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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Let’s Bake
Olive Oil Brownies
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, sifted
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) plain flour or all purpose 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 pan 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 whipped cream.
Notes
*Chocolate chips: Use dairy free chocolate chips if you want to make this recipe dairy free.
Serving: To serve the next day, warm brownie in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Bianca Nuncio says
Hi there, if I use almond flour will it change the flavor or texture?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Bianca, yes it will. I haven’t tried it myself so I can’t say if it would work or not – sorry!
Chanta says
I love how this recipe requires simple ingredients, as well as how easy it is to make these brownies. And oh I can’t forget to mention how good they taste !!!
Jessica Holmes says
Love that Chanta! So glad you like them as much as I do!
Madeline says
I’ve made these brownies twice now and want to make them again…. right now. They are delicious!
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that! Thanks for the kind feedback Madeline!
Megan says
This is without a doubt the best brownie recipe ever. We had no butter in the house but I wanted to make brownies, therefore I stumbled across this recipe. These are the first brownies I’ve ever made but they will be the only brownies I ever make. This recipe is absolutely incredible and makes THE best brownies ever! I personally have only ever left the brownies in for 15 mins max as I love them gooey and soft! I also had no chocolate chips so just had some chocolate and snapped bits off and put it in the mix but it does the same job! This recipe honestly makes the most gorgeous tasting brownies ever! Be prepared to get addicted… thank you so much Jess!!
Megan says
Forgot to add I used Gluten Free flour!!
Jessica Holmes says
Aww thank so much for the kind review Megan, I’m so pleased you love them as much as I do!!
Laura says
I just tried this recipe, and the brownies are absolutely delicious!!! I added chopped walnuts….will definetely bake them again. Thank you for sharing!!!
Jessica Holmes says
Ohh so glad to hear that Laura! And love the idea of adding walnuts – yum!
Laura says
I forgot to say this recipe is not only delicious, but also much healthier than regular brownies. I have high colesterol, and therefor didn’t want to use butter.
I was amazed at how good they are, I won’t be going back to my old recipe at all!!!
Jessica Holmes says
Love it!!
Ash says
Would this work if I doubled the recipe?
I’ve only got a 13″ pan but I don’t want to have super thin brownies D:
Jessica Holmes says
Yes I think so!
Ash says
Worked a treat! Thanks so much, my partner can’t get enough of them xx
Jessica Holmes says
Aw love hearing that!!
Erin says
Just okay. I think they would taste better if there was some salt in the batter to balance out all the sugar.
Jessica Holmes says
Hey Erin, thanks for your feedback.
Ksenia says
These are absolutely delicious! Thanks for the recipe. Gonna be my go-to one from now on 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
Love that! So glad you enjoyed them!
Jill Cooper says
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.
Jessica Holmes says
Amazing! So glad you enjoyed them Jill!
Dolores says
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!!
Jessica Holmes says
Love that! So glad you enjoyed them Dolores!
Sarah says
Can I make this without the chocolate? I have none in and are on covid 2019 lock down so I was wondering
Jessica Holmes says
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.
Stella says
I have made this recipe with brownies and it is still amazing but I prefer this one.
Melissa says
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!
Jessica Holmes says
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!
Sylvie says
SO impressed! Pleased to have found a new go-to recipe. Thanks heaps!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that Sylvie!
Celalba says
Can i replace the olive oil for corn oil or another kind? Best regards from Venezuela
Jessica Holmes says
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.
Paul says
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?
Jessica Holmes says
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!