Can I Use Olive Oil Instead of Vegetable Oil? Yes — Here's When and How

Short answer: yes. Olive oil can replace vegetable oil one-for-one in almost any recipe — sautéing, roasting, frying, marinades, and most baking. The only things to think about are flavour and, occasionally, temperature. Below is how to choose the right olive oil for each job, and what to do if you are going the other way and only have vegetable oil.

The one-to-one rule

Vegetable oil and olive oil are both liquid fats with roughly the same calories and the same behaviour in a pan or a batter. If a recipe calls for ½ cup of vegetable oil, use ½ cup of olive oil. There is no conversion to make and no adjustment to liquids or leavening. "Vegetable oil" on a label is usually soybean, canola or a blend of seed oils that has been refined to remove flavour; olive oil is pressed from fruit and, in its extra virgin form, is not refined at all. That is the whole difference, and it shows up in two places: taste and heat.

Which olive oil to use, by job

Sautéing, roasting and pan-frying

Any olive oil works. A mild extra virgin such as our Naturally Smooth is the closest match to what you are used to from vegetable oil, and a robust one like our Organic adds a little fruit and pepper that most savoury dishes benefit from. Normal home cooking happens between 120 and 190 °C, well within extra virgin olive oil's range.

Deep frying

Yes, you can deep fry in olive oil — it is how much of the Mediterranean cooks. Keep the oil between 170 and 180 °C and use a milder oil so you are not paying for flavour you will not taste. We cover this in detail in Can you fry with olive oil?

Baking

This is where flavour matters most. Olive oil is excellent in brownies, chocolate cake, carrot cake, banana bread, muffins, quick breads, focaccia and anything with citrus, nuts or spices; the oil's fruitiness is either invisible or a bonus. For very delicate bakes — a plain vanilla sponge, angel food cake, a light butter-style cookie — a robust, peppery oil can taste out of place. Use a mild or "smooth" extra virgin for those, and the swap is undetectable.

Dressings, mayonnaise and marinades

Vegetable oil is used in these only because it is neutral. Extra virgin olive oil is the better choice for anything eaten raw: it tastes of something, and it is where you get the polyphenols. If you find robust olive oil too strong in mayonnaise, use a smooth one or a half-and-half mix.

Does the smoke point matter?

Less than the internet suggests. Extra virgin olive oil starts to smoke somewhere around 190–210 °C (375–410 °F), refined vegetable oils around 200–230 °C. Both sit above everyday cooking temperatures. What matters more than smoke point is how stable an oil is when heated, and olive oil does well here: it is mostly monounsaturated fat, which resists breaking down, and its natural antioxidants protect it further. The one practical rule is the same for any oil — if it is smoking hard, it is too hot; lower the heat.

What about the other way round — vegetable oil instead of olive oil?

For cooking, it works: use the same amount. What you lose is flavour and the polyphenols, so vegetable oil is a poor stand-in where the olive oil is the point — drizzling over finished dishes, salad dressings, bread dipping, pesto, or a Mediterranean recipe that leans on the oil's taste. In those cases, buy the olive oil.

Is olive oil healthier than vegetable oil?

They are different kinds of fat. Olive oil is roughly three-quarters monounsaturated (oleic acid) and, if extra virgin, keeps its polyphenols and vitamin E. Most vegetable oils are high in polyunsaturated omega-6 fats and have been refined, which strips the minor compounds. Research on Mediterranean-style diets consistently associates olive oil with good cardiovascular outcomes; refined seed oils do not have that body of evidence behind them. We would not call either one a medicine — but if you are swapping, you are swapping in the right direction. Our own oil is lab-tested at 260 mg/kg of polyphenols.

Quick reference

• Ratio: 1:1, no other changes.
• Savoury cooking: any extra virgin olive oil.
• Baking: mild/smooth olive oil for delicate bakes; any olive oil for chocolate, spice, fruit or nut bakes.
• Deep frying: yes, 170–180 °C, mild oil.
• Raw uses: extra virgin only — vegetable oil is a downgrade.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use extra virgin olive oil for baking?

Yes. Choose a mild one for light cakes; a robust one is fine for chocolate, spice and fruit bakes.

Will olive oil make my cake taste like olives?

A robust oil can add a faint fruity note; a smooth or mild oil will not be noticeable. Chocolate, coffee, citrus and spices hide it completely.

Can I use olive oil in a box cake mix?

Yes, same amount as the vegetable oil on the box. Use a mild olive oil for vanilla or white mixes.

Can I mix olive oil and vegetable oil?

Yes. It is a common way to stretch olive oil for deep frying, at some cost to flavour and polyphenols.

Golden Spoon extra virgin olive oil is cold-pressed in the Sfax region of Tunisia and shipped from Ottawa. For everyday cooking and baking, start with the Naturally Smooth 1 L; for dressings and finishing, the Organic 1 L; if you cook with olive oil daily, the 3 L tin is the best value.