I don’t want to brag or anything, but I’m kind of a mayo ninja.
It comes from having tried and mastered every recipe out there. From Julia Child’s classic hand-whisked 3-yolk mayo, to a lacto-fermented version using whey strained from yogurt, to the simplest version using one room-temperature whole egg in a food processor. I’ve used almost every kind of oil (from coconut to EVOO — to which I say blech) and all manner of vinegars (to which I say too complicated.)
Eventually, I managed to combine the best of all these recipes to find the ultimate perfect (and ridiculously-easy) mayo recipe. In my humble opinion.
Even in the midst of first-trimester yuckiness, when I couldn’t bear to make dinner for a month and opening the fridge was an exercise in self-torture, I still managed to whip up a batch of my awesome homemade mayo.
It’s one of those things where the homemade version is SO AMAZING and the store-bought alternative SO AWFUL (mostly in terms of gross ingredients) that you just can’t go back once you’ve tasted the real thing. And it’s easy to boot!
If you have never tried homemade mayonnaise, you have not begun living. The stuff you buy in the store WISHES it was a mere imitation of the real thing. It is a mere shadow, an echo, a whisper of what beauty emerges when you emulsify oil with egg and lemon.
And once you’ve mastered homemade mayo, you’ve opened yourself up to an entire universe of incredible, gourmet dips, sauces and dressings:
- It’s the base for the best Caesar dressing you will ever taste (ignore what the link says about using Hellman’s and avoiding raw egg)
- If you add a couple of spices, you get this spectacular smoky paprika cumin aoli which tastes amazing with homemade sweet potato fries
- Combined with creme fraiche, garlic, and a blend of herbs, you get delicious, good-for-you ranch dressing that will get your kiddos dipping fresh veggies to their (and your) heart’s content
And the list goes on! It’s great in tuna, macaroni, or Waldorf salad; it’s wonderful on sandwiches; it tastes divine on hard-boiled eggs . . . I can’t stop eating this mayo!
(So obviously I’m not the best food photographer in the world. But believe me when I say this hard-boiled egg smothered in homemade mayo was one of the best things I ate all week.)
The best thing of all, I think, is the fact that you don’t have to feel guilty slathering your sandwiches in this delectable spread. It’s made with healthy ingredients and good fats, so you can enjoy it without regret!
Okay, I know my recipe has some sugar in it, and I know that sugar is evil. You can totally omit it. But to me, that tiny bit of sugar is the difference between “good” and “out-of-this-world.” Your call. Either way, at least it’s not Miracle Whip.
A Few Notes and Tips:
- My one caveat is that you must use quality eggs from a source you know and trust, since they will remain raw. Fresh from a farm is ideal. I only use eggs from my parents’ chickens, which are free to roam and graze all day. I would be hesitant to use any old store-bought eggs, since I have no way of knowing whether the birds were healthy. I would not want to risk salmonella poisoning!
- Lots of recipes require you to use yolks only, and many of them. I used to do this. I never knew what to do with the whites, and it made my mayo an unappetizing yellow. Turns out, I actually get lovelier, fluffier mayo if I use one whole egg. It’s cheaper and easier, too. Who knew.
- While I’ve heard people say they had success with a blender or stick blender, I find the process is MUCH MUCH easier and more reliable with a food processor. (I use and love my Ninja). [UPDATE: I have since tried it with a stick blender, and I will never go back. It’s unbelievably easy. I will include the instructions below.]
All that being said, let’s move on to the mayonnaise-making!
Simple, Scrumptious Homemade Mayo
Makes about 1 1/4 cups
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice (fresh is vastly superior, but bottled works too)
- 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 cup neutral-tasting oil (I usually use “light” olive oil, but have also liked cold-pressed sunflower oil and avocado oil. Do NOT use extra-virgin olive oil, because it’s disgusting in this.)
Now, you are much more likely to have success if you bring your egg and lemon juice to room temperature. You could let them sit on the counter for three hours, but usually when I want mayo, I want it RIGHT NOW.
So here’s what you do: crack your egg and pour your lemon juice into a small glass. Fill a bigger bowl with hot tap water, and immerse the cup in the water (without getting any water into the cup — the way some people warm up a baby bottle) for a few minutes until the contents have warmed to room temperature.
[UPDATE: STICK BLENDER METHOD. As I mentioned above, I have since found it even easier with an immersion blender. Warm your egg yolk and lemon juice as above in a wide-mouth pint jar (or similar container). Then throw in the rest of the ingredients. Stick your blender in there, turn it on, and watch as the ingredients magically turn into mayo in less than a minute!!]
Food processor method: Pour the warmed egg mixture into your food processor and blend for a few seconds, just to get it mixed.
Add the mustard powder, salt, and sugar, and blend a few seconds longer.
Now comes the slightly tricky part. You need to add the oil S-L-O-W-L-Y while the blade is running. Have your oil ready in the measuring cup to make pouring easy. Turn on the machine, and start to drizzle in the oil — the thinnest stream you can possibly manage. Keep it running, and continue to pour — again, s-l-o-w-l-y, until the oil is gone. Be amazed as the oily, messy contents of your food processor gradually and magically begin to turn white and creamy (emulsification, baby!). But don’t get hasty. Keep drizzling. This process will take you a couple of minutes, but it will be SO WORTH IT.
And you’re done! Scrape all that creamy deliciousness into a glass container with a rubber spatula and start slathering!
A Word on Storage:
I’m told homemade mayo can be kept in the fridge for a week or so, though I’ve gone longer. If you want to preserve it to last longer, you can try this method of lacto-fermentation, if you’re the kind of person who has whey hanging around in your fridge. (Just add a Tbsp liquid whey along with the lemon juice; then after it’s made, let it sit on the counter for 7 hours before refrigerating). I’ve done this dozens of times, but it adds a few steps, and lately I don’t need mine to last that long. It goes quickly when you start using it in all your dressings and dips!

“At least it’s not Miracle Whip.” <— Ha! In a previous life, my favorite snack was Miracle Whip on Saltine crackers. Yum. Gross.
Rebecca recently posted..Royal Tour New Zealand & Australia, 2014: Best Of
Oh gosh. How did we survive so many years without taste buds.
Kathleen! This sounds so awesome. I’ve tried making mayo with EVOO in a blender and it wasn’t that great, but I’m going to get myself some avocado oil and pull the food processor out and give it a go! Thanks for passing along all your mayo trials and expertise!
Amy Rogers Hays recently posted..Why I Don’t Keep a To-Do List (& 10 Things I Do Instead)
Ok. The DH has hated every mayonnaise recipe I’ve tried and has requested I stop making it. I might have to give your version a try, if I remember to pick up neutral oil sometime. :-)
Ha ha. I’d be interested to hear how it goes if you do. Personally, I can’t see how anyone could hate this recipe (unless they hate mayonnaise in general)! :) It tastes and looks the most like Hellman’s of any I’ve tried.
There’s something about the metal blades in a food processor or on a stick blender that makes EVOO turn very bitter.
If you want the olive oil taste, you can make it with most of the oil using the machine and then whisk in the remaining oil using EVOO and a hand whisk. It won’t take long; as the mayo is already emulsified you can add the oil quite quickly.
Interesting. Thanks for the tip, Hazel!
Have you ever made mayo with animal fats?
No I haven’t. I always assumed it would be too solid? I found coconut oil too solid for my taste — it wasn’t fluffy and dollop-y. Though I guess if you use melted butter, you get bechemel, which sounds DIVINE.
I was just thinking about wanting to try making mayonnaise this morning! I’ll give your recipe a try when I get around to it. My soon-to-be-husband doesn’t like mayonnaise, so I’m assuming that means either that it doesn’t matter if he likes the kind I make or not because he never wanted it in the first place, or I’ll convert him to liking the homemade kind. Don’t need to worry about him vetoing it in favor of store bought though. :) Thanks for posting!
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Does the lacto-fermented version taste. . . well, lacto-fermented? I’m not so sure that I want my mayo that way, but I am all about the ferment.
Not in my experience, and I have a pretty sensitive palate.
Same here. I never noticed a change in the flavour.
I made mayo the other day with bacon fat for BLT’s. It was Mmmmm Mmmmm Good!
I never would have thought of that. Holy moly. Must try.
I think I just died a little inside.
Interesting, I have had the opposite experience insofar as actually making mayo successfully. Using the food processor was always inconsistent for me. I started using the stick blender and get perfect mayo every time. Plus it’s done in under a minute, no slow drizzling required. Bonus that I make it in the same jar in which it is stored.
I agree whole heartedly that homemade is on a whole different level from store bought. I grew up hating mayonnaise, barely tolerating it in minimal amounts as a necessary binder for things like egg or tuna salad. But then I made my own. Now I look for ways to eat it!
I actually haven’t tried it with a stick blender, only a regular blender, and had very inconsistent results. I thought a stick blender would only be worse. Interesting. I might have to try that yet.
Here’s what I do (although, I only nominally measure, and I often add a tablespoon of whey to lacto-ferment it): http://www.nwedible.com/2013/02/magically-fast-and-easy-homemade-mayonnaise.html
Cool! Wow! I had to watch the video — I had to see it to believe it! If I had a decent immersion blender, I would totally try it. :) Thanks for sharing, Lily.
you know, I’m not a huge mayo fan but I’m a little intrigued to find this recipe. what has been holding me back is all the NT recipes are fermented and, well, I’m a contamination waiting to happen :) Have you made a ketchup that you like? I’ve heard its totally different that the HFCS versions and I’m really excited to try that!
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I haven’t tried ketchup yet. We don’t use it a lot, so I haven’t had as much motivation to try it so far. I want to yet!
I’ve been making mine for awhile. I struggled with my pathetic blender and it was really hit or miss. I switch to the food processor and haven’t had a bad batch yet! I did EVOO once. Ew. ;)
I usually scoop out as much mayo as I can and put it in a jar in the fridge, then I add oil & vinegar and fresh herbs to what’s left in the machine for a creamy salad dressing. Less mayo is wasted, too.
kimberly recently posted..rainbow
I made homemade mayo only once using an egg yolk and EVOO. As you say, it was a revolting color of yellow and the taste was awful so I just thought homemade is a bad idea. Thanks for your recipe. I am going to try it when I use up my store mayo.
I’ve been making mayo for awhile, started as a means to reduce the amount of garbage I was creating, (even if it is recyclable), mayo is something you can make up at home and not buy containers that go into the waste chain. (Also bake bread and make yogurt for the same reasons.)
Anyway, re: the mayo, I found that when I made it with olive oil it was separating in the fridge. My brother the chef said I had to use canola to keep it from separating.
Do you have any experience with this, or suggestions for healthier oils that don’t separate? I am not sure but I don’t think canola is all that healthy.
I haven’t had any trouble with it separating in the fridge, and I’ve been making it for years. Other healthy oils you could try, however, include unrefined sunflower seed oil and avocado oil. Macadamia nut oil is lovely, too, but very expensive. Good luck!
I use a 1 pint mason jar with measurements on the side. I start by adding oil up to the one cup marking on the jar. This saves you from having to use a separate measuring cup.