Tips on baking with essential oils

Cooking with essential oils is a great way to make delicious food easier, but there are a few things you should know.

When the essential oil trend began, it may have been your initial exposure to them. However, essential oils have been around for thousands of years! We are merely rediscovering their incredible properties. You might know about their therapeutic benefits or have heard about their versatility in nearly any DIY project you can think of, but essential oils also hold untapped potential in the realm of baking!

But even if you're an essential oil expert, there are a few things you should know before you bring them into the kitchen.

1. You can't just use any old essential oils in your sweet treats; food grade essential oils are made specifically to be used in the kitchen. Other kinds of essential oils are not safe for consumption.

   Some types and flavors of oils should never be used in food. If you're uncertain about the safety of your essential oils, it's likely best to avoid using them.

2. Store your essential oils in dark glass and away from direct light. Essential oils coming in contact with too much light, heat, and humidity will compromise them and make them unsafe. If necessary, store them in the refrigerator.

3. Avoid plastic with essential oils. When choosing the bakeware you are using (or even the stirring bowls), it's important to keep in mind the material of the bakeware. Plastic and essential oils don't usually mix. While different essential oils will react in different ways with different types of plastics, it's better to be safe than sorry and just avoid plastic kitchen utensils when using essential oils.

4. Add the essential oils last. The longer your essential oils are exposed to heat, the less therapeutic they are. This rule of thumb is especially true for baked goods. The essential oils will still retain their amazing flavours. But with all of the benefits that come with using these practically magical elixirs, who would want to make it harder to reap their benefits?

5. Less it more. Essential oils are incredibly strong -- several times stronger than alcohol-based essences and extracts. About 1 to 2 drops is about all you will need for anything you're baking. If you aren't sure how much you should be using or you are modifying a recipe to use essential oils, it's always best to start out small. You can add more later if the flavour isn't strong enough.

6. Dilute your essential oils. Before using your essential oils in your cooking, you should dilute them in some form of fat. Coconut oil, olive oil, or honey work just fine for this; diluting your oils will help the fragrances and flavours spread through your baked goods more evenly.