Marvellous miracle mayo. Yes really. This recipe for simple vegan mayonnaise uses standard store cupboard ingredients and is really easy to prepare. It’s also exceptionally quick to make. We’re talking seconds, not minutes.
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Mayonnaise is such a useful ingredient. It’s just what you need for coleslaw and potato salad. It’s also great for enhancing sandwiches. Years ago, I assumed vegans just had to live without it. Then when I attended the Vegetarian Society’s vegan toolkit workshop a few years ago, we made vegan mayo. It was a revelation.
It wasn’t, however, until I took up the Veganuary challenge for the first time last year that I really took it seriously. Suddenly, I needed vegan mayonnaise.
Shop bought vegan mayo can be expensive. It’s also often loaded with ingredients that just aren’t needed if you’re making homemade. I tried one brand that didn’t look too bad, but I wasn’t really happy with it. It was time to dig out my stick blender.
Easy Vegan Mayonnaise
The method I learnt at the Vegetarian Society is the same one I’ve always used for standard mayonnaise. That is, you mix up all the ingredients other than the oil, then slowly drip the oil in as you whisk. You can do this by hand, but it’s much easier if you do it in a jug blender.
But in order to use a jug blender, you need to make a lot of mayonnaise. I prefer to make small batches of this simple vegan mayonnaise as and when I need it. The secret to this super speedy recipe is a stick blender.
All you need to do is place all of your ingredients, including the oil into a jug. Then immerse the stick blender and whizz for just a few seconds. It should emulsify and thicken within ten to twenty seconds. It really is that simple.
If you don’t have a stick blender*, it’s really worth getting one. They’re not that expensive and are just brilliant for blitzing soups. You can do this in the pan you’ve cooked the soup up in, so you can keep washing up to a minimum. It’s a lot easier to wash a stick blender than it is a jug blender.
What Can You Use Instead of Soya?
I’ve experimented with other plant milks, but although they emulsify with no problem, they end up runny. Fine as a sauce or salad dressing, but no good as a thick and spreadable mayonnaise. Soya milk, however, works like a dream.
If you’d really rather not use soya milk, aquafaba works too. I haven’t tried this yet as it doesn’t sound desperately appealing. But I guess I will at some point. Use two tablespoons in place of the 50 millilitres of soya milk and let me know how you get on.
What’s the Best Oil to Use?
A neutral oil such as sunflower oil is best if you don’t want your mayonnaise to be strongly flavoured. But if you’d like to have a bit more flavour in your vegan mayonnaise, sesame seed oil is lovely. I expect peanut oil would also work well, but I haven’t tried it. And I’ve heard avocado oil is good too.
Extra virgin olive oil is very strong, so I use 75ml of a neutral oil such as sunflower and 25ml of olive oil. This is the mix I use as my go to now.
You might just want to experiment. The quantities I’ve used in the recipe are small, so you won’t be wasting too much if it doesn’t work out.
Can You Add Other Flavourings?
You absolutely can. I’ve tried all sorts of flavourings and I haven’t yet found one I don’t like. Just add herbs or spices to your mayonnaise for some extra pizazz.
Vegan Aioli
A garlicky aioli is very nice too. If you’re using a jug blender use one clove of garlic and make sure it’s well blended before you start adding the oil. For the stick blender method, it’s best to finely chop the garlic before blending. I use a small clove of garlic or half a normal sized one as the quantity of mayonnaise is so small.
Vegan Wasabi Mayonnaise
Wasabi mayonnaise is a new discovery. I’ve not tried it with powdered wasabi, but I’ve grated some fresh in and it works really well. Just swap it for the mustard.
Lemon Vegan Mayonnaise
I add lemon juice to my basic vegan mayonnaise recipe as a matter of course. But for a particularly lemony version, add the finely grated zest of half a lemon and an additional teaspoon of lemon juice.
Miso Mayonnaise
Swap the mustard for white miso and leave out the salt. This makes a particularly umami-rich mayonnaise which is especially good with Asian type ingredients. Think Vietnamese banh mi.
Smoked Paprika Mayonnaise
Smoked paprika is a firm favourite. Leave out the mustard and replace with a level teaspoon of this gorgeous red spice. Use a neutral oil. This one goes particularly well with chips.
TroubleShooting
If you use the stick blender method, you really shouldn’t have any problems. It’s meant to be best if the soya milk is at room temperature before you start blending, but I use it cold from the fridge and it still works.
The jug blender method, however, can be a bit trickier. If the mixture doesn’t thicken, try adding a little more oil.
How Long Will Homemade Vegan Mayo Last?
Homemade vegan mayo will keep for at least a week in the fridge if kept in a sealed container. I’ve kept mine for three weeks without any spoilage. Sometimes the liquid starts to separate out, but if it does just give it a good stir and it will be fine. If you make it with aquafaba instead of soya milk, it will keep a few more days, apparently. But I’ve not tried it – yet!
Recipes To Use Your Vegan Mayonnaise In
- Coleslaw via Fab Food 4 All
- Kohlrabi carrot slaw via Tin and Thyme
- Roasted Cornish new potato salad via Charlotte’s Lively Kitchen
- Spring slaw via Tin and Thyme
- Tofu lettuce tomato sandwich via Tin and Thyme
- Vegan bánh mi via Planet Veggie
Stay in Touch
Thanks for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this recipe for a super simple and speedy vegan mayonnaise, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. And do please rate it. Have you any top tips? Do share photos on social media too and use the hashtag #tinandthyme, so I can spot them.
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Choclette x
Easy Vegan Mayonnaise. PIN IT.
Vegan Mayonnaise – The Recipe
Easy Vegan Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 100 ml sunflower oil (for most purposes a neutral oil is best, but see notes below)
- 50 ml soy milk (at room temperature)
- pinch sea salt
- 1 tsp mustard (use a smooth ready-made mustard such as Dijon or English)
- 2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
Stick Blender Method
- Place all ingredients into a jug.
- Immerse the stick blender and blend on low for as long as it takes for the ingredients to emulsify and thicken – about 10 seconds.
Jug Blender Method
- You will need to double the ingredients so that there’s enough liquid to cover the blades.
- Add all but the oil to the jug and blend briefly.
- Remove the centre lid and whilst the blender is running (on a low setting), slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture emulsifies and thickens.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
Sharing
I’m sharing my super easy vegan mayonnaise recipe with Cooking With My Kids for #CookBlogShare.
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Miranda says
Very good recipe! I have the Blender cup attachment for my Vitamix (Ascent series) . The cup works perfect for this small portion recipe and is less clean up than the big blender! PERFECT!
Choclette says
Glad you like the recipe Miranda. I couldn’t be without it and make it all the time. And you’re absolutely right, a large blender is not the right tool for this particular job.
Jac says
Sounds very easy but a bit heavy on the calories? Have you experimented with a lower fat version at all? I tried one commercial one which had white beans but it went runny as soon as you got it out of the jar
Choclette says
Hi Jac. No I’ve not tried anything else. I’m happy with it as it is. As a substantial proportion of it is soy milk and it doesn’t have any egg yolk, it’s already lower calorie than normal mayonnaise. I haven’t found a decent commercial vegan mayonnaise yet. If you’re going to use beans, I’d just go for a bean spread and forget the mayonnaise.
Asti says
Hi Choclette.
I rarely comment on sites but I just had to give feedback.
Just tried this mayo recipe and oh my word it’s a GAME CHANGER!
I’m so happy with the result and it’s soooo easy. Couldn’t believe how it whizzed up so quickly.
I was using another well known brand of vegan mayo but it never quite hit the spot.
I used sunflower oil and soya milk with the basic recipe add ins.
Can’t see me buying jars again and it’s also a lot cheaper! Thank you ☺️
Choclette says
Hi Asti. Thank you for taking the time to comment. I’m so glad you like it. It’s such a fabulous recipe. I haven’t bought any mayonnaise for a long long time. I mostly add garlic and mustard to mine with about 20% olive oil. But every so often I’ll do something different, so I don’t get bored!
Kat (The Baking Explorer) says
So simple to make and so clever!
Choclette says
It really is Kat. Have you tried it?
All That I'm Eating says
I can’t believe how easy this is to make! What a great recipe, having completely failed when I tried to make mayonnaise I’d love to give this a try as it sounds foolproof!
Choclette says
Well I very much hope it’s foolproof. It certainly works for me. Please let me know how it goes.
Kate - Gluten Free Alchemist says
I love a good mayo, but I have never been very successful in making it. Yours looks absolutely perfect! Definitely tempted… xx
Choclette says
I’ve only used small quantities in this recipe, so you don’t end up with a load of mayonnaise you can’t finish. But it also means you can afford to experiment without worrying you’re throwing a month’s wages into the bin.
Sandhya Ramakrishnan says
Oh Wow! I never realized that making a vegan mayo at home is so simple. I love the texture and it looks just like the regular Mayo. I am so going to try it at home. Will shop for Soy milk next time.
Choclette says
Yay, let me know what you think when you try it Sandhya.
Danielle says
Fantastic mayo to make at home – lets you use it in so many other dishes. I bet it is extremely flavorful, too!
Choclette says
It’s so quick to make, that it really doesn’t feel like an effort at all, so well worth doing.
Jill @MadAboutMacarons says
I do need to get more into this vegan way of cooking – your mayo looks super, including all the variations.
Choclette says
It’s always good to vary your diet. Although we have several vegan main meals throughout the week, I’m not so good on breakfast and lunch. Taking part in Veganuary has forced me to be a bit more creative.
Amber says
Delicious! I like the idea of using a sesame seed oil over sunflower also for a little extra flavor also.
Choclette says
Sesame oil has become my go to for mayonnaise now. It gives a lovely flavour without being overwhelming. That’s sesame seed oil though, not roasted sesame seed oil.
Chloe says
Wow I had no idea you could make proper emulsified mayo without egg – so clever!
Choclette says
Until I made it on the vegan course, I had no idea either. What I find so interesting is this blitzing it all in one go method.
Veronica says
This looks yummy – and so easy too Going to try it SOON!
Choclette says
It’s tasty for sure, but the main thing is that it’s so very quick to make.
Nico | yumsome vegan food and travel says
Looks great, Choclette – I’m such a sucker for mayo! xx
Choclette says
Oh indeed. It’s such useful stuff. I’d be a bit stuck without it.
Lucy says
Going to have to give this a try, I think with garlic!
Choclette says
Well yes, aioli is just so delicious, especially with chips.
sherry says
sounds great! thanks.
Choclette says
Sorry, only just seen your comment Sherry. Have you tried making it?
Helen - Cooking with my kids says
I had no idea it was this easy to make vegan mayo at home. I had no idea what would replace the egg until now. I also love that you can use a stick blender and just mix it all together – that sounds so much easier. #CookBlogShare
Choclette says
The stick blender method is just brilliant Helen and it really comes together in seconds.
sherry says
i really must give this one a go. i tried to make regular mayo once and it was a disaster:-( i added cold water, i added more oil, i did everything they say but it was hopeless. this sounds fabulous! and easy…. cheers Sherry
Choclette says
Making mayonnaise can be tricky, but this method is really easy. Just make sure you use soya milk. Makes all the difference. Even though it’s vegan, it tastes very similar to regular mayonnaise.
Cathy @ Planet Veggie says
You’ve reminded me I need to make some more vegan mayo – it’s so easy, it’s silly to buy shop bought!
Choclette says
Yes, it’s super easy and the ingredients can usually be found in the house.