You’ll fall head over heels for these deliciously easy Olive Oil Brownies. Filled to the brim with chocolate, these dairy free brownies have a crispy, crinkly top and a super fudgy centre.
Best. Brownies. Ever.
You are going to LOVE these epic Olive Oil Brownies. Not only are they dairy free, but they’re delicious, with a seriously fudgy centre that’s packed with chocolate chips and a crispy, crackly top.
They’re chewy, gooey and all too sweet.
Sometime late last year I wrote on my recipe list, Olive Oil Brownies. And this week I decided to dive headfirst into the wonderful world of recipe testing brownies. So where do you start?
Well I knew I was looking for a brownie that had all the key elements of a regular brownie – a crispy top, chewy edges and perfectly fudgy centre. I also knew swapping out butter for olive oil would change things a bit but I wasn’t exactly sure how. So I started by making my tried and true One Bowl Cocoa Brownies, but subbed in olive oil for the butter.
The result (brownie 1) was ok but not quite right. While it had the signature crinkly top, it was all too fudgy (who knew that was a thing?). It tasted good but the texture was too wet and oily. So next, I reduced the sugar and eggs slightly and subbed in more cocoa to create a drier brownie.
The result (brownie 2) was delicious and super chocolatey but it had moved over into the cake category. I lost my crinkly top and the fudgy centre was much more like a thick, rich cake, than a brownie. I realised I had reduced the sugar too much, so for trial number 3, I added 1/4 cup of sugar back in (but still 1/4 cup less than brownie 1). I reduced the cocoa back to what it was for brownie 1 but kept the same amount of eggs.
Brownie 3 was very close to the Olive Oil Brownie I had dreamt about. It was fudgy, sweet, with a moist (but not too wet) texture. However, there was one problem. I had lost my signature crinkly brownie top. To me, that’s a key element of a brownie. It was then I realised I didn’t need to change the ingredients – they were on point – but rather the method.
Did you know that the crinkly top of a brownie is actually a thin layer of meringue made from the eggs? So instead of adding all the ingredients into one bowl and mixing them together. I whisked the eggs briefly separately before adding them to the batter. And that’s when we landed on brownie 4. The Winner.
They say that the best things in life are worth fighting for and sometimes when a recipe doesn’t work the first time, or the second time or the third time, it becomes a frustrating experience. But at the same time, when you finally land on that winning combination, it’s incredibly rewarding.
And that’s why I’m so excited to share these Olive Oil Brownies with you. They were worth fighting for because they’re an easy recipe to have on hand, you can make them for your dairy-free friends, and they’re seriously fudgy-licious.
Even if you can eat butter and have no reason to try these, I urge you to give them a go. I had my friend taste test them for me and she couldn’t even tell they had no butter. They boast a soft and sweet texture and the olive oil adds moisture. They honestly rival any of my regular butter-laden brownie recipes.
Made with only a handful of ingredients (all of which you probably have sitting in your pantry – go look) they’re the perfect go-to brownie when you neeeeeeeed something sweet or you have friends just ‘popping in’. #winwin
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PinDescription
Fudgy Olive Oil Brownies that are also dairy free.
Ingredients
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 40 grams (1/2 cup) cocoa powder
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) plain flour
- 75 grams (1/2 cup) chocolate chips*
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Line an 8-inch square baking tin with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, add olive oil, vanilla and sugars and mix briefly.
- In a separate bowl, add eggs and whisk with a fork for approximately 30 seconds or until combined.
- Add eggs to sugar mixture, along with cocoa powder, flour and chocolate chips. Gently mix with a spoon or spatula to combine. Pour into prepared tin.
- Bake for approximately 28-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly before removing from pan. They will firm up as they cool. Serve with ice cream or cream.
Notes
*Use dairy free chocolate chips if you want to make this recipe dairy free.
To serve the next day, warm brownie in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 168
Keywords: Olive Oil Brownies, Dairy free brownies, Easy brownies
Just okay. I think they would taste better if there was some salt in the batter to balance out all the sugar.
★★★
Hey Erin, thanks for your feedback.
These are absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe. Gonna be my go-to one from now on 🙂
★★★★★
Love that! So glad you enjoyed them!
Made these last night with cacao powder rather than cocoa and since I didn’t have any chocolate chips, I put dried cherries and walnuts in them. OMG so good. I’m offloading half a pan to a friend so I don’t eat them all LOL I’ll be making them again for sure! Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed them Jill!
I just made this recipe.. Don‘t make the same mistake as me, I made only one batch! Make two right away because they are delish!!
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Love that! So glad you enjoyed them Dolores!
Can I make this without the chocolate? I have none in and are on covid 2019 lock down so I was wondering
Hi Sarah, sorry to hear that! I haven’t tried it without chocolate but it wouldn’t be the same. But I do have a recipe for Cocoa Brownies that you might like to try.
I have made this recipe with brownies and it is still amazing but I prefer this one.
★★★★★
Do you think these would work with a gluten free flour? My son is also dairy free so the olive oil in place of butter is great!
Hi Melissa, I haven’t tried it myself but I think it should be ok! I have a gluten free brownie recipe that uses gf flour and it works quite well (but uses butter). I haven’t tested it with oil but if you do try it, let me know how you go!
SO impressed! Pleased to have found a new go-to recipe. Thanks heaps!
★★★★★
Yay! Love hearing that Sylvie!
Can i replace the olive oil for corn oil or another kind? Best regards from Venezuela
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Hi Celalba, I haven’t tried these brownies with another oil so I can’t say I’m sorry. My Vegan Brownies use vegetable oil if you’d prefer to try that recipe.
What changes would you make if you wanted to make use a 13X9 nonstick pan so that you could make a batch… not expecting a perfect answer just maybe a starting point with ingredients , time and bake temp… I like making large batches for company
I like the olive oil as it is a healthier oil than most to use. I’m interested in trying to make healthier desserts. Say 1/2 the flour being whole wheat, throwing in some milled flax flax seed, maybe using a half cup of splenda or sucralose to sub some sugar out and using only egg whites. Have you ever attempted to do something like that?
Hi Paul, for a 9×13 inch pan, you would need to double the recipe. And I haven’t tried any healthier versions of the recipe – sorry!
Very very very tasty thank you so much
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed them Tina!
Can I omit the chocolate chips and have the same texture results?
yes :)did it myself
I’m about to make these brownies but I’m going to do a double quantity should I adjust the timing on it when cooking
Hi Andrew, yes you will need to depending on the size of the cake tin you are using. They should be ready when they no longer wobble in the middle.
Yowza! These things are insanely sweet. I would def cut back on sugar. Texture is nice though.
Thanks for your feedback Tamara.
Hi! Do I use semi sweet chocolate chips in this recipe? Thanks!
Hi Gina, it’s really up to you! You can use whatever chocolate chips you prefer.
Made a triple sized batch for a school bake-sale. Just lovely and sold out quicker than anything else! Off to make another batch, yum
★★★★★
Amazing!! Love hearing that Viv! ☺️
Just made it! Sooo good! 🙂 Thank You for your amazing and easy to make recipes!
★★★★★
Aww love hearing that Liene! So glad you enjoyed them!!
Hi. If I use around 200-250 grams of only brown sugar for this recipe instead of both white and brown, will the brownies be more chewy?
Hello! That would be fine! Yes it may alter the texture slightly. White sugar can help add a crispy crust but should still be delicious!
This is the first time I’ve weighed ingredients even though I knew it was the most accurate method. The brownies turned out fantastic. I’m now an official convert to weighing ingredients:-)
★★★★★
Hi Debra, I’m so glad you loved these! And I’m excited to hear you’re converted to weighing ingredients! It’ll serve you well in the long run!!
Hi! I was wondering if the cacao powder is sweetened? Or is it the no sugar kind?
Thanks 🙂
Hi Maria, just use regular unsweetened cocoa powder for this recipe.