How to Make Healthy Homemade Mayo

Did you know it isn’t difficult to make homemade mayonnaise that tastes good? This healthy mayonnaise recipe is dairy-free and can be used just like the store bought stuff!

When I first began my whole food journey, I thought mayonnaise was one of those things I’d have to let go of. Premade mayonnaise is loaded with oils that are hard on the body. And in spite of the fact that I loved to use mayo in homemade ranch dressing and delicious potato salad, I thought I’d have to give it all up.

Until I discovered that it really isn’t difficult to make healthy mayonnaise at home. This old fashioned recipe opened the door for me to once again enjoy using mayonnaise in my kitchen!

Let me show you how to make healthy homemade mayo.

Is Homemade Mayonnaise Healthier Than Store Bought?

You might be wondering if store bought mayonnaise really all that bad for you?

The first ingredient in mayonnaise (homemade or store bought) is oil. Most of the time, prepared mayo is made with highly processed oils, such as canola, soybean or vegetable oil.

I don’t know about you, but when I began to understand that the human body is unable to properly process these oils, I began cutting them out of my diet.

Mayonnaise also had additional ingredients I didn’t care for (such as sugar and preservatives). It was actually quite frustrating to discover!

If you don’t want highly processed oils being served at the family table, the best work-around for this dilemma is to make your own mayonnaise with GOOD oil, no sugar and without unnecessary preservatives!

What Oil Makes the Best Homemade Mayonnaise?

So if a home cook is going to make her own mayonnaise, which type of oil should she use?

If you want a mild and natural tasting mayonnaise, I recommend using avocado oil! Unlike olive oil that carries a pungent taste, avocado oil has a very mild flavor and creates a mayo that closely resembles taste of premade stuff.

Only it tastes fresh, light and cleaner.

What Are the Ingredients in Homemade Mayonnaise?

It isn’t difficult to make homemade mayonnaise. You really only need a few ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand already!

Here’s what you need for homemade mayo.

1. Avocado oil
2. Egg
3. Salt
4. Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
5. Mustard (prepared or dried)

Tools You’ll Need

Here’s the list of tools you’ll need to make this recipe.

1. A kitchen blender
2. Measuring cups
3. Spatula
4. Jar and lid for storing mayonnaise

How to Make Healthy Homemade Mayo

Here’s how you actually make mayonnaise in your kitchen!

Set up your kitchen blender and add 1/4 cup of the avocado oil, the apple cider vinegar, raw egg, salt and mustard.

Pop the lid in place and turn your blender on, whirling ingredients together for about 7 seconds.

Leave the blender running and measure out the remaining 1/2 cup of avocado oil. Very slowly pour it through the hole in your blender’s lid and let the blades below do their magic.

Add oil as slowly as you can and eventually, you’ll notice the splatters on the inside of the blender thickening. It won’t run back down to the blender blades as quickly and you’ll notice a change in sound, like the blades only hit something every couple of seconds (instead of continuously working the mayo).

This is a sure sign your homemade mayonnaise is thickening!

Finish adding oil and let blender run for another 7-10 seconds.

Turn off the blender and use your spatula to scrape every last bit of mayo into a jar.

Fasten a lid into place and refrigerate until you’re ready to use.

How Long Does Homemade Mayo Last?

Homemade mayonnaise only lasts about 10-14 days in the refrigerator. At least, that’s the general recommendation (I have kept it in my fridge for a bit longer than that!).

Here’s why it’s lifespan is short: homemade mayonnaise contains raw egg.

Some people struggle with the idea of eating egg in raw form. Personally, I’m not afraid of getting sick on a farm fresh egg. That being said, I do try to respect the 10-14 day lifespan of homemade mayo. Because raw egg will eventually go bad in the fridge and I don’t want to make anyone sick!

It’s actually quite incredible to think that homemade mayo only lasts 2-3 weeks even while refrigerated. How in the world do they manage to create a mayonnaise that can sit on the grocery store shelf for several years?!

Troubleshooting Tips

Sometimes, homemade mayonnaise doesn’t emulsify and thicken like it’s supposed to. Here are some troubleshooting tips that will help you avoid this issue.

1. Chill your avocado oil in the refrigerator-warm avocado oil is thinner and won’t always emulsify in the way it ought to. Fix this by keeping your avocado oil in the refrigerator.
2. Add all ingredients before emulsifying-make sure you have all other ingredients whirled together in the blender before slowing adding the last 1/2 cup of oil.
3. Always add oil slowly-sometimes homemade mayo doesn’t thicken if you add oil too fast. Slowly and patiently drizzle oil into whirling blender so things can properly emulsify.
4. Double the recipe if you have a large blender-if you have a large blender (wider than 3.5 to 4 inches at the base), this recipe may be too small and the blades may not be able to reach the oil/egg mixture to properly emulsify it. If so, double the batch for a successful “whirl.”