I love baking and am recently toying around with the idea of replacing my vegetable oil for baking. I am looking for something that does not impart additional flavors.
While searching, I came across the superfood oil- avocado oil being the recent rage in baking.
Although I am aware that avocados are packed with numerous nutritional benefits, I wonder if we can use avocado oil for baking.
Can You Bake With Avocado Oil?
Yes, avocado oil is a perfect oil for baking. Apart from the numerous nutritional benefits, it has an earthy and light flavor and does not alter food taste.
It complements baking due to a high smoking point. You can also use the oil for grilling and barbeque.
Allow me to tell you a bit about avocado oil before proceeding with its advantages, disadvantages, and ways of using the oil for baking.
Avocado Oil – The Superfood
Avocado oil is one of the rare oils that is not extracted from seed but fruit pulp. There are two types of avocado oil available in the market one is unrefined and the other is refined.
Unrefined oil means it has not been processed or diluted with chemicals. These are in pure, organic form.
The refined oils undergo chemical treatments like bleaching. As these oils are processed, their color and flavor also get altered.
Avocados are superfoods that contain Oleic acid, Vit E, and antioxidants like Lutein. Oleic acid lowers monounsaturated fats, keeping cholesterol in check.
It is also very effective for high blood pressure and keeping the heart happy and healthy.
The antioxidant lutein has a positive effect on the eyes. It helps in improving and maintaining eyesight. Avocado oil also decreases the risk of eye disorders, diseases, etc.
Advantages of Using Avocado Oil for Baking
Let us proceed toward the advantages of using Avocado Oil for Baking
- Avocado Oil has a light, nutty flavor. The flavor does not change the taste of food. If you wish the baked dish to have an avocado taste, use extra virgin avocado oil.
- It has a high smoking point making it ideal for baking at high temperatures. The smoking point of avocado oil is 480° F (higher than olive oil!) This improves the heat resistance of baked goods.
- Avocado oil is extremely light and can be substituted for any oil in a one-to-one ratio.
- It has a high nutritional content as the oil is extracted from the fruit instead of the seed. It improves heart health, skin, and eyes due to its excellent absorption of beta carotene.
- Eating food containing avocado oil increase the absorption of lycopene in the body from veggies and fruits. This antioxidant improves immunity and prevents the body from inflammatory diseases and even cancer.
- You can add the oil as a topping to your baked food. Avocado oil can also be used for grilling and roasting in the oven
- The oil helps in removing fat deposition in your liver, heart, and kidney.
- Avocado oil will never turn into a solid block of oil due to unsaturated fats inside it. You can drip it down over baked goods for an enhanced flavor.
Disadvantages of Using Avocado Oil for Baking
While you may feel you have got an excellent oil for baking, avocado oil does have its share of disadvantages. Allow me to tell you about them.
- Avocado oil has a high fat content. They contain a high amount of Omega 6 fatty acids. Consuming a lot of it can harm your health. It may cause inflammation in your body. A few blood thinners like warfarin’s effectiveness decrease when you consume avocado oil.
- The oil is extremely expensive and not readily available. You will need surplus cash if you intend to bake with it every day. You also have to zero down the store where you can purchase it easily.
- Using avocado oil frequently for baking can have environmental impacts. As it is mostly produced in Mexico and then shipped to the United States, they are stored in big refrigerators contributing to large amounts of carbon dioxide emissions.
- Due to high demand, illegal deforestation is being carried out to farm avocados. It also needs a lot of water for farming, contributing to water shortage in Mexico, especially during hot seasons.
How to Use Avocado Oil for Baking
Allow me to share a few ways of using avocado oil for your baking recipes.
Avocado oils are perfect for baking recipes due to their high smoking point and mild flavor.
Here are some ways to add avocado oil to your baked goods
- You can replace butter with avocado oil while baking cookies. The quantity should be equal. The exact amount of oil should replace the quantity of butter. The result is cookies that have better moisture content. They are softer compared to cookies that are baked with butter. Some examples are choco chip cookies, vegan biscuits, chocolate brownies, etc
- You can replace any vegetable oil with avocado oil in any baking recipe. Just make sure the ratio of replacement remains 1:1. For example chocolate cake, chocolate frosting on the cake, chocolate muffins, baked kale chips, etc.
- You can also use the oil to grease or line your baking pan, molds, etc.
- Avocado oil can also be used to bake bread. All you need to do is add a few drops to the dough. After kneading, spread a layer of avocado oil over the dough surface. The neutral flavor will not overpower the taste of the bread.
- Unlike olive oil which has a strong smell and flavor, avocado oil has neither of the two. The smoking point of avocado oil is much higher compared to olive oil. Both the oils have high nutritional content.
- You can add avocado oil as a seasoning to your salad dressing or as a sauce by adding it in Mayo.
- Drizzle it over baked veggies or meat and add spices for a delicious taste. Avocado oil pairs well with red pepper.
Baking Recipes Using Avocado Oil
Let us now look into some scrumptious baking recipes using avocado oil.
Chocolate Chip Cookies Using Avocado Oil
Take a large bowl. Add half cup white sugar, half cup brown sugar, half a cup of avocado oil, one teaspoon of vanilla extract, and one egg, and whisk them together.
In another bowl, take one and a half cups of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup of cake flour, ½ spoon of baking soda, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix well.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk. Add two cups of chocolate chip cookies to the batter.
Take a small part of the batter and roll it into a ball shape. Make as many balls as you wish. Grease the baking tray and add parchment paper. Place the batter balls at a two-inch distance from each other. Bake at 350 for 8-10 mins.
Brownies Using Avocado Oil
Take a bowl. Add 1 ⁄ 2 cup of all-purpose flour, 3 ⁄ 4 teaspoon of salt, 1 ⁄ 2 cup of Coco powder (unsweetened), and one cup of white sugar. Whisk.
Add two eggs, two tablespoons of coffee concentrate, or two teaspoons of espresso powder.
Add one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Finally, add half a cup of avocado oil. Whisk well. Add two cups of chocolate chips or nuts and fold them in.
Preheat the oven for eight minutes at 350° F. Add the batter to the baking dish. Bake at 350° F for 20-25 minutes.
Banana Bread Using Avocado Oil
Take a bowl. Add four ripe bananas, one cup brown sugar, and half a cup white sugar. Whisk.
Add one cup avocado oil, one cup buttermilk, four eggs, and one teaspoon vanilla. Whisk well.
Take another bowl. Add four cups of all-purpose flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, two teaspoons of baking powder, one spoon of salt, and one spoon of ground cinnamon.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Whisk. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes.
For making banana muffins, use the same batter. Fill the muffin molds ¾ and bake for 15-20 minutes at 350F.
For more details, read the recipe here.
Orange Cake Using Avocado Oil
Whisk together half cup avocado oil, quarter cup orange juice, ½ cup maple syrup, three eggs, ¼ cup coconut cream, and the zest of one orange.
Take another bowl. Add ¼ cup of coconut flour, one teaspoon of baking soda, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and one and a half cups of almond meal.
Make sure to sift the ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the first bowl, and whisk.
Grease the cake mold with avocado oil. Place parchment paper and pour the batter. Bake at 350F for forty minutes.
It is ready when the toothpick comes out clean. For more details, read the recipe here
Conclusion
Avocado Oil is the best option for baking. This is because of its high smoking point that gives food high heat resistance. It also allows you to bake at different temperatures.
They are also light in flavor and do not overpower the smell or taste of your food.
The neutral flavor makes it perfect for cookies, cakes, bread, baked meat, and veggies.
You can also season or drizzle your baked food with it. You can use it for baking almost anything.
Apart from baking, you can add it to your salad dressings, sauces, and dips. Due to its high-fat content, I would advise you to use it in moderation.
When a baking recipe calls for vegetable oil, olive oil, butter, or canola oil, use avocado oil instead. Make sure to keep a ratio of 1:1 when replacing other oils.
Avocado oil does come with certain cons like environmental impact and high cost. However, the advantages outweigh the shortcomings. I have listed the advantages and techniques of using avocado oil for baking above.
Don’t forget to try out some of the recipes above and enjoy baking with avocado oil. All the best!
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