This vegan aioli is made with 5 ingredients in less than 5 minutes. Perfect as a dip for fries or veggies, but also as a dressing or spread.
Aioli is probably my all-time favorite sauce. I could eat it with pretty much everything savory. I grew up eating this Mediterranean sauce, and this vegan aioli is my new obsession!
Although the classic recipe is vegan, made with extra virgin olive oil and garlic, the most popular version is not, as it's made with eggs. However, you just need to replace the eggs with unsweetened soy milk and that's all.
I did the same with my vegan mayo, which is one of the most popular recipes on the blog by the way. Aioli is actually a mayonnaise with garlic, at least the version that is made with eggs, or soy milk in this case.
My favorite way to eat aioli is with potatoes, especially French fries. It's also a great sauce to enjoy your rice dishes with, as we do in Spanish cuisine, and let me tell you it's out of this world.
Homemade sauces are much healthier and tastier than store-bought and they don't require that much effort. One thing I love about this particular sauce is that is made with just 5 simple ingredients in less than 5 minutes!
Ingredients & substitutions
- Oil: classic aioli is made with extra virgin olive oil, but it has a really strong flavor, that's why it's usually made with neutral oils like sunflower or canola oil.
- Unsweetened soy milk: soy milk is the best choice for this recipe and it has to be unsweetened or your aioli will taste sweet otherwise. I’ve also used almond milk and it works, but it wasn’t as thick. Some people have made this recipe using other types of plant milk successfully, but others haven’t succeeded. Soy milk always works, though.
- Apple cider vinegar: you could also use lemon juice or another type of vinegar like white vinegar.
- Salt: I used ionized salt, but any salt will do.
- Garlic: add more or fewer cloves of garlic depending on how strong you like your sauce. I would add one first, then try and add one more if needed.
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a big cup, place the immersion blender in, so that way it sits firmly on the bottom of the cup, and pulse until the mayo emulsifies.
- Once most of the vegan aioli has been emulsified, you can move the blender up and down to incorporate any oil that is sitting on the top.
- Try the sauce and add more salt if needed. If it's too thick, add more milk and if it's too watery, add more oil. Pulse again until the aioli has a perfect consistency.
- Use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator for a few hours until it's cold.
You’ll find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
Pro tips
- Although you can use a high-speed blender, use an immersion blender if you have one. It always works and it's much easier to get the perfect consistency.
- Make sure the oil is at the same temperature as the milk. You can use cold oil and cold milk, but I found room-temperature milk and oil to be the easiest to work with. This is extremely important. I've made this sauce with room-temperature oil and refrigerated milk and sometimes works, but sometimes doesn't.
- Use soy milk for the best results. Other types of milk may work or may not, but soy milk always works and you'll get the creamiest aioli.
- Use always unsweetened non-dairy milk or you'll get sweet aioli otherwise.
- Add one clove of garlic first, try the sauce and then add more if needed or you may end with an extremely strong aioli.
FAQ
Traditional aioli is a cold sauce consisting of an emulsion of garlic and olive oil, so it's actually vegan. However, the most popular aioli is also made with eggs as it's basically garlic mayonnaise, and that version is not vegan.
It's basically a vegan mayo made with soy milk, a neutral oil like canola or sunflower oil, vinegar, and salt, but it also contains garlic.
Aioli means "garlic and oil". It's found in the cuisines of the Mediterranean coasts of Spain, France, Italy, and Malta.
Yes, it's the same. It's called alioli in Spanish, allioli in Catalan, and aioli in Provençal.
Vegan Aioli
Ingredients
- 1 cup oil, I used sunflower oil
- ½ cup unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 cloves of garlic
Instructions
- Make sure the oil is at the same temperature as the milk. You can use cold oil and cold milk, but I found room-temperature milk and oil to be the easiest to work with.
- If you're using an immersion blender, combine all the ingredients in the blender cup or a big measuring cup, place the immersion blender in, so that way it sits firmly on the bottom of the cup, and pulse until the mayo emulsifies. Once most of the vegan aioli has been emulsified, you can move the blender up and down to incorporate any oil that is sitting on the top.
- I usually use an immersion blender, but I've also tried to make this recipe using a regular blender and it works as well, although I think an immersion blender is the best choice.
- If you're using a regular blender, place all the ingredients into the blender, except the oil, and blend for about 5 seconds. Then add the oil gradually while the blender is going at a slow speed until it thickens, then you can turn it gradually from low to high and let it go until well mixed.
- Try the sauce and add more salt if needed. If it's too thick, add more milk and if it's too watery, add more oil. Pulse again until the aioli has a perfect consistency.
- Use it immediately or store it in the refrigerator for a few hours until it's cold. Store the leftovers in an airtight container or a jar in the fridge for about 4-7 days.
Notes
- Classic aioli is made with extra virgin olive oil, but it has a really strong flavor, that's why it's usually made with neutral oils like sunflower or canola oil.
- Soy milk is the best choice for this recipe and it has to be unsweetened or your aioli will taste sweet otherwise. Some people have made this recipe using other types of plant milk successfully, but others haven’t succeeded. Soy milk always works, though.
- You can use lemon juice or another type of vinegar like white vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
- Add more or fewer cloves of garlic depending on how strong you like your sauce. I would add one first, then try and add one more if needed.
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