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GET IT NOW- Why You’ll Love This Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe
- Mayo Ingredients & Substitutions
- How To Make Mayonnaise
- How To Fix Broken Mayo
- Flavor Variations
- Storage Instructions
- Ways To Use Homemade Mayonnaise
- More Homemade Condiment Recipes
- My Tools For This Mayonnaise Recipe
- Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe (5 Minutes!) Recipe card
- Recipe Reviews
Condiments with natural ingredients can be challenging to find, particularly if you want something affordable. That’s why I make my own when I can! This easy homemade mayonnaise recipe is a staple at our house — so much so that it’s in my first cookbook. It literally takes just a few minutes, using common ingredients, like avocado oil and eggs. And unlike many mayo recipes, this one has almost no cleanup at all! You’ll love mixing it into all kinds of recipes, like classic chicken salad or homemade ranch dressing.
Why You’ll Love This Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe
- Rich, creamy flavor
- Silky, smooth texture
- Only 5 simple, natural ingredients
- Quick prep time — takes 5 minutes!
- Almost no cleanup (store in the same jar!)
- Healthier, natural alternative to store-bought mayonnaise
Mayo Ingredients & Substitutions
Here I explain the best homemade mayonnaise ingredients, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.
- Egg – Use a raw egg at room temperature. Egg substitutes won’t work here, sorry.
- Dijon Mustard – Adds a tangy depth to the mayo recipe. You can also use yellow mustard (I’d recommend a slightly smaller amount) or a pinch of mustard powder.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – You can also swap this with white vinegar, fresh lemon juice, or white wine vinegar.
- Sea Salt – I use 1/4 teaspoon, but you can double that if you prefer a saltier mayo.
- Avocado Oil – Avocado oil is the best choice for homemade mayonnaise. It tastes light, and is less processed than the soybean oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil you’ll find in store-bought (these are also over 90% GMO in the U.S.). If you don’t have avocado oil, you can use any other neutral-flavored oil, such as refined liquid coconut oil or light olive oil. Extra-virgin olive oil also works, but the flavor will come through in the mayo.
How To Make Mayonnaise
This section shows how to make mayo, with step-by-step photos and details about the technique, to help you visualize it. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.
- Start with the egg. Crack the egg into a wide mouth glass jar, or a tall glass wide enough for an immersion blender to fit.
NOTE: Do not use a bowl.
The ingredients won’t layer properly in a bowl, so a jar or wide glass is necessary.
- Add the Dijon mustard, vinegar, and salt. Try not to disturb the egg. Do not whisk or stir.
- Add oil. Pour the oil on top. Again, do not whisk or stir.
- Blend. Place the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar, where the egg is. Blend for 20 seconds without moving, until the mixture starts to turn white at the bottom.
- Finish blending. Slowly move the blender up and down in the jar to make the homemade mayonnaise recipe.
VARIATION: Don’t have a blender? Use food processor!
I prefer the immersion blender method for making this mayonnaise recipe, because it’s easier to wash than a food processor and I can store the mayo in the same jar. But if you don’t have one, here is how to make mayonnaise using a food processor:
- Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a small food processor.
- Turn on the food processor. While it’s running, and pour in the oil in a thin stream, until the homemade mayo forms.
How To Fix Broken Mayo
Over the years I’ve heard about several tricks for fixing broken mayo. To be honest, using this immersion blender method, I have never had it break. It is seriously the perfect no fail homemade mayonnaise! But just in case, I still wanted to include some helpful tips for how to fix it if it’s broken or too thin:
- Egg yolk – The easiest way is with an additional egg yolk. Place a yolk into a clean bowl and whisk in just a little bit of the broken mayo. Once it begins to thicken, gradually whisk in the rest. The extra yolk helps re-emulsify the mayo.
- Mustard – This is similar to the previous method, except using mustard instead of another yolk. I remember reading somewhere that Julia Child used this trick. Place the mustard into a clean bowl, and whisk in a little of the broken mayonnaise. Once it starts to come together, gradually whisk in all the remaining mayo.
- Hot water – Whisk a couple tablespoons of boiling water into the mayo. This is a good trick to fix mayonnaise that is too thin, even if it’s not broken. It cooks the egg in the mayo very slightly, making it thicker.
Flavor Variations
Looking for some new and exciting flavors in your homemade mayonnaise? Try these ideas:
- Spicy Mayo – Also known as sriracha mayo! Simply mix 2 tablespoons of sriracha sauce with 1 cup of your homemade mayo for a fiery kick.
- Chipotle Mayo – Blend 1 cup of this mayonnaise recipe with 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and a squeeze of lime juice for a smoky, tangy taste. It tastes amazing with air fryer sweet potatoes!
- Garlic Mayo – To make garlicky mayonnaise, add 1 to 2 minced garlic cloves to 1 cup of this mayo. If you love garlic, also check out garlic aioli, which is similar but uses garlic as the primary flavor.
- Mayo Ketchup – Combine 1 cup of mayo with 1/2 cup ketchup (or make your own homemade ketchup that tastes even better!) and a tablespoon of lemon juice for a sweet and tangy sauce. This is the perfect dip for air fryer French fries or garlic parmesan fries!
Storage Instructions
Store this homemade mayonnaise recipe right in the jar (in the refrigerator) for up to a week.
Can You Freeze Mayonnaise?
No, it’s not recommended to freeze mayonnaise, as it will separate and lose its creamy texture when thawed.
Ways To Use Homemade Mayonnaise
You can use this homemade mayonnaise recipe just like regular mayo. Here are some fun and tasty ideas to try it out in your kitchen:
- Salads – I use this mayonnaise recipe in all of my creamy salads, including chicken salad, creamy tuna salad, classic egg salad, and even cauliflower potato salad. It’s also delicious a simple dressing for 7 layer salad.
- Seafood – Mayo makes a surprisingly delicious topping on fish, like salmon with mayo and parmesan crusted tilapia. If you like the idea of dipping foods, you can serve your favorite crackers or veggies with creamy shrimp salad or lobster salad.
- Salad Dressings – It’s perfect for coleslaw, or as a creamy base for a homemade ranch or Caesar dressing.
- Sandwiches and Wraps – Spread it on sandwiches or wraps for extra flavor. Homemade mayonnaise pairs well with leftover turkey, BLTs, burgers, or veggie wraps.
- Dips – Use it as a base for a creamy dip, like hot crab dip, spinach dip, or French onion dip.
More Homemade Condiment Recipes
If you’re excited about homemade condiments, there’s more to explore! Here are more simple recipes that add flavor to your meals, all with minutes of prep:
My Tools For This Mayonnaise Recipe
- Wide Mouth Jar – These fit my immersion blender and come with lids for storage.
- Immersion Blender – My go-to for making this recipe for mayonnaise!
Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe (5 Minutes!)
By
Learn how to make mayonnaise in just 5 minutes, with less cleanup! This homemade mayo recipe needs only 5 simple ingredients.
Instructions
[ See step photos See my tips ]Tap on the times in the instructions to start a kitchen timer.
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Crack the egg into the bottom of a tall, wide mouth glass jar. (You can also use a tall glass, but make sure it's wide enough for an immersion blender to fit. Do not use a bowl.)
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Add the Dijon mustard, vinegar, and salt on top of the egg, trying not to disturb the egg. Do not whisk or stir.
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Pour the oil on top. Again, do not whisk or stir.
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Carefully submerge an immersion blender into the bottom of the jar, so that it's right where the egg is. Blend on low power for about 20 seconds without moving, until you see most of the jar has turned white. Then, slowly start to move the blender upward, without lifting the blender out into the air. Once you reach the top of the oil, slowly move back down to the bottom. Go up and down like this a few times, until mayonnaise forms.
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Store the homemade paleo mayonnaise right in the jar, in the refrigerator.
Did you make it? Leave a review or tag me @wholesomeyum on Instagram!
Maya’s Recipe Notes
Serving size: 1 tbsp
📖 Want more recipes like this? Find this one and many more in my Easy Keto Cookbook here.
I provide nutrition facts as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see my nutrition policy.
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© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT SCREENSHOT OR COPY/PASTE recipes to social media or websites. We’d LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead.
Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe
513 Comments
Sarah Fanelli
0Loved the idea of this but it came out like water…I tried adding 2 tbls of hot water and no change…what happened?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Sarah, Sorry you had issues with it! I haven’t had this happen before, but it’s hard to tell what went wrong without being in the kitchen with you. Did you use a narrow vessel (like a glass jar) to make it, with the egg on the bottom? Did you start by blending at the bottom first and only move up when the mayo started to form at the bottom (turn white)? Either way, I have 2 other tricks in the post above besides the hot water, so please try the egg yolk or mustard methods to see if that brings it back together.
Eric D. Meehan
0Are you saying to add another yolk if it comes out runny? I put it in the fridge, is it to late to add boiling water? I have made mayo before with olive oil and not had this problem but wanted to try it with avocado oil, not sure what went wrong?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Yes, the methods for the yolk, mustard or water are in the post above. Mayo breaking shouldn’t be related to the type of oil used, though.
Wendy Thompson
0Do you have any concerns about salmonella with the raw egg?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Wendy, Great question! The acid (vinegar), salt and emulsification in mayonnaise all make it a poor breeding ground for bacteria (source). But if you want to be on the safe side, buy pasteurized eggs for making homemade avocado mayo. Hope this helps!
Glory
0Can you put the immersion blender over the egg before you add the other ingredients on top?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Glory, Yes, you can! It shouldn’t make any difference.
Michele L Clow
0Hi. The avocado oil that you use, is it the really light colored one like Primal or the unrefined one like Avohass ?
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Michele, You can use either but I much prefer the light colored kind because it has the most neutral flavor. That will have the best taste result that tastes like regular mayo.
Marie Shaw
0I have made a homemade mayo with apple cider vinegar an it was so overwhelming I couldn’t eat it. It went in the trash
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marie, You didn’t mention if it was this recipe, was it a different one? It can be overwhelming if you use a lot, but this recipe is only 2 teaspoons for the entire batch and I can’t taste it at all. I hope you’ll give it a try! Also, if you don’t want to use ACV, you can use either white vinegar or lemon juice.
Marie Shaw
0It was not this one. It had 1 Tbls in it. I will give this one a try. Organic thyroid friendly mayo is so much. Thank you for your response.
Natalie
0Yay! I think I’m gonna try this mayo with my breakfast sandwiches and salads. I like every simple sauce/dressing/seasoning!
Shauna
0OK I have to ask…. What if we don’t own an immersion blender? I don’t. :X I’d love to try this though, it looks amazing!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Shauna, Do you have a food processor? The other method to make mayonnaise is to do it in a food processor, but I don’t like this method as much as the immersion blender, because it required more cleanup. You would mix all the ingredients except the oil, then drizzle in the oil while the food processor is running.
Marie
0In #2 of the directions it says add lemon juice but I didn’t see it in the recipe. How much lemon juice do you add? Can’t wait to try this. I’ve been looking for a good mayo recipe. 🙂
Thank you!
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Hi Marie, Thank you so much for noticing! I originally tested the recipe with both vinegar and lemon juice, but in the end decided to use vinegar only. You can use either one, or a teaspoon of each. Please come back and let me know how you liked the mayo once you try it!
Eliza F
0I’m definitely bookmarking this one! Here’s a cooking tip: If you make something white (like mayo), don’t use black pepper in it – use white pepper so you don’t have all the little black specks showing. Once I learned this tip, I found I actually prefer the taste of white pepper in some foods and use it interchangeably with my black pepper grinder.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Eliza! That’s a great tip. Originally I made this with black pepper and didn’t like the appearance, so just omitted it. You can use white pepper instead if you’d like.
Scarlet
0I have to try this recipe. I never thought of using avocado oil for mayo but I know it is good for you.
Maya | Wholesome Yum
0Thank you, Scarlet! I hope you’ll love it.