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    Home » Olive Oil » Can You Substitute Olive Oil for Butter in a Roux?

    Can You Substitute Olive Oil for Butter in a Roux?

    Published: Jun 1, 2021 by Eric Samuelson

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Learn whether or not you can substitute olive oil for butter when making a roux. Great to know when you have run out of butter but want to make a sauce.

    A pot with a white Béchamel Sauce in it with a whisk that is stirring the sauce. At the top in a maroon colored box the words say "Can You Substitute Olive Oil for Butter in a Roux?"

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    Isn't it super annoying when you are about to make a recipe and you realize you are missing just one ingredient.

    Sometimes that one ingredient can be key and you can't really do the recipe without it - you can't make a chicken parmesan without chicken!

    In most cases I think a substitute can be made. It's learning the amount you need to use, what effect it will have on cooking the dish, and how it will impact the final flavor.

    Today, we are going to look at the situation in which you need to make a roux to make a sauce and realize that you are without butter. Is olive oil a good replacement?

    Jump to:
    • ❔ Does Olive Oil Make a Good Roux?
    • ❓ Does It Taste Like Olive Oil?
    • 🥣 Béchamel Sauce
    • 🛒 Ingredients
    • 📋 Instructions
    • 👨‍🍳 Other Sauces to Try
    • Olive Oil Béchamel Sauce

    ❔ Does Olive Oil Make a Good Roux?

    The quick answer is yes. Combining olive oil and flour will work for successfully thickening your sauce.

    I never thought of making a roux with anything but butter. That was until I was down in New Orleans, and I learned about gumbo making. Typically gumbo is made using a roux of flour and oil, not butter. That roux is a dark roux is cooked for a long time until it's very dark red or brown.

    You can use whatever olive oil you have on hand including extra virgin. I don't think you need an oil with a higher smoke point (like vegetable oil) as you don't want your burner set to anything higher than medium heat. It's easy to burn a roux if your heat is too high.

    Sometimes you might want to just sub olive oil for butter if your sauce is already a dairy-heavy sauce.

    When your roux recipe calls for butter, you can substitute olive oil at a 1:1 ratio.

    ❓ Does It Taste Like Olive Oil?

    Not really. When olive oil is cooked, I find that the fruity notes are diminished.

    I don't think you should use olive oil just for the flavor. If you want that flavor drizzle a little bit on top of your dish.

    💡 Tip - Don't have any olive oil either? You can use an animal fat to make a roux as well. I once used leftover bacon grease for my mac & cheese when I was out of butter and it made for some good mac & cheese with a smoky flavor.

    🥣 Béchamel Sauce

    Unlike gumbo, béchamel is made from a light roux or white roux. It will thicken better and produce a lighter colored sauce. Most of the time when I am making a béchamel sauce it is the base for mac & cheese. I make the sauce, then add in shredded sharp cheddar cheese at the end.

    When I do make mac & cheese I like to make more of a blonde roux. This adds a little more nutty flavor but you do need more of it, as it's thickening power is a little less.

    Below you will a recipe for a light béchamel sauce with olive oil that has some parmesan and nutmeg added to it. It's a simple easy sauce to make.

    🛒 Ingredients

    Here is what you will need to make a simple olive oil based Béchamel.

    • Extra virgin olive oil
    • All purpose flour
    • Whole milk
    • Kosher salt
    • Freshly cracked white pepper
    • Grated whole nutmeg
    • Parmesan cheese

    If you haven't tried nutmeg in a savor dish before, you need to. It's good for more than baking with at Christmas time. It's really good on asparagus.

    Burlap and Barrel Fermented White Pepper in a jar with a grinder lid in front of all white background.

    I also like using white pepper for this dish instead of black, because then you don't have black specks in your sauce. Plus I like the flavor of Burlap & Barrel's Fermented White Peppercorns.

    📖 RELATED - Cooking with Olive Oil vs. Vegetable Oil

    📋 Instructions

    Here are step by step instructions.

    Step 1 shows olive oil in the bottom of a large pot
Step 2 shows a tablespoon of flour over top of the pot along with a whisk in the pot.

    Start by adding the olive oil to the pot over medium heat. I like to use a large pot so that I have plenty of space to stir without splattering. And when the milk eventually starts to boil, it can easily boil over if you aren't looking.

    Then add in the flour once the oil starts to shimmer.

    🧮 Here is the ratio to use - 1 tablespoon flour to 1 tablespoon oil

    Step 3 shows the oil and flour combined. It's turning a blonde color.
Step 4 shows all the milk added and a whisk stirring up the milk and flour combo.

    Stir the oil and flour until combined. Cook for about 20-30 seconds, stirring to keep it from sticking or burning. You want to just cook out the raw flour taste.

    Add in about ¼ cup of the whole milk. Stir to mix in the flour/oil. Then add in the rest of the milk.

    Step 5 shows a spoon over top the pot. It has been dumped into the pot and turned off showing the back of the spoon coated in the sauce. 
Step 6 a Microplane zester over top of the pot with a piece of fresh nutmeg on top being grated into the sauce.

    Cook until the milk comes to a just a boil. It should take 3-5 minutes. Don't let it boil over. Keep cooking until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. The sauce will thicken up more as it cools. It may not look thick enough at first, but trust me it will work.

    Now add in the Parmesan cheese, pepper, and salt. I grate the nutmeg with a Microplane Zester directly over the pot.

    A plate of seaweed pasta covered in a Asparagus pesto sauce with shaved parmesan on top and asparagus tips. The plate has a brown line around the edge and is sitting on a brown place mat.

    👨‍🍳 Other Sauces to Try

    Here are some other sauces from my blog you'll want to try out.

    • Asparagus Pesto
    • Spinach & Arugula Pesto
    • Pumpkin Spaghetti Sauce
    • Pumpkin Pasta Sauce
    • Mustard Sauce for Beef
    • Basil Alfredo Sauce
    • Cacio e Pepe

    Olive Oil Béchamel Sauce

    A simple Béchamel sauce made with olive oil and parmesan cheese.
    No ratings yet
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Pasta
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 20 minutes
    Author: Eric Samuelson

    Ingredients

    • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 1 tbsp all purpose flour
    • 2 cups whole milk
    • ¼ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
    • ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
    • kosher salt to taste
    • freshly cracked white pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Set a pot over medium heat. Add the olive oil.
    • When it starts to shimmer, then add in the flour. Whisk to combine. Allow to cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
    • Add in ¼ cup of the milk. Mix to combine.
    • Add in the remaining 1 ¾ cups of milk. Stir to combine.
    • Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
    • Remove from the heat.
    • Stir in the parmesan cheese. Grate the nutmeg into the pot.
    • Add kosher salt and white pepper to taste.
    • Serve with your favorite pasta.

    Notes

    The sauce might look too thin when you pull it from the heat, but as it cools a little it will thicken up to be the perfect consistency. 
    If it ends up being too thick for your liking, slowly add in a little bit of water or milk. Then check the seasonings again.
    Tried this recipe?Mention @eatlikenooneelse or tag #eatlikenooneelse
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    Hi! I'm Eric : Father of 4, living just south of Ann Arbor, MI. I'm a reformed picky eater finding a new way to not conform. Eating what's in season is my jam (I also make it!)

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