How to Make Mayonnaise
1,205 Comments
Updated Apr 01, 2024
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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 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.
Easy Homemade Mayonnaise
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.
I’ve tried a lot of different mayo recipes and this is by far my favorite. It is so bright and fresh. Lisa’s tips are KEY, as it will not emulsify without the correct container and technique. I also only use avo oil. I’ve tried with a high quality, light flavor EVOO and it turned out very bitter. Apparently, the high speed of the emersion blender heats up the oil too much, resulting in a bitter flavor. Depending on what I’m going to use my mayo for, I will throw in some extra flavors (e.g., garlic clove, white pepper, fresh herbs).
Hi Kelly – Thrilled to hear you’ve found a winning homemade mayonnaise recipe!
I made one batch, followed the directions exactly, I had Grey Poupon, not smooth Dijon mustard, but I figured that would work OK. It came out liquidy. Very disappointed. Dumped it. Tried it again. Only this time I used avocado oil instead of olive oil. All of my ingredients were room temperature. Liquidy again. So I tried adding another egg yolk, that still didn’t work, then I tried the tablespoon of boiling water, still didn’t work. I went to google, realized I had done everything correctly, and just couldn’t understand why it wasn’t emulsifying. Got so frustrated I just had to walk away. Came back 20 minutes later, and the ingredients had separated a little, so tried blending it again and it worked. Weird. The flavors awesome, and I’m very pleased I didn’t throw it away.
Hi Jenny – thanks for sharing all your tries, and I’m glad you didn’t give up as well! Enjoy your homemade mayo.:)
I read many of the comments to see if anyone had done this, but am I the FIRST to make this with MCT oil? It worked like a charm. The consistency is wonderful, but I had to use regular mustard, bottled lemon juice and apple cider vinegar all of which I had on hand so the taste needs to be adjusted by using your ingredients.
P.S. In case you’re so inclined, please don’t add me to any maiing lists!
Hi Nancy – Thanks so much for sharing! Good to know this works with MCT oil.
After reading and cringing (again) on the ingredients in a popular mayonnaise brand then trying out 2 healthier, organic brands, I decided to try your recipe to go in my chicken salad. My emersion blender did not come with a container so I found a jar that fits mine in tightly and it worked EXACTLY like you described! The mayo came out creamy and delicious in less than a minute. No more store bought mayo for me! Thank you for sharing your expertise while making cooking easy and FUN. Blessings!
Hi Peg – Oh wonderful! I’m glad you were able to find a container that fit perfectly as that is key to getting this to emulsify correctly.
Annoyingly this recipe didn’t work for me and I had to chuck it!! I wish the other replies where they said it didn’t thicken got a response – would have helped. What a bummer + waste of ingredients :o( Oh well I still love Lisa’s other recipes!
Hi Kerry – I have several tips in the post above. It’s always hard to know what went wrong without being in your kitchen. But do watch the video if you haven’t yet already. :)
Wow! I’ve been making homemade mayonnaise for years but in my food processor. I noticed that you don’t recommend it and I know why they got to the point where I dreaded cleaning up afterwards and would end up buying it instead. I used an empty plastic jar and I didn’t even have to put the mail in a different container. I will always make my mayonnaise using your recipe from now on! Thank you very much!!!
I’m so glad you loved the recipe, Ellen! And yes, it’s much easier than in a food processor. Enjoy!
Ran out of mayo and needed a quick recipe, this took just a couple of minutes and turned out perfect! I unfortunately only had extra virgin olive oil so it’s a bit strong in taste but I actually don’t mind it too much.
Great Recipe:)
Hi Anon – Glad your mayonnaise turned out great!
First time ever making homemade mayo! It worked perfectly. I’ll admit, it was kind of exciting to see if thicken up and not break. :-) I liked being able to use the whole egg. I used a mason jar and my immersion blender. I was surprised how easy and quick it was. My mayo was not white, but yellow….I assume because our hens’ yolks are dark. Thank you!
Hi Stephany – Happy to hear your mayo turned out perfectly!
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.
Same just happened to me. Followed the recipe and made it numerous times before with no problem. Same ingredients, same brands. Dumped the mix and will try again.
I had one egg only in the fridge, we are out of Mayo and my husband wants pasta salad for lunch. This recipe is a one star fail for me, it simply didn’t thicken. Pretty annoyed.
Mine turns out so liquidy each time. I follow the recipe exactly as written. What am I doing wrong?!?
Hi Noel – did you double check the tips above and watch the video?
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!
Hi Cynthia – I’m glad your mayonnaise turned out perfectly!
Mine mayonnaise is like soup! I added the extra egg and it made no difference. Help!
The mayonnaise was creamy and so delicious. Super easy. I will be including this recipe as a staple.
Hi Chari – I’m glad you enjoyed this homemade mayonnaise!
Do you think canola oil will work for this recipe?
Hi Christina – Any neutral oil should work.
I have made this recipe 5 times now and it is so easy and delicious. Thank you!
Hi Shokouh – So glad you found a winning mayo recipe!
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.
Made this tonight, first homemade mayo ever. It is delicious so happy to have a great taste, ingredient control fresh product.
Thank you
Glad your first time making mayo was a success!
How long does it stay good for in your refrigerator?
This will stay good in the fridge for up to one week!
I can’t eat any citrus, can I just leave the lemon out?
Hi Jean – You can omit the lemon but it will alter the taste a bit.
My favorite mayo recipe. Followed exactly. Thanks so much
Glad you love this mayonnaise recipe!
After making this multiple times I was wondering if you can help troubleshoot mine or others comments who have struggled.
I’ve made it where it comes out perfect and delicious and others very runny and unusable… any suggestions on how to mitigate certain variables?
Hi Alissa – it’s so hard to know what went wrong if I’m not in your kitchen. I do my best to provide some tips in the post above and a video. I’d recommend double checking the tips and watching the video, to see where things might have gone wrong when you made it in your kitchen. :)
Is there any way to change this recipe so that it lasts longer in the fridge? I There is no way I would go through this much mayo in 4-5 days. Perhaps freeze? (or would this change the texture) OR perhaps pasteurize the egg? One recipe for pasteurization that I have: “To pasteurize eggs at home, simply pour enough water in a saucepan to cover the eggs. Heat to about 60 °C/ 140 °F. Using a spoon, slowly place the eggs into the saucepan. Keep the eggs in the water for about 3 minutes. This should be enough to pasteurize the eggs and kill any potential bacteria.”
4th time not a charm :(. I made this three times and it was perfect! 4th time I did everything the same – so I thought- but it never thickened up. Any ideas? Scared to waste another cup of avocado oil. I tried adding an egg yolk and giving it another spin and nothing changed. Thank you!
Would I be able to use my farm fresh eggs for this recipe? Or do I run the risk of salmonella?
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.
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.
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!
Did you perhaps accidentally whip in a lemon pip? That’s one thing that can be very bitter for sure.
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
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!
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.
You have to use avocado oil. If you used olive it will taste bitter.
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
My immersion blender didn’t come with it’s own jar! Would a quart (or smaller) Mason jar work instead??
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.
Blend in some olives or something and make an aioli
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 🤤
Hi Carol – Glad your mayonnaise turned out perfectly!
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!!
Hi Shea – Happy to hear your mayonnaise turns out perfectly every time!
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.
Happy to hear you love this homemade mayonnaise!
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?
Hi Cheryl – The Dijon does add some flavor to this, but you can try it without it if you’d like.
This recipie calls for 1/4 tsp but i use 1 tsp. Honestly you dont taste dijon especially with the 1/4 tsp.
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 :)
Hi Dova – I’m glad you found a winning mayonnaise recipe you can use every day!
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!
Hi Robyn – I say give your stick blender a try to see if it emulsifies correctly!
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.
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.
Hi Kate – I’m glad you found a winning homemade mayonnaise recipe!
Really good and very easy to make. Great instructions, thank you!
Hi Lori – I’m glad you love this mayonnaise recipe!
My main concern is the raw egg.
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!
Wonderful! I’m so thrilled to hear you loved this homemade mayo recipe, Kayla!
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.
Hi Clare – It’s best to use a neutral oil like avocado oil!
How long will this stay good for?
Hi Erin – This will keep in the fridge for up to one week!
Looks beautiful but don’t like the taste. Msybe it’s the avocado oil? Any suggestions to make it taste better?
This didn’t work for me. I watched the video and followed the recipe mine never thickened
Mine didn’t either!! Is it wasted?? :(
Drop in another egg or yolk, make sure it is covered by the blender and blend again. That worked for me.
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.
I can’t eat lemon, it gives me migraine. Can I just leave it out or replace it with something else?
I used 2.5 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, no lemon…. mostly because I rarely have lemon in the house and always have vinegar
Yes, justleave it out and use more viniegar.
I made it and it’s perfect,
I want to add whey to preserve for longer, how to.
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!
Hi Crissa – Glad this homemade mayonnaise was a success!
Mine came out super water what can I do to fix it?
Hi Charity – it sounds like your mayo didn’t emulsify properly. Please see the tips in the post above. :)
Lisa can we swap the vinegar for apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard for mustard powder in this recipe?
That should be fine. Enjoy!
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
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!
Thanks for a great mayo recipe, Hellmans has been discontinued where I live so making this almost weekly, smashing!
Oh perfect! This is a great replacement. Enjoy!
Hello- can this recipe work if halfed?
I would not recommend halving the recipe.
Wonderful mayo wow
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.
Thanks so much! I’m glad this worked out well for you.
It’s ok but I didn’t like the Dijon flavor
Hi Timothy – you can reduce or omit that in the future, if you’re not a fan.