How to Bake With Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil is a healthy cooking oil that is composed of 79 percent monounsaturated fat, 7 percent polyunsaturated fat and 14 percent saturated fat, which is almost the same composition as extra-virgin olive oil. In moderation, unsaturated fats can lower your risk of developing heart disease. Baking is one way to add sunflower oil to your diet. Sunflower oil has a high smoke point, which is the temperature past which an oil becomes unhealthy to consume. Because of the high smoke point, sunflower oil is suited for high-temperature baking. Sunflower oil has a mild flavor which will complement baked goods, unlike stronger oils like olive.

Add sunflower oil to whole-grain bread for extra nutrition. (Image: AlexPro9500/iStock/Getty Images)

Step 1

Substitute sunflower oil for butter or shortening in cookie, cake or brownie recipes. Oil can create a different, denser consistency, but you can correct that by using three parts of oil in place of every four parts of solid fat like butter or shortening. Also, if you add additional sugar and eggs, you will achieve a fluffier texture.

Step 2

Use sunflower oil instead of shortening or butter in pie crusts and pastries. Once again, this will change the consistency and you will achieve a less flaky crust. Nonetheless, a crust made with sunflower oil is much healthier. You avoid the trans fat from shortening and the saturated fat from butter, which both increase your risk of heart disease.

Step 3

Utilize sunflower oil in homemade bread recipes. In a recipe for two small round loaves or one large loaf of yeast bread, simply use 2 tbsp. in addition to 1 tsp. of sunflower oil. Use this instead of butter or any other fat the recipe calls for.