Easy home made Mayonnaise

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Copycat Hellman's mayonnaise in a jar on a bord with sandwich ingredients

When you realise how easy homemade mayonnaise is, and how delicious it is, you won’t be interested in the preservative-laden shop-bought options anymore.

I recently did some experimenting with making aioli and adding a variety of flavours which led to making this very quick and easy mayonnaise.

A jar with homemade mayonnaise

Aioli is wonderful, a bit richer and uses olive oil, but nothing beats a good homemade mayonnaise to have on hand for sandwiches.

I have added a lot of flavour to this recipe, but you can just adjust it however you like.  I quite like a bit of zing, so used red wine vinegar and lemon juice. You could use all vinegar or all lemon. There are no rules.

If you would prefer to make mayonnaise in a stick blender that tastes like Hellman’s, check out this recipe.

A recipe to make a jar of mayonnaise

Once you have your base mayonnaise the world is your flavour oyster and all the same options I used in my aiolis would work really well with this. I am especially partial to smoked spices and my smoked red pepper stirred through this is quite lovely.

Homemade mayonnaise holds a special place in my kitchen for several reasons. Firstly, it offers superior freshness and flavour compared to store-bought alternatives, as you have control over the quality of ingredients.

Homemade mayonnaise is free from artificial preservatives and additives, resulting in a cleaner and more natural taste.

Additionally, making your own mayo allows you to experiment with various flavour enhancements. You can infuse it with herbs like basil or tarragon, add a punch of heat with chipotle or sriracha, or introduce zesty notes with garlic and lemon.

The possibilities for customizing homemade mayo are endless, making it a versatile and delectable condiment for a wide range of dishes, from sandwiches and salads to dipping sauces.

A few recipes to use this mayonnaise:

The best BLT pasta salad

The best BLT pasta salad

new potato salad with creme fraiche and spring onions

warm new potato salad with mint, lemon and creme fraiche 

Green Goddess BLT pasta salad

The best Green goddess BLT pasta salad recipe

Lettuce & chicken wraps with green goddess Caesar dressing

Lettuce & chicken wraps with green goddess Caesars dressing

Esquites recipe

Esquites - the living best mexican corn salad

Easy home made mayonnaise

An easy home-made mayonnaise recipe
Print Recipe
Prep Time:10 minutes
Total Time:10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 egg yolks free range and very fresh eggs
  • 2 T red wine vinegar
  • 1 T lemon juice
  • 2 t Dijon mustard
  • 1 t salt
  • 3 cloves of garlic crushed totally optional
  • a pinch or 2 of sugar
  • black pepper as much as you like
  • 500 ml / 2 cups of canola or sunflower oil

Instructions

  • In the food processor briefly blend the eggs, vinegar, lemon, garlic, sugar and mustard.
  • With the blade running slowly add the canola oil in a slow stream until it has all emulsified.
  • Check the taste and add the salt and pepper and any other seasoning you may like.
  • If it is very thick add a tablespoon or 2 of warm water to thin it down.
  • Store in a sterilised jar in the fridge until you need it.
  • Bear in mind that you are using fresh eggs so the life span will be shorter than store-bought mayonnaise which is filled with preservatives. I found it easier to make this quantity vs a half batch, so needed to give some of it away as a gift.

Notes

Home made mayonnaise can be stored in the fridge for up to a month (or even more).
Author: Sam Linsell

 
 

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94 Comments

  1. Mayonnaise is my one “cant live without” condiment and the homemade stuff is even better!

  2. Looks fantastic, want to dip crispy french fries right in the pictures!

  3. I wish you were here Lori cos I’ve got a lot to spare. I’m on ‘operation-get-dimples-back’ so wont be able to tuck into much of this I’m afraid. I did stir a little into my coleslaw salad I had for lunch with a few drops of chipotle hot sauce. Yum! xx

  4. Thank you Thekla – great with fries a-la Dutch style 🙂

  5. I had no idea that mayonnaise was so “do-able” right in your own kitchen. Once I make this, I’m sure I will never buy mayonnaise ever again 🙂

  6. I have been making my own mayo for years – I use a stick blender – and it keeps so well and tastes way better than store bought for sure 🙂 I love experimenting and it is time I added some garlic to mine 🙂

  7. Very yummy Sam. I can’t wait to give your recipe a bash. Seems simple enough and, since shop bought mayo is ridiculously expensive anyway, it is a great incentive to make my own ;o)

  8. I love homemade mayonnaise! You pics are beautiful, as always!

  9. Thanks Tami, yes so easy, just add the oil slowly

  10. Yip – very do-able. Let me know how it goes.

  11. I’ve always wanted to try making my own mayonnaise! Think this would work without the red wine vinegar?

  12. Hi Vicky, it does need some acidity, but make it and see and add in. You could also use lemon juice.

  13. I made this last night, after an initial hiccup (which involved me being too impatient), which I luckily fixed, the mayonnaise came out wonderful! I’ve been eating it with everything 😛
    Thanks for a great recipe 🙂

  14. Gail Hooper says:

    Samimantha I cant wait to try the mayo, and some of the ideas posted, fany the chips and mayo, same as in Holland. Will let you know after I try the recipe hopefully next week. Big hugs and love to you.

  15. HI Gail, divine! please let me know how it goes. S xx

  16. Yay Jessica. I’m actually eating some now as I type – with pommes frites!

  17. I have not done this in such a long time. Great recipe…looks perfect!

  18. live life says:

    i will also be trying this for sure, anything with garlic catches my eye! curious tho, does anyone know how much the flavor would be affected by olive oil? or even & especially grapeseed oil?

  19. Hi, Using only olive oil makes the taste extremely strong and over powering which is why it is better for mayonnaise to use canola or sunflower oil – You could do half and half as I did for my aioli, but it really is a matter of preference.

  20. Shelbelle says:

    How long does this last before going bad?

  21. Can someone tell me how long this will keep refrigerated? Would love to try but we don’t eat mayo every day and I need to know refrig/shelf life. Thanks!

  22. Hi Wendy, I have read that you should not keep it beyond 2 weeks – but I most certainly have (up to a month), but I am not one of those extra-cautious types. Essentially you are using raw egg, but there is lemon juice and oil to preserve. Keep it refrigerated and use the very freshness and best eggs yo can. As a result this is one of those items you need to make for a purpose and give the rest away.
    Sam

  23. Can’t wait to try it! Thank you for the recipe. Your blog is beautiful!

  24. Thank you Diane, and its a pleasure 🙂

    Sam

  25. georgie sikora says:

    I just made half of this recipe but it came out running and does not look a thing like the picture! It looks like a thin yellow oily sauce…nothing like mayo 🙁 not sure how to fix it…add another egg yoke? I did not half the lemon juice hmmm bummer!

  26. georgie sikora says:

    I used half EVO and half canola oil one cup total I would like to salvage this if possible…what a waste of good olive oil
    it is in my fridg after I made it last night….what could have went wrong? I use 1 T of lemon juice instead of half a Tablespoon but don’t think that would completely ruin it???? Sam do you have any ideas???
    thanks, Georgie

  27. Hi Georgie, I find it much easier to make mayo with 2 eggs vs 1, unless you are making it by hand. It’s all about the egg yolk (protein) emulsifying with the fat. If you have a hand blender, start again with one more egg yolk and slowly add your split mix until it emulsifiers. It should come back together. You should, if you blend correctly,be able make a vast amount of mayo off one egg (according to Heston Blumenthal). Emulsions can be tricky, I always find it easier to use 2 eggs for the. Thanks Sam

  28. georgie sikora says:

    I did I did! I added another egg yoke! I did this all in my vitamix and it is oily and thin. I do have a stick blender I could try using but does the ingredients need to be room temp?

  29. Hi Georgie my eggs are always at room temp as I bake a lot, but Im not sure this is important. The main thing is to add the oil extremely slowly and as it emulsifies with the eggs, bit by bit. I don’t know what a vitamix. Im sorry but unless Im in your kitchen I cant really tell what went wrong. It should work with olive oil and canola, although I don’t like olive oil in mayo as it can be quite bitter. I have made mayonnaise dozens of times (as have many others) with this recipe, it is a pretty standard mayo recipe, and the ratios are spot on. Emulsions are difficult and I have failed at them in the past. I find this recipe to be foolproof for me.

  30. georgie sikora says:

    thanks for the reply and I tried it again with a bit more luck, Still not as fluffy but much better this time around. The bad thing is you are right about the bitterness with EVO…yuck! I want to buy a light version of EVO and give that a try. I am determined to get this right!!!! Thanks for your help!

  31. How long does this homemade mayo last in the refrigerator?

  32. HI Nicole, as long as eggs can last. I have kept mine for over a month, although people say to be safe 1 – 2 weeks.

  33. Your recipe looks great..I love mayo. I got rid of my cuisinart years ago @ a garage sale..didn’t use it much. Can I use my kitchen aid mixer and get the same results ?

  34. HI Tracy, I haven’t made it in a large mixer before, I use my Cuisinart, but I have made it using a small hand held mixer.. I am sure it will be fine if you use the full recipe, its all about adding the oil slowly so that it emulsifies.
    Good luck

  35. I want mine to last longer than a couple of weeks. Do you think I could just use an egg substitute? Would that make it last longer than regular eggs?

  36. Hi Bridget, the thing with fresh mayonnaises, or any fresh food in general is that it doesn’t stay fresh forever. I do not know of any egg substitute for mayonnaise and most certainly have not used such a thing. My suggestion is to buy a shop bought good quality mayo which is laden with preservatives and keep this for months.

  37. Just made this and its awesome! Thanks!

  38. Does this taste more like mayo or miracle whip? I’m not a fan of mayo so don’t want to make it only to hate it…thx!

  39. Hello, I just came across your recipe for homemade mayo. I was excited to try it til I saw that Canola Oil was one of the ingredients. Canola Oil is not the healthy oil we have all been led to believe. It is a heavily refined oil, and, in most cases, Canola Oil is GMO. A healthier alternative would be Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil is chock full of wonderful properties, namely that it’s a medium chain fatty acid. It, also, has natural antibiotic, antiparasitic and antimicrobial properties. Coconut Oil is an all-around phenomenal oil. 🙂

  40. Hi Kriston, this tastes like proper mayonnaise and not at all like Miracle Whip which (as much as I like it too) is not real mayonnaise. Miracle whip is an industrial product loaded with preservatives and chemicals.

  41. Hi Jen, Thank you for your comment. I use a non GMO local sunflower oil to make my mayo. it has a neutral taste which is perfect for it.I like coconut oil and understand its health properties, but don’t think it will work here, from a flavor perspective or from a consistency perspective. Coconut oil at room temperature is solid.
    PS – have you made popcorn with coconut oil? and absolute winner>
    thanks
    sam

  42. Just made your mayo recipe! turned out perfect…….though i followed the recipe step by step and it was very tangy/lemony! will be great on my hand cut cole slaw but i think next time i will omit one of the acids for a more mellow taste for sandwiches! thanks for this wonderful addition to my recipe box!

  43. Hi N, Glad it worked out and thanks for the comment. As I mentioned in the post I have added a lot of flavour and zing, but its all a personal preference. Once you have the base mayo sorted you can just adjust the flavour to your own taste 🙂

  44. Alright, so I’ve tried twice now, and both times when I have 1/4 cup oil left it turns runn Up to that point it is thick, then I add a bit more oil, and with in seconds it turns…any suggestions?

  45. I used to make mayo way back in the 70’s but found that it went moldy very quickly – had to be used within four days so I gave it up. Most of it got thrown out because it spoiled before I could use it all. Even a single size recipe (1 cup of oil) didn’t last long enough for me to use it all up. Made me realize how loaded store bought was with preservatives.
    I always added garlic to mine and used half vinegar and half lemon juice. I like lemon juice and would probably add smoky paprika if I were to make it now.

  46. I agree with Jen about canola oil – I used grapeseed oil, but would also use sunflower or peanut oil. I’m thinking of trying it again with some colloidal silver water added – that might help to preserve it a little longer.

  47. Sounds lovely Nicole, I have the same issue about the quantities as I live alone. As its relatively inexpensive to make, I think it’s worth it. I make it if I know I am going to make at least one dish with it.

  48. I don’t use dijon mustard and I’m not sure if I want to buy a whole jar of it just to add a teaspoon to the recipe…. Will it be okay if I omit the mustard??

  49. Hi Amanda, any mustard that you like will work. I like ot add some mustard, but it is also fine without.

  50. I would love to make this. How long does it last before going bad?

  51. Hi Theresa, they recommend a max of 2 – 3 weeks for fresh eggs. I kept it for longer and it was fine, but i like living on the edge 🙂

  52. Girlfriend stay far far away from Canola oil! It is terrible for you!

  53. Thank you so much for sharing. I never want to go back to store bought. I have chickens so this is perfect. The time is worth the wonderful taste.

  54. Love the mayo recipe…thanks !

  55. Thanks Peg

  56. Shandra Grace says:

    Love this recipe, I wanted to make mine more simple, with 1 whole egg and less oil. So I used 1 whole egg + 1 yolk, 1 cup of oil 1 tsp of apple cider ving., and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, it turned out great! Thanks so much for the recipe.

  57. HI Shandra, glad you were able to adapt it to your preference – sounds great.
    Sam

  58. Hi.. your recipe es very good. I love it!
    Greetings from Chile.

  59. Thanks valerie 🙂 – greetings from Cape Town

  60. susan sanborn says:

    I have not bought a jar of mayo since I found this in Pinterest. Which was about 6 months ago. I have a cholesterol issue so I use 1 whole egg and 1 egg white. I skip the sugar and garlic but I had everything else on your list. I use only Canola Oil. It also comes out thick and creamy, but I find it is better to keep the processor going and if it does seem too think, I just add up to another 1/8 cup of oil. It is the BEST, and I am a mayo freak.

  61. Hi Susan – thanks for hte lovely comment and I am so glad you like the mayo and adapted it to your preference. A splash of warm water also thins it down if you didnt want to add more oil. 🙂

  62. Would this have as many carbs in it as regular mayo?

  63. Hi. Yes as much as full fat may I would imagine.

  64. I made this recipe thank you sooooo Much is Ones Omg DELICIOUS it gave my sandwich so much flavooorrr

  65. Im glad you liked it Sandra – thanks
    sam

  66. Hi. Tried this recipe twice and both times I failed. Add the first cup of oil and it’s wonderful, start the second cup and it suddenly turns to liquid. We live in Las Vegas and it’s 114 today. So don’t know if that makes a difference and I used olive oil instead of canola. Coconut oil is liquid where we live. Any suggestions?

  67. This recipe rescued me when I realized I was out of mayo after making a big chicken salad. It worked exactly as described (btw I used a blender) and it tasted delicious, although next time I would reduce the Dijon since it had more of a mustard taste than I would prefer. Looks like this recipe is flexible enough to tweak the seasonings to taste so it’s definitely a keeper!

  68. Hi Pam, Im so glad you enjoyed this, it made it too the other day when I ran out. I did mention that I like it with loads of flavor and zing. I think I like Dijon a little bit too much :-). My suggestion is to make it and then season according ti taste. This is really so subjective.

  69. Hi Cheryl, not too sure what you did wrong, but emulsions are very tricky. I have made this recipe multiple times and find it quite easy and flop proof, but I have failed at making mayo before. add the oil very slowly, and ensure its emulsified. Heston Blumenthal reckons you can make 5 or 10 liters of mayo off one egg. Its all about the emulsion. Im not sure temperature matters too much. Definitely not coconut oil. I generally use sunflower oil to make mine as olive oil is very rich and bitter in taste and expensive. Sorry it didn’t work out. Difficult to say as Im not there. Perhaps try another recipe?

  70. I followed directions exactly as written and mine turned out watery and thin too! What am I doing wrong? 🙁

  71. Hi Astra – Its really hard for me to say as I was not in your kitchen making this mayonnaise with you. As you can see many people have made it before with success. I make it all the time and it never fails. You must add the oil very, very slowly.

  72. Megamindy says:

    I add everthing at one time in the bowl and start very slowly with my mixer. Then turn it harder a bit at a time. It is very importent that al is at room temperature!!! Otherwise it does not work 🙂 I add some blendered basilleafs so it becomes a green mayo and very tasty is summer with tomato and all other salades. You coud add also blendered roasted sweet paprika. Very yummy to! I use olive oil or grapeseedoil to make my mayo. Good luck Astra, Just keep on trying once you got the trick you will never use the stuff of the supermarket again. Grtz

  73. Im so glad you like the recipe and I love your additionst to it especialy the smoked paprika.

  74. Perfect!!!! Thanks so much xxxx

  75. Mine was a complete failure as well. It was thick and creamy up to a point but while drizzling in the second cup of oil it suddenly went liquid again. I drizzled the oil VERY slowly – took me close to 15 minutes (did I drizzle too slow?). I used my blender and set it at a speed of 3 out of 10, too fast perhaps? I’ll try this again but with a less expensive oil next time. This batch cost me $8. Tastes wonderful but it’s sauce not mayo. 🙁 I did check Alton Brown’s recipe and he calls for just one egg yolk per cup of oil the same as your recipe, contrary to what another review said. My eggs were also very fresh from my neighbor’s chickens and at room temp. Pretty disappointed but I’m gonna keep trying!

  76. I just had to add that even though I failed at this recipe and it ended up all runny, it did not go to waste. I added several more cloves of garlic, more lemon juice, an anchovy fillet, and some Parmesan cheese and blended it into a delicious Caesar salad dressing, which just so happens to be my favorite dressing. So all was not lost! 🙂

  77. Hi Julene, Im so sorry this recipe didnt work out for you and its always disspointing when you spend money. Gosh $8 dollars really? I find with sunflower / Canola oil and 2 eggs its a fairly inexpensive condiment to make. Anyway I make it often and find it to be the best ratio’s for me. I find using 2 eggs vs 1 easier to get an emulsification in my food processor. It is a fairly standard recipe but making emulsions can be tricky. Its very difficult to know exactly what went wrong with yours, but 15 minutes is way to long to add the oil. I have never made it in a blender either, always a food processor, so perhaps that is it. It should be just a few minutes tops. So I set my food processor on and pour the oil in the spout while it s spinning. It really is exactly as the recipe indicates.

    Sam

  78. Love this recipe! I added from dill from the garden and it was perfect!
    ** To those who said theirs failed- something very important I learned when making mayonnaise!!!! Do NOT USE EGGS THAT ARE ROOM TEMPERATURE!!! THE EGGS MUST BE COLD!!! I used fresh eggs fromy own hens when they were are room temp and I got a bowl full of oily liquid! I tried again using cold eggs from the fridge and it came out just right.

  79. Hi Melanie, thanks so much for your comment and great tip. I guess it also depends how cold your room temperature is. I always make mine with room temp eggs, but my house can be very cold in winter.

  80. Hi Sam, I read the comment by Melanie, and i have to say im not sure it was the temperature of the eggs. I live in South America on the coast and i keep my eggs on the counter and its never cooler in the house than 75 degrees Fahrenheit and i haven’t had any problems with making the mayonnaise. I never thought that i would be making my own mayonnaise, but this recipe is great. thanks for sharing.
    https://4000miles.com/

  81. Thanks for sharing Deborah and Im glad it works out so well for you.

  82. Hi Sam! I’ve been making this recipe without fail every week (it never lasts long in our house…gets gobbled up with everything) and Brad’s gone completely anti Canola oil because it’s inflammatory, etc. So I tried many a paleo recipe and they all bombed (runny mess) or the girls didn’t like the macadamia nut oil taste etc. Tried making it with Woolworths new cooking olive oil (NOT extra virgin) and it worked like a bomb!!! This recipe is the bomb!!! Thanks so much xxxx

  83. I can’t believe I haven’t tried to make mayo from scratch yet! I’m doing this in 2 minutes! Hopefully it turns out well and will taste great in my tuna salad!

  84. HI Kit, I hope it worked out for you and you love it as much as I do.
    Sam

  85. Could you use Extra Virgin Olive Oil instead of Canola Oil?

  86. Hi Anushka – I find extra virgin olive oil way to strong for mayonnaise. It’s generally too bitter. If you can find a really mild olive oil it could work, but my suggestion is to go with canola or sunflower oil.

  87. Rhonda Dobson says:

    Do you have calorie count for this!

  88. Hi Rhonda – sorry I don’t.

  89. HI Brittany – I think if you are failing at making mayonnaise and this is the 3rd recipe you have tried and all have failed you are doing something wrong. It’s hard to know what you are doing wrong as I am not there to see. It’s all about getting the egg to emulsify with the oil. Once you have that you can essentially make a large volume of mayo from one egg. I will delete this comment as your 3 star rating is not fair given that you messed up the recipe and there is nothing wrong with it as many many people have managed perfectly fine with it before you.

  90. Leigh-Anne Kruger says:

    Beautiful recipe. This is the first time I have made mayonnaise and it worked perfect. Tastes delicious.

  91. I’m so glad yu enjoyed this recipe Leigh-Anne 🙂

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