This creamy homemade mayo recipe is even better than store-bought, and with just 4 ingredients, you’ll be able to whip up a batch of fresh, tangy mayonnaise in less than 5 minutes!
Over the years, I have learned how to make several condiments from scratch, but something about homemade mayo has always daunted me.
Maybe it was the raw egg. Or maybe it was my worry about the mayo not mixing properly. I mean, it had to be difficult to make this creamy, tangy sandwich spread turn out correctly, right?
As it turns out, all those myths about how hard it is to make homemade mayonnaise were wrong! With one amazingly simple recipe (and a couple of tricks), you’ll have delicious homemade mayonnaise ready in less than 2 minutes!
HOMEMADE MAYO RECIPE
Not only does this homemade mayo recipe taste way better than what you get at the grocery store, but it’s also:
- Quick. Make it in a total time of 5 minutes!!!
- Easy. It’s so easy that after you make it, you will wonder why you haven’t been all along.
- Frugal. With only a handful of pantry ingredients, learning how to make mayonnaise at home is much cheaper than store-bought.
- Customizable. Take this basic mayonnaise recipe to the next level with all sorts of flavor additions.
- Fresh, tangy flavor. Bottled mayo from the store can’t compete!
HOMEMADE MAYO INGREDIENTS
How do you make mayonnaise? Start with 4 simple ingredients (plus 2 optional extras).
- Lemon. Use the juice of 1 large lemon for extra fresh, zesty flavor, or use bottled lemon juice if that’s what you have on hand. Apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or lime juice works as the liquid acid component, too.
- Kosher Salt. To make the flavor pop – no bland mayo here! You can reduce the salt for a low-sodium mayo, but don’t omit it completely.
- Whole Eggs. Mayonnaise from the store is pasteurized, so there’s no risk of bacteria from raw eggs. If you’re using store-bought eggs, they’ve already been pasteurized as well.
- Extra Light Olive Oil. The oil you use really impacts the flavor of the mayo recipe – see more about why I chose extra light olive oil below.
- Flavors/Seasonings. Optional, but a fun way to try new flavors!
- Whey. Optional for lacto-fermented homemade mayonnaise for longer storage.
Psst! Not all salts are made the same! I love Ava Jane’s Kitchen because it doesn’t have microplastics (gross, right?) and it’s SO GOOD! Plus, you can get a free 8oz. bag of sea salt (just pay shipping and handling!).me!
OLIVE OIL FOR HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE RECIPE
You need EXTRA LIGHT olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is absolutely delicious in dressings, or with freshly baked Artisan Bread, but it does NOT taste good in homemade mayo (been there, done that).
- If you’re REALLY feeling fancy, you can also use a combination of neutral-flavored oil like walnut oil, macadamia oil, bacon grease, or ghee (but not individually, nor all together). I haven’t tried many of these specifically, but they are options if you don’t have extra light olive oil on hand.
- I don’t use canola oil or vegetable oil because canola is chemically extracted using hexane. Cold-pressed canola oil exists, but it is usually very expensive and hard to find. It’s better to avoid it and just use different oils instead.
- And I stay away from coconut oil because it solidifies in the refrigerator, making it hard to keep the homemade mayo spreadable!
- I tried 50/50 extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil, which didn’t taste very good at all. Both have too strong a flavor for homemade mayo.
- Since extra light olive oil produced an amazing mayo that tasted better than any store-bought mayo I’ve ever had, I stopped there. Feel free to branch out and experiment with another neutral oil, and if you do, please leave a comment sharing with us what worked and what didn’t!
HOW TO MAKE MAYONNAISE
You need an Immersion blender for this homemade mayo recipe. (AKA stick blender.)
Step 1. In a wide-mouth jar, layer the ingredients as follows: Lemon juice, salt, egg, and finally, extra light olive oil.
Step 2. Wait about one minute, or until the egg is at the bottom of the jar and the oil is sitting at the top of the jar.
Step 3. Place the head of the immersion blender in the jar, all the way to the bottom.
Step 4. With the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar, press the button to “go” and let it blend for 20 seconds, keeping the blender sitting at the bottom of the jar.
Step 5. After 5 seconds, you’ll have mayo at the bottom.
Step 6. At the 10-15 second mark, you’ll notice the mayo creeping to the top.
Step 7. In about 20 seconds, you’ll have mayo near the top of the ingredients with a very thin layer of oil right on top.
Step 8. Very slowly (and carefully), bring the immersion blender up the side of the jar while still blending. As you do this, the thin layer of oil on the top will slowly drizzle down the side of the jar and blend with the mayo underneath.
Step 9. Keep bringing your immersion blender almost to the top, stopping just short so you don’t splatter mayo everywhere. Your homemade mayo is done when all the ingredients are incorporated together!
Step 10. Taste the mayo and add more salt and/or lemon juice if desired.
HOW DO YOU MAKE MAYONNAISE WITH A FOOD PROCESSOR
Using an immersion blender is the fastest way to make mayonnaise. But you can make it in a food processor, too, following these instructions.
- Place egg, salt, and lemon juice in the bowl of the food processor. Place the lid on top.
- Turn the food processor on high and slowly drizzle the oil in a steady stream. This takes some time, so hum a tune or march in place to keep busy!
- Once all the oil is added, turn off the food processor. Now you have a fresh batch of mayo ready to eat!
RECIPE MAYO TIPS
- This homemade mayonnaise recipe is good in the fridge for about one week. However, by lacto-fermenting the mayo, you can make it last for several months.
- To do this, add 1 Tablespoon of whey to the finished mayo and stir well.
- Allow the mayo to sit on the counter overnight, or for up to 24 hours.
- Afterward, put the mayo in the fridge, and you’ve got mayo that will be good for 2 months or more!
- For best results, use a jar that is just a bit wider than your immersion blender. That allows the blades of the immersion blender to be all the way immersed in the egg and lemon juice at the start of blending, helping the mixture come together. This doubles as your airtight container!
- I’ve never had this homemade mayo recipe break, but if yours isn’t coming together, try adding an additional egg yolk or a teaspoon of mustard (both act as emulsifiers and help keep everything mixed together) and whisking it back together.
HOMEMADE MAYO RECIPE VARIATIONS
This is a basic homemade mayo recipe. It’s absolutely stunning and delicious and has the perfect balance of tangy and creamy. But some people prefer their mayo to be a bit fancier.
If that’s you, consider the following additions to your homemade mayo (add these just after the egg and before blending):
- Pinch of white or black pepper
- Dry mustard OR prepared Dijon mustard (in any flavor you’d like)
- Use vinegar (apple cider vinegar, white wine, white balsamic, etc.) instead of lemon juice, or use lime juice too
- Sweetener (honey, sugar, maple syrup, etc.)
- Garlic
- Horseradish
- Sriracha for spicy mayo
- Fresh herbs
- Paprika
- Garlic powder
- Crushed red pepper
Start with just a bit of your added ingredient of choice and taste after blending. You can always add more, but you can’t take the ingredient out!
WAYS TO USE HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE
Now that you’ve made the delicious mayo recipe, what are you going to do with it?
- My favorite is to just use it as a sandwich spread. There’s nothing like a classic sandwiches with Homemade Lunch Meat and mayo on a couple of slices of Homemade Sandwich Bread.
- Use the mayo to make dressing or dip, like this Ranch Dressing or Caesar Dressing.
- Make Broccoli Salad or Creamy Coleslaw or potato salad for a delicious side dish.
- Enjoy these yummy Spicy Salmon Tacos with Slaw for this week’s taco night!
- Make a batch of Perfect Hard-Boiled Eggs and mix with mayonnaise and mustard for a quick and easy egg salad (or add to chicken salad or tuna salad).
MACRO-FRIENDLY HOMEMADE MAYO RECIPE
Does a real foodie even eat mayonnaise? Sure! This homemade mayonnaise recipe is a great source of healthy fats from the olive oil.
Eating real food is a lifestyle. We’re not on a diet here, folks!
What we can do is make sure that our homemade mayo recipe is made with real food ingredients, AND that we’re accurately tracking what we eat so we can stay in line with our nutrition goals.
I’ve got you covered with the real food ingredients.
As for tracking, measure out a serving of mayo the first few times you enjoy it so that you can accurately eyeball how much you’re eating in the future and track it appropriately. A free app like My Fitness Pal can help with this. And mayo is a great condiment for pairing with the two P’s: protein and produce!
Want to learn more about macros, nutrition goals, and accurately tracking what you eat? Grab my free guide here to start achieving your real body goals by eating the foods you love.
MAYO RECIPE FAQS
What is mayonnaise made of?
This homemade mayo recipe has just 4 basic ingredients: lemon juice, salt, egg, and extra light olive oil.
Do you need room-temperature eggs for making mayo?
In my experience, no. An egg fresh from the fridge works just as well as a room-temperature egg.
How long does homemade mayo last?
This recipe for mayonnaise is good in the fridge for about one week. However, by lacto-fermenting the mayo, you can make it last for several months! (See the recipe tips above for how to lacto-ferment the mayo.)
Is it cheaper to make your own recipe mayonnaise?
Yes, it’s more budget-friendly to make your own mayo. Plus, you’ll have ingredients on hand to make other delicious foods, like Mediterranean Grilled Cheese or Caesar Salad Dressing!
MORE HOMEMADE CONDIMENTS
- Greek Salad Dressing
- Homemade BBQ Sauce
- Easy Homemade Pizza Sauce Recipe
- Restaurant-Style Salsa
- 15 Minute Homemade Hot Sauce
- How to Make Nut Butter
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Fail-Proof Homemade Mayo Recipe
This creamy homemade mayo recipe is even better than store-bought, and with just 4 ingredients, you’ll be able to whip up a batch of fresh, tangy mayonnaise in less than 5 minutes!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 Jar 1x
- Category: Sauces/Condiments
- Method: Blended
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 large lemon, juiced (or 2 tbsp lemon juice)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (or ½ tsp table salt)
- 1 whole egg (50g)
- 1 cup extra light olive oil (215g)
- flavors/seasonings (optional, see below)
- 1 Tbsp whey (optional, see below)
Equipment
Instructions
- In a wide-mouth jar, layer your ingredients as follows. First, lemon juice. Second, salt. Third, egg. Finally, extra light olive oil.
- Wait about one minute, or until the egg is at the bottom of the jar and the oils are sitting at the top of the jar.
- Place the immersion blender in the jar, all the way to the bottom.
- With the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar, press the button to “go” and let it blend for 20 seconds while sitting at the bottom of the jar.
- After 5 seconds, you’ll have mayo at the bottom.
- At the 10-15 second mark, you’ll notice the mayo creeping to the top.
- At about 20 seconds, you’ll have mayo near the top of the ingredients with a very thin layer of oil right on top.
- Very slowly (and carefully), bring the immersion blend up the side of the jar while still blending. As you do this, the thin layer of oil on the top will slowly drizzle down the side of the jar and blend with the mayo underneath.
- Keep bringing your immersion blender almost to the top, stopping just short so you don’t splatter mayo everywhere. Your mayo is done when all the ingredients are incorporated together!
- Taste your mayo and adjust your salt and/or lemon juice if desired.
Notes
- If you are using whey, finish the recipe as directed, then add whey and stir in well. Let sit on the counter at room temperature for 24 hours. Then refrigerate.
Love this! So tasty the first time but after it’s been in the fridge it seems to go bad. I’m using avocado oil, is that why?
Lisa, how old is your oil? If it’s on the older side, that might be the reason your mayo doesn’t taste good. I personally don’t prefer the flavor of avocado oil in mayo – I think extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil are too strong, so I stick with extra light olive oil.
Your point about extra virgin olive oil tasting off in mayo is something I learned the hard way too — made a batch with EVOO thinking “more flavor = better” and ended up with something that tasted like a salad dressing had an identity crisis. The science behind it actually makes sense: according to the International Olive Council, extra light olive oil undergoes more refining that strips away those strong polyphenols, which is exactly why it stays neutral enough to let the egg and lemon shine. What I love most about this recipe is that it reconnects us to how simple real food actually is — once you’ve made mayo from scratch, the 40-ingredient label on a store jar starts feeling like a strange fever dream. I’ve been experimenting with adding a tiny bit of dijon mustard to the base, which also helps with emulsification since mustard contains lecithin. Have you or anyone else here tried playing with different acids — like using white wine vinegar instead of lemon — and noticed how dramatically it shifts the personality of the final mayo?
Thanks for sharing, Adam!