How to Use Olive Oil in Place of Butter in Baking

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.

Why Bake With Olive Oil

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.

What Type of Olive Oil Is Best for Baking?

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.