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A simple, delicious homemade mayonnaise recipe – that takes just 5 ingredients and a few minutes of your time. Healthier and, often, cheaper than store-bought versions.
With all the of the DIY’s I’ve been doing for the past couple of years, I suppose it was inevitable that at some point I would make my way to condiments. Now here is a delicious homemade mayonnaise recipe that uses just 5 ingredients and a few minutes of your time. Plus, ketchup DIY is coming soon too, of course.
Mayonnaise is thick, creamy, and a delicious accompaniment to a massive range of meals. This includes veggie fritters, homemade oven-baked fries, coleslaw, and even using it as part of other dips. I love adding sweet chilli to my homemade mayonnaise, for a sweet and spicy treat.
Why make homemade mayonnaise?
Sauces like mayonnaise are so readily available in stores that it’s easy to forget that these can be made naturally at home ( and to want to make an effort to make your own). However, store bought mayonnaise can come with a long list on unwanted ingredients too, unlike homemade mayonnaise which has a clean ingredients list.
For the cheap own-brand versions you’ll often see an ingredients list with colourings, thickeners and gums and sometimes even worse. For example, I looked at a budget option today, and some of the ingredients include Glucose-Fructose Syrup, Modified Maize Starch, Lactic Acid, Sorbic Acid, Guar Gum, Xanthan Gum etc.
Now, that’s not to say that all brands are like this, but as the ingredients list gets cleaner, the price certainly gets higher. To the point that it’s more cost-effective to make you own (bet you didn’t think I’d say that!).
Yes, you heard me right – making homemade mayo can be around the same price, if not cheaper than store-bought if you want a clean ingredients list.
In fact, homemade mayonnaise is made up of only 5 ingredients, not including salt:
- Oil: I have tried a variety of oils for this mayo and sunflower oil and avocado oil are my favourites. Avocado oil is probably my favourite, however, for a budget recipe sunflower oil is the clear victor. You can also try this recipe with olive oil, however, if using olive oil then make sure it’s a ‘light’ one as the taste can easily become overpowering to the delicate mayo flavours.
- Egg: All you need is a single, whole organic free-range egg to make a cup of homemade mayonnaise – more than enough to last a family for a week (usually). Some versions use just the egg yolk, but I think the entire egg makes excellent mayonnaise and is less wasteful.
As this recipe uses raw egg, you may want to use pasteurized egg, if you’re worried about eating raw eggs in the dish (you can also pasteurize the eggs yourself at home). I personally have never had issues using organic, free-range eggs, though. - Lemon: Alternatively, you can use apple cider vinegar, but I prefer lemon juice. This is used for flavour as well as to stabilize the mayonnaise.
- White Wine Vinegar
- Mustard Seed Powder: You can also buy the whole seeds and grind it into power yourself (this usually works out cheaper). I’m no fan of mustard, but this pulls together mayonnaise so well without adding to much ‘mustard-y’ flavour. It’s also required to stabilize the mayonnaise.
The Cost Difference
I’ve done the maths and, although it depends on where you’re buying the ingredients from, I worked out that on average it costs just under £1 for this recipe, which yields over a cup of homemade mayonnaise. In comparison, the store-bought versions that I looked at with a comparatively clean-ish recipe cost £1.50-1.75 for around the same amount.
Which means that if your household goes quickly through mayonnaise at home, but you want a clean-eating, organic, version then homemade may be the way to go for you.
Other reasons to make homemade mayonnaise
- The whole process of making homemade mayonnaise takes just a few minutes
- The taste is delicious – but more than that, homemade mayonnaise can be batched and flavoured (garlic mayo anyone?!).
How to Make Mayonnaise
It’s worth noting that there are a few ways to make homemade mayonnaise. Be it with a blender bowl/jug, small food processor, or immersion blender – the processes will be similar. I used an immersion blender for this mayo DIY as my personal favourite preference.
Note* I’ve heard it’s better to use room temperature ingredients; however, I’ve tried it chilled, and room temperature eggs, and haven’t noticed much of a difference.
What is great about making homemade mayonnaise is that there are only a few steps. I know that different versions do things slightly different and blend the egg first before adding any other ingredients. However, I’ve found this unnecessary as I get delicious results without adding an extra step to the process.
How to Fix Mayonnaise That Hasn’t Emulsified Properly
I have never had this recipe fail, so I’ve never had to fix my homemade mayonnaise. That being said, I turned to the internet to try and pick up some tips on what to do if your mayonnaise doesn’t work i.e. if you pour the oil too quickly and it doesn’t emulsify etc.
Tip 1: In a separate bowl, add an egg yolk and bit-by-bit, blend the broken mayonnaise into the bowl- it should eventually thicken and emulsify. I know some people also add slightly more oil too, to help it emulsify but this may not be necessary. Just remember if/when you add the oil to do it very slowly.
Tip 2: Alternatively, add a small amount (about a teaspoon) of mustard to a bowl and slowly whisk/blend the broken mayonnaise into the bowl. The mustard should help to emulsify the mixture again.
If you have any other tips, then please let everyone know in the comments below.
If you have any questions, then please let me know in the comments. And. As usual, I’d love to see how you end up using your homemade mayonnaise so feel free to tag me @AlphaFoodie.
Homemade Mayonnaise
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup sunflower oil alternatively avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 1 whole organic free-range egg
- 1 lemon juiced
- 1/2 tsp mustard seed powder
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp salt you can put 1/4 in in step one, then taste and add more after step 3, if preferred
Instructions
- Add the egg, lemon juice, white vinegar, mustard seeds and half the sunflower oil to a bowl - in that order. Make sure to add the egg first as you want the egg to be sitting at the bottom of the bowl with the oils on top.*
- Using an electric mixer/ whisker or a hand blender, beat until well combined. I used an immersion blender and probably blended for around 30-40 seconds. While blending I kept the blender touching the bottom of the bowl at all times and you'll notice how the mayonnaise starts to form near the source of the blades.
- Keep mixing while gradually adding the rest of the oil until you achieve a thick and creamy consistency. The key here is when adding the oil, to really take this part gradually or you'll end up with a soupy mess. Adding practically drops at a time/ in a thin stream, gradually, is the key to a properly emulsified homemade mayonnaise (check how I did it in the video).**
- Store in a glass air-tight container in the fridge for 5-7 days. The general rule of thumb is that it will last as long as your eggs would have, especially as the vinegar and lemon help to act as preservatives. However, I tend to keep mine for a week maximum.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can this be made in a food processor?
Hi Deb,
It is possible to use a food processor. Just make sure to drizzle the oil slowly while the machine is running. This will help with the emulsification process and making creamy and smooth mayonnaise 🙂
Is there a reason why my mayo would turn out extremely runny?
Hi there,
I have a section on this blog that explains what could have gone wrong and how to fix it:
“HOW TO FIX MAYONNAISE THAT HASN’T EMULSIFIED PROPERLY:
Tip 1: In a separate bowl, add an egg yolk and bit-by-bit, blend the broken mayonnaise into the bowl- it should eventually thicken and emulsify. I know some people also add slightly more oil too, to help it emulsify but this may not be necessary. Just remember if/when you add the oil to do it very slowly.
Tip 2: Alternatively, add a small amount (about a teaspoon) of mustard to a bowl and slowly whisk/blend the broken mayonnaise into the bowl. The mustard should help to emulsify the mixture again.”
I hope this helps 🙂
Also try using almost (I said almost) a 1/4C less vinegar. That’s what I do.
Someone also said try an extra egg YOLK. You can try both to get it to be a bit thicker.
Thank you for your tips 🙂
Yep. The oil must be added SLOWLY. Verrry slow.
Also, the mayo thickens up in the fridge. When it warms up it becomes runny quickly. Important to use it quickly right out of the fridge. If u forgot and it’s been sitting on the counter, stick it back in the fridge and add the mayo directly from fridge to whatever you are making, after it thickens again. It’s one of the side effects of homemade vs. store bought (with chemicals in it). If you know of a thickener, you might try that, but minimal. Maybe Xanthum gum? Guessing. Cornstarch? But you need liquid to dissolve the cornstarch and you certainly don’t want to add more liquid. Some smart person may figure it out and let us know.
A side note: Mayo also tastes great with Apple Cider Vinegar in place of any other vinegar. That’s what I use, plus the lemon juice. I keep the recipe in a Ball Jar in the coldest part of my fridge. It lasts for months.
Thank you so much for your tips!
Loved this! I used apple cider vinegar instead of the white vinegar, and I used Dijon mustard, and I also added some garlic powder, and used avocado oil.. So so so yummy, so quick to make, and so much healthier than store-bought! I will never buy mayo again 🙂
Glad you liked it, Alessia! 🙂
Hi
I make this almost the exact same way for years. I started adding an extra egg yolk and it makes the mayo creamier. Give it a try!!
Thank you so much for the tip, Rebeccah!
Hi, is there a way I can make this without eggs?
Thank you for putting in so much effort to show us these super diys, its like magic and somehow I understand all that u say and do. Kudos.
I love the recipe as it is but my husband like it more “tangy”. How can I make it more tangy? Thank you
Apple Cider Vinegar
Thanks for this recipe, pls can I use lime instead of lemon?
Hi Adejola,
Yes, you can use lime instea of lemon. Please note that 1 lemon (called for in the recipe) yields about 3 Tbsp jiuce, while 1 lime yileds about 2 Tbsp. You could of course use just 1 lime and taste test. I hope this helps.
If u want lime mayo, why not? Let us know how it tastes.
Indeed, the flavor will change a bit 🙂
Perfect and clear description love all your DIYs! Have a great weekend ☀️
Thank you so much for your comment, Iveta. 🙂
Hi. Great and helpful. Please consider using cold pressed oils like avocado. For your health 🙂
thank you for the comment. You may not have noticed that I actually refer to it in the blog post and recipe notes and state that it is my favorite option for homemade mayo – just not as affordable as rapeseed. For that reason, I gave a few options that people could choose from 🙂