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    Home » Dressings & Sauces

    Vegan Mayo

    Published: Mar 15, 2022 · by Nico

    Jump to Recipe

    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).

    vegan mayo
    On this page:
    • What to expect
    • Ingredients & Substitutions
    • Equipment
    • Instructions
    • Serving suggestions
    • Tips
    • How to scale recipe
    • Questions
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Recipe

    Check out our best appetizer recipe collection!

    What to expect

    thick and creamy vegan mayo on a spoon

    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 show 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

    ingredients for vegan mayo
    • 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.
    vegan mayo in a sandwich

    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.

    immersion blender and mason jar

    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.

    all ingredients for vegan mayonnaise in a tall container

    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.

    ingredients blended with an immersion blender

    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.

    vegan mayo in a small serving bowl

    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.

    baked sweet potatoes stuffed with chickpea tuna
    vegan tuna on a baked sweet potato made with our vegan mayo

    If you are feeling like eating something fancy, then try it with steamed artichokes. It's one of the finest ways to enjoy it!

    steamed artichokes
    steamed artichokes served with vegan mayonnaise

    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.

    vegan egg salad sandwich with vegan mayo
    vegan egg salad sandwich with vegan mayo

    Questions

    Can I use a food processor or a hand mixer?

    No. The mayo won't emulsify.

    Can I use a Vitamix?

    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.

    Do the ingredients need to be at room temperature or cold?

    It doesn't matter. Just put everything in a tall container and blend with an immersion blender.

    How can I make a thinner mayonnaise?

    You can add less oil, or more soy milk, to make the mayo more like a salad dressing.

    How do I make vegan mayo without soy?

    You can try almond milk. With some brands, it works really well.

    Is vegan mayo gluten-free?

    It can be. Just read the labels on the ingredients you use. If they are, then your mayo will be gluten-free.

    What about vegan mayo with aquafaba?

    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

    californian flatbread pizza
    vegan chipotle sauce on flatbread pizza

    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

    Vegan Mayo

    Author: Nico
    Vegan mayo is tasty, versatile, and so easy to make that you can do it in literally 1 minute with 6 simple ingredients.
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Share Recipe
    5 from 16 votes
    Prep Time 2 mins
    Cook Time 0 mins
    Blending time 1 min
    Total Time 2 mins
    Course Dressing & Sauces
    Cuisine International
    Servings 20 servings
    Calories 99 kcal

    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.
      all ingredients for vegan mayonnaise in a tall container
    • 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.
      ingredients blended with an immersion blender
    • 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.
      vegan mayo in a small serving bowl

    Video Recipe

    Vegan mayo in 5 minutes

    Nutritional Values

    Nutrition Facts
    Vegan Mayo
    Amount Per Serving (19 g)
    Calories 99 Calories from Fat 99
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 11g17%
    Saturated Fat 1g6%
    Trans Fat 0g
    Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
    Monounsaturated Fat 9g
    Cholesterol 0mg0%
    Potassium 11mg0%
    Carbohydrates 0.4g0%
    Dietary Fiber 0.1g0%
    Sugar 0.2g0%
    Protein 0.2g0%
    Vitamin A 24IU0%
    Vitamin B6 0.02mg1%
    Vitamin C 1mg1%
    Vitamin E 4mg27%
    Vitamin K 2µg2%
    Calcium 9mg1%
    Folate 2µg1%
    Iron 0.1mg1%
    Manganese 0.003mg0%
    Magnesium 0.5mg0%
    Zinc 0.02mg0%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Did you like this recipe?We are not much on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Leave us a comment below instead, it would mean the world to us 🙂

    If you liked this recipe, you might also like:

    • Fried Tofu
    • Vegan Tuna
    • Vegan Egg Salad
    « Tomato Confit
    Vegan Tuna »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Danielle Medina

      January 16, 2023 at 9:48 pm

      Hi, Can you omit the oil or do you need a substitution? We are oil-free.

      Reply
      • Louise Valentin

        January 17, 2023 at 6:05 am

        Hi Danielle,
        Thanks for your comment.
        Oil plays a vital part in the texture, flavor, and emulsion of this recipe - so, unfortunately, it cannot be omitted.
        We'll make a cashew nut mayonnaise within too long which is without oil, maybe that could be a match 🙂
        Have a great day!
        Kindest, Louise

        Reply
    2. Marggie

      December 31, 2022 at 7:34 pm

      5 stars
      This mayonnaise is wonderful for someone like me who can’t have eggs!
      It whipped up in seconds and was thick and creamy, tasted great.
      The only thing that I would change is the olive oil, it added a stronger flavor.
      Would it be okay to just use all vegetable oil?

      Reply
      • Louise

        January 01, 2023 at 5:50 am

        Hi Maggie, thanks so much for your message. Yes, you can use vegetable oil instead of olive oil, we mix the oils so that the flavor is more balanced - but please do as you prefer! Have a wonderful day and week ahead. Kindest, Louise

        Reply
    3. Nicole

      October 24, 2022 at 6:10 pm

      5 stars
      I didn't see the comment about "not using oatmilk". It ended up super runny, so I threw a block of silken tofu in and that did the trick! Delicious.

      Reply
      • Nico

        October 25, 2022 at 5:39 am

        Hi Nicole, thank you for your kind comment - I'm so happy you managed and that you liked the flavor, silken tofu is a powerful partner! Have a great rest of your day! Cheers, Nico

        Reply
    4. Kevin

      August 12, 2022 at 7:38 pm

      Can you define a serving? It’s not posted in the nutritional label!

      Reply
      • Nico

        August 14, 2022 at 6:15 am

        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.

        Reply
      • Kevin

        August 15, 2022 at 8:09 pm

        5 stars
        Thank you! This recipe is the BOMB! ❤️

        Reply
    5. Mike

      July 04, 2022 at 6:06 pm

      5 stars
      This mayo is epic 😍. It emulsifies really well and lasted for 2 weeks in the fridge.

      Reply
      • Louise Valentin

        July 04, 2022 at 7:39 pm

        Fantastic, Mike! I'm so happy you liked the texture - thanks for commenting here as well. Take care. Nico

        Reply
    6. Anne

      June 15, 2022 at 4:16 pm

      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.

      Reply
      • Nico

        June 30, 2022 at 6:33 am

        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

        Reply
    7. Lindy

      June 05, 2022 at 9:25 pm

      5 stars
      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!!

      Reply
    8. AngelaKin

      May 10, 2022 at 12:17 pm

      5 stars
      Love this Mayo❤

      Reply
    9. Anonymous

      March 04, 2022 at 3:55 pm

      5 stars
      Is the olive oil extra virgin?

      Reply
      • Chef Nico

        March 04, 2022 at 4:08 pm

        Hi there, it can be, but not absolutely necessary 🙂

        Reply
    10. Carole

      October 31, 2021 at 6:35 am

      I made the tofu with mushrooms! It was amazing that will be keeper! Looking forward to many more of your plant base recipes Bravo 👏

      Reply
      • Nico

        November 04, 2021 at 4:27 pm

        Thanks so much Carole, I’m delighted you like it! 🙂

        Reply
      • kathleen

        January 17, 2022 at 5:34 am

        Looks great...could this be tweaked to make a sweet "mayo" or cream? Eg oil, soy milk and sugar?

        Reply
        • Chef Nico

          January 30, 2022 at 8:34 am

          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

          Reply

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