Vegan Mayo (Thick and Creamy)
If you can’t live without mayonnaise, you don’t have to if you want to eat vegan. Here’s my fave Vegan Mayo recipe! It only takes 5 minutes, tastes incredible and uses easy ingredients!
I remember the first time I tried vegan mayo, or plant based mayo, about four years ago. It tasted just like regular mayonnaise and kind of blew my mind. It tastes exactly the same! Vegan mayo here costs me quite a lot, and I remember one day wondering if it was possible to make it at home and friends – here we are!
Not only is it possible to make vegan mayo at home, but it’s also easy and takes only a few minutes. It’ll save you a lot of money since it’s some basic affordable pantry ingredients (really), and tastes incredible!
What ingredients are in vegan mayo?
I’m so glad you asked! Vegan mayo is made up of three basic ingredients – soy milk, oil and salt. Let me break them down a bit for you.
- Soy milk – You’re going to need to use soy milk for this recipe. Truthfully, apart from almond milk, it’s the vegan milk I always have in stock. Why? Emulsification. Soy milk contains natural emulsifiers that make it perfect for so many purposes. I use it to make creamy and solid vegan butter, as the perfect buttermilk in pancakes and cakes and more, and here – in mayo! It works perfectly and binds to the oil to make it nice and fluffy and mayo like!
- Oil – oil adds the necessary fat and binds with the soy milk. You want to use a subtle/mellow and odourless oil for taste. I love olive oil and coconut oil but they can be a bit overpowering here, so I recommend a more neutral oil like sunflower seed, canola or grape seed oil.
- Salt – salt is such a superior ingredient to me. It acts as a flavour enhancer here and really boosts the flavour.
Now, for the other ingredients. I always add in some apple cider vinegar, mustard, black pepper and garlic powder which for me take it over the top and give it that quintessential mayonnaise flavour. If however you’re using this for a sweet dessert, leave those out.
Expert Tips & FAQ
- I go through this in detail in recipe, but the best tool to use is an immersion blender in an open cup (like the beaker that comes with it). Air is an essential ingredient and you need free-flowing air to allow the emulsification to properly take place.
- You can’t do this in a container that is completely sealed off (just like my whipped coffee recipe). You can use a blender, but ensure it’s an open blender. I would do it that way by blending the soy milk first and then slowly streaming in the oil in the top. Cover it loosely with a cloth so it doesn’t splash. If you’re doing that, you might need to double the quantity so there’s enough for the blade.
- You should start with all your ingredients at the same temperature, preferably at room temperature.
Flavour Customisations/Add-ins
Feel free to customise this vegan mayo recipe with flavour add-ins. Here are some of my favourites:
- add in some dried Italian seasoning and an extra pinch of garlic powdered for herbed garlic mayo.
- Add in some sambal oelek or sriracha for a spicy mayo
Related Recipes
These are my favourite recipes where I use my homemade mayo:
- Bang Bang Broccoli
- Bang Bang Cauliflower
- Vegan BLT Sandwich
- Loaded Vegan Potato Salad
- Vegan Tuna Sandwich
- Vegan Tartar Sauce (with vegan fish tacos)
- spread on some No Knead Bread
Enjoy friends! If you make this post about these Vegan Mayo (Thick and Creamy), please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much! P.S. – do you know that we have an entire blog dedicated to low carb recipes named Low Carb Vegan Recipes?! Be sure to check it out!
Vegan Mayo (Thick and Creamy)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup original soy milk, (125mL)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, or lime juice or white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dijion mustard
- 1 cup oil, I recommend any neutral oil (don't use coconut oil) (250mL)
Instructions
- Make sure all your ingredients are room temperature. If your milk is cold, you can microwave it for about 10 seconds.
- Add the original soy milk, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, sea salt and mustard in the immersion blender beaker/jar and stir together.
- Pour the oil over the soy milk mixture. Let it sit for about a minute.
- Place your immersion blender into the bottom of the jar. Blend and keep it firmly pressed against the bottom for about 15 seconds while the mixture emulsifies. Slowly move the blender up and down to properly blend and incorporate all the ingredients until thick and fully combined.
- Taste and add/adjust any ingredients if needed. Place in a sealed jar in the fridge. It thickens up in the fridge even more. Enjoy!
Notes
Expert Tips & FAQ
- I go through this in detail in recipe, but the best tool to use is an immersion blender in an open cup (like the beaker that comes with it). Air is an essential ingredient and you need free-flowing air to allow the emulsification to properly take place.
- You can’t do this in a container that is completely sealed off (just like my whipped coffee recipe). You can use a blender, but ensure it’s an open blender. I would do it that way by blending the soy milk first and then slowly streaming in the oil in the top. Cover it loosely with a cloth so it doesn’t splash. If you’re doing that, you might need to double the quantity so there’s enough for the blade.
- You should start with all your ingredients at the same temperature, preferably at room temperature.
- If you don't have the immersion blender cup, be sure to use a tall and narrow jar (like a Weck Jar).
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It actually works!! Great recipe! Thank you!
WOW! Jessica, thanks so much for this recipe! But true confession, I didn’t make this recipe as you wrote it, but I did use it for proportions and, more importantly, INSPIRATION!
I live in Spain and have access to the most incredible tuna packed in olive oil, however I always regret having nothing to do with the oil. Much of it goes in the compost. Today I had a particularly delicious and large jar of tuna and needed something to do with the oil. I used your method and proportions and in less then 15-seconds with the immersion blender I had some of the most lustrous, creamy and delicious mayonnaise I’ve ever made!
Thanks again!
I’m not even vegan but this is the best!!! I will never buy store bought again. Thank you
So easy, fast and delicious
Jessica, Which oil do you use?
Hi Diane,
I usually use grapeseed oil, sunflower oil, avocado oil or safflower oil!
What can I sub soy milk with? Would almond milk work?
Hi Marzena,
If you have sunflower lecithin you can substitute it, please check the comments for readers who have used almond milk and how they got it to work too (including adding aquafaba)!
This looks awesome! Would it be weird to use the Silk Original soy milk? it has some sugar in it ….
so excited to try this!!!
HI Kristen,
Yes of course! That’s what I usually use! 🙂 Enjoy this recipe so so much and let me know what you think!! I’m about to make an heirloom tomato and mayo sandwich for dinner with this same recipe!
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for your reply, and the recipe! I tried it, and it was awesome!!! 🙂 Definitely keeping this one!!!
Love your recipes!
Thanks so much Linda!!
I made this today so that I can make Elote tonight. It turned out nicely. Good flavor too. Super simple to make. Great recipe, thanks for sharing!
Hi, have you tried this recipe with oat milk and if not, would you recommend it? Thank you!
Hi Mars,
I haven’t but check through the comments – there are some people saying that they’ve tried it with oat milk AND Aquafaba and it worked for them!