Olive Oil Brownies (Dairy Free)

These olive oil brownies are naturally dairy free and just as rich and delicious as any other brownie made with butter. Plus, the extra virgin olive oil flavor complements the bittersweet chocolate so well!

For more brownie recipes, try Chocolate Cherry Brownies, Brownie Blondies, Brown Butter Brownies, and Gluten Free Brownie Ice Cream Sandwiches. 

Why you'll love these olive oil brownies

• Subtle EVOO Taste: If using a full-bodied extra virgin olive oil, these brownies will have a subtle evoo taste in every bite! And trust me evoo and chocolate are a match made in heaven. 
• Naturally Dairy Free: The butter isn't just replaced to make these brownies dairy free. This recipe was specifically developed with olive oil, so they just happen to be naturally dairy free and taste absolutely incredible. 
• Rich, Fudgy Texture: Thanks to the combination of melted chocolate and two types of cocoa powders, these brownies bake up super fudgy!
• Shiny Top: If you beat your sugars and eggs together long enough, you'll be rewarded with a gorgeous shiny top!

Ingredient Notes

• Chocolate: You'll need some chocolate to melt and add to the batter, and some to finely chop and mix in the batter for pieces of chocolate studded throughout each bite! I recommend using semi-sweet or bittersweet. For dairy free chocolate I recommend Guittard or Scharffen Berger. 
• Olive Oil: Depending on how strong of an extra virgin olive oil flavor you want, you could use anything from light-tasting evoo to a full-bodied evoo. I used Filippo Berio robusto evoo. You could also use a more neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil. I'm sure melted coconut oil would also work great too. 
• Eggs: You'll need three eggs at room temperature. Eggs significantly affect the texture of brownies and determine whether they bake up cakey or fudgy. I settled for one less egg than most brownie recipes use in order to ensure they baked up ultra fudgy!
• Vanilla: Extract: Every good brownie recipe needs high quality vanilla. My favorite brands are Rodelle and Heilala. 
• Brown Sugar: I opted for dark brown sugar in this recipe because the extra molasses content that adds more depth of flavor, but you can use light brown sugar. 
• Granulated Sugar: You'll need about 1 cup of granulated sugar for the brownies.
• All-Purpose Flour: You'll need a little more than one cup of flour.
• Cocoa Powder: I love using a combination of dutch process and black cocoa powders for a richer chocolate flavor.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.

Step by Step Instructions

This brownie recipe is super simple and only requires a few steps. If you start now, you could have these warm brownies on your kitchen counter in less than an hour! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.

STEP 1: Make the batter. Start by melting the chocolate and olive oil over a double boiler. Meanwhile, beat the sugars, eggs, and vanilla together for at least 5 minutes. Slowly mix in the chocolate oil mixture.

STEP 2: Fold. Fold in the dry ingredients, then the chopped chocolate. 

STEP 3: Prep. Pour the brownie batter into a square pan lined with parchment paper and smooth out the top. 

STEP 4: Bake and cool. Bake for 35 minutes, cool completely in the pan, then cut into 16 squares & enjoy!

Expert Baking Tips

• Use a high-quality dairy free bittersweet chocolate. I recommend Guittard or Scharffen Berger. 
• Depending on how strong of an extra virgin olive oil flavor you want, you could use anything from light-tasting evoo to a full-bodied evoo. I used Filippo Berio robusto evoo. 
• If you do not have black cocoa powder on hand, you can use a total of 84g (1 cup) dutch process cocoa powder instead. 
• Be sure to beat the sugars and eggs for a full 5-6 minutes! This is what will give the brownies that gorgeous shiny top. 
• When cutting the brownies, use a sharp knife and run it under hot water (and wipe clean) before each cut.

How to serve these brownies

• Serve them as is with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt
• Serve with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of Salted Caramel Sauce

Storage Tips

Store these brownies in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 

All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale. 

If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.

But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!

Happy baking! x