Updated: Jan. 04, 2024
Looking to switch to olive oil? Here's how to know if you can use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in your recipes.
Recipes can get very specific sometimes, calling for a variety of flour, sugar or oil you don’t have in the pantry. If you’re not careful, you might end up with a cabinet full of ingredients you only use once! Luckily, we have plenty of substitution hacks, like how to make a buttermilk substitute or what to do when you’re out of vanilla extract.
When it comes oil, though, you need to think carefully. Can you use olive oil instead of vegetable oil? The answer is sometimes, but not always.
Is Olive Oil the Same as Vegetable Oil?
Olive oil and vegetable oil are quite distinct when it comes to the finer details. Olive oil is made from pressing olives, giving the oil a rich flavor and aroma compared to vegetable oil. Its color ranges from golden to light green depending on the ripeness and variety of olive. The finished product has a fruity aroma with green, grassy flavors and a peppery bite on the back of the throat. Extra virgin olive oil (we highly recommend Graza olive oil) is the least processed of all olive oils, so its flavor is more pronounced. This more-expensive oil is best reserved for uncooked dishes, like salad dressings or as a finishing drizzle over cooked meat or vegetables. (Since it is more expensive, make sure you know how to store olive oil—and how to know when olive oil goes bad.)
Vegetable oil, on the other hand, is made by extracting oil from plant seeds, nuts, grains and fruits. It can be sold as a single plant source (like canola, sunflower, peanut, corn or safflower oil) or it can be blended into a generic oil labeled vegetable oil. The extraction process uses heat to extract the oil, which is later refined to remove any color, taste and aroma. That makes it golden in color and neutral in flavor.
Let’s also go over the basics of olive oil vs. extra virgin olive oil, and learn when it’s best to choose one over the other.
Can I Use Olive Oil Instead of Vegetable Oil?
Salad Dressings: Yes
Olive oil is ideal for most salad dressings, especially if you’re using flavor-forward extra virgin olive oil. It’s the best base for an easy vinaigrette because it’s naturally flavorful. If your recipe calls for vegetable oil, you should be able to swap in equal parts of olive oil without any problem.
Marinades: Yes
Oil is one of three essential ingredients in a great marinade, adding moisture to lean meats and helping the other marinade ingredients stick to the food’s surface. If your marinade calls for vegetable oil, feel free to use olive oil instead. Olive oil will impart an extra flavor to the dish, but not in a bad way!
Sauteing & Stir-Fries: Yes
We love using olive oil for sauteing and stir-fries because it’s one of the healthier oils to use for cooking. Pan frying rarely heats the oil above 350°F, which is well within olive oil’s smoke point (more on that later). And because these cooking methods rarely use more than a few tablespoons of oil, olive oil’s bold flavor isn’t really a factor.
You can use any olive oil for cooking, but we recommend avoiding extra virgin olive oil. This unrefined oil is more expensive than regular olive oil, so cooking with it is a waste of its enhanced flavor.
Baking: Maybe
In general, we don’t recommend using olive oil in baking recipes that call for vegetable oil. Olive oil is perfect for strongly flavored desserts like olive oil cake, but vegetable oil’s neutral flavor makes it ideal for providing baked goods with the fat they need without affecting the recipe’s flavor.
That said, if you’re in a pinch, olive oil will work in baked goods. We recommend using a mild-flavored olive oil (like light olive oil) or mixing a 50/50 combination of olive oil and a neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil if you’re running short on the latter.
Deep-Frying: No
When deep-frying, we prefer to use a neutral-flavored oil (like vegetable oil or canola oil). Olive oil has too strong a flavor to be ideal for deep-fried food. Not only that, but vegetable oil generally has a higher smoke point than olive oil. Refined or light olive oils can be heated up to 465ºF before smoking, but extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point of 325ºF. Vegetable oil, on the other hand, has a smoke point of 450ºF, so it won’t burn when heated to deep-frying temperatures.
Finally, olive oil is significantly more expensive than vegetable oil. Deep-frying requires heating up several cups of oil, so we prefer to use inexpensive, neutral oils for this cooking method.
FAQs
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.
What happens if you use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in baking? ›
Baking with Olive Oil
If substituting olive oil for vegetable oil (or another cooking oil) in your baking recipe, you can use a 1:1 ratio. Because of olive oil's distinct flavor, it might affect the flavor of the baked product.
Can you use olive oil instead of vegetable oil for brownies? ›
Yes, you can use olive oil in brownies!
Olive oil has been gaining popularity in recent years as a substitute for butter and other vegetable oils in baked goods. Not only is it delicious but a healthy alternative cooking fat that can be used in most traditional baking recipes.
Can you use olive oil for baking a cake? ›
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.
What is a substitute for vegetable oil in baking? ›
Best Vegetable Oil Substitute for Baked Goods
You can swap the vegetable oil for an equal measure of safflower or canola oil with zero difference in flavor. But baked items don't require fats with a high smoke point, so feel free to try a more flavorful oil like olive or coconut.
Can you use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in box cake mix? ›
Any dessert recipe that calls for vegetable oil as an ingredient is a perfect chance to swap it for olive oil. In these recipes, the swap would be a one-to-one ratio. In other words, if the recipe calls for one cup of vegetable oil, you would simply use one cup of extra virgin olive oil.
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in Betty Crocker cake mix? ›
Because the amount of oil in a cake mix is small in proportion to all of the combined ingredients, there is very little flavor difference in cakes made with different types of vegetable oils. Go ahead and use oil labeled vegetable, corn, canola, all types of olive, peanut and sunflower oil or oil blends.
What if I don't have vegetable oil for brownies? ›
Applesauce. Applesauce is probably the most common vegetable oil substitute for brownies. It makes for a lower-calorie, fudgy brownie, that's just a little bit sweeter than the standard recipe. Kids especially love this substitute.
What can I substitute for vegetable oil in cake mix? ›
Applesauce can work for some cakes. Melted butter may work. Margarine is made from vegetable oil so melted margarine or shortening ( also made from plant oils) should work fine. Pureed or finely grated veggies may work - usually bland ones like zucchini or courgette or mild squashes, etc.
Is it better to bake with olive oil or vegetable oil? ›
Medium-heat cooking: For roasting, both olive oil and vegetable oil will work, though the former will add more flavor. "For baking, most recipes use vegetable oil, so it doesn't [add] flavor," says Chavez. However, some baked goods, such as olive oil cakes, use olive oil specifically for the flavor.
All cooking oils have what is called a "smoke point," the temperature at which the oil starts to break down and smoke. And where there's smoke, there will soon be fire. This is why extra virgin olive oil, which has a low smoke point of 350°F to 410°F, shouldn't be used for high heat cooking, especially frying.
Why is my olive oil cake so dense? ›
Several things could contribute to a dense olive oil cake, including overmixing the batter, using too much flour, or not incorporating enough air into the batter during mixing.
What is the best oil for baking a cake? ›
Oils like soybean oil (often labeled as vegetable oil) and canola oil do an amazing job of keeping baked goods moist without imparting a lot of flavors. Unlike butter, these oils tend to make baked goods lighter in texture and moister, as well. (Butter has a beautiful flavor, though.)
Can you make a cake without vegetable oil? ›
You don't always have to use oil when making a cake. There are different things that most likely will work just fine. Mayonnaise makes a nice replacement for oil; after all, it is oil and eggs combined. Applesauce is another ingredient that will make your cake moist and fat-free.
Can I use extra virgin olive oil for baking? ›
Yes, you can bake with olive oil, it lends a richness and moisture to cakes and bread that's hard to beat. If we're being honest we're not huge bakers. However, we do love the occasional brownie, chocolate loaf bread, or a good cookie. All of which we make with EVOO with great success.
Which oil is best for baking muffins? ›
Best Oils for Baking
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.
Why shouldn't you cook with extra virgin olive oil? ›
All cooking oils have what is called a "smoke point," the temperature at which the oil starts to break down and smoke. And where there's smoke, there will soon be fire. This is why extra virgin olive oil, which has a low smoke point of 350°F to 410°F, shouldn't be used for high heat cooking, especially frying.
Is baking with olive oil healthy? ›
The Bottom Line. Quality extra virgin olive oil is an especially healthy fat that retains its beneficial qualities during cooking. The main downside is that overheating can adversely impact its flavor. However, olive oil is quite resistant to heat and doesn't oxidize or go rancid during cooking.
What is the best oil for baking cakes? ›
Canola oil is, without doubt, one of the best types of oil for baking. It's preferred in many recipes since it has the most neutral flavor compared to other types of oil. It also tends to be lighter in flavour, so it will not negatively affect the baked product's flavor and texture.
