Essential Oil Recipes

Now that you’ve learned about the best ways to use essential oils for cooking, here are a few recipes that will help you practice. Remember, cooking with essential oils takes a little experimentation to perfect, but the possibilities are endless!

Beverages 

Adding essential oils to beverages is one of the easiest ways to enjoy their potent, refreshing flavors. When you want to brighten up any of your favorite drinks, here are a few ideas for adding essential oils to beverages:

Water 

Adding one to two drops of an essential oil to your water is a simple way to make a flavorful drink. Whether you are looking for a creative way to increase your daily water intake, want to cut down on soda or sugary drinks, or just want to reap the internal benefits of a particular oil, adding essential oils to your water is one of the most effective ways to enjoy essential oils.
• Add a drop or two of Lemon oil to a glass of water when fresh lemons aren’t available
• If you are trying to drink less soda or sugary drinks, add essential oils to your water for powerful flavor
• Add invigorating essential oils to your water in the morning to give you a refreshing jump start
• Put a drop of Cassia oil in your water when hiking, for hydration
• Add one drop of Cinnamon oil with honey to hot water and sip slowly to soothe the throat*
• Place a drop of Lime oil in a glass of water for enhanced flavor and antioxidant support*
• Combine Melaleuca, Peppermint, and Lemon oil in your water glass and drink to freshen the breath.

Tea 

If you like drinking tea, essential oils provide a natural way to add a variety of flavors to your beverage— making tea time infinitely more fun. Only a small amount of essential oil will be required to provide your tea mixture with potent flavor, so make sure that you do not add too much, especially if you are drinking from a small cup or using strong oils.

Which essential oils go best with tea?

• Bergamot 
• Cinnamon 
• Fennel 
• Lemon 
• Peppermint 
• Roman Chamomile

Other Beverages 

While adding essential oils to a glass of water or cup of tea provides a simple way to use essential oils to enhance your beverage, you can add an essential oil to practically any beverage to enhance the flavor.

Essential oils also work well in smoothies, slushies, lemonades, hot chocolate, and many more of your favorite drinks.

Marinades 

Because essential oils can provide sweet, savory, potent flavors, they make the perfect addition to your favorite marinades. Whether you are marinating meat, vegetables, seafood, or anything else you plan to cook up, adding essential oils will give your dish an extra dose of flavor. The amount of essential oil that you add to your marinade will depend on what you are marinating, how long the food will marinate in the mixture, and how much liquid the marinade has. However, it is best to add a small amount of essential oil to your marinade— start with one drop for most essential oils, and work your way up from there. 

Which are the best essential oils for marinades?

• Basil 
• Black Pepper 
• Cardamom 
• Cilantro 
• Cumin 
• Fennel 
• Ginger 
• Lemon 
• Lime 
• Marjoram 
• Oregano 
• Rosemary

The following essential oil-infused marinades work well with chicken, fish, beef, pork, shrimp, vegetables, and more.

Baked Goods 

Using essential oils when baking provides a simple way to add extra flavor to your favorite desserts, breads, and anything else you like to make in the oven. Whether you want to add a hint of flavor to your favorite cookie recipe, or provide a dessert recipe with a healthy twist, essential oils will definitely come in handy when making baked goods. Remember, when essential oils are baked, much of the oil will evaporate because of the heat. For this reason, it is best to add a little more oil to your mixture before placing it in the oven. Keep in mind that strong oils should still be used in small amounts, but oils with a milder chemistry can be used generously to ensure that the flavor survives the baking process.