Which baking oil?

Which oil should you use for baking?

You will need vegetable oil to prepare your baking mix, but the oil you use for baking is ultimately a matter of taste. In general, you should opt for a neutral-tasting oil, as it blends best with baked goods.

It is always worth checking current results from Stiftung Warentest or Ökotest. However, we prefer to use rapeseed oil (canola oil), which is tasteless and has an excellent fatty acid profile, as it contains many beneficial omega-3 fatty acids as well as other healthy oleic acids.

Rapeseed oil also regulates cholesterol levels, which has a positive effect on the heart and circulation. Compared to sunflower oil, rapeseed oil performs significantly better.

But sunflower oil is also a good baking oil; it is relatively tasteless and very rich in vitamins, especially vitamins A, B, K, and E. Sunflower oil is extracted from sunflower seeds and is characterized by a fairly mild flavor, is economical, and almost odorless.

Neutral-flavored oil

You can also use oils with a slight flavor of their own for baking. For instance, olive oil contains many good fatty acids that have a positive effect on the heart, circulation, and cells, but olive oil has a relatively strong flavor of its own.

Coconut oil is also suitable, but it also has its own strong taste. Since coconut oil is relatively expensive, it is best used sparingly and should be of organic quality. Coconut oil is extracted from coconut meat, which is crushed, dried, and then pressed in oil mills.

The coconut oil is then refined and usually sold in small jars. Incidentally, coconut oil is initially solid at room temperature, but it has a very low melting point of 24 °C, so it can become liquid in the summer.

Refined coconut oil is usually sold in blocks and has no flavor at all.

Olive oil for baking?

Olive oil is usually cold-pressed and unrefined. This gives so-called virgin olive oil a more aromatic flavor. Unlike other unrefined oils, olive oil can withstand higher temperatures and, therefore, can be used for baking without hesitation. Olive oil is a good baking oil and is primarily suitable for savory recipes and breads.

Most recipes use butter or sometimes margarine in baked goods. Especially in North America, oil is used more frequently for certain baked goods. When baking, the oil is responsible for the consistency of the baked goods, but the type of oil does not have any particular influence on this. What matters most is the flavor.

Instead of butter, use oil for baking

In principle, in most recipes, you can replace butter or margarine with oil. Since butter also contains a large amount of water, you should replace 100g of butter with only 80g of oil. The preparation method does not change.