Make the best Olive Oil Brownies—super moist, fudgy, and packed with double chocolate goodness. Easy, delicious, and butter-free!

Brownies are my weakness. I’ve made them every way possible, but once I tried olive oil, I never looked back. It gives these Olive Oil Brownies an incredibly moist texture and enhances the rich, chocolatey flavor. Just like my Flourless Chocolate Torte and Classic Madeleine Cookies, simple ingredients make all the difference. These brownies are amazing on their own, but a little cream cheese frosting and a handful of pistachios take them to the next level.
Can you use olive oil in brownies?
Olive oil adds moisture and richness that keeps brownies soft for days. It blends seamlessly with cocoa, enhancing that deep chocolatey taste. Bonus: it’s a great dairy-free option for anyone skipping butter.
Ingredients
- EGGS: large or extra large eggs
- FLOUR: AP flour (all purpose flour) works best for this recipe
- SUGAR: granulated sugar
- SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE: we used shaved baking chocolate (60% cacao). You can also use semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate baking chips
- OLIVE OIL: use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can afford
- COCOA POWDER: unsweetened cocoa powder
- VANILLA EXTRACT: pure vanilla extract works best
- SALT: sea salt or kosher salt
*see recipe card for quantities.
🔪Top tip
For chewy, fudgy brownies, mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing can incorporate too much air, leading to a cakier texture. Keep it simple and fold the ingredients gently!
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
- Coat baking dish: Spray the bottom of a 9x9" baking dish with cooking spray.
- Mix dry ingredients: Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt in a bowl.
- Mix wet ingredients: Mix sugar, oil and vanilla extract together for about 1 minute in a separate bowl, then add eggs 1 at a time until well combined.
- Combine: Add the dry ingredients into this mixture and combine.
- Add chocolate: Add chocolate chips and mix.
- Bake: Pour mixture into the baking dish and place in oven and then turn oven temperature down to 350°F and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Check: Cook until toothpick comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it. Do not over cook.
- Cool and serve: Remove and allow brownies to cool, then cut.
Would you like to save this recipe?
To make topping
- Mix 4 oz cream cheese with 2 C powdered sugar and a tablespoon of milk until combined.
- Drop mixture on brownies and garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios (optional).
Storage
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to a week.
FAQ
Yes! Olive oil is a great substitute for butter in brownies, adding moisture and a slightly fruity richness. It also makes the brownies softer and chewier.
Use a high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor. A mild or light-tasting olive oil works well if you don’t want a strong olive oil taste.
Yes, but in a good way! Olive oil gives the brownies a slightly nutty and fruity undertone, enhancing the richness of the chocolate without overpowering it.
Yes! Since this recipe uses olive oil instead of butter, it is already dairy-free as long as you use dairy-free chocolate.
Related recipes
🍅 Making this recipe?
- Please feel free to reach out with questions. We're happy to help.
- If you enjoyed it, please leave us a comment with ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Olive Oil Brownies recipe
Make the best Olive Oil Brownies—super moist, fudgy, and packed with double chocolate goodness. Easy, delicious, and butter-free!
- Total Time: 50 mins
- Yield: 9 brownies 1x
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¾ C All Purpose flour
- 1 ¾ C sugar
- ½ C semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ C olive oil (we prefer extra virgin)
- ⅓ C cocoa powder
- 1 ½ Tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tsp salt
Instructions
- Pre-heat oven to 375°F.
- Spray the bottom of a 9x9" baking dish with cooking spray.
- Whisk flour, cocoa, salt in a bowl.
- Mix sugar, oil and vanilla extract together for about 1 minute in a separate bowl, then add eggs 1 at a time until well combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into this mixture and combine.
- Add chocolate chips and mix.
- Pour mixture into the baking dish and place in oven and then turn oven temperature down to 350°F and bake for 30-35 minutes.
- Cook until toothpick comes out with a few crumbs stuck to it. Do not over cook.
- Remove and allow brownies to cool, then cut.
- To make topping we mixed 4 oz cream cheese with 2 C powdered sugar and a tablespoon of milk until combined.
- Drop mixture on brownies and garnish with pomegranate seeds and chopped pistachios (optional).
Notes
- For chewy, fudgy brownies, mix the batter until just combined. Overmixing can incorporate too much air, leading to a cakier texture. Keep it simple and fold the ingredients gently.
- To make this recipe dairy-free, make sure to use dairy-free chocolate.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 brownie
- Calories: 258
- Sugar: 6.2 g
- Sodium: 291.1 mg
- Fat: 14.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 27.2 g
- Protein: 6.5 g
- Cholesterol: 82.7 mg
Jackie says
We love this recipe! Olive oil gives these brownies a fudgy, nutty flavor that is second to none.