star ingredient!
1. Chocolate Mousse with Salt
Any dessert with chocolate is well appreciated. If you add a few flakes of salt to enhance the flavour of the chocolate and an excellent olive oil in its preparation, the result is truly spectacular and decadent! This recipe uses our La Española Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
Check out our indulgent Salted Chocolate Mousse recipe.
2. Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate Chips
Do you have several ripe bananas lingering in the fruit bowl? This practical recipe is a delicious mixture of banana and dark chocolate that creates a classic family favourite! This recipe uses our La Española Mild & Light Olive Oil.
Check out our Banana Bread with Dark Chocolate chip recipe.
3. Blood Orange and Olive Oil Sorbet
Olive oil in a sorbet? Yes, yes, yes! The olive oil adds to the smooth taste of the sorbet ensuring this blood orange and olive oil recipe will become one of your favourites! This recipe uses our La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil Medium Flavour
Check out our Blood Orange and Olive Oil Sorbet recipe.
4. Olive Oil, Almond and Orange Cake
Did just reading the title of this recipe make your mouth water? Rich and citrusy with sweet, sticky caramelised oranges, this cake is a real crowd-pleaser. Using La Española Light in Colour Olive Oil as an alternative to butter keeps the cake deliciously moist yet light and fluffy — you’ll definitely struggle to stop at one slice!
Check out our Olive Oil, Almond and Orange Cake recipe!
5. Olive Oil and Orange Ice Cream
Just like olive oil in a sorbet, olive oil ice cream may sound unusual, but the fruity flavour of La Española Extra Virgin Olive Oil Mild Flavour lends itself well to delicious desserts! It’s also the secret to the silky smooth texture of this zesty orange ice cream and has its origins in the famous olive oil producing area of Andalucia in Spain.
Check out our Olive Oil and Orange Ice Cream recipe!
You CAN use Olive Oil in Your Desserts and Baking
Swap the unhealthy fats of other oils in your desserts with the healthier alternative in a good quality olive from La Espanola is a great way to reduce unhealthy saturated fats and cholesterol and introducing healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants!
Swapping butter for olive oil can be a little more tricky in certain cake recipes as butter adds structure to create a light, fluffy texture. If you were to exclusively use olive oil, it may make your cake more dense than perhaps may be desired. If you’re unsure, use a 50/50 ratio of butter/olive oil to cut back on the amount of butter used and experiment!
Happy baking with your favourite kitchen hero — olive oil!
