How to Make Mayonnaise
1,372 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.
Best Mayo ever- never buying again! No inflammatory oils and tastes great like ALL of Lisa’s recipes!
Yay, happy you loved it, Andi!
Tastes good but couldn’t get it to turn into mayo :(
Will just add to make potato salad
That’s a bummer. Did you read all my tips above?
I just made this and was amazed at how fast it came together! It started emulsifying after about 7 seconds! If you have a 2 cup glass Pyrex measuring cup, that worked perfectly for me! Thank you for this recipe, I won’t be buying mayo anymore!
Wonderful! I’m glad you loved the recipe, Heather.
HELP!!! I have tried to make the mayonnaise recipe twice. Both times it’s very runny, almost watery. It smells really good, just runny. What am I doing wrong? When I have the blender in, I can see it start to come up to the top, as I keep it running to make sure the oil is blended, it turns to water. 🙁
Hi Carol – it sounds like it’s not fully emulsified before you move the blender up. Make sure you hold the stick blender on the bottom for a good 10 to 15 seconds. It should be almosts completely emulsified in the jar with the stick blender still firmly on the bottom.
Excellent recipe ! So easy and delicious
Firstly thanks for sharing this recipe. This is my second time making this mayonnaise. It is creamy, tangy, thick and doesn’t separate . I have tried many recipes and nothing comes close to this recipe, especially commercial mayo. This is now my new and only mayo in my fridge.
You’re more than welcome, Nancy! I’m so happy you love the texture and flavor of this recipe. :)
Apparently doesn’t work with regular olive oil? Just tried 3 times and came out like water.
I made this recipe the other day with EVOO because that’s all I had and it turned out perfect.
Hi Brett – It should work with any oil. It’s just the flavor that changes depending on which oil you use.
How long will this keep refrigerated? I was thinking about doubling the recipe.
I don’t recommend doubling this recipe as it doesn’t last a long time in the fridge (about a week). But it’s so easy to make on the fly when you need it!
I just read on another blog that olive oil behaves differently than the oil they were using (canola) because of the molecular structure and some hand whisking was involved to finish the recipe they were featuring.
Wow, this is delicious! I use avocado oil for everything so was pleased to see your recipe calls for it. I’m going to try your recommendation for that particular brand.
I used a smoothie shaker container and the immersion blender fit in perfectly. I have tried, and failed, to make mayo in a regular blender. This worked great!
Thanks so much!
Glad this worked out great in your smoothie shaker container April!
Hi, I read that adding the whey from yogurt extends the life of homemade mayo to 1 month. Do you know if it is true, if so, how much whey an does it change the flavor or it’s consistency?
TIA
Hi Dora – that’s really interesting, but I’m not sure if that’s true or not.
2nd time making this one and it turned out great (as all your recipes do)! I left out the Dijon as I didn’t have it on hand and it was still fine. Used it to make your coleslaw. Thanks Lisa!! I’m a downshifter for life :)
Wonderful! I’m happy you had success with this recipe and loved it. Thanks, Katie!
Perfect! I can’t consume salt or sugar (minimal), this recipe makes my egg salad and tuna MUCH more enjoyable! It took my longer to wash the items I used than to make the mayo! I’m loving finding your recipes! Excited to try more of them! Thank you!!
Homemade mayo is the best! Happy you love this recipe, Paula.
I made this out of olive oil as I had plenty of it spare.
I found it to be a tad bitter and the olive oil overpowered the flavour.
Will keep trying.
Very surprised how simple it was.
I must be the only person on the planet who didn’t get this recipe to work
Hi Whitney – did you read the tips above and watch the video? Maybe that can help you figure out where you went wrong. :)
Guys it works perfectly but having the correct container is a must. I used a wide bowl and it didn’t thicken. Even added another 2 egg yolks! Had to throw it away. Then I used a taller skinnier one and it literally blended beautifully with only 1 egg! It produced a store size standard jar of Mayo! I can’t believe I just made this!’
Having the right-sized container is key to making sure the mayonnaise emulsifies!
I tried this today, just because!
I wasn’t out of mayo or anything, just wanted to try something new and have been wanting to try making my own mayo and always just forget about it.
Anyways followed the recipe pretty much exactly, and the steps , just used plain Jane vegetable oil (my avocado oil was low), but had everything else on hand and it came out great. I have a cheap immersion blender and used a glass jar that was just a little wider than the head of the blender since my blender didn’t come with a cup/container of any sort.
I’m a Hellman’s person usually… Although I will say I have not explored “fancier” or gourmet mayonnaises so it’s usually Hellman’s and occasionally store brand… With Hellman’s being my preference overall.
So taking that into consideration… This turned out great in comparison! Both in taste and texture. Didn’t have any sort of funky taste or anything… And I think I actually like this better than Hellman’s. I only tried it by itself so far, and I can’t just eat mayo by the spoonfuls no matter the brand lol but with how it turned out I know for a fact it will be delicious in anything I want mayo in or on!!!
Also note that I did use regular table salt and not sea salt… My sea salt is in big chunks and not in a grinder…so I was concerned they may not have blended in too well. Did not want any salt chunks lol.
So this will be my go-to base recipe for mayo and I’ll start experimenting with additives/flavors from there.
Super easy to make and came together perfectly and almost instantly!
Glad you took a chance on this recipe and it turned out great Marie!
I made this for the first time yesterday. I made sure I followed your recipe and your hints and tips to the letter. It turned out perfectly. Thank you. I’m so glad I found your YT channel. I have been diagnosed with some digestive issues and foods with preservatives contribute heavily to those issues. So your mayonnaise is already a staple of my fridge! Thank you again.
Happy to hear this mayonnaise recipe has been so helpful, Jacqui!
I can’t believe the difference between this recipe and store bought! So easy and 🤯 so yummy!
Homemade versions are the best! Glad you enjoyed it Cheri.
Love this!! Thank you!! I bought a 12.00 jar of Mayo with zero junk and hated it! Will never go back!
Homemade mayo is the way to go!
I ran out of mayo and followed this recipe…wow amazing and so easy. Thanks so much
Glad you enjoyed it!
Tried all the other recipes with mixed success, this was perfect first time. We love spicy mayo in our house. I add sriracha hot sauce and keep it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge. This came out a little thicker than I like for this use, what can be adjusted to control the consistency? Thanks in advance.
Happy you loved the recipe, Neil! And I love a good spicy mayo myself. You can add a little bit more oil to thin it out if you’d like. Enjoy!
Love your recipes!!
Bought 2 of your cookbooks last year 😊
About the mayo-I don’t have a stick immersion blender—any other suggestions?
Thanks so much, Jane! I’m happy you love my recipes and cookbook. :) This recipe is specifically meant for a stick blender, but I’ll try to add another recipe in the future that has a different method.
This recipe it’s absolutely PERFECT!!!
Thank you :)
Glad this recipe works out great for you, Fabiola!
This recipe is great. The mayonnaise tastes so fresh!! Thank you Lisa!
Glad you’re loving this mayonnaise recipe!
I used 1/3 cup coconut with 2/3 olive oil and reconstituted lemon juice and it never got thick. :-(
Discovered I was out of mayo after peeling a ton of eggs for egg salad. Looked up this recipe and made it lickety-split. Didn’t have avocado oil on hand so i used canola. Also didn’t have white wine vinegar so used red wine vinegar. Worked great for me! Followed the tips about keeping blender down until the mayo rises on its own. Man that was so cool. Thank you thank you for saving lunch with 4 hungry kiddos!
That’s they key to making sure the mayo emulsifies correctly! Glad it turned out perfectly.
You are an amazing resource. Thank you thank you thank you! And for those of us who like the taste of olive oil, that works too! I look at your website all the time. ❤️❤️❤️
Thanks so much Sara! :)
Came out super runny.
Me (kristin) again. I just noticed that in your video you use what looks to be a teaspoon to measure the lemon juice, and a larger spoon, looks like a tablespoon, to measure the vinegar. This doesn’t make sense since your recipe calls for half a tablespoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of vinegar. Just want to make certain your recipe is accurate. Also, I’m wondering what is the brand of your immersion blender? It looks more powerful than the one I’m using. Lastly, the avocado oil I used was slightly cloudy. Is that normal? Could that be the problem? I’m determined to figure this out! Thanks!
Hi Kristen – the measurements in the recipe card are correct. And I have two different immersion blenders, a Cuisinart and a Vitamix. Both have worked with this recipe. And in my experience, avocado oil isn’t cloudy, though I don’t see how that would affect the recipe. The two biggest problems are usually a container that’s too wide, and not holding the blender over the egg yolk on the bottom of the container long enough as it begins to emulsify. Hope that helps!
Sad. Didn’t thicken at all really. Followed recipe, read the notes. I don’t have the blender container. I used a cleaned and dried glass pickle jar. It’s about a half inch wider diameter than the blender’s diameter. Could this be why?
Unfortunately yes, that could be why.
I’ve literally never left a comment on a blog recipe before but this blew my mind. Making mayo has been such a painfully slow, difficult process until now. This was like magic. Thank you!
Thanks so much for taking the time to comment, Chelsey! I’m glad you had success with your homemade mayo. Enjoy!
Just made this Mayo a few minutes ago for the first time. Turned out great! I didn’t have white wine vinegar on had so I used a great quality champagne vinegar.
Champagne vinegar is a great substitute. Happy you loved the recipe!
My motivation for making homemade mayo is the ability to use clean ingredients and not inflammatory industrialize oil used by most companies. I buy Costco pasture-raised organic eggs — should I be concerned about raw egg and salmonella? Or do you use your own chicken eggs or buy from specialty vendor?
If your mayo turns out runny it will be the oil ! I have tried light olive oil and sometimes worked sometimes runny! I only use sunflower oil now and works every time!
Just made this. Wow! I did leave out the mustard ( didn’t have any). But I am never going back to storebought! This was so easy!
Homemade is the way to go!
Wow! My first attempt at homemade mayo. I wasn’t expecting much, but it was so easy and it came out thick and delicious. Looks exactly like the photo. Bye bye Hellmans!
Woot! Happy for your homemade mayo success, Jen!
This tasted just like Hellmans… I was hoping it would taste good, never made mayo before, but I didn’t expect it to be great! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Thanks so much, Sherrie! And yes, it really does taste virtually identical to Hellmans. So happy you loved it!
I made this twice and both times it didn’t turn out like mayonaise. It was like water…what am I doing wrong. I followed your instructions word for word.
Hi Hayley – Unfortunately, I’m not sure what you’re doing wrong. Did you watch the video above? And double check the tips and notes in the post above?
I live in Michigan and home grown tomatoes are in. Nothing better than a toasted tomato sandwich and with this home made mayo, life just doesn’t get any better. So glad I tried it!!!
Glad this homemade mayo was the perfect pairing with your tomato sandwich!
Once again, another hit. I’ve had the hardest time finding a mayo recipe that works. This was great and worked just as the video demonstrated.
Happy to hear this recipe worked out, Jessica!
I’ve made Mayo many times but long time ago and used food processor and had to pour in oil super slow. I thought for sure this would not work with all ingredients mixed. I got a new ninja stick blender and decided to try this. I had Mayo in less than 5 seconds of emulsifying. I started counting and it was done instantly without even needing to move it. I am surprised that it worked so well.
I read it’s important to have room temperature ingredients so before cracking the egg, I put it in a cup of room temperature water for 5 minutes to warm it up a bit so maybe that’s what made it so quick
Glad this mayonnaise worked out perfectly with your Ninja stick blender!
I made this recipe and followed instructions. It was super watery and never thickened. What a waste of olive oil. I made it twice. 2 cups of olive oil out the window😪
I’m sorry to hear your mayo didn’t thicken. Did you read the tips in the post above?
I live in Scotland and sometimes I don’t think my e-mails get through, keep your fingers crossed! I’m 82 and haven’t made mayo for decades, it didn’t thicken at all, ?why. Could it be that the oil was too old,couldn’t find a bbd, what else could it be? I will not be beaten!!
Jane
Hi Jane – If you haven’t already, make sure to read my notes in the post above. Did you use a jar that came with the immersion blender? Or something similarly sized? I’m happy to help you trouble-shoot the recipe. :)
Help. After several minutes I could never get mine to thicken. I followed everything according to the directions. ☹️
Hi Chelli – I’m sorry to hear that! Did you read the tips above?
I have tried so many recipes for mayo and they have all been very runny. This one started out thick and became thicker as I raised the blender. This one is a keeper. I accidentally used way too much mustard and only had white vinegar but it came out just fine. Thank you! I was ready to give up.
Yes, it’s a very creamy and thick mayo, just like store-bought versions. :) So happy you loved the recipe, Darby.
I ran out of my 12 oz. sugar-free $8 mayonnaise (haha!) and was going to run out and buy some more when I remembered seeing this. My friend dropped by right when I was assembling all the ingredients and I asked her if she wanted to watch me (first time making it!), she said sure. We both were astonished at how fast it came together and I sent her home with some. She doesn’t have an immersive blender but now is going to bring her own ingredients over and make her own here. Thank you for this! You saved me some $$ today :-)
BTW for others who don’t have the original jar like me just in case, I improvised and used a large Dunkin’ Donut iced coffee plastic cup and it worked beautifully!
Making homemade mayo is definitely mesmerizing, haha! And how lovely of you to share some of it with your friend. Thanks for sharing the tip on using different cups as well, Kim!
No sugar… this is REAL mayonnaise! Thank you!
I agree. :) You’re welcome!
I want to. make this recipe but I am wondering if I can replace the white wine vinegar with something else?
Thanks!
You can use any vinegar or even lemon juice.
This is genious! I just made it and it is perfect and amazingly delicious. Thank you thank you thank you.
Good to know this recipe worked out perfectly, Sue!
I’m really pleased with this recipe. I’ve tried making mayonnaise in the past and it was a flop. This turned out beautifully the first time. Now I don’t have to spend a fortune to get mayonnaise without bad oils.
Happy to hear this recipe worked out perfectly, Janice!
Hi. This looks perfect! My problem is, I was raised on Miracle Whip and never really liked real mayonnaise, like Hellman’s. I think it’s the sugar. Can I add some monk fruit powder or something similar, and do you think a little regular sugar would be okay? At least it would have no other bad ingredients and certainly a better oil than commercial brands Thanks
You could definitely try that and see if you like it!
Just wondering….is there a way to turn this mayo into something like Miracle Whip?
The only mayo recipe that has worked for me. Right in the jar I store it in. To see the mayo form is like magic and tickles me every time. I jazz it up once in a while with more lemon juice or garlic. Thanks so much. Quick and easy.
Love the idea of adding more lemon or garlic to jazz it up!
This recipe has never failed. I always add garlic, paprika and black pepper to spice it up.
Glad this recipe has worked every single time, Patricia!
I also have the same issue, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. I don’t think its required to have the egg at room temp. Maybe I have to leave it sit longer, as Lisa said in the video 1-2 minutes before blending.
Made BLTs for dinner tonight and had no Mayo. I googled and found yours! First time I ever made homemade Mayo and it worked like charm!! So easy, so creamy, so delicious!!! Thank you! Will never buy store bought again!
Glad your first try worked out like a charm, Shannon!
This recipe was so easy to put together and delicious, I won’t buy store bought mayo again, thank you!!
Now you can have fresh mayo at home every single time :)