These olive oil sugar cookies are soft and chewy on the inside with crisp golden edges. They have a unique flavor since they are made with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter, which also makes them dairy free!
All out of butter? Make these olive oil cookies! They have a unique bright, herbaceous, and fruity flavor from the extra virgin olive oil. They're an unexpected yet delicious twist on the classic sugar cookie recipe.
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For more cookie recipes, try almond spritz cookies, chocolate chipless cookies, eggless double chocolate chip cookies, birthday cake sugar cookies, or lavender sugar cookies.
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You'll Love This Recipe
- Subtle olive oil flavor- Extra virgin olive oil gives these cookies a bright and grassy taste, makes the centers extra gooey, and makes the edges super crisp. Don't worry though, the olive oil flavor is quite subtle. If you want a stronger flavor, choose a more bold variety of olive oil!
- Soft and chewy- Molasses, an extra egg yolk, and the olive oil make the cookies irresistibly chewy and soft!
- Easy to make- The cookie dough is mixed by hand! You don't need to add any chill time, so you'll have a batch of chewy sugar cookies done in 20 minutes!
Key Ingredient Notes
- Extra virgin olive oil- Choose a high quality olive oil for this recipe since the flavor really comes through! I used Filippo Berio Extra Virgin Olive Oil in testing, but I also recommend California Olive Ranch and Carapelli. I highly recommend making my lemon olive oil cupcakes too!
- Molasses- This ingredient is a little unexpected but makes the cookies extra soft and with a warm flavor like brown sugar. Don't use blackstrap molasses for these cookies because it's too strong.
- Egg and egg yolk- An egg binds the ingredients together and promotes the cookies to rise and spread. The extra egg yolk makes cookies super rich with an extra chewy center.
- All purpose flour- This type of flour gives the cookies the best texture. I always recommend measuring flour in grams with a kitchen scale or using the spoon and level method for accuracy!
For the full list of ingredients and quantities, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Ingredient Additions
- Nuts: Try adding toasted chopped walnuts, pistachios, or pecans to the cookie dough for crunch.
- Citrus: Olive oil pairs so well with citrus, so try adding a little orange zest or lemon zest to the dough. You only need a tablespoon or 2. A simple lemon glaze (ยฝ cup powdered sugar mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice) would also be delicious.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Whisk the olive oil and sugar together in a large mixing bowl. Then, whisk in the vanilla extract, molasses, egg, and egg yolk until well combined.
Step 2: Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the wet ingredients. Gently fold them in until there are no dry patches of flour.
Step 3: With a large cookie scoop, scoop 6-8 cookie dough balls onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Leave 2-3 inches between each cookie dough ball so they have room to spread. Bake until the edges are slightly golden brown and the middles look slightly underdone.
Step 4: Take the olive oil cookies out of the oven and let them cool on the hot tray for a bit. Then carefully transfer to a wire rack and cool completely for 30 minutes.
Top Baking Tips
- Don't over mix. Overmixing causes flat and dense cookies. Mix just until the dry streaks of flour disappear for the best texture.
- Check your oven temperature. If you're having issues with your cookies being under or overdone, you may want to check your oven temperature. Not all ovens are calibrated the same, so the baking time may be slightly different. You can check to make sure your oven is heating properly with an oven thermometer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely! You can use a 2 tablespoon cookie scoop. They will bake up quicker, so I recommend checking them for doneness around 7 minutes.
Yes! They freeze well in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Make sure they're completely cool before freezing.
Definitely, and it's a great way to have dough prepped whenever a cookie craving strikes! Scoop the dough balls on a parchment-linedย cookie sheet and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour or until firm. Then transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 month. Bake them straight from frozen, adding 1-2 extra minutes of bake time.
You may have added too much flour. Make sure to measure your flour properly with a food scale or by spooning flour into a measuring cup and leveling off the excess. Try using a silicone baking mat or banging the pan of hot cookies on the counter a few times to encourage spreading.
Storage Tips
Store the olive oil cookies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure the cookies have cooled completely before storing. If they're still warm, condensation will form inside the container and make them soggy.
More Cookie Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Olive Oil Sugar Cookies
Equipment
- 1 large cookie scoop 3 tablespoons
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Ingredients
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ยฝ teaspoon molasses dark or blackstrap
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 1 egg yolk room temperature
- 2 ยพ cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ยฝ teaspoon baking powder
- ยฝ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350ยฐF/180C.
- Whisk the olive oil and sugar together in a large mixing bowl, creaming together until well combined. Then mix in the vanilla, molasses, egg, and egg yolk until well combined.1 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1 cup granulated sugar, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract, ยฝ teaspoon molasses, 1 large egg, 1 egg yolk
- In a separate mixing bowl, whisk the all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.2 ยพ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ยฝ teaspoon baking powder, ยฝ teaspoon salt
- Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl of wet ingredients and gently fold with a rubber spatula until only a few streaks of flour are left. Pour in the rest of the dry ingredients and fold until no streaks of flour remain.
- Scoop 6 cookie dough balls on each prepared baking tray, leaving 2-3 inches between. Bake for 11-14 minutes or until the edges are slightly golden brown. Let the trays cool before transferring the cookies to a wire cooling rack and enjoy!
Gloria Millner
Recipe says it makes 16 cookies. Directions call for 6 cookies on each cookie sheet. I assumed 8 cookies on each sheet.
Megan Weimer
I used a quarter cookie sheet, so 6 cookies fit on each sheet. If you have a half sheet pan, 8 will fit on each.
BB
Megan, thanks for sharing this recipe, these cookies are so good! I didnt have any vanilla or molasses so I just subbed with honey and a dash of cinnamon and they are now considered a staple ๐ I am thinking of adding some hemp hearts I have but am hoping they wont absorb too much and make the cookies dry, any advice?
Serena
Iโm making these later today for the first time. Do I need molasses for the structure or just taste? I never buy it but I love that this is butter-free so I want this to be my go-to cookie recipe. Thx!
Megan Weimer
It's mostly for flavor! You should be able to make them without it. Let me know how it goes!