You’ll fall head over heels for these deliciously easy Olive Oil Brownies. Made without butter, these fudgy dairy-free brownies can ready to eat in under 1 hour. No electric mixer needed.
Quick Look Olive Oil Brownies
- ⏱ Prep time: 20 minutes
- 🔥 Cook time: 30 minutes
- ⏳ Total time: 50 minutes
- 🍪 Serving: 12 brownies
- 🍂 Flavour profile: Soft and fudgy with a rich chocolate flavour.
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy
- ❤️ Why we love them: No electric mixer, super fast to make, kids can help – and they stay moist for days.
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Best. Brownies. Ever. You’re going to LOVE these amazing Olive Oil Brownies. Not only are they dairy-free, but they’re delicious, with a seriously fudgy centre.
Just like my favourite Olive Oil Chocolate Cake recipe, olive oil keeps these brownies soft and moist. Despite being made without butter or melted chocolate, they’re filled with cocoa powder and chocolate chips and are still full of chocolate flavour.
I love to make these when I’m craving something chocolatey but I don’t have a block of chocolate in the house and can’t make my classic Homemade Brownies. They’re chewy, gooey and all too sweet.
Why you will love this recipe
- Quick and easy: Made with just a bowl and spoon, this Olive Oil Brownie recipe is simplicity at its best. No electric mixer or fancy equipment needed.
- Basic ingredients: This recipe uses only pantry staples, including cocoa powder instead of a block of chocolate. Great for those days when you crave chocolate but don’t have any in the house – or butter either.
- Moist for days: Since these brownies have oil in them instead of butter, they stay moist and soft.
Excellent, have made them 3 times and they worked every time. Yum!
– Celia (reader)
Recipe testing
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.
I was looking for a brownie that had all the key elements of a regular brownie – a crispy top, chewy edges and a fudgy centre. So I started by making my tried and true One Bowl Cocoa Brownies, but subbed in olive oil for butter.
The result (brownie 1) was too fudgy 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 but it moved over into the cake category. I lost my crinkly top and the fudgy centre was much more like a thick, rich cake. So for test 3, I added a little more sugar back in and reduced the cocoa powder.
Brownie 3 was very close to my perfect Olive Oil Brownie. It was fudgy, sweet with a moist (but not too wet) texture. However, there was one problem. I had lost my signature crispy, crackly top. It was then I realised I didn’t need to change the ingredients but rather the method.
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.
Ingredients
You only need a handful of pantry staples to make Olive Oil Brownies from scratch. Here’s a quick breakdown of everything you need, including any substitutions you can make.
- Olive oil: I recommend using a mild olive oil for this recipe. If you don’t have any olive oil, you can use other flavourless oil like vegetable oil, grapeseed oil or even coconut oil.
- Sugars: This recipe uses both caster sugar and brown sugar. If you don’t have caster sugar, you can use granulated sugar.
- Eggs: You will need three eggs to make these brownies. If you want an egg-free brownie recipe, try my Vegan Brownies.
- Plain flour: You will need plain flour or all purpose flour for this recipe. Because we want these brownies to be fudgy, they do not have any raising agent in them.
- Cocoa powder: These brownies rely on cocoa powder for their chocolate flavour. You can use natural cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa powder. I also love to dust the top with extra cocoa powder too.
- Chocolate chips: To make these brownies extra fudgy, I love to add in chocolate chips. You can use milk chocolate chips, dark chocolate chips or white chocolate chips.
See the recipe card below for the full list and quantities of ingredients.
How to make Olive Oil Brownies
Olive Oil Brownies couldn’t be easier to make. You only need to mix the ingredients together using a bowl and a whisk – so easy! See below my step-by-step photos and instructions for making brownies from scratch.
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Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, add olive oil, vanilla and sugars. Whisk together until combined.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, adds the eggs. Whisk the eggs briefly with a fork or hand whisk.
Step 3: Add eggs to olive oil mixture and whisk until combined and smooth.
Step 4: Add cocoa, flour and salt. Whisk or stir until smooth and combined.
Step 5: Stir through chocolate chips.
Step 6: Pour brownie batter into prepared pan and gently smooth it out into one even layer.
Step 7: Bake brownie for 28-30 minutes until it no longer wobbles in the middle. Dust cooled brownie with cocoa powder.
See recipe card below for full method and baking instructions.
Storage instructions
Storage: You can keep Olive Oil Brownies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. To enjoy them warm, reheat brownies in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Freezer instructions: You can also freeze brownies. Simply cover them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag. To serve, thaw them at room temperature or reheat in the microwave in short bursts until warm and fudgy again.
Olive Oil Brownie FAQs
Yes! You can use this recipe but use any mild or flavourless oil you like. I like to use a mild olive oil or grapeseed oil which are fairly tasteless. Vegetable oil will work as well. You could also try my Coconut Oil Brownies.
Yes you can. I find they add a little more chocolate flavour and moistness, but the brownies are still lovely without.
Yes. These brownies don’t have any butter in them. Just be sure to use dairy-free chocolate chips to make them truly dairy-free. If you are looking for an egg-free brownie, try my Vegan Brownie recipe.
Unlike cake, my brownies are designed to be dense and fudgy. To achieve this texture. I don’t use any raising agents like baking soda or baking powder in my Olive Oil Brownie recipe.
Jessica’s EXPERT tips
Try not to over-bake your brownie. The more you bake it, the less fudgy it will be. You’ll know it’s ready when it no longer wobbles or appears wet. If you insert a skewer into the centre and it has a few moist crumbs attached, it’s ready.
More brownie recipes to try
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Pinterest and TikTok for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Olive Oil Brownies
Fudgy Olive Oil Brownies that are also dairy free.
Ingredients
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) mild 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, plus extra for decorating
- 70 grams (1/2 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 80 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, whisk together the olive oil, vanilla, caster sugar and brown sugar until combined.
- In a separate bowl, add the eggs. Whisk with a fork or a hand whisk for approximately 30 seconds, just to break up the yolks.
- Add the eggs to the sugar mixture and briefly whisk to combine. Then add the cocoa powder, flour and salt. Finally, stir through the chocolate chips.
- Transfer brownie batter into prepared tin. Bake for approximately 28-30 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Leave brownies to cool slightly before gently removing from the pan. They will firm up as they cool.
- Dust brownies with cocoa powder. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
Olive oil: I recommend using a mild olive oil for this recipe. If you don’t have any olive oil, you can use other flavourless oil like vegetable oil, grapeseed oil or even coconut oil.
Cocoa powder: You can use natural cocoa powder or Dutch processed cocoa powder for this recipe.
Chocolate chips: Use dairy free chocolate chips if you want to make this recipe dairy free.
Storage: You can keep Olive Oil Brownies in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge. To enjoy them warm, reheat brownies in the microwave for 10-15 seconds.
Freezer instructions: You can also freeze brownies. Simply cover them tightly in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or ziplock bag. To serve, thaw them at room temperature or reheat in the microwave in short bursts until warm and fudgy again.
Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 brownie Calories: 178 Sugar: 17.6 g Sodium: 15.6 mg Fat: 9.7 g Carbohydrates: 22.8 g Protein: 2.4 g Cholesterol: 34.9 mg
Lora says
Really great brownies. I did add walnuts and due to having a little sour cream, I used it for 50% of the oil. They turned out delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
Oh amazing, thanks Lora!
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.