Since learning this quick and easy method of making easy homemade Mason Jar Mayonnaise, I have never bought another jar from the grocery store. With this simple method, you dump all the ingredients to a mason jar (including the oil) and use a stick blender to emulsify the mayo to perfection. Once you’ve got this one minute mayo technique dialled in, you will likely be making your own mayonnaise from scratch a lot more often!
What even is mayonnaise?
If you’ve never made homemade mayonnaise or never seen anyone else make it, you might be under the impression that mayonnaise is a dairy-based condiment. It looks like it should be! It’s rich and creamy and… kinda dairy-like! But mayo is mostly oil, plus egg, acid, salt, and mustard, made creamy and white through the process of emulsification.
Why bother making homemade mayo?
I have no beef against store bought mayo (I'm on team Hellmann's personally), but there is something really satisfying about making it yourself. It's a bit cheaper, you can choose your preferred oil, and it's so quick! The main benefit of store bought is that it seems to last forever, which is handy if you don't go through very much mayo, but I always manage to use up my homemade mayo fairly quickly.
Note: I have heard that if you add a splash of sauerkraut juice to your homemade mayo it lasts much longer. I have yet to test it, but if anyone here has, please let us know how it went!
The old way vs. the new way
When I first learned to make mayo (Food Network university, then later in cooking school) I was taught to wrap a damp cloth around the base of a mixing bowl to keep it stable, then ever so slowly drizzle oil into the egg yolks and other ingredients while whisking vigorously. it took awhile, and it was an ordeal! We later learned that you could use a blender, but you still needed to slowly drizzle in the oil.
I think it was Kenji who first showed me the light, explaining that when using a mason jar and an immersion blender (stick blender) to make mayo, the oil naturally floats to the top, allowing you to add everything to the jar at once and let the oil incorporate itself gradually, with gravity.
And let me tell you, this method is kinda life changing.
Using a whole egg vs just the yolk
I have historically only ever used the yolk to make mayo, but with this method I always use the whole egg. It means I don’t have a random egg white lying around my fridge, and I think it lightens up the mayo a bit. Plus: Extra protein!
A note on egg safety
Whether or not eggs are safe to eat raw seems to depend on where in the world you are eating them (and which governing body is making the rules). Where I live, in Canada, eggs undergo an inspection process before they enter grocery stores making the risk of salmonella poisoning extremely low. In the US, the USDA recommends using egg substitutes instead of raw egg in uncooked applications. If you're unsure about the safety of raw eggs, there is good news! Aquafaba mayo is just as good! Better go with that version.
Equipment and Ingredients
Alrighty. Here's what you'll need to make the easiest mayo of your life.
Equipment:
- A powerful immersion blender
- A jar (mason jar or jam jar, something that just fits the head of the blender).
Ingredients:
- Egg or aquafaba
- Neutral-flavored oil, like avocado or sunflower
- Cider vinegar or lemon juice
- Dijon mustard
- Salt
How to make homemade mayo
- Dump all the ingredients into the jar (including the oil)
- Wait a sec to allow the oil to float to the top
- Put the immersion blender in the jar, making sure the head of the blender is flush against the bottom of the jar, with the yolk (if using) underneath the head of the blender.
- While holding the blender on the bottom of the jar, turn it on full-speed. After a few seconds, slowly begin incorporating more of the oil by slightly lifting the blender from the bottom of the jar.
- Once you can see that it is emulsifying, continue to blend until the entire mixture is well-emulsified.
- That's it!
Homemade mayo variations
Flavored mayos and aiolis
Did you know that aioli literally translates to “garlic oil”? So by definition, aioli contains garlic. Think about that the next time you see “garlic aioli” on a menu. (Or chipotle aioli, which almost never contains garlic. It’s a lie!) I wish people would just stop trying to be so fancy and call it what it is. It’s chipotle mayo!
And yes, you can totally add canned chipotle to this mayo, or fresh herbs, or lemon zest, or chili and lime… the flavored mayo options are endless!
When adding extras to your mayo, be sure to add them after blending the initial mayo to make sure you get a good emulsion. In other words, make the mayo, then add the extra stuff. Remember that adding any liquids will thin out the mayonnaise.
Japanese (Kewpie) style mayo
I loooove the slightly sweet richness of Kewpie mayo. To recreate a similar flavor, add 1-2 teaspoons of sugar and a couple of pinches of dashi powder to your finished mayo. Delicious!
How to make mayonnaise without egg
The best way to make egg-free mayonnaise is by using aquafaba: AKA the starchy liquid at the bottom of the can of beans or chickpeas. This stuff has so many fun purposes, it’s hard to believe that we’ve been throwing it down the drain for years! Aquafaba is a great substitute for egg in mayonnaise because it acts as an emulsifier. You can also use it in place of egg as a binding agent in meatballs and burgers (like my Mushroom Walnut Burgers) and you can even use it to make vegan meringue!
When making mayo with aquafaba, I find that 60 ml (¼ cup) is the right amount to replace one egg.
*Tip: To give vegan mayo an "eggy" flavor and color, use black salt instead of regular salt, and add a pinch of turmeric to give it a slight yellowish tinge.
Homemade Mayonnaise Troubleshooting
- Make sure your jar is only wide enough to fit your blender. If the jar is a lot wider than the head of the blender, the mayo won’t emulsify.
- Make sure your stick blender is pretty powerful. If it’s an old one with a crappy old motor, it won’t work.
- Start blending on full blast right away. If you start it on low speed, it won’t emulsify. Really put your foot on the gas!
- For the first few seconds of blending, do not lift the blender from the bottom of the jar. Once you can feel that it has thickened, you can start lifting it slightly to incorporate more of the oil.
- I have only ever done this with aquafaba from canned chickpeas or black beans. Use any other aquafaba at your own risk.
- If it doesn’t work out, you can try again! Just pour more aquafaba and mustard into the bottom of a jar, and pour your broken mayo on top as if it is new oil.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use any type of oil to make mayonnaise?
Yes, you can use any type of oil to make mayonnaise, but the type of oil you use will affect the taste. Neutral oils like avocado or sunflower oil are often used because they don't overpower the taste. I don’t advise using extra virgin olive oil because the flavor is a bit strong for this.
How long does homemade mayonnaise last?
Homemade mayonnaise can last for up to one week in the refrigerator. Always make sure to store it in a covered container. I have heard that you can make it last longer by adding some sauerkraut juice to the mayo, but I've never tried it, so I can't vouch for it. I will test it out and report back!
What can I do with the leftover aquafaba?
Leftover aquafaba can be used in a variety of ways. It can be used as an egg substitute in many recipes, even whipped into meringue! I don't feel bad about throwing my leftovers down the drain though. There's only so much bean juice you can use!
Can I use a food processor or regular blender to make mayo?
Yes you can! But you'd have to slowly drizzle the oil into the rest of the ingredients while blending on full-speed. (This quick method will not work).
Can this recipe be made low-fat?
Not really. My advice for lightening up mayo-based recipes is to use 50% mayo and 50% Greek yogurt. This works great in things like creamy egg, tuna, or pasta salads.
Great! Now that I have mayo, what recipes can I use it in?
Here are a few ideas to get you started:
I hope you give this mayo method a try, and that you even swap out the store bought stuff for homemade once in awhile!
Mason Jar Mayonnaise (With Vegan Option!)
Equipment
- 1 Immersion blender high-powered
- 1 jar like a mason jar or jam jar
Ingredients
- 250 ml oil avocado, sunflower, or other neutral oil
- 1 egg or ¼c aquafaba. See recipe notes
- 1 tsp vinegar apple cider (lemon juice works too)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- Dump all the ingredients into the jar (including the oil).
- Wait a sec to allow the oil to float to the top.
- Put the immersion blender in the jar, making sure the head of the blender is flush against the bottom of the jar, with the yolk (if using) underneath the head of the blender.
- While holding the blender on the bottom of the jar, turn it on full-speed. After a few seconds, slowly begin incorporating more of the oil by slightly lifting the blender from the bottom of the jar.
- Once you can see that it is emulsifying, continue to blend until the entire mixture is well-emulsified.
- Store the mayo in the jar you blended it in until you are ready to enjoy!
Video
Notes
- To make vegan mayo with aquafaba, replace the egg with or 60ml (¼ cup) aquafaba and follow the same process.
Kim says
Amazing! This recipe is so easy and so quick and SO DELISH. I can say I will never be buying store bought again. This is perfection. Thank you!
Paula says
Woohoo!!
Anne says
Wonderful aquafaba recipe! Thank you so much.
Paula says
Great to hear!!
Heidi says
Thank you for sharing this recipe! I made the vegan version - it was so easy and came together in seconds. It is TASTY! I’m never buying store bought again!
Paula says
Ahh music to my ears! So glad it's working for ya!
glo says
. . . thx so much for the Vegan version; I wonderhow to fix the nutrition to replace the cholesterol & fat content as the aquafava would remove.... ?
Paula says
Both versions have roughly the same amount of fat. It's basically pure oil! There is no cholesterol in the vegan version as cholesterol is only found in animal-based foods.
Vee says
How long will the aquafaba version keep in the fridge?
Paula says
I try to use it up within the week!