How to Make Mayonnaise
1,186 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.
This recipe worked really well for me! So excited to make homemade mayo on the regular going forward! :)
Amazing! I’m glad your mayonnaise worked out, Tiffany.
Loved this!!! Thanks so much! For all those who had issues with it not thickening, you have to use a container with a diameter very close in size to your blender head. The plastic container that came with mine was much wider so I had to use a large mouth glass mason jar instead, so that there wasn’t much room between the blender head and walls of the jar. Try it, it works great following the recipe instructions after that!
Wonderful! I’m glad this recipe was easy to follow along with no issues, Faith.
Nope, not thickening.
Forgot to add to my comment: I prefer a very thick mayo, so in the past I just use 3/4 of the oil and it works like a charm. It’s just a personal preference, this recipe is the bomb!
Made this today for the first time- fantastic flavours and soooo easy!! I’ve made mayonnaise in a food processor before but not any more! This couldn’t get any simpler with superior results. A keeper recipe!
Oh yay! I’m glad your mayonnaise turned out perfectly, Chris.
I made it but it didn’t thicken like mayo
Tried this once and will never buy again. Such a simple no-fail recipe and tastes way better than store bought! Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wouldn’t emulsify. Had same problem multiple times. Others tried & said the same.
Hi Lisa
I messed up. I used extra-virgin olive oil 365 and it doesn’t taste good kind of a waste of ingredients. I’ve made it before with avocado and it comes out great so it’s a great recipe. Any suggestions to save what I’ve done here
Thank you!
Fran
Hi Fran – unfortunately, there’s not much you can do, other than add additional flavors to it to mask the EVOO flavor. I have a sweet fig mayo recipe on the site that might give you an idea. :)
Mine came out as runny as soup. Followed the directions to a T with Avocado Oil and stick blender. Waste of money.
I’ve made this mayo a handful of times and it is the absolute favorite of this family!
Thanks, Pam! Happy to hear it.
Wonderfully easy recipe. I was looking for something easy for my 17 YO son to make, he’s obsessed with coleslaw and this homemade version of mayo will work wonderfully. I also appreciate your video, no big long intro, just “Welcome to my channel” and into the recipe. Just subbed to your YouTube channel, I love a good quality cooking channel.
Thanks so much, Sarah! I’m glad you enjoyed both the recipe and video. And thank you for subscribing to my YouTube channel as well. I hope you enjoy many more recipes. :)
This was so so easy if you follow the instructions you will have no problem at all making this, I would say to listen when she said light flavored olive oil though. Consistency is great but I used regular olive oil and you can really taste it. This recipe is amazing because you can add whatever you want roasted garlic, or Italian seasoning just to add more depth to the recipe!
This is the best mayo I’ve ever eaten. So much more flavor than the store bought stuff and none of the questionable ingredients. Works up perfectly in a 16oz wide mouth Mason jar.
Happy you loved it, Kimberly!
Blended so nice and wonderful taste! Easy to make. A keeper.
Wonderful, thanks Peggy!
I just love this recipe! We’ve made it so much and probably now make it weekly! So much nice than shop bought- THANK YOU!!
Hi Clare – I couldn’t agree more! Homemade mayonnaise is the way to go.
Just made this and it was perfect! I only has a little bit the rest with vegetable oil and it came out great. Thick and spreadable and great in our shredded chicken sandwiches.
Thank you!
Hi Kelly – Happy to hear your mayonnaise turned out perfectly!
Lisa! I had just sent a “help” review; I decided I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me, and I tried again — it worked beautifully! Thank you so much for this recipe. God bless you.
Oh wonderful! I’m glad you enjoyed this homemade mayonnaise.
Hi Lisa–My husband’s family were founders of Best Foods & the original recipe for Hellman’s mayonnaise. I recently found out the company was bought out & the new owners are using GMO’s in Hellmans. Not acceptable! I found your recipe & had relatives dig out the original mayonnaise recipe. It’s similar to yours. I used your immersion blender method & the mayo turned out great! Thanks for the method. The one thing I did differently is that I added 1T whey from homemade yogurt. I read that the active cultures keep homemade mayo stable up to a month in the refrigerator. Homemade yogurt & homemade mayonnaise in one week. Never going back to store bought!
Hi Linda – Amazing! I’m glad this recipe worked out great. Now you can always make it at home.
I am having a problem mine in still runny, what did I do wrongful?
I had the same problem. Did you ever figure out how to solve it?
This happened to me too, turned out my vinegar was expired. I tried again right away with a different vinegar and it was a success.
Your explanation of things made this recipe a success for me, finally, after years of mediocre mayo! Thank you!
Your story and your “downshiftyness” has made me your new, biggest fan.. I’m an old downshifter from way back and a heart attack in ’03 was my “life do-over”.
I think you should add a Downshiftology ball cap to your product range.. then I could buy one!
Hi Dave – Thanks for taking the time to leave a review and glad it worked out perfectly! As for baseball caps, I actually have one, but haven’t sold them yet. Stay tuned :)
I used normal white vinegar and lime juice cuz that’s all I had on hand, it turned out very watery and never got creamy 😔 any suggestions?
Can you use a regular blender?
This recipe is specifically written for a stick blender.
Thank you for the detailed instructions. I have messed up so many times and ready to buy it but you saved me for that plight! Holding the stick blender on the bottom without moving ut gif 10-15 seconds was the key!
Happy you had mayo success with this recipe, Sharon!
Can I use a blender?
I will never buy mayonnaise again, the process is so simple and I always have the ingredients to hand. It is interesting that some people didn’t have good results. I used light olive oil and as instructed ensured I used a narrow container that only just fits my stick blender.
Happy you enjoyed this mayo recipe, Ann!
I wanted to say Thank you for putting this recipe out in the public, I am new to making stuff from scratch and wow what a difference it really is, everything tastes better homemade. 3 years ago, I had a heart attack and just got told I have diabetes type 2. I have been cooking everything from scratch to keep my heart healthy and my sugars in check. I have used a lot of your recipes that I found through friends’ pages, and it seems that everything I like the best is your recipes, so THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I am now finally following you. YEAH ME!! :)
Hi Michelle – Happy to hear Downshiftology recipes have been beneficial and that you’re learning to make things from scratch again. Homemade is best!
Eww, the consistency was fine, but the choice of oil was awful. Olive oil has too much flavor for Mayo and so does the avocado. The flavors weren’t balanced out, tasted nothing like Mayo. I would recommend Sunflower oil or grapeseed oil.
Just made according to the recipe with exception of Dijon (I just used a drop of yellow). It turned out perfect.
Thanks, Patty! I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Is there any way to make LESS? I am not likely to use all that mayonnaise in 1 week’s time…
Epic waste of expensive ingredients.
It was like soup.
I followed expect instructions. I am a fair experienced baker and cook.
So disappointed.
I started the recipe in the jar which I wanted to store the mayo in. It was soupy. So I found the container that came with my immersion blender. That made all the difference. I also decided to add another egg since mine was on the small side. Turned out good.
I’ve made this twice and while the taste is good, I can’t seem to get it to the “mayo” consistency. It is still too runny. Any suggestions?
This was my first time to make mayo. I used vegetable oil. Which is soybean oil. It came together just as the recipe said
I used the stick blender and a wide mouth mason jar. It’s awesome
Congrats on your homemade mayo, Nancy!
Tried this out per directions and it turned into soup. Also, very annoying that there are NOT tips to fix a thin, runny mayo in the article (only how to fix a broken one). My husband cooks more than me and is a biochemist so I asked him for help to fix my expensive soup. He thought avocado oil wasn’t a great oil for mayo and the amounts of the ingredients weren’t right for a proper emulsion. On his advice, I added like 1/4 cup bacon grease (we’re making mayo for BLTs so had some on hand), 3 more yolks and more lemon juice. After that VIOLA🫰*MAYONNAISE*
Any first time mayo makers, look elsewhere. Apparently avocado oil is known to be finnicky and most recipes drizzle in the oil.
Hi, is there any way to thicken it , if it comes out a bit thinner ?
Hi Jessica – I have a few tips in the post above. :)
Followed recipe to a T. Never worked. Tried adding 1 tub boiling my water too. Sad to waste my high end avocado oil. :(
Recipe turned out fantastic. So easy to make. Took minutes and taste delicious.
How long can this be stored in an air tight container in the fridge?
Hi Kate – So happy you loved it! I mention above that it can be stored for about a week, though admittedly I’ve stored it a bit longer than that myself. ;)
Thank you for your reply. As soon as I posted the comment I read back through and noticed you had mentioned that. Once again appreciate the recipe. It’s amazing! Thank you so much.
You’re more than welcome, Kate!
Why is mine so runny I followed the exact instructions and recipe
I followed the recipe and it worked perfectly – very easy to make and great taste. I used normal (sunflower) vegetable oil rather than avocado and used a bit less than a cup per egg. The amount of mayo I got for two eggs was enormous, next time I will only use one egg and the appropriate quantity of other ingredients.