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
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter 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) 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.
Sissy says
Hi! Have you tried making these with gluten-free flour? How do you think that would turn out?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, I haven’t but could be worth a shot. Otherwise, I do have a Gluten Free Brownie recipe you might like.
Janet says
Hey Jessica I was wondering if I could make the recipe without chocolate chips? Would they turn out just as fudgy?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes definitely Janet! The choc chips definitely add a little extra gooeyness but they’ll still be lovely.
Ree says
Love this, the brownies came out perfect. When they’ve cooled down you can’t tell they have olive oil. This recipe is perfection. I found it while looking for a dairy free recipe, this easily competes with normal dairy containing brownies. Love how simple and quick they were to make.
Thank you for this!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love hearing that Ree! Thank you for the lovely review!
Dean says
Super simple to make. Super tasty. No olive oil taste – just moist chocolate goodness.
Jessica Holmes says
Yes! Love that!
Shari says
I have made this recipe several times and the brownies are always perfect. I’ve played around with it by using dark cocoa powder, sprinkling sea salt on top, and using half Heath bar chips with the chocolate chips. Next time I’m going to try a swirl of peanut butter in the mix.
Jessica Holmes says
Love that! So glad you like them Shari!
Fefe says
this is my first bake of Brownie, the taste is nice but the top cracked and flaky. Any advice of making the top of the brownie more moist and attached to the cake
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Fefe, I’m not sure as the brownies are designed to have a crinkly top.
Olivia says
Hi! This recipe is designed to do that, but if you’d prefer it without the crispy top, leaving out the brown sugar (and adjusting the granulated sugar to taste) should fix that for you.
Emmy says
Thank you for this recipe! I was worried I had under-baked at first as they seemed quite wet when they came out of the oven. But as soon as I had chilled them, they were perfect – rich, sticky, delicious. I used soya milk and added swirls of almond butter on top.
Jessica Holmes says
Sounds delicious!
Naka says
Love it!!!!…can i use the same recipe and make goldies?? Like just omitting the cocoa??
Can say this again i love it, it was easy to make and really quick.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked them! I haven’t tried without the cocoa, but they will likely taste mostly like oil. Try my favourite Blondie recipe instead!
Naka says
Great! Thanks!
Naka says
Thanks i will definitely try it. But i saw thw recipe uses butter and i don’t do anything related to dairy can i substitute with oil?
Jessica Holmes says
I haven’t tried so I’m not sure.
Elysa says
Naka, try earth’s balance vegan buttery sticks. I use them for my non-dairy baking.
Lisa says
I made these with cold press sunflower oil. They were great. Would love a vegan version.
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you enjoyed them Lisa. Try my Vegan Brownies next.
Elysa says
DELISH! They taste so moist and gourmet. Thanks for a decadent dairy free option!
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! Love that Elysa!
Gosia says
O, delicious.
I made small changes, reduced the sugar about 50% and i added a spoon of instant coffee and coffee liqueur.
Nice crispy top and moist brownies.
My favorite, thanks for the recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
Glad you enjoyed them!
Jenn says
I was skeptical but the double recipe in a 9×12 pan turned out great! Just as easy and tasty as the mix I normally use. Having trouble restraining myself from eating the whole pan!
Jessica Holmes says
Haha love hearing that Jen!
Fiona says
Hello I don’t like my brownies too sweet can I make the sugar less or will it affect the recipe?
Jessica Holmes says
Hey Fiona, I do recommend following the recipe as is for best results. You could maybe reduce by 1/4 cup without it effecting the end result too much.
Tanya says
hi Jessica, I just made this recipe and was wondering why did you choose to do it with olive oil and not with canola oil or another neutral oil? We found the taste of olive oil very strong and predominant…
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Tanya, I developed this recipe specially for Olive Oil Brownies. If you found the taste too strong, you could try a different brand or type of olive oil as they differ greatly in taste. Try a mild tasting olive oil next time. Alternatively, I have lots of other brownie recipes you might like to try.
Tanya says
Ok Jessica! Thank you 🙏🏻
Melina says
My 11 year old made this and it was sensational
Jessica Holmes says
Yay! So glad you enjoyed them.