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This homemade mayonnaise recipe is made with olive oil and can be made with an immersion blender, food processor, or whisked by hand. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks! Vegan? Try our Vegan Mayo!
When the sweet ache of being alive, lodged between who you are and who you will be, is awakened, befriend this moment. It will guide you. Its sweetness is what holds you. Its ache is what moves you on.~Mark Nepo
Here’s a very simple recipe for Homemade Mayonnaise that we’ve been using in dressings, sandwiches, burgers, etc. It’s creamy and light, with great flavor and no unwanted seed or vegetable oils.
You can whisk it by hand or use an immersion blender or blender or food processor. I love using the immersion blender right in the same jar it will be stored in; it saves the extra cleaning step!
One of the things we have been avoiding in our everyday cooking is inflammatory, highly processed seed oils (polyunsaturated oils, aka PUFAS).
The challenging thing is these seed oils are in everything and are almost always found in mayo. Even those that say “olive oil” on the label, when you look at the ingredient list you often find canola oil as well. Primal Kitchen makes a version of mayo with avocado oil– which is a step up, but I find the flavor slightly “eggy” and lately just prefer just to make my own. So I thought I’d share this easy recipe.
For more info on seed oils – read this and scroll all the way to the bottom.
Ingredients in Mayonnaise
- Egg yolks
- Dijon mustard
- AC vinegar
- salt
- olive oil– opt for a light-colored, mild, extra virgin olive oil, or use the oil of your choice.
- Optional additions: garlic, herbs, lemon juice
How to make Homemade Mayonnaise
This recipe makes 2 cups of mayo that will keep for three weeks. Feel free to half the recipe.
Step One
Place egg yolks, dijon vinegar and salt in a food processor, or jar ( using an immersion blender) and blend for a full minute.
***TIP: Since these photos, I’ve come to like the jar & immersion blender method BEST because you can store it right in the jar.
Alternately you can whisk these together in a bowl, until fully blended and frothy, or use a blender.
Step Two:
VERY SLOWLY, and this first step is the MOST important– dribble in 1-2 teaspoons of olive oil while blending or whisking vigorously.
Blend for 20 seconds, then keep adding 1-2 teaspoons very slowly like this, blending whisking, until the mixture emulsifies and becomes creamy.
Be patient here, especially in the beginning when adding the first 1/4 cup the olive oil. This is key to getting the mayo to blend up properly and get creamy.
Once it is creamy, very gradually stream in the remaining as the motor is blending, or whisk in a couple tablespoons at a time.
Scrape down sides if need be, and blend until creamy. Taste and adjust salt and acid.
Place in a 2-cup jar with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3 weeks. The vinegar in the recipe extends its shelf life.
The basic mayo recipe will keep 3 weeks in the fridge. See the expert tips below.
Expert Tips
- This recipe makes two cups. If you want to half the recipe, I recommend using an immersion blender and blending it right in a small mason jar – or a small food processor for easier blending. Or make it by hand.
- Use mild-tasting, light-colored olive oil. Taste it to make sure it is not bitter.
- Feel free to blend oils ( olive and avocado, for example)
- This recipe, without any additions, will keep up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
- If you substitute lemon juice for vinegar, the refrigerated shelf life will go down to one week.
- If you add any fresh garlic or fresh herbs, the refrigerated shelf life will go down to one week.
- You can add dried herbs or granulated garlic and this will keep for three weeks.
Use Homemade Mayo in:
- Chipotle Mayo (Mexican Secret Sauce)
- Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
- Dilly Ranch Dressing
- Creamy Gorgonzola Dressing
- Caprese Sandwich
Homemade Mayonnaise
- Prep Time: 15
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: sauces
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: French
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This simple, easy mayonnaise recipe is made with olive oil and can be made in a blender, food processor, whisked by hand, or use an immersion blender. Keep it in the fridge for up to 3 weeks! Makes 2 cups- feel free to halve the recipe – see notes. (FYI, I’ve made it with each, and my favorite way is using the immersion blender in the large jar, for the easiest clean-up.)
Ingredients
- 1 large egg yolks
- 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4–1 cup mild-flavored olive oil– or use half avocado oil (make sure your olive oil is not bitter, taste it first!)
- Optional additions- 1/2 garlic clove, 1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs (basil, tarragon, etc) , lemon zest, or splash lemon juice- see notes. My favorite is garlic-tarragon- lemon.
Instructions
- Place egg yolks, mustard, vinegar, salt, in a 2 cup jar and use an an immersion blender ( right in the jar). Alternatively, use a food processor, or use bowl and whisk by hand. Blend /whisk for one minute until frothy.
- VERY SLOWLY, drip in olive oil –1 -2 teaspoons at a time blending/whisking well between each addition. Be patient here in the beginning- especially with the first 1/4 cup of olive oil – this is the key to getting the mayo to emulsify and get creamy and thick.
- Once creamy, then gradually add more in a very thin stream, blending or vigorously whisking the remaining olive oil.
- Scrape down sides if need be, and blend until creamy.
- Taste and adjust salt and acid. A little splash of lemon juice is nice here.
- Place in a 2-cup jar with a lid and refrigerate.
Notes
Store the basic recipe in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. (The vinegar keeps this fresh longer.)
You can use a blender, but I would double the recipe.
If adding fresh garlic or fresh herbs (add in step one)- and understand that the mayo will only keep 1 week. (Dried herbs or granulated garlic will not affect it.)
If you substitute lemon juice for the vinegar, again, the mayo will only keep for one week.
Personally, I do not like the “eggy” taste of some mayos out there- so I have “upped” the vinegar and dijon here to masque this. Feel free to reduce if you prefer.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 97
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 54.5 mg
- Fat: 11.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 10.2 mg
Keywords: mayonaise recipe, homemade mayonaise, olive oil mayo, olive oil mayonaise
I had two failed approaches when making it in blender. I realised that the mixture was being heated up by blender engine in the last moments, causing everything to de-emulsify.
When I’d tried to whisk it by hand it came out beautifully. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Oh good to know! I’ve been using an immersion blender right in the jar lately. 🙂
can I replace olive oil with avacado oil?
Yes Absolutely!
I am just about to make this recipe, but am unsure about how much water to add in step 1 of the instructions on the recipe card. Is that needed? (I did see a mention in the Comment section of adding a teaspoon or two as a fix.) Excited to try this, as I’ve made mayonnaise before but find it difficult to use a whole cup in a week!
Hi Paula- after making this several times after posting, I’m realizing it doesn’t need the water, so I have removed it form the recipe. 🙂
My first time making mayo… it went well! I only used 3/4 cup of oil though.. so a lot less than it says. I felt that it was the perfect consistency and the perfect flavour for me and I didn’t want to add any more. I added garlic powder, some lemon and a touch of honey to add something extra.
I really liked this recipe!
★★★★
Hey Carrin- glad this worked for you!
When I was almost done with my mayo (barely any olive oil left) it went from mayo consistency to completely liquid. Any idea why this would happen? I was using a blender.
Oh shoot Kaycie- do you know how old it was, approximately?
Almost brand new! I’d say around a week old.
I am stumped, not sure why it would separate at this point if it were fully emulsified at the beginning? Sometimes if you add the oil too quickly it can separate, but this would have happened the day you made it. You could try whisking in little water, a teaspoon at a time and see if it gets creamy again.
Hi, The recipe looks great. Is there a pasteurizing or heating method you recommend for the yolks? I have not been able to recently source pasteurized eggs in the carton.
Thank you
★★★★★
Hi Lynne, I do not use pasteurized eggs and do not heat the yolks- not really sure how to recommend how to do this?
Hey Silvia, do you know if I could sub the egg yolk for flax or chia seeds? This recipe looks fantastic.
Hi Tess, I’m not sure, I have never tried. We do have a vegan mayo on the blog, if you rather have that.
I have been wanting to try making my own mayo but have been hesitant. This recipe makes it sound so easy! Can’t wait to try it. I couldn’t see myself using 2c of mayo in one week and the idea of having to make it that frequently was overwhelming. The 3 week shelf life in the fridge makes it sound more doable.
You can always half the recipe Carrie!
Nice–and thanks for the keeping times (I am a lemon juice + garlic kind of girl). Ever use a whole egg instead of just yolks (no added water). Works surprisingly well and you don’t end up with unloved whites in the freezer.
★★★★★
Thanks, Bri. Yes, I have used the whole eggs- and it does work great too. But I don’t think it keeps quite as long, though perhaps my imagination.