Olive Oil Biscuits Recipes - Biscuits Made Without Butter (2024)

FAQs

Can you substitute olive oil for butter in biscuits? ›

Usually, olive oil is best used as a substitute for butter in baking recipes that call specifically for liquid butter. In these cases, olive oil should be substituted for butter in a 3:4 ratio by volume. So if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, then you would use ¾ cup of olive oil.

SHORTENING

Like margarine, it can be used in a 1:1 substitution for butter. The solid fat form of shortening doesn't completely mix with dry ingredients when it's cut into them; this creates marbling in dough, resulting in light, flaky pie crusts and biscuits.

Try it: brush a little olive oil onto two slices of bread to make a ham-and-cheese toasted sandwich: it will come out of the sandwich toaster cooked to perfection.

As a general rule of thumb, substitute three-quarters of the butter in a recipe with olive oil. In other words: If a baking recipe calls for a stick of butter (8 tablespoons), for example, use 6 tablespoons of olive oil.

Margarine and Plant-Based Butter

Developed as butter alternatives, these are likely the most accurate substitutes. They work well in just about any baking recipe that requires butter, such as cookies, cakes, biscuits, and more.

If you can, use a 50/50 combination of butter and oil in recipes calling for butter — this way you get a some butter flavor and the moisture from the oil. But, if you need to replace the butter for oil completely, use 7/8 cup oil for every cup of butter called for. The exception to the rule is coconut oil.

*Substitute buttermilk, light cream, or heavy cream for the whole milk, if you prefer; use enough of whatever liquid you choose to bring the dough together readily, without you having to work it too much. The higher-fat liquid you use, the more tender and richer-tasting your biscuits will be.

You can use oil to make biscuits, but the character of the biscuit suffers or certainly is different. It will be soft and spongy and not flaky or layered. You don't see this done very often but you'll find several recipes if you search for “oil biscuits.”

Olive oil whipped cream will have your table buzzing and you can use this pantry staple to turn any dessert into a restaurant-quality dish in a few minutes.

What is healthier olive oil or butter? ›

Though butter does have nutritional value, olive oil might be the better choice. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, liquid fats like olive oil are rich in heart-healthy unsaturated fats, while butter has more saturated fats.

For one thing, butter is made up of 63% saturated fat, whereas olive oil only has 14%. Olive oil also contains heart-healthy monounsaturated good fats and antioxidants. Butter's high saturated fat content, on the other hand, is shown in studies to lead to heart disease and other health issues.

A good rule of thumb is to replace about 3/4 of the butter in a recipe with olive, canola, or vegetable oil. (If the recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use ¾ cup oil.)

Commercial butter alternative or coconut oil: The butter alternative and coconut oil will bind the biscuit base together just as butter does in traditional biscuit base recipes.

Baking with Olive Oil

If substituting olive oil for vegetable oil (or another cooking oil) in your baking recipe, you can use a 1:1 ratio. Because of olive oil's distinct flavor, it might affect the flavor of the baked product.