Yes, you can use olive oil instead of vegetable oil when baking, but the flavor and sometimes texture will change, so it works better in some recipes than others.

Quick Scoop

  • Olive oil is a safe, often healthier swap for vegetable oil in many baked goods.
  • Use a 1:1 ratio: the same amount of olive oil as vegetable oil in most baking recipes (cakes, muffins, brownies).
  • Choose a mild or “light” olive oil if you don’t want a noticeable olive flavor, especially in light cakes or vanilla desserts.
  • Expect a slightly richer, sometimes fruitier taste and a tender, moist crumb, which can be great in brownies, spice cakes, citrus cakes, and quick breads.
  • Skip or go easy on strong extra-virgin olive oil in very delicate or very neutral-flavored desserts where any extra flavor will stand out.

When It Works Really Well

Olive oil shines in baked goods where a bit of flavor is welcome:

  • Brownies and chocolate cakes (the chocolate dominates, and the oil adds moistness).
  • Citrus cakes (lemon, orange) and “olive oil cakes.”
  • Spice cakes, carrot cake, and nutty loaves (walnut, almond, pistachio).
  • Quick breads and some muffins (banana bread, pumpkin bread, etc.).

These kinds of bakes often end up extra moist and tender when made with olive oil.

When To Be Careful

There are a few situations where substituting olive oil for vegetable oil is less ideal:

  • Very light, neutral cakes (plain white cake, some boxed vanilla mixes): olive oil’s flavor may be noticeable.
  • Cookies or pie crusts where you want a specific crisp or flaky texture (solid fats or neutral oils usually work better).
  • Recipes that specifically rely on a neutral taste so other flavors can shine (for example, a very delicate tea cake).

If you must use olive oil in a delicate recipe:

  • Choose a mild or “light” olive oil.
  • Or use half olive oil, half neutral oil to soften the flavor.

Ratios and Practical Tips

  • Standard swap for vegetable oil in baking:
    • 1 cup vegetable oil → 1 cup olive oil (1:1).
  • If the flavor is stronger than you like, try using slightly less olive oil and topping up with another neutral oil or liquid next time.
  • For recipes that originally use butter, you can usually use about 3 parts olive oil for 4 parts butter (for example, 8 tbsp butter → about 6 tbsp olive oil), but this changes texture more noticeably.

A simple example:
If your brownie mix calls for ½ cup vegetable oil and that’s all you have to swap, using ½ cup mild olive oil will work fine and often tastes great.

What Changes In The Result?

  • Flavor: Olive oil adds a mild fruity, sometimes peppery note, more obvious with extra-virgin.
  • Texture: Often very moist and tender; sometimes a bit denser, which is good for brownies and loaf cakes.
  • Nutrition: Olive oil has more monounsaturated “heart-healthy” fats and antioxidants than typical highly refined vegetable oils.

Some people in home-cooking forums even report they can’t tell the difference in simple cakes and brownies, or they actually prefer the olive oil versions.

Bottom Line (TL;DR)

Yes—using olive oil instead of vegetable oil when baking is usually fine and can be delicious, especially in brownies, loaf cakes, and flavorful desserts, as long as you’re okay with a bit of extra flavor and you stick to a 1:1 swap with a fairly mild oil.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.