Olive Oil Brownies

These chewy brownies with olive oil are melt-in-your-mouth heaven! Made in just 45 minutes, these brownies are a guaranteed easy dessert, plus they’re made using two bowls, so there’s little mess. If you’re a dark chocolate lover, this is the perfect dessert for you.

Hello to your new favorite brownie recipe. Trust us when we tell you this is a foolproof, chewy, perfect brownie that any chocolate lover will adore. Whether your’e a beginner baker or pro in the kitchen, these olive oil brownies are easy to whip up as an afternoon treat or dessert for a dinner party.

Why make brownies with olive oil you ask? Well, it adds a bit of savory richness that pairs especially well with dark chocolate. Plus, it gives the brownies that signature fudgy chew we are all looking for.

For a new twist on this classic dessert, give it a try, we know you won’t be disappointed. If you love a good chocolate dessert, try out Black Bean Brownies, Chocolate Snickerdoodles, or Triple Chocolate Bundt Cake.

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Dark chocolate brownies. These are made with special dark cocoa powder and dark chocolate chunks which together, doesn’t make them overly sweet. If you like things sweeter, use semi-sweet or milk chocolate chunks/chips. 
• Healthyish brownie recipe. We use whole-wheat flour, olive oil, and less sugar than most, though they still contain sugar because these are brownies after all! 
• Simple and quick brownie recipe. This olive oil-based recipe is simpler than many brownie recipes out there (you only need two bowls!) and also bakes up quicker than most – they only take 45 minutes from start to finish!

We loved these! Made these for my wife this weekend and she was incredibly impressed with the texture. Love the sea salt too.

– Bary

Can You Make Brownies with Olive Oil?

It’s not easy to create a chewy brownie without butter. Saturated fat is key to creating the beloved chewiness of a noteworthy brownie. Without butter, or simply swapping it out for oil creates dense decadent fudge-like bites. Good, but not that chewiness most of us love about brownies.

To keep this recipe approachable and straight forward, We rely on an ingredient that’s already in the recipe—eggs. Eggs create structure and binding in baked goods, and most brownie recipes only need one or two eggs. To add saturated fat without more moisture, we add an egg yolk to the two eggs already being used.

Why avoid that last egg white? Egg whites are high in moisture, and the more moisture we add to brownies the more cakey they become. This is the same reason we call for only white sugar not a combination of white and brown sugar. Brown sugar has molasses added to it which adds flavor but additional moisture as well.

To keep these 100% dairy-free, be sure to use vegan or dairy-free chocolate chunks/chips (or skip adding them altogether).

Ingredients

• White whole-wheat flour: a healthier option than all-purpose flour. But more importantly, it makes the brownies very fudgy.
• Cornstarch: a key ingredient for achieving a tender crumb. You can also use arrowroot starch.
• Kosher salt and flaky sea salt: I use Morton kosher salt in my recipe development. If you’re using Diamond Crystal, use a bit more. Flaky sea salt gets sprinkled over top of the brownies right out of the oven.
• Baking soda: just an ⅛ of a teaspoons is needed—the goal is to open the crumb slightly, but not too much to keep them fudgy.
• Granulated sugar: you’ll need a cup of granulated sugar for this recipe.
• Olive oil: for a more mild flavor, use regular olive oil. For a spicier flavor, use a robust extra-virgin olive oil. Sometimes I like to use a combination of the two.
• Large eggs: make sure to use eggs labeled as large. Aka, not medium and not jumbo.
• Pure vanilla extract: 2 teaspoons of vanilla deepen the flavor of these brownies. Use a quality pure vanilla extract.
• Special dark cocoa powder (Dutch-processed will also work)
• Espresso powder: this is optional, but it enhances and deepens the flavor of the chocolate.
• Dark chocolate chunks or chips: I like chunks, but either work. Use milk chocolate or semi-sweet if you prefer sweeter puddles of chocolate.

How to Make Olive Oil Brownies

1. Line an 8✕8-inch square metal baking pan with parchment paper; grease the paper and pan with olive oil.
2. Whisk together the dry ingredients.

3. Whisk together the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla. 

4. Add the cocoa powder and espresso powder to the sugar mixture and whisk until smooth and glossy. 

5. Mix together the dry and the wet mixture just until combined. Fold in the chocolate chunks. 

6. Smooth the batter into the prepared pan and bake until firm to touch. Sprinkle with sea salt, if using.

7. Let brownies cool slightly in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. 

Storing & Freezing

These brownies are best enjoyed the day they are made because once stored in an airtight container they lose their crisp edges. Brownies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

For longer storage, wrap brownies in plastic and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Allow brownies to come to room temperature before enjoying.

Variations

• Add chopped walnuts, pecans or almonds.
• Drizzle with salted caramel.
• Swap the dark chocolate chunks out for peanut butter chips, mint chips, or toffee bits.
• Swap the dark chocolate chunks out for milk chocolate or white chocolate chips for a sweeter brownie.
• Sprinkle crushed pretzels over the batter before baking to make crunchy sweet-and-salty brownies.

More Chocolate Recipes

• Black bean brownies
• Chewy Chocolate Snickerdoodles.
• Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies
• Healthy Puppy Chow
• Homemade Nutella

Desserts

Easy Black Bean Brownies

Baking

Chewy Chocolate Snickerdoodles

Snacks

Healthier Puppy Chow

Desserts

Healthy 6-Ingredient Homemade Nutella Recipe

Pin This Recipe

Love this recipe and want to save it? Pin this recipe!

Pin This Recipe

Get Zestful in Your Inbox

The latest Zestful Kitchen recipes, tips and insights to your inbox.

First Name *

Email Address *

Sign Up