How to Make Mayonnaise

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Mayonnaise is really easy to make at home and only takes one minute with an immersion blender! Trust me, you’ll never go back to store-bought versions again.

Mayonnaise in a glass storage container.

Mayonnaise is one of those condiments we often grab at the store, but it’s so darn easy to make at home! And once you do, you’ll never go back to store-bought versions because fresh just tastes better. 

The beauty of homemade mayonnaise is that it doesn’t have any questionable ingredients lurking inside. Many store-bought mayonnaise options are made from less than stellar ingredients like canola oil or soybean oil and contain added sugar (yes, there’s added sugar in your mayo). Not to mention that there may be preservatives and “natural flavors” – whatever those may be.

So the next time you need mayonnaise for a chicken salad, tuna salad, coleslaw recipe, or simply to have on hand, make your own batch!

Mayonnaise ingredients on a table.

Homemade Mayonnaise Ingredients

Homemade mayonnaise is an emulsion of 6 simple and fresh ingredients. I typically buy organic products, though the choice is yours. Here’s what’s in it:

  • Avocado oil: The key here is to use high-quality, neutral-flavored oil. I like to use avocado oil, but be aware that some brands are stronger flavored than others. You could also use light-flavored olive oil. Just don’t use extra-virgin olive oil as it has too strong a flavor.
  • Egg: Some recipes use just the egg yolk (similar to hollandaise sauce). But for this recipe, I’m using the whole egg for a slightly lighter consistency.
  • Lemon juice: Freshly squeezed lemon is the optimal choice. But if you have bottled lemon juice, that works too.
  • White wine vinegar: You could substitute white wine vinegar with any light-colored, high-quality vinegar. Yes, apple cider vinegar works as well! 
  • Dijon mustard: I prefer Dijon mustard for the best results in terms of flavor.

Find the printable recipe with measurements below

How To Make Mayonnaise

The key to this foolproof mayonnaise recipe is the equipment used — a stick blender (otherwise known as an immersion blender). And if you use the container that came with the stick blender, you’re good to go. Here’s how you make it in 3 easy steps:

Add all of the ingredients to the jar that came with your stick blender, and let the ingredients settle for a minute or two.

Adding mayonnaise ingredients to a jar.

Place the stick blender inside the container (firmly on the bottom) while covering the egg yolk. Then turn the stick blender on and don’t move it for 10 to 15 seconds.

Blending mayo with a stick blender.

As the mayonnaise starts to emulsify you can move the stick blender up and down to combine the ingredients.

Blending mayonnaise with a stick blender.

Continue blending and moving the stick blender up and down until all of the oil is fully combined. That’s it – you’ve just made mayonnaise!

Mayonnaise recipe after being blended in a jar.

Homemade Mayonnaise Tips

I make this recipe nearly every week or two and I’ve never had the emulsification break (not once!). But after hundreds of comments from readers, I do want to share a few tips.

  • Don’t use a larger/wider jar. This recipe works so well because the jar that comes with your stick blender fits the width of the head tightly. That allows the egg and oil to emulsify slowly. If you use a larger or wider jar, you could run into problems.
  • Don’t try this recipe in a food processor or blender. This recipe was written specifically for a stick or immersion blender. If you add all of the ingredients to a blender and turn it on, it will fail.
  • Make sure your immersion blender is on high. Right from the start, begin blending on the highest setting to emulsify the egg into the oil. If you start on low, it may not emulsify.
  • Choose a high-quality oil. The main ingredient in mayonnaise is oil, so choose a high-quality one. This is my favorite avocado oil and the one I personally use. It has a very neutral flavor, compared to other avocado oils. Just steer clear of extra-virgin olive oil which has a very strong flavor or low-quality, industrial seed oil like canola, grapeseed, safflower, and peanut oil.
  • Is the raw egg a concern? I’m personally not concerned about the raw egg in this mayonnaise (just as this author isn’t concerned), but it’s a personal choice. If you’re concerned about salmonella you can certainly use a pasteurized egg.
Mayonnaise in a glass jar.

How To Fix Broken Mayonnaise

If your mayonnaise doesn’t emulsify for some reason, you can easily fix it with either of these methods.

  • Boiling Water: Just add 1 tablespoon of boiling hot water to your container and quickly blend again (this also works if you’re making hollandaise sauce). It might be a little bit thinner, but it should be properly emulsified.
  • Egg Yolk: Add one more egg yolk to your container and blend it up. The extra yolk should recombine all of the ingredients, and it makes for a thicker mayonnaise.

Helpful tip: Don’t try to freeze the mayonnaise as the emulsion will break!

Storage Tips

Once you’ve made the mayonnaise, transfer it to an airtight storage container and store it in the fridge for up to one week. It’s great to have on hand to make some of the delicious recipes I’ve listed in the section below.

Tasty Recipes That Use Mayonnaise

This fresh and creamy mayonnaise is perfect for sauces, dips, sandwiches, salads, and so much more! Here are a few ideas to make the most of it.

I hope you enjoy this homemade mayonnaise recipe! Once you make it, let me know your thoughts and how you used it in the comment box below.

Mayonnaise in a glass storage jar.

Easy Homemade Mayonnaise

4.87 from 348 votes
Prep: 3 minutes
Total: 3 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Lisa Bryan

Description

Mayonnaise is incredibly easy to make at home and takes less than one minute to blend. Watch the video below to see how quickly it comes together! 

Video

Ingredients 
 

Instructions 

  • Add the egg, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard, and salt to the jar that came with your immersion blender. Slowly pour the oil on top and let it settle for a minute.
    Adding mayonnaise ingredients to a jar.
  • Place your stick blender in the jar and press it firmly to the bottom, making sure it's covering the egg yolk. Turn it on and keep it pressed against the bottom of the jar for at least 10 to 15 seconds, without moving it.
    Blending homemade mayonnaise in a jar with a stick blender.
  • Once the mayonnaise starts to emulsify and thicken, slowly move the stick blender up and down to fully combine the ingredients.
    Emulsifying mayonnaise in a jar.
  • Stir the mayonnaise and place in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator.
    Mayonnaise in a glass jar.

Lisa’s Tips

  • Make sure to watch the video and read all my notes and tips above, including this avocado oil brand I personally use and recommend.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 166kcal | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 54mg | Potassium: 5mg | Vitamin A: 20IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Course: dressing
Cuisine: American
Keyword: homemade mayonnaise, How to make mayonnaise, mayonnaise, mayonnaise recipe
Did you make this recipe?Mention @downshiftology or tag #downshiftology!

This recipe was originally posted August 2016, but updated to include new photos and information.

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About the author

Lisa Bryan

Lisa is a bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, and YouTuber (with over 2.5 million subscribers) living in sunny Southern California. She started Downshiftology in 2014, and is passionate about making healthy food with fresh, simple and seasonal ingredients.

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Recipe Rating




989 Comments

  1. What did I do wrong? It didn’t thicken. I actually made it twice. The first time I didn’t put my emersion blender in the bottom. The 2nd time I did but it still came out runny.

  2. I just got done making your mayonnaise recipe and it turned out perfect. I didn’t have white wine vinegar so I used apple cider vinegar. Now that I can successfully make this I will make sure to get some at the store. My husband tasted it and really liked it too. Thank you so much!5 stars

  3. The mayonnaise was creamy and so delicious. Super easy. I will be including this recipe as a staple.5 stars

  4. It just does not work. My blender is almost on fire, six attempts on different days, nothing seems to work. Wasted so much stuff, gonna stick with bought one.

  5. Made this tonight, first homemade mayo ever. It is delicious so happy to have a great taste, ingredient control fresh product.

    Thank you5 stars

    1. There’s always the risk. Just pick the cleanest eggs without any visible dirt or poo on it and give them a quick rinse right before you use them. Be careful to not get any shell into the mix.

  6. Hello – I finally made the mayonnaise…but am sadly disappointed. I used the exact measurements and best ingredients – hoping to be happily surprised – but the resulting taste is a bitter version of what I was expecting. The ingredients cost me a hefty 11 Euros. I will try it again, but with a light olive oil.

    1. Hi Thomas – bummer to hear that! Though I’m not quite sure what would have imparted the bitter flavor? Hope your next try turns out better!

    2. It probably the olive oil, if that is what you used.. Regular cold press olive oil tend to be pretty bitter. Happened to ne too

    3. Pompeian makes “Light taste” olive oil. That is the one you need or advocado oil.
      the Light taste olive oil is what I use and it comes out amazing!

    4. Ja – ignored the advice to not use olive oil here (it was all I had on hand 🤷‍♂️), turned out pretty “icky”. And I’m a guy who will eat a spoonful of Best Foods straight! I like that idea to use it as a base for an aioli, though. LOVE that for broccoli, or dipping artichoke leaves in. Excited to try someday with a cannola or safflower.

    5. It’s possible to make a truly tasty mayonnaise by using high-quality extra-virgin olive oil, but there’s a problem: Blenders, food processors, and hand blenders are too powerful.

      You see, extra-virgin olive oil droplets are composed of many tiny fragments, many of which are bound tightly together, preventing our taste buds from picking them up. Whip the olive oil with enough vigor by, say, using a food processor or blender, and you end up shearing those bitter-tasting fragments apart from each other. The result is a mayonnaise with a markedly bitter flavor. Not only that, but these tiny fragments actually decrease the efficacy of emulsifiers like mustard and lecithin, making your sauce more likely to break.

      So, what if you want an ultra-stable mayonnaise that’s still strongly flavored with extra-virgin olive oil, but has no bitterness? The key is to use a neutral-flavored oil, like canola or vegetable

    6. My immersion blender didn’t come with it’s own jar! Would a quart (or smaller) Mason jar work instead??

  7. Didn’t have light oil, making for the first time I didn’t think it would matter…it does. If you don’t have the light oil skip it until you do. It is sooooo strong, I gagged when I tasted it. Tip from a first timer. Any ideas for something I can do with it? I hate to waste a cup of olive oil.3 stars

  8. LOVE!!
    Made this twice and it came out perfect – then the third time a disaster 😕 everything was the same – except the lemon was cold from the refrigerator – this doesn’t work 😞 Now I leave everything out over night – egg, lemon, mustard – it’s perfect again 🤤5 stars

  9. Made this multiple times now & it’s turned out perfect every time! So much better than store bought! I send this to anyone who asks about homemade mayo. Thank you!!5 stars

  10. Tastes like Best Foods mayonnaise, only better because it’s healthier. I added a bit more salt and lemon juice, Thank you for giving me a healthier and tastier alternative.5 stars

  11. This is a fast easy recipe, thanks for sharing! I have a question regarding the Dijon mustard, is it a necessity? If I omit will the consistency be off or will it just be a plain flavor?

  12. I love this mayo! I make it at least once a week, to use on sandwiches and to make my favorite salad dressing. I sous vide my eggs and have them available to make this quick recipe – I can even whip it up right before dinner :)

  13. Hi Lisa!
    Thank you for your channel and newsletter and all you share to help keep us healthy. One question on this recipe: What if you don’t have a Cuisinart blender? I have a cheap stick blender from the thrift store (not sure how fast it gets) and a basic blender (not a Vita Mix) and a food processor. I’m under the impression that this recipe, and perhaps several of your soup ones, require high-end equipment, which is not currently part of our budget. Suggestions on adaptations? Thanks again, and God’s blessings to your health and all you do!

    1. No need for high end equipment. I use an old bosch hand blender that’s already failed the main switch so I only have the much slower speed switch available and it works just fine.

  14. Excellent recipe! I’ve made this a few times now and it’s turned out perfect each time, thank you for the easy to follow instructions. No more shop bought mayo for us, if I knew how simple it was to make, I would have made the swap a long time ago.

    I make this in an old jar, so easy to pop the lid on and straight into the fridge, minimal washing up, which is always a win.5 stars

  15. I have NEVER left a review for an online recipe, but this one deserves it. I have tried to make mayonnaise a few times before and each time something was always off. Too watery. Too vinegary. Too bland. Too thick. But this recipe came out perfect in one try. I’m so happy I finally found a recipe that works. Thank you!5 stars

  16. The texture was perfect, I used one whole egg vs yolk only. Next time will make sure I use avocado oil because I used grape seed oil and the taste came through. The recipe works well however.5 stars

  17. Looks beautiful but don’t like the taste. Msybe it’s the avocado oil? Any suggestions to make it taste better?

      1. Drop in another egg or yolk, make sure it is covered by the blender and blend again. That worked for me.5 stars

    1. Yes, it does happen – then you sit with a completely fluid mixture of egg, oil and vinegar!
      Quite a number of reasons for that to happen – you accidentally got water mixed in, the cold eggs prevented emulsification, you used both the yolk and the white and the white was too much, you lifted the mixer out before the yellow started floating on top of the oil, you didn’t use the mustard ( some people forget ), etc. etc.
      To prevent it from happening experiment with having one whole egg and one extra yolk. Or if you really want to tinker just to see what happens ( can be costly though ), use TWO yolks. Or keep all the ingredients out of the fridge overnight to get it all to emulsify real easy. Or keep the lemon to a minimum or just don’t use it – because it contains water which could spoil the emulsification.

    1. I used 2.5 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, no lemon…. mostly because I rarely have lemon in the house and always have vinegar5 stars

  18. My store bought mayo ran out earlier this week, so I bought a stick blender and made your mayonnaise recipe. It was easier than I expected. No more jars of mayo full of questionable ingredients!

    1. Hi Charity – it sounds like your mayo didn’t emulsify properly. Please see the tips in the post above. :)

  19. Lisa can we swap the vinegar for apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard for mustard powder in this recipe?

  20. Lisa, I was looking for a mayo recipe and so glad to know you have one.
    Lisa, what kind of jar do you use for storing the mayo and what kind of Imersion stick blender do you have?

    Kind regards,
    Helen

    1. Hi Helen – you can find both the immersion blender I use and the storage jars on the Shop page on my website. Enjoy the mayo!

  21. Thanks for a great mayo recipe, Hellmans has been discontinued where I live so making this almost weekly, smashing!5 stars

  22. Love, love, love this mayo recipe. The instructions to press immersion blender firmly to the bottom makes sense and so easy. The tips and mistakes made by others helped a lot. I’ve tried many recipes and this is the best by far. Thanks for all the techy info.5 stars