Hazelnut Free Garlic Basil Herb Oil
There is something deeply satisfying about a homemade herb oil that smells this good — warm garlic, woodsy rosemary and thyme, and a hit of fresh basil all steeped together into something you'll want to drizzle on absolutely everything. Store-bought flavored oils can be a minefield when you're avoiding tree nuts, since shared facilities and vague labeling make it hard to know exactly what's in the bottle. Making your own at home means you control every single ingredient, and this one keeps it beautifully simple: just olive oil, fresh herbs, garlic, and a pinch of sea salt. The technique is gentle — a low, slow warm on the stovetop coaxes the garlic to pale gold without burning, then the basil steeps off the heat so it stays vibrant and fragrant rather than bitter. Straining everything out leaves you with a silky, jewel-toned oil that looks like it came from a fancy deli counter. Use it as a dipping oil for crusty bread, spoon it over roasted vegetables, finish a bowl of pasta, or brush it onto grilled proteins — it genuinely elevates almost anything it touches. It keeps in the fridge for up to five days, so one small batch goes a surprisingly long way.
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Learn more →Ingredients
8 servings
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, lightly smashed and peeled
- ½ cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil, smashed garlic cloves, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprigs in a small saucepan. Set over the lowest heat your burner allows and warm until the oil reaches a gentle, lazy sizzle around the garlic — small bubbles forming slowly at the edges of the cloves, about 8–10 minutes. The garlic should turn pale golden and fragrant but not brown; if it begins to color quickly, lift the pan off the heat for 30 seconds.
- 2
Remove the pan from the heat and add the fresh basil leaves, pressing them gently into the warm oil with a spoon. Let the basil steep in the residual heat for 5 minutes, until the leaves are wilted and the oil is bright green-tinged and fragrant.
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