Discover the benefits of cooking with olive oil: a healthier alternative to your favorite treats

Last update:December 16, 2024, 5:17 p.m. IST

Adding olive oil to baked goods strikes a balance between health and deliciousness while enhancing the overall taste.

Olive oil has become popular in recent years due to growing consumer awareness of its health benefits. While modern users use it in cooking, few people know that olive oil can be a great substitute for butter in baking. Using olive oil in your baked goods is an innovative way to enhance the nutritional value of your favorite treats while preserving their rich, satisfying flavors.

When it comes to health benefits, olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats (MUFA) and antioxidants, making it a smarter choice than butter. Apart from this, it also improves the texture of baked goods. It helps cakes stay moist, cookies crisper and breads more tender.

When used in baking, olive oil adds a subtle depth of flavor to cakes, muffins and cookies, enriching them without overwhelming the other ingredients. There are three varieties of olive oil available in the market: extra virgin olive oil, olive oil designed for Indian cuisine and classic olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is ideal for Mediterranean-style desserts because of its robust flavor and aroma, while classic olive oil offers a milder taste and olive oil for Indian cuisine has a more neutral flavor. The choice of oil depends on the desired flavor profile of the dish.

For baking, you can choose a lighter variety of olive oil, like light or extra light, to maintain a mild flavor that allows the other ingredients in the recipe to shine.

Additionally, using olive oil could prolong the freshness of baked treats, preventing them from spoiling too quickly, as olive oil is rich in antioxidants. Using about three-quarters of the amount of butter specified in the recipe can help retain moisture in baked goods while reducing saturated fat content. So, adding olive oil to baked goods strikes a balance between health and deliciousness while enhancing the overall taste.

Whether you’re just starting to experiment in the kitchen or are an expert cook, olive oil is an incredibly versatile ingredient that brings a healthy twist to traditional recipes. Its ability to enrich the flavors of foods as well as its health benefits make it a valuable addition to any recipe.

Reference: https://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/recipe/baking-with-olive-oil-move-over-butter-for-cakes-and-cookies-try-these-tips-and-tricks-for- delicious-results-101733495203735.html