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 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!
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.
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 – this is key!
As the mayonnaise starts to emulsify you can move the stick blender up and down to combine the ingredients.
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!
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.
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.
Description
Video
Ingredients
- 1 whole egg
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- ¼ tsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup avocado oil, or light-flavored olive oil
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.
- 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.
- Once the mayonnaise starts to emulsify and thicken, slowly move the stick blender up and down to fully combine the ingredients.
- Stir the mayonnaise and place in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator.
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
©Downshiftology. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
This recipe was originally posted August 2016, but updated to include new photos and information.
Great recipe. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed this mayonnaise recipe, Iana!
Thanks for this amazing mayo recipe, easy to do and taste great. Love the texture too!
Merci! Sonia
Of course, Sonia! Glad you’re loving everything about this homemade mayonnaise recipe.
I have made my mayo using your recipe countless times. It’s the easiest recipe and always turned out out well. Thank you Lisa.
I’m so glad this recipe has become a staple, Mariah!
I love this Mayo; it tastes like you bought it at the store and you don’t have all the additives. So easy to make; takes less than 5 minutes.
I’m so glad you’re enjoying this homemade mayonnaise, Liz! It really does taste like the store-bought version, but fresher!
I don’t have a stick blender. I did try to do it in my ninja individual smoothie cup and it did totally fail as you stayed. Is it possible to do this with a whisk attachment on mixer? Stick blender is just not in the budget but I want to make my own mayo.
Have you tried extending the life of homemade mayonnaise to a month by the lacto-fermentation method (by adding a tablespoon of whey -liquid of plain yogurt)? I looked this up because I don’t think I could use up this recipe in a week, and I hate to waste.
Don’t judge me, but I was raised by a Miracle Whip mom and pretty much detest every mayonnaise I’ve tried. Now that I got that confession out of the way, I found a shrimp and cucumber salad recipe that I wanted to make and was afraid that Miracle Whip would be too tangy. Determined to make it with mayo and equally determined to not have a jar of it hanging around, I looked into making my own. The first one I tried was pretty awful, tasting like whipped eggs. Then I found Downshiftology’s recipe, and I’m happy to say that I was thrilled with the result. I used avocado oil and the finished product was light with a subtle, pleasant taste and worked beautifully in the salad I wanted to make. Best of all, the family and guests loved it. I told them that I made the mayo myself, but didn’t bother telling them how easy it was. lol
I also wanted to thank the creator of this recipe for the detailed instructions and tips to make it come out as delightful as it did.
Hi Diane – Thanks so much for leaving a review and sharing your experience on the first time making homemade mayonnaise! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, and now you have the knowledge to do it again.
Would it be okay to make a smaller amount by halfing all of the ingredients while still using
1 egg?
Don’t need a large quantity and tried it before and it didn’t work.
Not sure it my immersion blender is strong enough. I just have the Braun immersion mixer but it doesn’t have any power settings….just the one speed. I’ve had it for years.
Turned out perfectly…I used half rapeseed oil, half vegetable and organic cider vinegar. The mayonnaise has a beautiful buttery colour. Loving not having to buy processed mayo now!
Wonderful! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Sharon.
Lisa, Like all of your recipes, this is perfect! When making if for a recipe, I like to use the leftovers to saute vegetables and fish. The egg gives a bit of body. Great with leftover rice, too, or with a slice of toast. Thank you!
Thanks so much, Sharon! And that’s a great tip. Thank you for sharing!
Easy, clean and delicious. My husband loved it as well. Farewell jarred mayo forever.
Wonderful! I’m glad you’re both enjoying this homemade version, Gail.
Fabulous! I did actually use extra virgin olive oil, despite your warnings. But I love the flavor of olive oil, so it turned out great! I will never purchase mayo again!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Lora!
Thank you so much for this perfect recipe! I’ve never had success with making mayonnaise but your method was perfect! I used organic Sunflower oil and it mixed up creamy & thick. I have one question, how long does it keep? I saw on the internet only a week, do you find this to be true? Also I read if you pasteurize your eggs the mayonnaise will last up to month. Have you ever pasteurized your eggs prior to making the mayonnaise? Thank you again.
Hi Ginny – Glad this recipe worked out perfectly! As for storage, yes, this will keep for up to one week in the fridge.
Hi Lisa, you rightly recommend a light-flavoured oil. I used an organic “cold-pressed” sunflower oil, and the result was not good (bitter). You might suggest that for mayonnaise, people should avoid using cold-pressed oils. I discovered this advice on a Swiss site after trying to figure out what went wrong. Best, John
Hi John – thanks for providing that feedback and tip!
Too good to be true
Couldn’t agree more! It’s so easy to make at home. Enjoy, Sidra!
This worked perfectly!!! And it’s delicious!! I expected I would be the first person who would fail at it, but it emulsified immediately and perfectly into thick, wonderful mayo. I just used a Mason jar with my immersion blender because it’s what I had. I ignored the advice and used mostly olive oil because that was also what I had. I like olive oil and strong flavors so I thought I’d try it. I used 3/4 C olive and 1/4 C MCT oil. It did indeed have a little bit of a bitter after taste but I mellowed it w/spices and a tiny tiny bit of stevia, like 1/16 of a tsp. My dinner guests all loved it and so did I and I’m picky. I have basically never used mayo as an adult but just recently decided chicken salad is a great food for large gatherings and then I wanted to make my own mayo. Now I will make it for all sorts of things. This is wonderful.
Hi Ava – That’s great to hear your mayonnaise turned out perfectly with what you had on hand! Now you can always use fresh mayo whenever you’re making creamy salads (or other recipes). Enjoy!
I do not have the container my immersion blender came in. I don’t think it actually came with one it’s just a knockoff brand. So can I just use a jar that’s barely wider than the head of my blender?
Yes, that will work as well!
Finally an online mayo that works! Thank You!
Yay, I’m happy you loved it, Kerry!
Soooo easy and soooo delicious. I had some leftover store bought mayo and did a taste comparison…….OMG what a difference. This is a game changer for me.
You can’t beat the taste and texture of homemade mayonnaise! Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Gail!
Followed the recipe but it didn’t go thick
This is an amazing recipe! The last time I tried to make my own mayo it was a total flop. I tried this recipe and did exactly as the instructions said and it immediately emulsified into a lovely, creamy mayo!! I added a little more of the spices than the recipe said but it turned out sooo good! This will be my go-to recipe from now on!
Hi Anita – Happy to hear your mayonnaise turned out perfectly with this recipe! Nothing wrong with adding a bit more flavor as well.
This is the best homemade mayo recipe ever, and it comes together so quickly!!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Donna!
Might have been me but I couldn’t get it too thick and I mixed for quite a long time. I needed it for a spinach dip recipe. I used it anyways and I’m sure it will turn out fine but it’s supposed to be thicker than mine turned out. Any tips? Thank you
Hi Suzy – I have several tips in the blog post above.
I have stopped buying mayonnaise from the grocery store. This is the best mayo recipe. I have tried a few others, and they just didn’t do it for me. All great ingredients that one usually has on hand. The directions are easy to follow. This taste great and is so unbelievable easy. You will not be disappointed.
Hi Georgia – Thrilled to hear you’re loving this homemade mayonnaise recipe and that it’s easy to follow along to. Enjoy!
I added an extra egg yolk & it’s still watery. I hope it’s salvageable.
Can I make this the night befote
Yes, absolutely!
I’ve made homemade mayo before, using a recipe a friend shared with me. It is lick the spoon worthy. I gave Lisa’s recipe a try, using avocado oil, which hadn’t occurred to me and it was great. I also appreciated the advice of using a tall container to make it in, allowing you to move the immersion blender up and down, which I did very carefully. I had visions of partially emulsified mayo being flung around the room, but it didn’t happen! I added a couple of cloves of sliced garlic to mine, which I guess brings it into aioli territory, but I LOVE garlic, so it’s hard for me to pass up any opportunity to incorporate it and I think it’s a lovely addition to mayo. Try this. Don’t be intimidated, as I was for a long time. It’s super easy and well worth the extra few minutes. I don’t think I’ll ever buy store-bought again. P.S. I use it on everything! LOL
Hi Karen – I’m sure the extra garlic gave your mayo a delicious punch of flavor! Now you can always come back to this recipe for perfectly fresh mayo every time. Enjoy!
Love ❤️ this recipe
So easy to make
I actually bought an immersion blender to make this recipe. The first time, it was perfect. Second time it was runny. I dumped it , THEN looked for a possible reason. there were fixes, but couldn’t do that. Made a fresh batch, making sure the egg was room temp and allowed the ingredients to hang out a while. Perfect. Thank you for sharing.
Hi Catherine – Glad you found what the issue was for the perfect mayonnaise recipe! Now you can have a perfect batch every single time.
My immersion blender is broken. Will a regular blender work?
Hi Whitney – unfortunately no, as this recipe was written for an immersion blender.
Actually, I used my blender and it came out perfectly!! My immersion blender broke, and I needed mayo. Choices were made, & it creamy and delicious!
So easy and delicious! One time I added a pinch of chilli spice and cayenne. Thank you!
Hi Karen – Happy to hear you’re loving this mayonnaise recipe! The pinch of chili and cayenne sounds delicious.
Love this recipe! I accidentally had my immersion blender on low, and it still turned out! I also doubled it, and this is the first time it’s ever worked out perfectly doubled, possibly because I took someone’s advice in your comments and warmed the stick up before blending. Apple cider vinegar is something that I use instead of vinegar. Hubby *loved* your recipe, and noted how thick it was. Thanks again for posting this recipe!
So happy you loved it, Leza!
After many failed attempts I began adding another egg after first mix which worked, but then saw adding a bit of boiling water will help too. I put 2 and 2 together and now I soak my immersion blender in boiling water while putting the ingredients together then mix it all with a hot blender and it works great!
Hi Stephanie – Glad you found a method that works for you to create the perfect hollandaise sauce!
Oh, this is the good stuff 🤠
2nd time making mayo. First time was with Dijon mustard and I may have been a little heavy with the Dijon. It was good but not what I was looking for.
So, this time I excluded the mustard altogether. Didn’t have any white wine vinegar, so I used Marukan seasoned rice vinegar (it’s slightly sweet) and let me tell you… I don’t think I’ve ever had better mayonnaise. It’s really that good
Two thumbs up on this recipe.👍👍
Thank you
Amazing! Happy to hear you’ve found the perfect mayonnaise recipe you can always rely on, John.