Find yourself without mayo at home, and cringe to pay full price when it's not on sale? In less than 10 minutes you can make this easy homemade mayonnaise, and it tastes so much better than store-bought. This recipe can be used on a sandwich, in a dipping sauce, in creamy salad dressings, and more!
Why Make Homemade Mayonnaise
Self-sustainable living doesn't have to start with growing your own food or raising your own meat. It can begin with steps as simple as replacing store-bought versions of food with simple from scratch home cooking techniques.
Homemade mayonnaise is a perfect item to start with. It's so simple to make, uses less packaging, and you can skip unnecessary ingredients such as preservatives and sugar.
What is Mayonnaise Made Of?
The ingredients needed for mayo are basics you probably already have in your kitchen. Feel free to play around with the flavor a bit, but make sure you keep the basic ingredients as is.
- Oil – A neutral-flavored oil such as extra-light olive oil, avocado oil, or fractionated coconut oil works best. Canola oil could also be used, but I recommend the other three because they are healthier choices for saturated fat. Don’t use full-fledged olive oil! It will overwhelm the taste and make the mayo taste bitter.
- Eggs – Make sure the eggs are at room temperature! You will not yield successful results if using cold eggs. If you forget to pull it out of the fridge ahead of time, you can warm the egg in a cup of lukewarm water. Some people use only the egg yolks, if you're going to do this, just use 2 or 3 egg yolks instead of a single egg.
- Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice – Fresh lemon juice has a lighter flavor than the bottled lemon juice. I have used lemon juice out of the bottle, and it has worked OK. However, the flavor is sharper, and for mayo, I like to go with the lighter flavor. You can also substitute apple cider vinegar.
- Mustard – I use dried mustard, but some people use prepared dijon mustard.
- Sea Salt – Any kind will do. I use flaked sea salt.
Equipment Needed
All you need is an immersion blender and a small wide-mouth jar (I like these Weck jars), no food processor is necessary! Make sure that the immersion blender can fit inside the jar.
I like to make the mayo directly in the jar I will store it in. This just saves dishes and time!
How To Make Homemade Mayonnaise
As promised, this mayonnaise recipe is very simple. Many recipes require you to separate out the egg yolk from the white, pour the oil in using a thin stream, or even add the oil drop by drop. You can skip these complicated steps by following along this way.
- Pour oil into the jar.
- Crack the egg into the jar on top of the oil.
- Squeeze lemon juice into the jar.
- Add dried (or dijon) mustard.
- Add salt.
- Allow the ingredients to settle to the bottom of the jar for about 30 seconds.
- Place the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar and turn it on low. Don’t move it until the mayo starts to emulsify. This only takes a few seconds. After the process starts, move it around to incorporate all of the oil.
- Mix well until everything is incorporated and the consistency looks right.
Feel free to play around with the flavor! Cut back on the mustard or add more! Some people like to add garlic pr a pinch of cayenne also.
FAQ's
How do I store homemade mayonnaise?
After you have made it, place a lid on it and store it in the refrigerator.
How long does homemade mayonnaise last?
I only keep mine for a few days. This is, of course, at your own discretion, but it does have a raw egg in it. The lemon juice and salt will help prolong the shelf-life just a bit, but the flavors are truly the best within the first few days.
You can probably get away with keeping it in the refrigerator for up to a week, maybe two, especially if you're careful about only using clean utensils to dip into the jar.
Do I have to use raw eggs?
Yes, this recipe only uses raw egg. You will have to make your own decision on whether or not you are comfortable consuming eggs that are not pasteurized.
Any restaurant that serves over-easy eggs will have a disclaimer at the bottom of the menu stating that anyone with a compromised immune system assumes the responsibility if they choose to consume uncooked eggs.
The raw egg in mayo is the same as eating over-easy eggs, and you assume the same risk. I like to use farm-fresh eggs and have never had an issue.
Can homemade mayonnaise be used the same as store-bought?
Yes! The storage and shelf-life of homemade mayo are less than store-bought versions, but the superior taste and satisfaction of making it yourself without artificial ingredients make that trade-off well worth it.
One of my favorite ways to use homemade mayo is on my tomato sandwiches, but homemade mayo can also be swapped 1:1 for any recipe in dipping sauces, salad dressings, or other recipes calling for mayonnaise.
More From-Scratch Recipes
- Homemade Mozzarella Cheese: Step-by-Step Tutorial (Goat's or Cow's Milk)
- Homestead Dinners: Spatchcock Chicken
- An Incredibly Basic Farmhouse Quiche Recipe
- How To Make Elderberry Syrup – (For Kids & Adults)
Homemade Mayonnaise
Equipment
- Immersion Blender
- Wide Mouth Jar w/Lid
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, or Fractioned Coconut Oil
- 1 Whole Egg Room Temperature
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon Juice Fresh
- 1 Teaspoon Mustard Dried, or Dijon
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- Add ingredients in order one by one into the jar.
- Allow ingredients to settle in jar for about 30 seconds.
- Place the immersion blender all the way to the bottom of the jar and turn on low. Don’t move it until the mayo starts to emulsify. This only takes a few seconds.
- After ingredients begin to emulsify, move the immersion blender around to incorporate all of the ingredients.
- Continue until all ingredients are incorporated, and the consistency looks right.
- Place a lid on the jar, and store it in the refrigerator.
Notes
- This recipe will keep for about a week. This is, of course, at your own discretion, but it does have a raw egg in it. We usually use ours up in a few days.
- This recipe only uses raw egg. You will have to make your own decision on whether or not you are comfortable consuming eggs that are not pasteurized. Any restaurant that serves over-easy eggs will have a disclaimer at the bottom of the page stating that “anyone with a compromised immune system assumes the responsibility if they choose to consume uncooked eggs”. The raw egg in mayo is the same as eating over-easy eggs, and you assume the same risk. I like to use farm-fresh eggs and have never had an issue.
- One of my favorite ways to use homemade mayo is in my tomato sandwich recipe, but homemade mayo can also be swapped 1:1 for any recipe in dipping sauces, salad dressings, or other recipes calling for mayonnaise.
