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.
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!