Aioli was my favorite sauce when I wasn’t vegan and also after I went vegan because I learnt how to make an egg-free version using soy milk instead, but as it’s so high in fat, I didn’t make it very often until I discovered this wonderful vegan aioli recipe. I can’t believe it’s oil-free, made with natural ingredients and tastes SO GOOD.
I’ve always used unsalted raw cashews to make this recipe, but if you can’t find them, you could try to use roasted or salted cashews instead. Please don’t use fried cashews, they’re not healthy at all and are usually made with refined oils. If you can’t find any type of cashews, try our vegan green aioli (omit the spinach if you want).
Did you like this oil-free vegan aioli? Then check out these sauce recipes: vegan mayo, 2-minute healthy ketchup, homemade enchilada sauce, vegan Caesar salad dressing and oil-free vegan yogurt sauce.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!
Vegan Aioli (Oil-free)
- Prep: 5 mins
- Total: 5 mins
- 1 cup (200 g) 1x
- Sauce
- Vegan, Mediterranean
Servings 1 cup (200 g) 1x
You only need 5 ingredients to make this vegan aioli. It’s delicious, creamy, oil-free and ready in less than 5 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1/2Â tsp salt
- 1/4Â cup + 2 tbsp water (95 ml)
- 1Â tbsp lemon juice
- 2/3 cup unsalted raw cashews (100 g)
Instructions
- Soak the cashews overnight.
- Drain and rinse them, then blend them with the rest of the ingredients in a regular blender until smooth.
- Store in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Remove germ from garlic or use garlic powder to make the aioli easier to digest.
- Apple cider vinegar can be used instead of the lemon juice.
- Add more or less water depending on how thick you like your aioli.
- Try the aioli and add more salt or garlic if needed and blend again.
- Omit the garlic clove to make a delicious oil-free mayo.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tbsp aioli
- Calories: 35
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 29.9 mg
- Fat: 2.7 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 1.1 g
I have always done it without the cashews, just like your vegan mayo, and adding garlic. Alioli was made from “All” and “oli” catalan for garlic and oil, and it is still made this way in my home. However if you want a more spreadable mixture then the milk adds it.
If you want to try this is how we had done it for ages: oil garlic and salt.
With a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic(peeled) and add oil to make a consistent paste, add salt to taste and serve it. Beware it will be a strong alioli.
Cheers
Hi Silvia! You’re right but we prefer to make it with cashews 🙂 Thanks for your kind comment!
Great. I did make a slight change. I eliminated the salt and added a tablespoon of sriracha sauce for a little bit of a spicy kick.😀
★★★★★
Hi Kim!!! it sounds great to me!!!! Have a nice day!!
Great simple recipe. If you have a vitamix or high powered blender cashews are good just soaked for and hour or so.
★★★★★
Hi J! Thanks a lot 🙂
Love this recipe! Everyone that I’ve had try it, also loves it! Very easy to use this as a base and add whatever flavours you would like to it. I’ve tried adding 3 tbsp of hot sauce to it and also throwing in a roasted red pepper. It just gets better and better! Tomorrow I will try making a dill version! Thanks so much! Amazing on black bean burgers or just as a dip!
Hi Suzy! Thanks a lot 🙂 Sounds great!
This was so great!!! Very delicious. I am using it on EVERYthing!
★★★★★
Hi Kathy! So glad you like it 🙂
Really easy and super tasty. Love that it doesn’t use processed oils!!! We served ours with Baked Zucchini Fries. Delicious. Thank you so much.
Hi Joan! Thanks a lot 🙂 Sounds great!
it was awesome. I am not a big fan of raw salads but decided to start eating them for my dinners. And i made this Vegan Aioli(first I have heard of this name by the way 🙂
and eating salad has become enjoying with this. Thanks for your recipe. Do you have a recipe for a home made Tahini?
Hi Krishna! You’re so welcome 🙂 So glad you liked it. This is my tahini recipe: https://simpleveganblog.com/how-to-make-tahini/ Hope you enjoy it!
It’s a very nice garlic sauce, with or without lemon, very “creamy” (for want of a more suitable adjective) but not really aioli. It has many advantages over an egg and oil sauce and will be an addition to my plant based menu. Thank you.
★★★★
Hi Chris! You’re so welcome 🙂
I love it even my non vegan sis likes it
★★★★★
Hi Kimberly! So glad you guys liked it 🙂
Just made this, using less water, and it’s turned out very liquidy. What did I do wrong? I used aquafaba as part of the water measurement as well, thinking this would help.
Hi Margarita! Did you use a powerful blender? You don’t need to add aquafaba, just follow the recipe to the T and add less water if needed. Hope it helps!
I omitted the garlic to make the mayo. It is absolute perfection for my eggless egg sandwich! Thank you for this! I will definitely be making this more often.
★★★★★
Hi Kristen! You’re so welcome 🙂 So glad you liked it!
I was looking for a Lebanese garlic sauce (toum) recipe that didn’t contain all that oil. Came across your recipe, sounded very similar so gave it a try and boy am I glad I did! Iosune this is delicious, thank you so much for sharing. I added 1/4 tsp onion powder, and 1/4 tsp garlic powder. This is going to make a wonderful salad dressing.
★★★★★
Hi Diane! Thank YOU for making the recipe 🙂 So glad you liked it!
I have to say that this was the first time making aioli. I wanted a healthier choice than mayo with oil. I am soo incredibly happy with this recipe!
Hi Shantel! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
Crazy good! Didn’t soak, and added a tsp of dijon…even the kids loved it and they hate mayo!
★★★★★
Hi Caroline! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 Have a nice weekend!
I just made your oil free Mayo. I didn’t soak the cashews but it still came out pretty good.
Some recipes call for avocado oil I will try that next I didn’t like it with olive oil or Canol.
I’m 80% plant-based but I love food at New recipes so thank you very much
Hi Marca! Traditional aioli is made with olive or sunflower oil, but i’ts up to you 🙂 Have a nice day!
Hi Iosune,
I follow the FOK whole Food, Plant Based way of eating and was looking for an oil free plant based mayo.
Today I made this recipe. I put less salt in it and a little more citrus juice and I really liked it a lot. Actually it was ‘licking my spoon’ good. I put it on whole wheat toasted bread with lettuce and it was yummy. I put a little bit in the freezer to see if that works.
This one will go into my recipe binder. Thank you.
Hi Winny! You’re so welcome 🙂 So glad you liked it so much!
Found this recipe yesterday, soaked the cashews overnight, and made this today to eat with some roasted veggies! I’m addicted to garlic so I added a bit more garlic and used a mix of lemon and apple cider vinegar. So delicious! I made it a double recipe and so glad I did so I can try it with more things, possibly kale/sweet potato pancakes! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Isabel! You’re so welcome 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I freeze this if I want to make a larger batch?
Hi Carrie! I don’t think it’s going to work, sorry!
Hi, I love tgis recipe! But will it change the recipe if I replace cashews with peanuts?
★★★★★
Hi Shakti! I don’t think it’s going to taste like mayo if you use peanuts. Have a nice day!
Hi, was wondering if cashew butter could used in place of the cashews? I have a whole tub at home and it would be a great way to use it up as I love mayonnaise. Thank you
★★★★★
Hi Maya! I’ve never tried to make this recipe using cashew butter, but I think it’s not going to work. You can try it anyways if you want and if it works, please leave a comment 🙂 Have a nice day!
Wow, this is incredible! Always loved aioli! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Szasza! Thanks a lot 🙂 Hope you try it!
Ummm… True there may be no oil in this recipe, but 100g of cashews adds as much fat as three tablespoons of oil.
Hi Daniel! Oil is not a whole fat and has even more fat and calories 🙂
Hi! Thank you for this wonderful recipe. Do you think almonds would work instead of cashews? I have a family member who is allergic to cashews. Thanks in advance!
Hi Arcelia! You’re so welcome 😀 You could try, but I’m sure it’s going to work… We also have this recipe: http://simpleveganblog.com/vegan-mayonnaise/, but it’s not oil-free. Have a nice day!
This looks so delicious – I have never used aioli before!
Izzy | Pinch of delight
Hi Izzy! Thanks a lot 😀 Aioli is sooo delicious!