Here at the ChipMonk Bakery we are always experimenting with new ingredients and recipes to help create the best tasting low carb, low sugar, better-for-you desserts. One of our most recent discoveries is that olive oil is an excellent addition to any keto bakers kitchen. Here’s why:

• Olive oil is a pure source of fat with no carbs!
• Olive oil is full of healthy monounsaturated fats and contains a ton of antioxidants
• Olive oil has strong anti-inflammatory properties and may even help prevent stroke
• Olive oil is not associated with weight gain or obesity, and protects against heart disease

So now that you know why olive oil can be the perfect ingredient in your next keto creation, let’s get baking. Here are three ultra-decadent low carb recipes featuring our favorite olive oil brand Entimio's Cortese Organic Olive Oil:

1. Keto Salted Chocolate Olive Oil Mousse Recipe

Recipe adapted from KetoDietApp

Keto Chocolate Mousse Ingredients:

• 4 large eggs, separated (use pasteurized)
• 1 ¹/₂ bars 90% dark chocolate (150 g/ 5.3 oz)
• ¹/₃ cup Entimio Cortese Extra Virgin Olive Oil (80 ml/ 2.7 fl oz)
• ¹/₂ tsp sea salt
• 4 tbsp AlluMonk Sweetener (40 g/ 1.4 oz)
• ¹/₂ tsp vanilla bean powder or 1-2 tsp sugar-free vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Break the chocolate into pieces.
   
2. Place the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until smooth.
   
3. Slowly add the olive oil, in a drizzle, whisking the whole time. Once the oil is combined, set the chocolate mixture aside to cool. Note that if you add the oil all at once, it will separate and refuse to come together. I tell you this from experience.
4. Place the egg yolks in a small mixer bowl and beat them until pale and creamy.
   
5. Place the egg whites into a larger bowl and whisk them until soft peaks form, then add the vanilla powder and then AlluMonk Sweetener in small amounts, whisking well in between additions.
6. Fold the chocolate mixture through the egg yolks gently. Take the chocolate and yolk mixture and fold it very gently through the egg whites.
   
7. Spoon the mousse into serving glasses. This makes six servings, but I only had four pretty glasses, so the other two servings were in different glasses.
   Now, if you needed to, you could eat this straight away. It is thick enough to eat with a spoon at this point, but I recommend placing it in the fridge for two hours to firm it up even further.
   
8. Store in the refrigerator for up to five days. The outside of the mousse will discolour slightly if exposed to the air in the fridge, so try to cover them with cling wrap.

2. Low Carb Chocolate Olive Oil Cake

Recipe Adapted from KetOhh

Chocolate Olive Oil Cake Ingredients:

Ingredients: 

• 2 cups almond meal/almond flour
• 1 cup Entimio Cortese Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 eggs
• 3/4 cup boiling water with 1-2 tspns instant coffee
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 4 tablespoons AlluMonk sweetener
• pinch salt

Optional Chocolate Ganache Ingredients

• 100 mls /3.5 oz full fat pure cream/pouring cream
• 75 gms /2.6 oz of dark chocolate 80% couveture or more

Instructions

Make the Cake

1. Preheat the oven to 150 C/300 F fan forced. Prepare an 8" or 9“ spring pan with butter and baking paper
2. Combine almond meal, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and mix well.
3. Blend the coffee with the boiling water
4. Beat the eggs, sweetener, vanilla extract and olive oil for 2 minutes.
5. Add the coffee mix and beat till blended. Add the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Mix well to form a smooth batter.
6. Spoon into the cake pan and bake for 40- 45 minutes or until just cooked through. The sides will look set but the centre can still be slightly moist and crumbs should stick slightly to a skewer placed in the centre of the cake.
7. Allow the cake to cool in the tin or you can serve it while it is still warm.  To top the cake with Chocolate Ganache, follow the instructions below

To Make the Chocolate Ganache

1. Heat up the cream just to below the boil (don't boil it or you will end up with lumps in it.) Remove from heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has blended with the cream and allow to cool before using.
2. Drizzle the ganache on the cake before it thickens for a drizzle finish, or allow the ganache to cool in the fridge to a slightly thicker consistency before spreading over  the cake. This is enough ganache for a thin coating on top of the cake. (Note that you can make a stiffer ganache by increasing the amount of chocolate you add)

To Serve

• This cake tastes lovely served fresh from the oven with some fresh whipped cream or marscapone.
  
  
• Add the ganache for a little more decadence and serve with fresh whipped cream
  
  
• For a delicious simple hot dessert that is a bit pudding like, simply zap the cake in the microwave for a few seconds to warm it up and serve with whipped cream.

3. Keto Lemon Pound Cake

Recipe Adapted from Stem & Spoon

Lemon Pound Cake Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 1/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (about large 2 lemons)
• 1/3 cup Entimio Cortese Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 eggs (pasture-raised when possible)
• 1/3 cup unsweetened, full-fat coconut cream (the thick cream at the top of a can of coconut milk)
• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup AlluMonk Sweetener
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan by lining it with parchment paper, leaving parchment hanging over the sides as wings (this will help you lift it out after baking). Rub a bit of oil on the opposite ends of the pan that don't have parchment.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, vanilla, eggs, and coconut cream. Whisk the wet ingredients together until well-combined.
3. Pour in the almond flour, coconut flour, monk fruit sweetener, baking soda and baking powder (you can add it directly to the wet mixture or stir it together first in a separate bowl- either way is fine). Stir the dry ingredients into the wet mixture until it's all combined and no streaks remain in the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake it at 350°F for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. If the keto lemon pound cake browned on top after about 35-40 minutes but still needs to bake longer, place a single sheet of parchment over the top of it and continue baking. This will prevent the top from browning too much.
5. Remove from the oven when done and allow it to cool completely before lifting it out of the pan.

We hope you enjoyed learning more about why olive oil is the perfect ingredient for your next keto baking project. If you’d like more awesome keto and healthy lifestyle content, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter. And if you’re looking for even more delicious keto recipes be sure to head over to our blog where we add new recipes weekly. Thanks for dropping by!