Abstract In the search for alternative wall materials to replace gum Arabic (GA), a good but expensive encapsulating agent, this work aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of maltodextrin 10DE in combination with GA (GA/MD, 50:50 ratio) for the microencapsulation of grape seed oil by spray drying. The addition of maltodextrin to gum Arabic did not influence the mean particle diameter, powder bulk density, encapsulation efficiency or the total oil retained in the microspheres. Although the oil encapsulated with GA showed greater retention of phenolic compounds after spray drying, the sample encapsulated with GA/MD had greater ferric reduction antioxidant power and DPPH radical scavenging activity, and a lower peroxide index.