Creamy homemade vegan mayo comes together in under 5 minutes with just a few ingredients, and tastes even better than store bought!
I’m a mayonnaise lover to my core. As a child, I was obsessed with all mayo-based dishes — egg salad sandwiches and macaroni salad were two of my favorite treats. There’s just something about mayo’s creamy texture and tangy flavor that makes almost anything savory taste better to me.
Not all mayos are built the same — especially in the realm of vegan-friendly options. Lately I’ve been making my own homemade vegan mayo from scratch, and I wish I’d been doing this all along, for several reasons:
- Homemade mayonaise tastes much fresher than store-bought options.
- You can use higher quality oils if you like. Most store-bought options are made primarily with canola oil.
- It’s also totally customizable. Adjust how tangy or salty you like it.
- It’s ridiculously easy to make if you own an immersion blender. It will literally take about 5 minutes.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Unsweetened plain soy milk. This is our egg replacer in this homemade vegan mayo. The brand matters here! My preferred soy milk is the organic, plain unsweetened kind by West Life, which contains only two ingredients: soybeans and water. Trader Joe’s also makes one like this. As much as I love Silk soy milk for lattes and cereal, I don’t think the flavor works in savory contexts. (Just my personal preference.)
- Neutral vegetable oil. Since this is the main ingredient of mayo, your selection will impact the flavor in a big way. Make sure you like the flavor of the oil you’re using. My favorites are sunflower oil and light olive oil (not extra-virgin). Many people enjoy avocado oil mayo too, though I’m personally not a fan.
- Dijon mustard. This adds subtle flavor but also contains emulsifying ingredients that will help the mayo whip up seamlessly. Brown or yellow mustard will work too.
- White wine or apple cider vinegar. For that classic tangy mayo flavor.
- Lemon juice. I like the combo of both lemon juice and vinegar in my mayo, personally. Feel free to use all of one or the other if you prefer, though.
- Garlic. Totally optional, but quite tasty.
- Salt.
How to Make Homemade Vegan Mayo
You have a few options when it comes to making your own mayonnaise:
- Blend it in a jar with an immersion blender. I highly recommend this method. It’s by far the quickest, easiest, and most foolproof. Minimal cleanup, too.
- Blend it in a food processor or blender. This works but there are a few caveats. Depending on the size of your processor/blender, you may need to double the recipe so that the starting volume of the soy milk is enough to reach the blades.
- Whisk it by hand. I’ve never personally tried this method, so I can’t vouch for it — but it should be possible with a lot of elbow grease.
Sarah’s Recipe Tips
- Use soy milk with minimal ingredients. This will ensure the most neutral flavor. My favorite is the unsweetened plain soy milk by either Trader Joe’s or West Life which contains just soybeans and water. With this brand, there is no perceptible soy milk “taste” in the finished product.
- Oil selection also matters. Use an oil that you really like, because it will definitely impact the flavor of your mayo. Light olive oil is my personal favorite (not extra-virgin, which has a pronounced flavor). I also enjoy sunflower oil — it does have a slight flavor, but I don’t mind it. Avocado oil and regular canola oil are options too.
- Adjust seasoning to taste. Feel free to add extra lemon juice or vinegar if you prefer a tangier mayo. Add extra salt, garlic, or Dijon if you like. You can even add a few shakes of your favorite hot sauce, or a touch of sugar to round out the flavors.
- Don’t over-blend. Blend just until the desired consistency is achieved. If you blend it too much, the emulsion can break (i.e. the ingredients can separate).
Substitutions & Variations
- Can I use coconut oil to make mayo?
Regular coconut oil won’t work because it is solid at room temperature. Fractionated coconut oil (which is liquid at room temperature) may work, though I have not personally tried it, so I can’t make any guarantees.
- Can I use a different kind of plant milk?
Soy milk has emulsifying properties that are vital to the success of this recipe. Unfortunately other plant milks won’t function in the same way. If you can’t eat soy, the best substitution is aquafaba (the liquid from cooked chickpeas).
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Homemade Vegan Mayo
Creamy homemade vegan mayo comes together in under 5 minutes with just a few ingredients, and tastes even better than store bought!
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Servings: 8 servings
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Equipment
- immersion blender
- measuring cup or jar
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup unsweetened plain soy milk Brand of soy milk matters! Please see notes.
- 1 cup neutral vegetable oil Such as sunflower, avocado, or *light* olive oil. Please see notes.
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons white wine or apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice about 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder optional
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar optional
- 1/2 teaspoon salt more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon liquid lecithin optional — for longer shelf life
Instructions
Immersion Blender (Preferred Method)
- Important: You’ll want to use a jar or other container that is just slightly wider than the head of the immersion blender. If the container is too wide, it may not blend properly.
- Add the soy milk, along with the Dijon, vinegar, lemon juice, and (optional) minced garlic to the jar. Place the immersion blender in all the way, so it touches the bottom of the jar. Now check that the level of the liquids is high enough to be in contact with the blades. If not, you may wish to double the recipe to ensure it blends properly.
- Add the oil to the container all at once and allow it to sit for about 30 seconds.
- With the head of the immersion blender in firm contact with the bottom of the jar, begin blending on high. The oil will be gradually pulled in and blended with the soy milk mixture.
- After about a minute, once the mixture starts to thicken, you can slowly lift or tilt the head of the immersion blender while still blending to incorporate more of the oil gradually until all of it is emulsified. Blend just until it is thick enough, as over-blending can cause the emulsion to break.
- Add salt and adjust other flavors to taste.
Blender/Food Processor Method
- Add the soy milk, along with the Dijon, vinegar, lemon juice, and (optional) minced garlic to the food processor or blender. Now check that the level of the liquids is high enough to be in contact with the blades. If not, I recommend doubling the recipe so that that the volume of this mixture reaches the blades. It may not blend properly otherwise.
- Turn the food processor/blender on high speed and gradually add the oil in a very thin, even stream. (It helps to have the oil ready in a measuring cup with a pour spout.)
- The mixture will gradually thicken as more oil is added and emulsified. Blend just until it is thick enough, as over-blending can cause the emulsion to break. Once all the oil is added, you can adjust salt and other flavors to taste.
Storage
- Homemade vegan mayo can be stored in a clean, airtight jar or other glass container. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You may experience slight separation after several days; simply stir it back together.
Notes
Soy milk. I recommend using a soy milk with minimal ingredients for the most neutral flavor. I recommend the unsweetened plain soy milks from West Life or Trader Joe’s — both are just soybeans and water. I have made this with Silk soy milk, and personally I don’t think the flavor suits this recipe. In addition, added gums and sugars can interfere with the emulsion.
Can’t have soy? Try aquafaba. This is the liquid from cooked chickpeas. Drain it from canned chickpeas, or save it when you cook your own chickpeas from scratch. Ideally, simmer in a pan to reduce it by about 1/3 first. (This will concentrate the protein.) Allow it to cool to room temperature. You can sub in 1/3 cup reduced aquafaba for the soy milk in this recipe.
Oil selection. Each oil has its own distinct flavor. My personal favorites are sunflower oil or refined avocado oil.
Broken emulsion. It is possible to over-blend your mayonnaise, causing it to “break” or separate. Blend just until the mixture thickens.
Recipe revision: I reduced the soy milk slightly from 1/2 cup to 1/3 cup to create a more stable emulsion, and added the optional lecithin for extra stability. (2/25)
Did you make this recipe?We’d love for you to leave a review on the website! You can also share a photo on IG and tag @sarahsvegankitchen_ or #sarahsvegankitchen.
Wow, this recipe looks absolutely delicious! I can’t wait to try it out this weekend. Thanks for sharing🤗!I’m a bit of a foodie, so when I stumbled upon FoodHub, I was thrilled! It’s like a treasure trove of culinary delights, with a plethora of recipes, cooking tips, and restaurant recommendations. It’s become my go-to destination whenever I want to explore new flavors and cuisines.
Just finished making this: wow. The taste and texture to standard mayo is uncanny I used the immersion blender method. Wonderful!
Can I use homemade soy milk?
If I just mix the milk, oil and salt (nothing else), does it still last up to two weeks in the fridge? Many thanks
Yummy recipe. Versatile
What if I can’t use soy OR chickpeas due to allergies? 😆 Any other solutions for the liquid here?
Test believable good!
Unfortunately this did not work at all. 3 stars because the flavor is there but after trying it with an immersion blender and then a small beast blender the mixture never got thick. I was careful not to over blend and it just simply did not work. What a disappointment because ingredients were wasted.
AMAZING. I am saving so much money making this and it tastes great. Followed the recipe exactly and it works beautifully. Thank you
Thank you for another simple and fantastic recipe. I don’t know if you still read comments on here, but what kind of immersion blender do you use? The one I have is not powerful enough for vegan mayo.
Great works every time with soya milk. I am an avid mayo eater too so …what a gift you have to make my dream come true- mayo as an accompaniment to almost every dish!!
Hi can I use Olive & Avocado Oil instead of the liquid lecithin