How to Make Mayonnaise
1,030 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 just made this with you well watching your video .. perfect Lisa thanks for showing me a quicker way as I always drizzled oil in..I did add some more lemon and vinegar for my taste now it’s yummy 😋
Glad your mayo turned out perfectly Lindy!
Awesome! So easy to make and tastes excellent.
Sadly this recipe did not work for me at all. Just turned into some goo. Stick Immersion blender using all the tips above even added an extra egg yolk like stated above and it’s all liguid. Perhaps 1 cup of oil too much? Elevation issue?
I’ve tried many and this Mayonnaise is the best. I didn’t have the white wine vinegar, so I just used regular white vinegar and the taste is so good. I’m a blue plate girl and this mayo is just as good, even better in my opinion. Thanks for giving me a heathier choice that actually tastes better.
Happy to hear you’ve found a winning mayonnaise recipe Carol!
Worked perfectly! Thank you for the recipe and video.
Glad this recipe worked out perfectly Susie!
I just made this recipe with my immersion blender. I’d never made mayonnaise before and followed the recipe precisely. My husband is a very picky eater and we both loved it. Easy, it took seconds, literally. What a blessing to have found this recipe. Thanks so much.
I stopped buying mayo after trying the recipe!
It is way more delicious than store bought mayo and takes 2 minutes start to finish!!
I’ve made it so many times and I thank you Lisa in my head everytime haha
So thank you so much for this amazing recipe <3
Best homemade mayonnaise recipe ever! Worked just fine for the first time and all other times after!
Easy and fast, healthy and delicious 😋
What can I use if I don’t have mustard? Asians generally don’t use mustard much in their cooking. We do use mustard seeds though.
You can always leave that off if you prefer. It just adds a bit more flavor.
Did a double recipe and it tasted a little flat, so I added in a tbsp each of lime juice and minced garlic. The family loved it, and it’s a great way to use up a few extra eggs from the chickens.
Thanks! With Helmans hitting $8 a jar here this recipe has been a godsend.
Followed instructions exactly and just ended up with an expensive liquid mess. Never elmusified.
Lisa,
this is THE best mayo recipe! It’s changed my life! No more jars of store bought mayo for me! Just use the freshest eggs, good oil, I use light olive oil, grey poupon mustard, and follow directions. Must use the stick blender method. I usually double the recipe.
Thank you so much for giving us so many wonderful recipes!
Yours gratefully,
Shannon
Awesome! So happy you love to make this mayo at home Shannon!
Perfect base recipe!
My tastes meant a little more salt, mustard (Edmond Fallot) and vinegar but it was absolutely perfect base and instructions otherwise – truly excellent! Thank you.
‘Salata’ from Kühne is a phenomenal sub for WW vinegar as it imparts a gorgeous yet subtle dill flavour!
RAD recipe and killer with fries!
I ran out of mayonnaise for my beef dip and didn’t want to run out to the store to get more so I looked it up! This recipe was so quick with all staple ingredients, I don’t need to buy store bought ever again. I also made garlic aioli with this mayonnaise and put it on everything! Thanks for the great recipe and easy recipe.
It really is no fail, it really is just a matter of seconds. We haven’t bought Mayo since we discovered this recipe. This and your basil pesto recipe are regular parts of our “pantry” meal prep.
do the ingredients have to be at room temp?
No they don’t need to.
Totally NO FAIL!
I love not buying more containers to put into recycling limbo. I love knowing the ingredients are to my liking. And cleaning the emersion blender is fun — buzzing up soap foam. No down sides here!
How amazing!!! Thank you so much! I’ve been trying to make it with different recipes and never comes out! That was perfect!
So glad your mayonnaise turned out perfectly!
Lisa, I’ve been following your YouTube & recipes for years. I’ve tried so many other homemade mayo recipes recently with weird consistencies and methods that take forever. I tried yours today and oh my goodness!! Amazing!! This is the one I’ll be using from now on. Thank you so much!!!
Thrilled to hear you’ve found a winning mayonnaise recipe now Alexa!
Is there something you can add to give it that “Miracle Whip” zingy flavor? My husband doesn’t like plain mayonnaise, but loves his Miracle Whip. Thank you
Yes. I add a tsp of sugar to mine and it taste great.
Is there a way to make this mayo recipe sans the yolk?
I have a serious yolk intolerance. Would adding some extra egg white to replace the yolk work?
I also have a yolk intolerance. Did you try it with just whites?
Been making my own may since my Mom taught me when I was 14.
You can add different salts, & spices. Ex: dill, chili, Adobo seasoning, etc. Thank you.
Absolutely amazing. I love that we can control the ingredients. I will never purchase mayonnaise again! Last night I used it to make homemade Caesar Salad dressing and my husband said it was better then any he’s ever had.
Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Follow the recipe exactly and comes out perfect every time! I used apple cider vinegar once because I was out of white wine vinegar and was a good sub in a pinch. My husband makes his own mayo now too, it’s that easy! I think this recipe tastes better than store bought avocado mayo. I get my avocado oil from Costco and it lasts a while.
Practically foolproof, even when we goof on a measurement (overdid the lemon juice) and substitute Dijon seedy brown mustard. The flavor and consistency is wonderful, although less salty than store-bought. Cleanup is one measuring spoon, one measuring cup, and the business end of the immersion stick in the dishwasher. We mix and store in the same container. Haven’t bought Mayo since coming across your recipe!
I don’t have a stick blender, would a high speed jug blender work as well?
Unfortunately you need a stick blender for this recipe to be able to properly emulsify the mayonnaise.
I will ty the mayo. looks great. cheaper machines in target.
A hint for some may be to have your ingredients at room temperature and it never fails with your recipe and instructions! Great recipe!
I agree. My son tried to make it for me at Xmas and the oil was in the fridge, as was the egg and lemon juice, and it didn’t emulsify at all. He is used to making it, so I felt it was the coldness of the ingredients that might have caused the failure. Worked perfectly with room temp oil.
Easy but a lot of cleanup. Avocado oil is kinda pricey.
Also seems bland tasting, needs more of something.
I clicked on your emulsifier link but $129 is way out of my budget. Can you recommend a less expensive emulsifier?
Thanks!
I haven’t tried many others, but I’m thinking a KitchenAid one would be okay and it’s affordable!
Get the Nutribullet immersion blender from BB&B, I think I paid like $30 for it. Comes with whisk attachment and blender attachment. Solid, well built, easy to use. It did not come with container but I just use glass mason jars that work great…wide mouth of course.
Hi, My stick blender didn’t come with a container. What do you recommend I use instead?
Hi Ashlea – you can you a mason jar as well. Just make sure that it’s not much wider than the diameter of your stick blender.
Can you post the measurements next time? It sounds good but no measurements to base off.
Hi there – you can always find the measurements listed at the recipe card towards the bottom.
Hi. I’ve used pickle jars with wide mouth openings I also use a smuckers organic natural creamy peanut butter jar. It’s wide mouth and fits the business end of my immersion stick. Makes one recipe size right in the jar I put in the frig. My immersion thingy is an older Braun I got at a yard sale minus the container years ago. Still works great.
Sadly, the mayo recipe did not work for me. My immersion blender has only one button for speed so maybe the Kitchen Aid immersion blender is not fast enough to emulsify the ingredients, as I followed the recipe I do not know why it did not work :-(
My go to homemade Mayo recipe! It tastes so much better than store bought. Mine stays fresh for at least two weeks. Thanks for great recipe!
I used 1 egg but it had two egg yolks. So I ended up using two egg yolks. Got perfect, healthy homemade mayo. Thank you for sharing this recipe with us.
The first time I tried to make mayonnaise it didn’t thicken. I did 2 things wrong – I used a cold egg from the fridge and extra virgin olive oil. You have both these things mentioned but I missed them and maybe the other frustrated people did too. I think it should be really clear – not to use a cold egg. The second time I made it I put the cold egg in a bowl of warm (not hot) water. I also used avocado oil. It worked beautifully! Thank you 😊
Absolutely No Fail… i tried another recipe in my food processor it was going great then add to much oil near the end and my emulsion turned to liquid. I turned to your recipe and within 2 minutes i had perfect mayonnaise. Thank You!
We tried this and the olive tasted awful. What kind would you recommend. Extra virgin or another kind?
You could use light olive oil (light refers to the flavor), avocado oil, or any other neutral oil.
Made this tonight to go with pulled pork and slaw….made as per recipe with the addition of two chipotle peppers in adobo. Wowzers ….don’t think we will be going back to store bought!!!
Is there any way to make it last more than 5 day? I don’t use that much mayo. in a week
Unfortunately no :(
Love love love! I make this with sunflower oil. It’s worked everytime. I don’t miss the unhealthy hellmann’s mayo at all!
Unfortunately sunflower oil is just like the other seed oils (canola, soybean, etc) in that its pretty bad for you. Try using avocado oil instead.
I have read if you put a tablespoon of whey (I use the whey that settles on the top from plain yogurt or sour cream) and leave it out on the counter with a clean towel on the open jar for 8 hours it will slightly ferment and last longer. I save the whey in a small jar in the fridge. I did that once with a larger batch and the mayo seemed fine some weeks later.
I have tried everything but the mayonnaise will not thicken – any ideas?
Hi Darlene – did you make sure to use an immersion blender?
Followed recipe, didn’t thicken at all. Tried the two tips but also didn’t work. Frustrating to see others were successful 🤣😂
Did you happen to use an immersion blender?
omg this recipe is legit LIFE CHANGING !!!! best mayo i’ve ever had in my life !! and so budget friendly as i used olive oil. changed up the recipe a bit by using acv instead of white wine vinegar (didn’t have), and seasoned it with a bit of onion powder and freshly ground dried garlic. knocked my socks off. never buying mayo again, thank you x1000 :D <3
Can’t figure out what I did wrong. Even tried the two fixes. Very runny and frankly the taste isn’t good either. My avocado oil was just Publix label brand. Maybe that’s it?
I am never buying Mayo again! So easy, and so tasty!
Worked perfectly and made a delicious creamy mayonnaise. My only change was to use light olive oil, which I had on hand. Fabulous!
I’ve made this recipe many times. It’s absolutely divine but – it will work perfectly 10 – 15 times and then disaster? I don’t understand. I’ve made it twice today and neither times have worked. I do not understand why. I’ll try again tomorrow. I’ve tried the boiling water, and adding an extra egg yolk. Your help would be appreciated
Thanks.
Hi Dianne – unfortunately, I don’t have an answer for that. I’ve never had any issues with this recipe, and I make it all the time. But I can understand how frustrating that must be!
I too had an issue this time after making this mayo several other times and having it come out perfect. The only difference this time was I used a farm fresh, literally laid this past week, egg. Typically my eggs are store bought. Hmmmmm.
Amazing!!! For me, the emulsion blender did not work. So I redid it using a hand mixer, and it worked perfectly! We will NEVER buy mayo again!
Glad this worked out for you in the end!
I’m so discouraged! I’ve made this mayo twice and loved it! Way better than store bought mayonnaise. However, I’ve attempted to make this 3 time in the last week and each time it doesn’t turn out. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I’ve wasted so much precious ingredients . So not sure I will make this any more. Definitely not as easy as it seems.
Came out delicious! I may try adding more lemon and/or Dijon for more tang.
Phenomenal!
My darling one is depressed and I found him sad and sleeping so I decided to make his Mother’s deviled eggs. Alas we had no mayonnaise.
Thanks to this recipe and a nutrient packed pantry I was able to follow this recipe to the T! As well as tsp.
The only adaptation I had to oblige was that my avocado oil is the spray and extra virgin olive not advised, so I opted Coconut MCT oil. (I also cracked a little black pepper in as we can’t get enough.)
It looks just as good as the
Photograph, the texture is better than the store. I am so happy and thankful for this thorough method.
Simple.
Easy.
No mess. ( rub spilled oil on your knees and elbows !)
Taste is game changing.
Fun fiesta rather than a fiasco. Thank you!
I broke out my immersion blender and followed this recipe but my batch came out very thin. I had just tied another recipe in a blender, which also came out thin. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Danielle – did you watch my video? Usually the problem is when the stick blender isn’t held to the bottom long enough, to allow the egg to fully emulsify first, before blending the rest of the mayo together.
I just dropped another whole egg in and pressed the stick over it and it fixed itself. I even first blended it up without the oil by mistake and with the extra egg it still worked.
This is so fun I call it my “Mayo Magic Trick”. Voilà!
Wowza. So good.