21 Unexpected Olive Oil Desserts to Try Now

Butter and cream may reign supreme when it comes to adding richness to desserts, but why let dairy have all the glory? Fruity or floral, peppery or nutty, olive oil is a versatile choice for creating exceptionally moist and tender baked goods, luscious fillings and frostings, and sophisticated finishing touches — all while imparting subtle Mediterranean flavor. Here, we’ve gathered a selection of our favorite olive oil desserts, from silky ice cream to spicy ginger cookies and an array of cakes, both simple and showstopping. Consider this your invitation to bake (and drizzle) generously.

Chocolate–Olive Oil Cake

Julia Stotz

This rich, moist single-layer cake from Ana Borrajo balances bittersweet chocolate with the fruity notes of extra-virgin olive oil, plus a subtle (and optional) kick of cayenne. Whipped egg whites keep the texture surprisingly light and fudgy. Top with a sprinkle of flaky salt and a dollop of whipped cream.

Peach and Tomato Buckle

Cedric Angeles

Light olive oil accentuates the savory-sweetness of this buckle from Gramercy Tavern’s former pastry chef Miro Uskokovic, which combines juicy peaches and Sun Gold tomatoes under a crunchy almond streusel — perfect from brunch to dessert.

Olive Oil Cake with Buttercream Frosting and Sour Candied Oranges

Photo by Sarah Crowder / Food Styling by Drew Aichele

Pastry chef Paola Velez makes olive oil cake with earthy buckwheat flour, frosts it with vanilla buttercream, then garnishes it with edible flowers and chewy, tangy candied orange slices for this showstopping dessert.

Olive Oil Ice Cream

Victor Protasio

Made with only dairy, sugar, and salt, the grassy flavor of quality olive oil shines in this perfectly silky ice cream. Simply whisk the ingredients together and heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then chill and churn.

Olive Oil Bundt Cake

Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Lauren McAnelly / Prop Styling by Sue Mitchell

Use Frankies 457 olive oil from Sicily to make this cake how chef Will Prunty intended. Finely grated orange zest and the fruity EVOO bring plenty of flavor.

Lemon-Olive Oil Cream Meringue Tart

Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall

Pastry icon Claudia Fleming turns lemon meringue pie into a sophisticated tart with a shortbread-like crust, a rich lemon-olive oil cream filling, and a marshmallowy Italian meringue topping.

Spicy Olive Oil Molasses Ginger Cookies

Olive oil gives baker and cookbook author Tanya Bush’s spicy oversized cookies a fudgy interior and a crunchy outside, while crystallized ginger — dotted throughout every bite — adds textural variability.

Vanilla-Scented Cornmeal Cake with Olive Oil Buttercream

Sam Aguirre-Kelly

Stone-ground cornmeal and sour cream bring a little character to this rich single-layer vanilla cake from pastry chef Bronwen Wyatt. The European-style buttercream is bolstered with a bit of olive oil for extra silkiness and a slightly fruity flavor — go for a simple spread across the exterior, or use a pastry bag to pipe fanciful designs.

Pine Nut Olive Oil Cake

PHOTO:Jose Mandojana / FOOD STYLING ROBYN VALARIK / PROP STYLING CHRISTINE WOLHEIM

This pretty plated dessert is an autumnal delight. Fruity olive oil and rich pine nuts shine in a simple, elegant cake that’s served alongside crisp, wafer-thin tuiles, warmly spiced persimmons, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Lemon Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Torie Cox / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen

This sunny lemon cake is made in just one bowl, harnessing the flavors of honey and olive oil to enhance the tart citrus. Lemon juice and zest in the fluffy frosting accent the tangy cream cheese.

Lemon-Olive Oil Semifreddo with Blueberry Compote

Photo by Antonis Achilleos / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall

Make this bright semifreddo from a base of olive oil-enriched lemon cream, then top with a simple blueberry compote. You can freeze the semifreddo for up to three days before you intend to serve it, so it’s a great dessert for a party.

Fresh Figs With Labneh and Carob Molasses

Photo by Heami Lee / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Top a layer of labneh with this geometric bloom of fresh figs in 15 minutes. Serve with carob molasses, olive oil, toasted sesame seeds and hazelnuts, and a shower of black pepper for a simple and striking finish to a rich meal.

Chocolate-Cherry Focaccia

Christopher Testani / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Christine Keely

Tart dried cherries and bittersweet chocolate are folded into a cocoa-inflected dough adorned with fresh rosemary, fruity olive oil, turbinado sugar, and flaky sea salt. Once the bread emerges from the oven, more chocolate is strewn over the top; a dusting of powdered sugar makes it ready to serve alongside cherry balsamic for dipping.

Sweet Peach Olive Oil Cake

You’ll only need three ripe peaches, a bottle of flavorful extra-virgin olive oil, and pantry staples to make Kristen Kish’s summery riff on her Top Chef–winning olive oil cake.

Apple and Olive Oil Bundt Cake

Christopher Testani

This bundt cake, tender and flavorful from olive oil and packed with chunks of Granny Smith apples, is a fall favorite for Seattle baker Rachel Coyle. Using Italian apple cakes as the blueprint, she adds complexity with cardamom and grated orange zest.

Olive Oil-Thyme Cake with Figs and Black Pepper

The unexpected flavors of olive oil, thyme, and black pepper tie together pastry chef Elizabeth Dahl’s tender, fig-topped cake; a dollop of tangy crème fraîche brings balance to the sweet fruit.

Olive Oil Cake with Honey-Yogurt Cream and Strawberries

Eric Wolfinger

This dense and moist cake includes olive oil and almond flour in the batter. It’s the perfect base for a tangy yogurt whipped cream and lots of juicy strawberries.

Karithopita (Greek Walnut and Olive Oil Cake with Orange Syrup)

Fragrant with olive oil, walnuts, and warm spices, this cake is lightened by whipped egg whites and made extra moist with the addition of Greek yogurt. It’s served with a sweet-tart citrus syrup for tangy pops of color.

Yogurt Panna Cotta with Marmalade and Olive Oil

Peter Frank Edwards

This tangy gelatin-thickened Italian custard is made with both cream and Greek yogurt. To serve, it’s dolloped with orange marmalade, drizzled with fruity extra-virgin olive oil, and topped with a pinch of flaky sea salt.

Ligurian Olive Oil Cake

Unlike the robust, peppery olive oils of other Italian regions, Ligurian olive oil is smooth and delicate. Here, its sweet, nutty notes complement the light, citrus-scented crumb of 1995 F&W Best New Chef Anne Quatrano’s simple single-layer cake.

Apricot-Tarragon Cocktail Cookies

Use plump, dried Turkish apricots for these treats that can be baked in advance. One reader called legendary baker Dorie Greenspan’s cookies, made with a combination of butter and olive oil, “a nice, sophisticated nosh.”