Olive oil lends a luxurious mouthfeel to drinks and frozen desserts. Nutritionally, olive oil’s benefits have long been celebrated. The plant-based oil is a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which can help cholesterol numbers, and research has linked its consumption to health benefits including reduced inflammation and improved […]
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Nutritionally, olive oil’s benefits have long been celebrated. The plant-based oil is a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, which can help cholesterol numbers, and research has linked its consumption to health benefits including reduced inflammation and improved heart health. No wonder olive oil is central to the Mediterranean diet, one of the healthiest eating patterns that research has identified.
From a culinary standpoint, however, olive oil’s use has traditionally been more limited. It’s primarily used for cooking other foods. “Using olive oil in place of less healthy fats such as butter is one of the simplest and healthiest changes you can make to your current diet,” says Kelly Kennedy, RDN, Everyday Health staff nutritionist. “Extra-virgin olive oil, or EVOO, is generally considered the healthiest option, because it is unrefined and research shows it contains the most antioxidants and polyphenols,” she says, referring to the plant-based compounds that are responsible for most of oil’s healthy benefits.
If you appreciate olive oil’s nuances, you may want to try using it to finish a dish: a drizzle over roasted vegetables or a splash in soup before digging in. But few people consider using olive oil as a star ingredient unto itself, which may be why there was such an outcry when coffee chain Starbucks announced the debut of an EVOO-infused coffee drink in February 2023. The drink, christened Oleato, may be intended to appeal to fans of bulletproof coffee, the infamous mixture of coffee and butter that’s popular among fans of trendy diets like intermittent fasting and the ketogenic and paleo diets. For now, however, it’s only available in select Starbucks locations, so if you’re curious about using olive oil in brave new ways, the following recipes give it a starring role in desserts, zero-proof cocktails, and more.
