You only need 6 ingredients to make this easy vegan mayo recipe! Thick, creamy, and ready in under 5 minutes, it's just as good as the real thing.
This vegan mayo recipe is the stuff that dreams are made of. It calls for 6 simple ingredients, it comes together in under 5 minutes, and it tastes just as good as the real thing. It’s thick, creamy, and rich, with a lightly sweet and tangy flavor. For the last few months, I’ve been adding it to salad dressings, stirring it into sauces, and slathering it on just about everything. I’m obsessed with it, and I think you will be too!
Vegan Mayo Recipe Ingredients
So, what makes this vegan mayonnaise so thick and creamy anyway? Soy milk? Cashews? Tofu? Nope! This vegan mayo recipe is completely nut- and soy-free. The secret ingredient here is aquafaba, the starchy liquid that you’d find in a can of chickpeas. We often dump aquafaba down the drain, but it can actually whip into soft peaks, like egg whites, and act as an emulsifier, like egg yolks. It’s what makes this vegan mayo so smooth, creamy, and cohesive. Here’s what else is in this recipe:
- Lemon juice – A classic mayo ingredient, it adds brightness and tang.
- Dijon mustard – Many traditional mayonnaise recipes call for ground mustard powder, but I like to use Dijon mustard instead. I always have it on hand, and it gives this vegan mayo extra depth of flavor.
- Cane sugar – It balances the tangy mustard and lemon juice.
- Sea salt – To make all the flavors pop!
- Sunflower oil – It gives this vegan mayo body and richness. If you don’t have sunflower oil on hand, you can substitute another neutral-flavored oil like avocado oil or canola oil. I don’t recommend using extra-virgin olive oil in this recipe, as its strong flavor will overpower the other ingredients.
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
How to Make Vegan Mayonnaise
To make homemade vegan mayonnaise, add the aquafaba, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, and salt to a blender. Before you add the oil, whirr these ingredients together. This allows the aquafaba to start to whip up and become foamy.
With the blade running, slowly drizzle in the sunflower oil, and blend until thickened. The vegan mayo should be light, creamy, and opaque. That’s it!
Store the vegan mayo in an airtight container or Mason jar in the fridge for up to two weeks. Enjoy!
How to Use Vegan Mayo
Once you have this vegan mayonnaise on hand, you’ll find endless ways to use it! Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- Slather it on a sandwich, like my Seared Tofu Banh Mi, Chickpea Salad Sandwich, or Butternut Apple Cranberry Sandwich.
- Spread it on your burger bun next time you make veggie burgers or portobello mushroom burgers.
- Use it instead of regular mayo in mayo-based salad dressings. It works great in my Broccoli Salad, Grilled Corn Salad, Potato Salad, and Mexican Street Corn Salad.
- Swap it in for regular mayo in egg salad, or use it in my vegan egg salad.
- Use it as a dipping sauce for French fries and sweet potato fries.
- Make sriracha mayo by mixing 1/3 cup vegan mayo with 2 teaspoons sriracha. I love to serve this creamy, spicy sauce with nori wraps, sushi, tacos, sesame tofu, spring rolls, and more!
- Or make creamy chipotle sauce! It’s fantastic on tacos, burgers, and burrito bowls.
How do you like to use vegan mayonnaise? Leave a comment below to let me know!
More Favorite Plant-Based Basics
If you love this recipe, try making one of these plant-based cooking components next:
Vegan Mayo
Ingredients
- ¼ cup liquid from 1 can of chickpeas
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon cane sugar
- Scant ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¾ cup sunflower oil*
Instructions
- In a blender, place the chickpea liquid, lemon juice, mustard, sugar, and salt and pulse to combine.
- With the blade running, slowly drizzle in the sunflower oil and blend until thickened.
I followed recipe, used sunflower oil as suggested over other oils, it’s very liquidy. Should it have the texture of store bought regular mayo? Does it thicken as it sits?
Hi Linda, I’m not sure what happened here! The vegan mayo may be a bit thinner than regular mayo, but it shouldn’t be runny. The looser consistency might have to do with the power of your blender, or it could be that aquafaba can vary depending on what brand of chickpeas you buy.
Easier than egg yolk or whole egg mayo, or tofu mayo.
I home can beans including garbanzos, in pints, so garbanzo water is always around. I might can some with less beans and more water, specifically to have more water.
Tastes differ, but for me no sugar needed. I used 50/50 olive oil/canola, and a few salt capers.
At summer’s height, I serve my own romaine leaves with a bowl of fresh chopped herbs and wild greens tossed in mayo. Take a leaf, add herbs and mayo, roll up and eat. Vary to taste,
I used avocado oil. It thickened up just fine. Next time I will use more salt though. ?
A great recipe! I used Olive oil because I love it, and it came out great albeit a touch bitter (which I didn’t mind at all). Next time will try Avocado oil. (I avoid seed oils…)
Do you have any tips on making things being oil free? I have to worry about it due to cholesterol and would love to get some tips! Thanks!!
I don’t think that’s possible. It would be like trying to make jam without pectin, or lemonade without water. Oil is what emulsifies the mayo – no substitutes can replace it.
I made this with a sunflower/coconut oil artisan blend and it came out perfectly. I also used avocado oil prior to trying the blend. I think the blend was creamier. Great recipe!!
Scratch that sunflower/coconut oil blend. Came out great then turned watery and weird the next day ?
What would you suggest in place of any type sugar? My husband is doing a detox and it’s been hard looking for recipes with no egg, soy, sugar, etc. your mayo is the first I found using no soy milk. Also will this heat well in a buffalo chicken dip?
I would use monk fruit! ( not stevia because it might add an aftertaste that not be pleasing)
I do this for my grandma whose dietary needs changed over the years 🙂
Tasted amazing! Made it for my dad when he needed mayo but didn’t trust raw eggs in it. He couldn’t guess chickpea juice was used for it, and really enjoyed it. Thanks 🙂
I’m so glad you both loved it!
I’m going to try this with whole grain bread, lettuce, tomato, and smoked strips of coconut “cured” with a very little brown sugar. Vegan Mayo – CBLT almost as good as the real thing. I had this at what used to be a nice Philly pub it was once on Fieri’s Triple D food show but now in a neighborhood run over by criminals.
Loved this! I have been making one with cashews but think this is superior. You might try adding a pinch of kala namak (Indian Black Salt)!
Hi Karla, so glad you loved it!
This is so good!!! I would happily eat this in place of Mayo. I had my 13 year old taste it and he thought it was the real thing! Thank you for the great recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it!
Omg it is to die for! ?
I’m so glad you enjoyed!
OK I used avocado oil and it’s way too runny. What am I doing wrong?
I did the same thing and it was way too runny as well. I also doubled it and couldn’t bear to add that much more oil. I added a whole avacado and it turned out GREAT!!
I am trying to make it now and it is not thickening at all. I do not know what is wrong. I added more aquafaba. How long does it take before it thickens? I have no reference for how long it should take. Thank you.
Hi Kate, are you using sunflower oil?
Just made a double batch using Meyer lemon juice from our tree and avocado oil and WOW. So. good. We are mayo kinda people and this surpassed expectations by a mile. Thanks for the fabulous recipe!
Hi Mel, I’m so glad you loved it!