Vegan mayo is tasty, versatile, and so easy to make that you can do it in literally 1 minute with 6 simple ingredients.
In this post, we show you how to make a classic vegan mayo, and also how to turn it into a tangy and zesty spicy mayo, and into a garlicky vegan aioli (garlic mayo).
Check out our best vegan appetizer recipes collection!
What to expect
Vegan mayo is a thick cold sauce that you can use just like regular mayo, but that doesn't contain eggs.
Our recipe for vegan mayo is very similar in taste and texture to real mayonnaise. This is not a runny mayo made with aquafaba. It's as thick and creamy as the real deal.
It's also perfectly spreadable, and it can be used in sandwiches, hamburgers, and wraps. Try it in our vegan tuna salad, potato salad, rice salad, barley salad, with french fries, and steamed artichokes.
It can also be used as the base for other delicious vegan sauces, like spicy mayo or vegan aioli.
In this blog post, we should you how to make the best, easiest, and fastest vegan mayo you'll ever make. We will also show you how to turn it into an irresistible spicy mayo and finger-licking aioli (garlic mayo).
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Soy milk: best if unsweetened. Soy milk is the best plant-based milk to make a real-tasting vegan mayonnaise thanks to its nutritional profile and neutral flavor.
- Oils: we mix two oils together for our vegan mayo. We find that this way the mayo has a better, more neutral flavor, as the two oils balance each other out.
As a rule of thumb, we use ¾ of a light, neutral vegetable oil, ideally refined so that it has little flavor, and ¼ extra virgin olive oil to give the mayo a richer flavor and balance out the other oil.
I know you are thinking if it's really necessary to add two oils. We think it really makes a big difference in flavor and so we strongly recommend it. Adding only one type of oil will make the mayo taste too much like that oil.
Do not use coconut oil because it's saturated (solid at room temperature) and you'll make butter, not mayo. We use:
Sunflower oil: this is our favorite oil to make vegan mayo because it has a very light flavor and because you can find it everywhere at an affordable price.
For best taste, we recommend refined sunflower oil so that you can't taste its flavor in the mayo.
You can replace sunflower oil with other light refined vegetable oils, like canola oil, avocado oil, or peanut oil. But make sure they don't have a strong taste.
Olive oil: adds richness, and depth of flavor, and it reduces the flavor of the other oil so that the mayo tastes better. A good quality extra virgin is best. - Mustard: to give the mayo flavor. Regular mustard or dijon mustard both work, we usually use the cheapest squeeze mustard and the mayo turns out great.
- Lemon juice: to add acidity and tanginess that is so perfect in mayonnaise. You can replace lemon juice with apple cider vinegar, or white vinegar.
- Salt: necessary to add taste. Sea salt, table salt, or kosher salt are all good. You can also add black pepper if you like, although we prefer not to add it to keep our mayo super smooth.
- Sweetener: we don't add any sweetener to our vegan mayo. If you like your mayo with a hint of sweetness then add a little maple syrup.
For spicy mayo
- Maple syrup: for a touch of sweetness, you can replace it with agave syrup or any other syrup.
- Tabasco: for spiciness. You can replace tabasco with any other hot sauce. You can even replace it with a couple of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for an even smokier, richer flavor.
- Garlic: it complements perfectly the hotness of the mayo. You can replace it with garlic powder.
For vegan aioli (garlic mayo)
- Garlic and maple syrup: you just need to add some garlic and maple syrup (optional) to the basic vegan mayo.
To have the smoothest vegan aioli, the trick is to either thinly slice or mash the garlic before adding it in and blending it.
Equipment
You will only need an immersion blender and a tall container that can fit the blender. We like to use a tall mason jar with a wide opening.
It's important to use an immersion blender and a tall container to facilitate the emulsion of oil and milk.
We did not get good results using a food processor, a standard blender, or a hand mixer. With an immersion blender, it comes out perfect every time.
Instructions
I promise you that this is the easiest vegan mayo recipe that you will ever make. The same instructions work for the spicy mayo and the vegan garlic mayo.
STEP 1: Put all ingredients in a tall container that can fit your immersion blender (like a mason jar with a wide opening).
NOTE: for this vegan mayo recipe you do NOT need to add the oil a little at a time. You can just put it in all at once with the other ingredients and blend it with an immersion blender.
STEP 2: Blend for 30 seconds or until you reach a mayonnaise consistency. Move the blender up and down into the jar to facilitate the emulsion of all the ingredients.
STEP 3: taste and adjust for salt, lemon, chili, and garlic. Their quantities really depend on your taste.
NOTE: if you want to have thicker mayonnaise, then add 3 more tablespoons of sunflower oil. If you want a thinner mayonnaise, then add 3 more tablespoons of soy milk.
Serving suggestions
You can use this recipe just like you would use regular egg mayonnaise. It's perfect with french fries of course, but also to prepare other dishes, like our scrumptious vegan egg salad, this incredible vegan tuna salad, and an easy vegan potato salad.
If you are feeling like eating something fancy, then try it with steamed artichokes. It's one of the finest ways to enjoy it!
Tips
- Use refined oils: especially if you are serving this recipe to non-vegans make sure to use refined vegetable oil so that they won't be able to taste its flavor, and mix it with a good quality olive oil following our measurements.
A mix of sunflower oil and olive oil is by far the best combination of oils we have tested to make vegan mayo for both texture and taste. - Thicker mayo: if you want a thicker mayonnaise, just add 2 to 3 more tablespoons of sunflower oil.
- Thinner mayo: if you want a thinner mayonnaise, just add 1 to 3 more tablespoons of soy milk.
How to scale recipe
Keep in mind this: always use 1 part of soy milk and 2 parts of oils.
Then divide the oil part into 3 parts of light vegetable oil, and 1 part of olive oil.
So for example, if you want to make a double batch, you could use 1 cup of soy milk, and 2 cups of oil in total. Of those 2 cups of oil, use 1.5 cups of light vegetable oil (like sunflower oil) and 0.5 cups of olive oil.
Questions
No. The mayo won't emulsify.
I would recommend not to. We had mixed results with it. The best is if you use an immersion blender and a tall container. I also do not recommend using regular blenders.
It doesn't matter. Just put everything in a tall container and blend with an immersion blender.
You can add less oil, or more soy milk, to make the mayo more like a salad dressing.
You can try almond milk. With some brands, it works really well.
It can be. Just read the labels on the ingredients you use. If they are, then your mayo will be gluten-free.
Aquafaba is the water from a can of chickpeas. We use aquafaba occasionally in our recipes (it works like magic in this vegan brownie cake), however, we are not the biggest fan of aquafaba in vegan mayo.
The mayo is not as thick and creamy, it separates easily, it tastes a little off, and it's more like a salad dressing than a real thick mayo.
Variations
You can use this basic recipe for vegan mayo to make a lot of different variations. For example:
Vegan chipotle sauce: the same recipe as for our vegan chili mayo, but reduce the amount of oil to ¾ cups (2/4 sunflower oil and ¼ olive oil). This is by far our favorite dressing and we use it in our flatbread pizza with avo mash.
Vegan salad dressing: to turn the mayo into a salad dressing just increase the amount of soy milk and you'll get a thinner sauce. Just add an extra ¼ of a cup of soy milk to our recipe.
Kind of a ranch dressing: just add a couple of tablespoons of plant-based yogurt and some fresh herbs (like dill, parsley, chives) and you get a delicious dressing similar to ranch dressing.
Storage
Store the vegan mayo in an airtight container (like a mason jar) in the fridge for up to 5 days. We do not recommend freezing it.
For more condiment ideas, check out our dressing and sauces category page.
Recipe
Vegan Mayo
Equipment
- Immersion blender
- Tall container that can fit the blender (like a mason jar with wide opening)
Ingredients
FOR VEGAN MAYO
- ½ cup soy milk unsweetened
- ¾ cup sunflower oil (+ 2 tablespoon if you want an extra thick mayo)
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon mustard
- ¾ teaspoon salt
FOR SPICY MAYO add these to Vegan Mayo
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup or agave syrup
- 1 - 2 tablespoons tabasco hot sauce
FOR VEGAN AIOLI (Garlic Mayo) add these to Vegan Mayo
- ½ - 2 cloves garlic based on your taste
- ½ tablespoon maple syrup or agave syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a tall container that can fit your immersion blender. Make sure there are no lemon seeds.
- Blend with an immersion blender for 30 seconds, or until the ingredients get to a mayonnaise consistency.TIP: move the blender up and down in the jar to facilitate the process.
- Taste and adjust for salt, lemon or garlic to your liking. When you are happy with the flavour, store in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.NOTE: if you want to have thicker mayonnaise, then add 3 more tablespoons of sunflower oil. If you want a thinner mayonnaise, then add 3 more tablespoons of soy milk.
Nutritional Values
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Kevin
Can you define a serving? It’s not posted in the nutritional label!
Nico
Hi Kevin, thanks for your comment. 1 serving is approximately 1 (heaping) tablespoon, so around 20 grams. I hope that helps! Have a great rest of your weekend, cheers Nico.
Kevin
Thank you! This recipe is the BOMB! ❤️
Mike
This mayo is epic 😍. It emulsifies really well and lasted for 2 weeks in the fridge.
Louise Valentin
Fantastic, Mike! I'm so happy you liked the texture - thanks for commenting here as well. Take care. Nico
Anne
We have some family members who don't do well with soy. Would almond or oat milk be okay? If so, which would you recommend? We use the plain extra creamy oat milk but will buy another kind.
Nico
Hi Anne, So sorry that I am late with this reply, I missed your comment. So, you can use almond milk but not oat milk (it will not turn into a thick mayo, but instead a runny dressing). As for the almond milk texture, look for a creamy version. I like Elmhurst milked almonds and Califia barista blend, but as long as you go for extra creamy texture you should be fine. Be mindful of sugar content in the plant milk you choose. Some people like a slightly sweet mayo, then some added sugar is fine. But if you don't appreciate that, look for a sugar-free version.
I hope that helps! Cheers, Nico
Lindy
This recipe was easy and really good! You mentioned that almond milk could possibly work, and that some brands were better than others. Could you give me a brand that works well? I'd love to try a soy free version! Thanks!!
AngelaKin
Love this Mayo❤
Anonymous
Is the olive oil extra virgin?
Chef Nico
Hi there, it can be, but not absolutely necessary 🙂
Carole
I made the tofu with mushrooms! It was amazing that will be keeper! Looking forward to many more of your plant base recipes Bravo 👏
Nico
Thanks so much Carole, I’m delighted you like it! 🙂
kathleen
Looks great...could this be tweaked to make a sweet "mayo" or cream? Eg oil, soy milk and sugar?
Chef Nico
Hi Kathleen, I am not sure, I haven't tried. It depends what you are trying to make. I'd say check out our vegan custard blog post for a sweet cream / custard variation. I am afraid tweaking this one would result in something a little too greasy.
Hope this helps.
Nico