Can You Mix Olive Oil With Vegetable Oil?

Olive oil has gained popularity lately because of its being healthy as well as it also tastes very delicious. On the other hand, vegetable oils that you use every day are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, such as oleic acid, palmitic acid, and linoleic acid. They are usually recommended for cooking and baking as they add flavor and texture to the food. But have you ever wondered whether you could mix olive and vegetable oil?

Yes, you can mix olive oil and vegetable oil safely; however, mixing them together will give you a different taste, and their fat content and nutritious value will also be different. But still, they both can be mixed and used for many purposes such as deep-frying, cooking food, baking, etc. 

Keep reading the article if you want to know how you can mix both of vegetable and olive oils as well as the health benefits and uses of mixed olive and vegetable oil.

Olive Oil VS Vegetable Oil

Olive oil and vegetable oil both are popular plant oils that are used all around the world. Both of these oils possess different uses, taste, nutrition value, and health benefits.

Olive oil is considered one of the healthy options in the market as it is better than regular vegetable oil when you compare its nutritious value. For more information about the benefits of olive oils, take a look at: Properties and Benefits olive oil.

It gives a strong fruity flavor but can only be cooked on medium heat. On the other hand, vegetable oil is highly processed as it is a mixture of one or more sources. It has a clean neutral flavor, and it can be cooked at high heat.

Below is a comparison between olive oil and vegetable oil:

Vegetable oilOlive Oil
SourceA blend of fats from different plant sources such as corn, canola, sunflower, soy, and safflowerPressed olives
Main UsesCooking, baking, fryingSalad dressing, to dip bread
Mineral and vitamin contentDepends on the oil blend but generally contains minimal trace nutrients after processingExtra virgin varsities contain high content of vitamin K and E
 High in AntioxidantsNoYes
Highly processedYesNO (the extra virgin form is least processed)
Smoke point400°F/ 205°C390°F/ 200°C

How to Mix olive oil and vegetable oil?

Suppose you have some olive oil and vegetable oil in your kitchen, and you want to mix them together just to get a different flavor and also to enjoy their health benefits but do not have any idea about the proportions of these two. In that case, we are here to help you.

Mixing ¼ of olive oil with neutral vegetable oil would be a great starting point, and since the density of both oils is less or more, you will be able to mix them easily without separation.

But if you find that mixed oil has a different flavor than your desire, then you can also lessen the quantity of olive oil.

However, if the olive oil is extra virgin, we recommend that instead of adding ¼ of a cup, try adding two tablespoons in a cup, mix it well, and then check the flavor and smoke point.

One thing to note here, avoid mixing olive oil in a type of vegetable oil that already has some olive oil in it; this is because it would throw the balance off too much and may ruin the flavor of the entire oil.

Advantages of mixing olive oil and vegetable oil

You might be wondering what advantages you can enjoy after mixing vegetable oil and olive oil; the biggest advantage that you will have is in terms of flavor. If you want to add some taste of olive oil to your food without bathing the entire thing in olive oil, mixing it with vegetable oil is a good option.

Vegetable oil has a neutral flavor; that’s why it does not give any specific flavor to food. However, by adding a splash of olive oil, you can change the flavor, but you won’t be overwhelmed by what you are trying to cook.

You can add the desired quantity of both oils to get your favorite taste, as there is not any math equation that you have to follow while mixing them. You can freely play around with different quantities until you hit the ratio that works for your meal.

Another advantage of mixing vegetable oil and olive oil is that olive oil is considered the healthier option as it has not been heavily refined. In contrast, vegetable oil has been processed a lot to make it neutral and to increase its smoke point. But olive oil can still provide you with many healthy nutrients, including antioxidants.

It means you can enjoy the benefits of olive oil by mixing it in small quantities with vegetable oil without altering the food taste.

Moreover, vegetable oil is cheaper than olive oil, and if you cook a lot of food in olive oil, it may affect your budget, so mixing it with vegetable oil can reduce your food cost and make your food cheaper and healthier.

Is there any disadvantage to mixing vegetable oil and olive oil?

No, literally no! You can mix them both and can use them safely without any worry. But you have to pay attention to the smoke point of both oils while cooking. If you are trying to make salad dressing, then there is nothing to worry about except making sure the flavor is suitable for you.

There is no such reason to avoid mixing vegetable oil and olive oil together if you want to enjoy the benefits of both. Although there are possibilities that you might not like the flavor combination, but if you love the flavor, then there is nothing to stop you.

Final thought

There is not any major problem with mixing vegetable and olive oil together; however, while mixing them, you have to be careful about smoke points and flavor. Mixed oil will provide you with better results in terms of flavor as well as health benefits.