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
Hi, I’m Jess, the creator of Sweetest Menu and the author of Something Sweet. A self-taught baker and published recipe writer who can’t stop making easy and delicious baking recipes.
Alina says
Amazing brownies 😘😘😘
Adelyn says
can i make them without a mixer as my mixer have just broke down recently.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Adelyn, absolutely! I just make these with a bowl and spoon!
April Lavine says
wow wow wow! BEST RECIPE EVER!
so easy and soooo delicious!
its like a molten lava brownie 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Thanks for the kind feedback April!
Amelia Hawkins says
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
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Amelia, yes I always use grams for all my baking! Hope you enjoy them.
Jack says
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?
Jessica Holmes says
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!
Maryam says
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?
Jessica Holmes says
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.
Maryam says
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.
Jessica Holmes says
Love that Maryam! So pleased you enjoyed them.
Luz says
I plan to use stevia instead of sugar & add 1 tsp baking powder to make cakier. Will it be ok
Jessica Holmes says
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!
Olive says
Hi can i ask for a recipe if using 9×13 pan?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Olive, I haven’t tested it myself but perhaps you could double the recipe.
Bold&Brash says
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!
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them!
Chinelle says
Will it completely ruin the recipe if I forgo the chocolate chips?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Chinelle, not at all! Feel free to leave them out.
Angel says
Hi. If I am to use a 9×9 pan, how many minutes should I bake it for? Thanks.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Angel, it might cook slightly faster, just keep an eye on it and maybe check 5 minutes before.
Adri says
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!
Jessica Holmes says
Aww thanks so much for the kind review Adri! So pleased you enjoyed the brownies – and adding walnuts sounds delish!!
Emma says
Absolutely amazing recipe xx
Do you think I could use the same recipe but make blondies instead? Just remove the cocoa?
Jessica Holmes says
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!
Elif says
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. We liked it so much!
Jessica Holmes says
Aw so happy to hear that Elif!
Rita Moura says
Hello,
Should we reduce the quantity of sugar when we use chocolate powder instead of cocoa powder?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Rita, that might be a good idea but I haven’t tried myself so I can’t say.
Adam McQuaker says
Hi there brownies look so good and i cant wait to make them , just a quick question is it dark brown sugar or light?
Jessica Holmes says
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!