Learn how to make the best vegan mayonnaise with only 4 ingredients in just 2 minutes. This vegan mayo is so tasty, thick, and creamy.
Everybody loves mayo and it's one of the things vegans miss the most when they go plant-based. Fortunately, you can enjoy a delicious vegan mayonnaise that tastes even better and is much healthier.
Making homemade vegan mayonnaise is so easy, it tastes amazing, has a perfect consistency, and is cholesterol-free.
This is one of those basic recipes you'll want to have on hand. It's great for everyday use and also perfect for special occasions and holidays.
It can be used in sandwiches like my Vegan BLT, Vegan BBQ Jackfruit Pulled Pork, or vegan burgers, salads (like my vegan potato salad or vegan chicken salad), with French fries, or as a base for sauces or dressings (like my vegan tartar sauce or vegan ranch dressing).
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🌟 You'll love this recipe because it is
- Made with only 4 simple ingredients and all of them are easy to get.
- Ready in just 2 minutes!
- Thick, white, creamy, easy to make, and very affordable.
- The perfect alternative to regular mayo, and it's healthier too.
- Delicious with French fries, to make sandwiches, as a base for dressings, and in salads.
🧾 Ingredients
- Sunflower or canola oil: I prefer sunflower oil, but canola oil is also a good choice.
- Unsweetened soy milk: this is the best choice for this recipe because it acts as an emulsifier, but I've also made it using almond milk and it can work. However, it's not the same.
- Apple cider vinegar.
- Salt: I used ionized salt, but any salt will do.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
🔪 Instructions
Step 1: Make sure the oil is at the same temperature as the milk. You can use them cold, but I found room-temperature milk and oil to be the easiest to work with.
Step 2: If using an immersion blender, combine all the ingredients in the blender beaker, place the immersion blender in, so that it sits firmly on the bottom of the cup, and pulse until the mayonnaise emulsifies.
Step 3: Once most of the vegan mayonnaise has been emulsified, you can move the blender up and down to incorporate any oil that is sitting on the top.
Step 4: You can also use a high-speed blender. Add all the ingredients into the blender, except the oil, and blend for about 5 seconds.
Step 5: 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.
Step 6: Try it 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 it has a perfect consistency.
📋 Substitutions & variations
- I've made this recipe using extra virgin olive oil, but I find it adds a really strong flavor to the mayonnaise, so try to use a neutral flavor oil if you can.
- Do not use coconut oil, as it will solidify in the fridge.
- If you can, use soy milk as it is the best choice to make this recipe.
- I've also used almond milk and it works, but it wasn't as thick.
- Some readers have made this recipe using other types of non-dairy milk successfully, but others haven't succeeded. Soy milk always works, though.
- Make sure the milk you're using is unsweetened, or you'll end up with a sweet mayonnaise.
- Apple cider vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice, but vinegar works best.
- Feel free to use other types of vinegar, especially if they have a neutral flavor (like white wine or rice). Balsamic vinegar is not the best option.
- Add other ingredients such as garlic (you'll get a delicious vegan aioli), Dijon mustard, or maple syrup. It's also delicious with fresh or dried herbs like parsley or dill.
🍽 Equipment
To make this recipe you'll need:
- Measuring tablespoons and measuring cups (or a scale) to weigh your ingredients.
- An immersion blender with the blender beaker or jar that comes with it, but I use a glass measuring cup and it works just fine.
- You can also use a high-speed blender if you want, but the immersion blender works best.
❄️ Storage
- Refrigerator: store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.
- Freezer: best when fresh, you can store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. It doesn't freeze rock hard because of all the oil, though.
- Thaw: since it isn't hard it is quite easy to remove a spoonful at a time, it thaws quickly, and it has a great taste and consistency after it thaws.
💭 Expert tips
- Use an immersion blender if you have one, it works wonderfully well and the mayo is ready in just 1 or 2 minutes.
- A high-speed blender also works, but it can be tricky if you're new to vegan mayonnaise. You may need to add a little more oil to get the same consistency sometimes, though.
- If your mayo doesn't emulsify, add more oil until it thickens. It's really important that the milk and the oil are at the same temperature and also please follow this recipe to a T.
- Keep in mind it will thicken in the refrigerator.
- I've always made this recipe in the blender beaker or jar that came with my immersion blender, but it broke, so I use a glass measuring cup now and it works great.
❓Recipe FAQs
Regular mayonnaise is not vegan, as the original recipe is made with eggs or cow's milk. However, they can be easily replaced. This recipe truly works!
This recipe is made with just 4 simple and easy-to-get ingredients: oil, soy milk, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Although there are hundreds of recipes out there, this one is the best I've ever tried.
It is healthier than regular mayo as it's cholesterol-free and contains less saturated fats. However, it should be eaten in moderation and as a part of a balanced diet.
This recipe always works when the ingredients are at room temperature. However, I've made it with cold milk, and most of the time it works, but not always.
Although soy milk is the best type of milk for this recipe, I've made it with almond milk successfully on several occasions.
I know it can be also made with aquafaba (the liquid from one can of chickpeas) instead of soy milk, about ¼ cup (60 ml) instead of the ½ cup (120 ml) of soy milk, but I haven't tried it myself.
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Vegan Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 cup sunflower or canola oil
- ½ cup unsweetened soy milk
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Make sure the oil is at the same temperature as the milk. You can use them cold, 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 beaker or jar, place the immersion blender in, so that way it sits firmly on the bottom of the cup, and pulse until the mayonnaise emulsifies.
- Once most of the vegan mayonnaise 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 it using a regular blender and it works as well, although I think an immersion blender is the best choice.
- If you're using a high-speed blender, add all the ingredients into the blender, except the oil, and blend for about 5 seconds.
- 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.
- Whether you're using an immersion or a high-speed blender, try the mayonnaise 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 it has a perfect consistency.
- Use immediately or transfer to an airtight container in the refrigerator until cold.
Video
Notes
- I've made this recipe using extra virgin olive oil, but I find it adds a really strong flavor to the mayonnaise, so try to use a neutral flavor oil if you can.
- Do not use coconut oil, as it will solidify in the fridge.
- If you can, use soy milk as it is the best choice to make this recipe.
- I've also used almond milk and it works, but it wasn't as thick.
- Some readers have made this recipe using other types of non-dairy milk successfully, but others haven't succeeded. Soy milk always works, though.
- Make sure the milk you're using is unsweetened, or you'll end up with a sweet mayonnaise.
- Apple cider vinegar can be replaced with lemon juice, but vinegar works best.
- Feel free to use other types of vinegar, especially if they have a neutral flavor (like white wine or rice). Balsamic vinegar is not the best option.
- Refrigerator: store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 weeks.
- Freezer: best when fresh, you can store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. It doesn't freeze rock hard because of all the oil, though.
- Thaw: since it isn't hard it is quite easy to remove a spoonful at a time, it thaws quickly, and it has a great taste and consistency after it thaws.
Duncan Masters says
Holy crap, did you ever bury the lede. Maybe next time post the recipe at the top, then ramble for three pages?
Kiane says
This recipe doesn't work. I did everything exactly like it says, except I used almond milk. Which I get you said isn't as thick but it isn't thick at all. It's like water. It has failed for me 4 times and has been a huge waste of ingredients.
Keith says
You can recover any failed effort if you had some lecithin to add. Since the main ingredient that naturally has it, you swapped out, you have nothing to create the emulsion. Just a drop of soy lecithin is excessively all you need for this mayo recipe if not using soy milk.
Iosune Robles says
Hello Kiane. It didn´t work because there is not lecithin in almond milk. Lecithin is naturally found in soy and it is what makes this recipe work. In fact if you use a different kind of milk it won´t work unless you add soy lecithin, you can buy it in herbal shop, or just try again with soy milk. Have a nice day.
LILY CIRSTOIU says
hi,
can i omit the vinegar, i don't use vinegar, and what does vinegar do?
Iosune Robles says
Hi Lily! Vinegar is a natural conservant. In mayo you can use lemon use instead. 🙂
So Ya Sunim says
Great! Easy and fast. Genius! Shared it with friends
santiago says
This is GREAT! i put lemon and garlic on it.
Iosune says
Hi Santiago! Thanks a lot 🙂
Jim says
The emulsion came together perfectly so I will use this technique again, but the end result is much too bland for my taste. Will try one or two of the other suggested additions next time.
Iosune says
Hi Jim! Try to add more salt or other ingredients like mustard 🙂
Violeta says
I followed all the steps, but they did not work. The mixture did not emulsify. I lost all the ingredients, because at the end was a mix of oil and milk. I used the immersion blender, and after I tried with the regular blender. Nothing works.
Keith says
Oat milk does not contain enough of any emulsifier. If you want to not use soy milk, you need an emulsifier that’s safe to eat. That would be soy lecithin, which I order online. Just a drop should work. You can’t say recipes don’t work when you change ingredients. Soy milk naturally contains its lecithin.
monica says
super easy fast and tasty
Iosune says
Hi Monica! So glad you liked it 🙂
April says
Has anyone ever used flax oil to make this mayo?
Iosune says
Hi April! I haven't, sorry!
Graham says
Made this yesterday absolutely great. I made a few additions. Hope you don't mind I put in a small dollop of dijon mustard a small amount of infused garlic olive oil
Iosune says
Hi Graham! Thanks a lot 🙂 Sounds great!
Jaime woodruff says
I made this and it's FANTASTIC!! Used veggie oil and almond milk. I already used it up for sandwiches, sauces and next, i'm going to make vegan ranch dressing with it!!😁❤
Iosune says
Hi Jamie! Thanks a lot 🙂
Zoe says
Having struggled with trying to make aquafaba based mayos I thought this recipe was too good to be true - it's real and works amazing. I was gobsmacked! Made this for a coleslaw and it was perfect. Never buying overpriced mayo from the supermarket again!
Iosune says
Hi Zoe! I'm so glad it worked for you 🙂