This recipe for Whole30 mayo is so easy and delicious, you'll be wondering why you ever bought mayo at the store in the past. Also, it's fast. I called it 5 minute mayo, but that's only if you're moving really slowly. You can have it made in 2 minutes if you move with a purpose!
Once you taste this Whole30 mayo, you'll find it hard to believe that it only has six ingredients!
One of my favorite things about cooking is changing people's minds about foods they once disliked. I've converted many brussel sprout haters into brussel sprout lovers with both my Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts and my Chili Roasted Brussel Sprouts.
Now I'm coming after the mayonnaise haters. Even if you're not a hater of mayonnaise, but you don't really feel strongly about it one way or the other - this Whole30 mayo recipe is going to change that.
You're going to want to put it on ALL THE THINGS. Don't believe me? Try it.
You know how in France, the French dip their french fries in mayo? I always thought that was weird, until I ate this mayo. Then I understood. They do this because they are dipping them in the most delicious thing ever, not store bought mayonnaise with a million ingredients you can't pronounce, none of them good for you.
Have you ever looked at the ingredient label for mayonnaise that you buy in the store? It's truly gross. They try to make you think with labeling ("olive oil mayo" and "avocado oil mayo") that they're making it healthy. False. They're putting a dash of their claimed ingredient in, but keeping it full of soybean and other partially hydrogenated oils as well as a bunch of other chemicals you can't pronounce.
I promise, if you make this mayo, you'll toss whatever you've got in your fridge in and never look back. It's that delicious! The recipe is a variation of a few recipes I've tried over time. They're all going to have the same basic ingredients (egg, oil, spices) but this is my favorite combo so far.
You'll find some recipes that use only the egg yolk, I use the whole egg. You'll also find some recipes that use "light tasting" olive oil, I use avocado oil.
Secrets to success with homemade Whole30 mayo
- Be aware of the science involved. Mayonnaise is an emulsion, so all the ingredients have to be the same temperature before making. This is ESSENTIAL - if you skip this step, you're going to have failed mayo, which is basically white oil. Not delicious.
- Use an immersion blender. This is what makes this recipe so easy.
- Start with the immersion blender in the bottom of the jar until the mayo starts to thicken, then slowly pull up and down.
- If you only have a regular blender or food processor, then you'll need to keep the blender running and pour the oil in, in the smallest possible stream you can muster, until it's all gone. (I can tell you from experience, this takes more time out of your life than necessary - just get an immersion blender and whip it up in 2 minutes!)
Ways to use your paleo mayonnaise
Once you've made your mayo, don't think of it just as mayonnaise.
You can use it for so many different things, including:
- homemade ranch dressing
- buffalo chicken casserole
- buffalo chicken stuffed sweet potatoes
- deviled eggs
- mediterranean tuna salad
I also use it as salad dressing by itself, especially on a "BLT" salad - mixed greens, bacon, and tomatoes with mayo for dressing. It's really just the sandwich without the bread!
Troubleshooting Your (Failed) Mayo
Sometimes I hear from readers who tried to make this recipe, but their mayonnaise didn't come together, and they were left with a jar of oil. So what went wrong?
Typically this is one of two things:
1. All your ingredients were not the same temperature. I have had this recipe fail on me when I left the egg on the counter and the oil in the pantry, because the temperature in the pantry turned out to be different than the kitchen. Best bet? Put them all on the counter together in one spot for a couple of hours, then come back and whip up some mayo!
2. You tried to use a blender or food processor, but didn't drizzle. Drizzle fo shizzle! If you don't have an immersion blender, you have to have a steady hand and about 20 minutes.
You start with everything but the egg in the blender or food processor, and pour the oil while it is running, in a teeeeeeeennnny tiiiiiiiiiny stream. Eventually you will hear the sound the machine is making change and the consistency will look different.
KEEP DRIZZLING until all the oil is gone, then stop.
How to Fix Failed Mayo
Ugh. You just put like $10 worth of avocado oil into a jar to make mayo, and it failed. Wait! Don't throw it out! We can salvage it.
- Pull out another egg, and separate yolk from white. Save the egg white for another use.
- Set the yolk out to come to room temperature, or the same temperature as the failed mayo.
- Once both are the same temperature, try again, using the failed mayo instead of a new batch of oil.
- As long as you follow the instructions above for how to properly drizzle and combine, you should see this new batch become mayo for you.
5 Minute Mayo
This recipe for Whole30 mayo is so easy and delicious, you’ll be wondering why you ever bought mayo at the store in the past. Also, it’s fast. I called it 5 minute mayo, but that’s only if you’re moving really slowly. You can have it made in 2 minutes if you move with a purpose!
Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 1 ¼ cup avocado oil
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon mustard powder
Instructions
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1 TbspAmount Per Serving: Calories: 104Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 47mgCarbohydrates: 0gNet Carbohydrates: 0gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gSugar Alcohols: 0gProtein: 0g
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Lacey Golling
Sorry for the lame question..is the egg still raw or is it considered cooked because of the vinegar?
Jessica
Lacey, this is not a dumb question at all! You can cook fish in citrus without ever putting heat to it. Vinegar is acidic and I can completely understand your train of thought here.
That being said, the egg is still raw. You have to heat an egg to 138° to pasteurize the yolk. While this is something you can do in your mayo making process, it is not something I do. I use eggs from a local farm that I trust, and I feel comfortable with using conventional eggs on occasion to make mayo as well. While the risk is fairly low for any issues arising with the raw egg, you just have to decide what you feel comfortable with.
I hope that helps!
Marine
Hello,
Will yellow mustard seed powder work?
Thank you
Jessica
As long as it's a powder, you'll be fine - you just don't want to use the actual seeds, as it won't be smooth!
Laureen
Do you put the lid on the jar while the ingredients sit out all day? Does it matter?
Jessica
I don't, but I don't think it matters. The idea is just to bring them to room temp, and have them all the same temp when you make the emulsion. Hope that helps!
Dana
I wasn't able to get it beyond a saucy consistency and the only thing I subbed was actual mustard instead of the powder. I put it all in the fridge overnight, thinking I would have it as a salad dressing instead, but this morning it is separated and broken - is there any hope for either fixing or repurposing?? I hate to waste that much oil!
Jessica
Hi Dana,
A liquid instead of a powder may affect it, but I don't think it would cause it to not come together at all. The two most important things are making sure that all your ingredients are the same temperature, and getting the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar. If you're not using an immersion blender, you have to use the alternate method, otherwise it will not come together.
If you do it again, and its still separated, you can start from the beginning and use the separated mayo from the first round as the "oil" for the recipe, and make it again, and it should work. Hope that helps!
Donna Burton
Jordan Rubin, author of The Maker’s Diet, states that any bacteria with regard to eggs would potentially be on the shell, so if concerned about salmonella, simply wipe the outside of the egg with vinegar or lemon juice prior to cracking them open and their natural acid will kill the bacteria.
denise
I get a rash from Lemon juice, should I just double the vinegar or skip it?
Jessica
Try subbing apple cider vinegar for the lemon juice! I haven't tried that but I think it would work.
Chris
Love this simple recipe that only requires a few ingredients. Immersion blender works Great ! Thanks for sharing, did take more than a few minutes but lovely results.
Jessica
Hi Chris! So glad you liked it! It's a staple in our house.
Miranda
Hello, I’m curious about the calorie count. It says 12 calories per serving, but the Avocado Oil alone is 2,400 calories. If I divide that by 24, I get 100 calories a serving. Am I missing something?
P.S. I made the ranch and am enjoying it. The hubs didn’t care for the strong dill taste.
Jessica
Hi Miranda! Thanks for reaching out about this. The nutrition information is calculated by a recipe plugin based on their database. I always recommend that if you need exact numbers to make sure to confirm them on your own. That being said, the avocado oil is coming in at 240 calories total, not 2400, which might be where the disconnect is! Glad to hear you like the ranch. You could always try adjusting the dill to be a bit less and see if hubby likes it better that way?
Miranda
Thank you for responding. Yes I can play with the deal and see if he likes it better but I really enjoyed it. So you’re saying they are calculator thanks a cup of oil only has 240 calories? Yes that would be a big difference .I wish I only had 240 calories! Ha
Jessica
Hi Miranda! Wasn't saying it was right, just saying that's how it was being calculated. 🙂 Unfortunately technology sometimes hinders rather than helps us. I went back and switched it to ml and the API seems to be converting correctly now, showing the 100+ calories and 12g fat per serving. Hope that helps!
Jennifer Ayala
I'm am trying to exclude vinegar from my diet - any substitutions you recommend? Just more lemon juice?? Or exclude all together?
Thanks!
Jessica
Hi Jennifer! You can just leave out the vinegar. It adds a little flavor, but I doubt you'll miss it and the mayo will still come together without it.
Megan
Would a hand mixer work instead of an immersion blender?
Jessica
Hi Megan, unfortunately not! The immersion blender I recommend is linked in the post. It's totally worth the 20 bucks - you can use it for other stuff, too, like blending soups right in the pot. (My tomato soup and curried sweet potato soup are great candidates!) The other option for the mayo would be a regular blender or food processor. If you use one of these, you'll need to follow the specific instructions in the post - keep it running the whole time, and drizzle the oil in slowly, in as small a stream as you can muster, until it comes together and makes mayo! This takes quite a bit longer and is easier to mess up, but it's how I started making mayo and can definitely be done with a steady hand and some patience.
Sunni
I am so glad I tried this recipe. It came out perfect!
I made mayo for the first time a few weeks ago and stupidly used evoo. It was very strong and took forever in my food processor. I tried it again with your method ( I added 2 yolks bc I had them leftover from breakfast, and used extra light oil) and it came out perfectly and tastes great.
Jessica
Hi Sunni,
I'm so glad you liked it! Regular EVOO and a food processor are honest mayo mistakes - I've made both of them in the past! But now you know the easy way and can move forward with simple, delicious mayo. Next up, try turning it into my ranch dressing!
https://www.paleoscaleo.com/homemade-ranch-dressing/
Patrick
How much does usually make in your opinion?
Jessica
Hi Patrick,
The recipe makes about 1 1/4 cups of mayo.
Jennifer Johnston
I am missing a piece of my immersion blender so had to use my Blendtec and it’s super runny. Will it set or do I just need to try again?
Jessica
Hi Jennifer,
So, I detail this in the post as well, but if you're using a regular blender, the method is different. Because this is an emulsion, a regular blender doesn't have the same effect on the ingredients that the immersion blender does. For a regular blender or food processor, you have to run it on low, continuously, while drizzling the oil in in the absolute smallest stream you can muster. I used to make mayo this way before I had an immersion blender, and I can tell you, it's somewhat excruciating. It should take you about 10-15 minutes to drizzle in this much oil. That being said, it can be done, but if you can find or replace the missing piece of your immersion blender, you'll find yourself with a bit more free time on your hands. 🙂 Best of luck!
Amelia
I am making this and it’s been way longer than 5 minutes and it super watery. 🙁 I did everything the recipe calls for. Using an immersion blender, let all the ingredients sit side by side for an hour and a half, and still no luck. My immersion blender is getting hot because it’s been running for so long. I don’t know what to do as I don’t want to waste a cup and a quarter of avocado oil. Help!
Jessica
Hi Amelia!
I'm so sorry to hear that your emulsion failed. If you don't see the mayo come together in a minute or two in the future, you can stop - it won't come together the longer you run the blender, unfortunately. Every once in awhile there is a rare instance where the mayo fails - it happens to everyone (including me!) You can save the failed mayo by basically starting over, but instead of using oil, you're using the failed mayo. Here's a quick YouTube demo to show you how: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrkH3n_kqZ0
I hope that helps, and I'm sorry this happened to you! Hopefully next time everything will come together. Try setting everything out in the morning, then making the mayo in the afternoon - perhaps the longer room temp time will help.
Kaylie
Is this Whole30 approved?
Jessica
Hi Kaylie,
Yes, it is! As long as you use a W30 compliant oil (which avocado oil is!) then you are good to go.
Kassie
This is the second recipe I tried and even went out and got an immersion blender to make it work. It still comes out watery?
Jessica
Hi Kassie,
I'm so sorry you're having trouble with this! You'll want to make sure you put all your ingredients on the counter in the same place and let them come to room temp together before blending. You'll also want to keep the immersion blender in the bottom of the jar, and keep it running while you're pouring the oil in, only lifting it up in the jar after it starts to thicken. Let me know if you have questions, I'd love to help you make your first successful batch! 🙂
Megan
I am allergic to avocados:( what kind of oil could I use instead?
Jessica
Hi Megan! Sorry for the delay - I just had a baby and am working on catching up!
What you want is an oil that has a mild flavoring, so it doesn't overpower the mayo. Some people like to use Extra Light Olive Oil, which has a much lighter flavor than regular olive oil. My personal preference in lieu of avocado oil is high oleic safflower oil. Very mild and makes a delicious mayo! Just makes sure to check that it is high oleic. Hope that helps!
Kim
Raw egg? Does the lemon & vinegar kill any bacteria? Just wondering, I would love to try this!!?
Jessica
Yes, raw egg. 🙂 Most homemade mayo recipes call for raw egg. There's always a small risk eating raw anything, obviously, but I've never had an issue here.
I do use local farm eggs, which I feel better about eating raw - knowing the farm they came from and how the chickens were raised/fed. Just my personal preference.
If you're super concerned, you can always pasteurize the egg before making the mayo. I've never done this because I'm lazy, but you'll just have to be careful that you're not cooking the egg instead, otherwise you will end up with scrambled eggs in your mayo (yuck!) There's lots of articles out there on how to pasteurize eggs, here's just one I found: http://bakingbites.com/2011/03/how-to-pasteurize-eggs-at-home/
Hope that helps!
Ruth
I buy pasteurized eggs. My local market sells them.
Ruth Ann
I have tried many mayo recipes but can NEVER get it to thicken! Any idea what I could be doing wrong? I was hoping this one would be the one that finally works.:(
Jessica
Hi Ruth Ann! Two questions for you: 1, are you using an immersion blender or a regular blender/food processor when you make the mayo? The immersion blender is key for this one. If you're using a regular blender, you will need to drizzle the oil in in the absolute slowest trickle you can muster. It can drive you a little batty; I highly recommend getting an immersion blender if you don't have one!
And 2, are you making sure your ingredients are all the same temperature (room temp) when you make the mayo? The way I go about it is I crack my egg into the jar, put in the lemon juice, the vinegar, and spices, and set it on the counter and put the bottle of avocado oil next to it on the counter and walk away, then come back later in the day to do the blending. I once had it fail when the oil was in the pantry and the egg on the counter, just because they were two different temps!
I hope that helps; let me know if you're finally successful!
Ruth Ann
I tried it again tonight and it finally worked! I did use the immersion blender before but this time I watched a YouTube video first and did it exactly like that and finally had success!
Thank you!:)
Also, what kind oil do you use? I used a light olive oil but wasn’t too fond of the flavor.:(
Jessica
Yay! I'm so glad to hear you were successful. 🙂 I use avocado oil, as listed in the recipe - I find it has a much milder flavor than the light olive oil.
Danielle P
Has this ever been attempted with egg yolks only?
Jessica
Hi Danielle! I've never tried it with just the yolk, but if you do, I would love to hear how it goes!
Jenny
I finally tried this method tonight and I'm NEVER going back to making mayo in my regular blender. Seriously...you're brilliant. This is super tasty too. I LOVE the addition of vinegar. It adds something lovely! I'll be making your ranch this weekend!
Jessica
Awesome! So glad you liked it. That little dash of vinegar definitely does add a little something, doesn't it?! I love how quick it is to make!
Sinchee Axe
Is there a way to replace the egg or just leave it out? What is the lifetime on this mayo
Jessica
Hi there,
Sorry for the delay, we have a new baby at home! The mayo will last about 2 weeks in the fridge. In regards to the egg, you can't leave it out - you'd unfortunately end up with just oil and some spices if there was no egg. The mayo is an emulsion, so it comes together by the egg and oil mixing together. I've not tried creating it with anything other than egg, but if you find success with something, let us know! 🙂