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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Olive Oil Brownies
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: Makes 16 brownies
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Description
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
Do you measure in grams or cups when you make it? I prefer grams but want to make it the way you do for the first time I bake them
Hi Amelia, yes I always use grams for all my baking! Hope you enjoy them.
Hi, I tried making this recipe because I primarily use olive oil when I cook instead of butter, but my brownie texture is coming off all wrong. I’ve tried this recipe twice now and I’ve gotten a closed, dense, and rubbery texture. What am I doing wrong?
Hey Jack, it sounds like you might either be over mixing the batter, over measuring the dry ingredients and/or over baking them. Try baking them for less time to get that fudgy texture!
HI Jessica. I was wondering i would get the same result if I cut down on both caster sugar and brown sugar?
I don’t want them to come out very sweet. Can I use half amount of each?
Hi Maryam, I haven’t tested the recipe with half the sugar. You could give it a go and see but it will effect the taste and potentially the texture a little.
Hi Jessica. Finally, I made my mind. I made the recipe with no change. The brownies were soft and tasty. One thing that I’m happy about is that they were not too sweet. I always thought making soft brownies can be difficult. Thanks to your amazing recipe, now making soft brownies is a piece of cake.
★★★★★
Love that Maryam! So pleased you enjoyed them.
I plan to use stevia instead of sugar & add 1 tsp baking powder to make cakier. Will it be ok
Hi Luz, I haven’t tested the recipe with stevia so I can say. But yes adding baking powder will make it cakier. Hope you enjoy it!
I doubled the recipe and put it in a 9×13 and it turned out great! I was hesitant about the olive oil taste, but I didn’t have butter so I gave it a whirl. Very glad I did!
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed them!
Will it completely ruin the recipe if I forgo the chocolate chips?
Hi Chinelle, not at all! Feel free to leave them out.
Hi. If I am to use a 9×9 pan, how many minutes should I bake it for? Thanks.
Hi Angel, it might cook slightly faster, just keep an eye on it and maybe check 5 minutes before.
Genius! Another one of your recipes that ended in success. I added walnuts to it and they are great.
Love the fact that they are made with oil. For years I’ve been making a butter based brownie recipe and I had to plan in advance before making them as I only get butter when I need it. Now I can make these whenever I need to bake something quick and easy as I usually do have the rest of the ingredients. And, to be honest, the results with this recipe are a million times better than with the butter one.
Thanks Jessica, you’re a legend!
★★★★★
Aww thanks so much for the kind review Adri! So pleased you enjoyed the brownies – and adding walnuts sounds delish!!
Absolutely amazing recipe xx
Do you think I could use the same recipe but make blondies instead? Just remove the cocoa?
★★★★★
So glad you enjoyed them Emma! No I don’t recommend that as it was alter the ratio of dry ingredients to wet. Try my Blondie recipe instead!
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. We liked it so much!
★★★★★
Aw so happy to hear that Elif!
Hello,
Should we reduce the quantity of sugar when we use chocolate powder instead of cocoa powder?
Hi Rita, that might be a good idea but I haven’t tried myself so I can’t say.
Hi there brownies look so good and i cant wait to make them , just a quick question is it dark brown sugar or light?
Hi Adam, we only have one main type of brown sugar here in Australia, probably closer to light brown sugar but either would be fine!
Can I use rapeseed oil?
I’ve used olive oil and found its amazing its just I’ve run out
Hi Sapphire, so glad you like these brownies! I haven’t tried making these with another oil but I think it would be ok!