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).
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Best hack ever! I hate buying vegan mayo as it quite often goes to waste. This is much better than the store-bought stuff & I can make whatever quantity I need. Love it!
Thanks MB we’re happy that you like it!
I made this exactly as per the directions and it turned out wonderfully. Given the simplicity of the method and ingredients, this will be a regular recipe for me. It’s great as is, but I wonder if anyone has tried mixing seasalt and black salt to impart a bit of egginess. Might try that next time.
We haven’t tried that but you certainly can give it a try! Thanks so much for your review!
I tried it with the black salt. GAME. CHANGER. Do it, it tastes better than mayo!
Whoa, I need to try that!
This recipe is a revelation. I have a genetic gift from my dad that keeps my doctor shaking her head over my cholesterol. I’m very healthy with great numbers except LDL and at my age, 74, I put my effort into paying attention. I have 8 grand-teens that need this grandmother alive!
I eat a plant based diet and know we all need some cholesterol to be healthy. But I thought I’d try some vegan recipes to learn how to make a few things just in case. I make my own mayo every couple of weeks (learned in a ‘scratch’ restaurant) and love the process. Honestly, I could not understand eggless. A little attitude on my part but here we are with a whole jar of this delicious stuff just waiting for sandwich day – Field Roast Turkey, homemade Cranberries, vegan gouda from Whole Foods, and chips. I can’t wait.
Thank you from the bottom of my still beating heart!
You’re so so welcome Janet! Wow your comment made me day to read! I am SO happy this was able to help in the way it did! Thank you so much and of course – you’re incredibly welcome!!
Hello,
I was wondering about the nutrition. What is the serving amount you have stated the nutritional information for,please?
Thanks,
Ingrid
Hi Ingrid,
This is for a tablespoon!
Absolutely beautiful. I didn’t have garlic powder and put 1/2 tsp mustard in. It is amazing. I’m astounded that it made it to the sandwich the blender was finger lick cleaned 😂.
Haha! We totally understand. We’re just happy that you like it Jacque.
Perfect dip for Vegan Pizzas and Sandwiches!!
Wow thanks so much for your review AngelaKin!
Can cashew milk be used instead of soy milk? I’m intolerant to soy
We haven’t tried it but it should be able to work. I can’t guarantee it though.
Hi, can i subtitute the soy milk with almond milk? Would it taste the same?
Hi Ayya,
It won’t work the same! You need the protein and lecithin found in soy milk for it to thicken like this.
While I’d never go against a cook on her own recipe, I have to disagree. I have tried this with unsweetened almond milk, and it worked just fine. It did separate a little more in the fridge between uses, but you just stir it back up and it’s good to go.
Jessica, this vegan mayo is AMAZING! Finding substitutes for my omnivore family is so hard, but this nailed it.
If I can make a suggestion without it being rude, I really hope you might play with this recipe a bit more by replacing the salt with the egg-flavored black salt. I’ve made it as you wrote, and also with the black salt instead. It’s an absolute next-level recipe with the black salt, and I think your readers are missing out. Great recipe!!
Thanks so much for your comment Jessie! That’s such a great idea, I will definitely give it a try and if I do will def share that addition with it!!
Love it!