Black Pepper Free Garlic-Infused Olive Oil
Garlic-infused olive oil is one of those kitchen staples that quietly transforms everything it touches — drizzled over roasted vegetables, stirred into pasta, or used as a dipping base for crusty bread. For anyone navigating a black pepper sensitivity, it can be surprisingly tricky to find flavored oils at the store that don't sneak in peppercorns or spice blends. Making it yourself means you control every single ingredient, and here there are exactly two: good extra-virgin olive oil and fresh garlic. The technique is all about patience and low heat — keeping the oil at a gentle 200°F lets the garlic slowly release its sweet, mellow depth without scorching or turning bitter. That careful temperature control is what separates a truly silky, fragrant result from something harsh. Once strained and chilled, the finished oil keeps for up to a week and adds bold, savory flavor to just about anything without a single ingredient you need to worry about.
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Learn more →Ingredients
16 servings
- 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
Instructions
- 1
Combine the olive oil and smashed garlic cloves in a small saucepan over the lowest heat setting your stove allows.
- 2
Heat gently until the oil reaches 200°F (93°C) on an instant-read thermometer — small, lazy bubbles will form around the garlic and the oil will smell fragrant. Do not let the oil simmer vigorously or the garlic will brown and turn bitter; adjust the heat down if needed. Maintain this temperature for 10 minutes.
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