How To Make Homemade Mayonnaise That Is Better Than Store-bought (2024)

This tasty homemade mayonnaise recipe is healthier than anything you’d find at the grocery store because it’s made of monounsaturated fats that are good for the heart. But remember that it still comes with 100 calories a tablespoon. So moderation is key!⁠

Tip: Add crushed garlic to this homemade mayonnaise to make mouthwatering Aïoli, which is excellent with Mediterranean seafood or poultry dishes.

Why Homemade Mayonnaise Is Healthier Than Store-bought

Can mayonnaise ever be a healthy food? Well yes. Sort of! But only when it’s homemade.

Store-bought mayonnaise is unhealthy because all brands available to us contain unhealthy oils, sugar and other additives. And as a rule of thumb, if you want to know how bad a certain brand of mayonnaise is, just look at what oil is used to make it.

Most commercial mayonnaise is made from canola oil, or worse, soy oil. But when homemade, you get to choose which oil to use!

I recommend that you use olive oil, either extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or light olive oil, which are the oils used in traditional Spanish and French mayonnaise recipes.

If you use EVOO, you’ll have a mayonnaise with a very pronounced olive taste that’s excellent with Mediterranean cuisine. Or go for light olive oil if you’d like your mayonnaise to have a more neutral flavor.

In either case, your homemade mayonnaise will ⁠be richer, yummier and healthier than anything store-bought. And who doesn’t crave French fries dipped in some “real” mayonnaise?

Healthy Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe

This recipe is so good, you’d want to eat your mayonnaise by the spoonful. But don’t forget the calories that come with it!

The main ingredients in mayonnaise are oil and egg yolks, and the trick for a luscious mayonnaise is in combining the two liquids VERY SLOWLY so an emulsion is formed and the two liquids become a thick solid.

You can use any oil really, but I recommend olive oil for its healthy fat profile and taste. Also in homemade mayonnaise, you must add mustard and either lemon juice or vinegar to stabilize the emulsion. ⁠

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Steps

1. Whisk the egg yolk with the salt then add the lemon juice and mustard.

2. SLOWLY drizzle the olive oil while whisking the mixture (or blending it) until the oil is completely absorbed and the mayo thickens. ⁠

If you’re concerned about using raw egg yolks and the risk of contracting Salmonella, pasteurize the eggs before using.

Make only as much mayonnaise as you need and keep leftovers properly refrigerated for a maximum of 1 week. ⁠

Common Questions

Can I use avocado oil instead of olive oil in this recipe?

Some individuals prefer to use avocado oil for its health benefits. But olive oil and avocado oil have a similar fatty acid profile with only minor differences. If you use cold pressed virgin avocado oil, the mayonnaise will have an unpleasant flavor. You can still use refined avocado oil that has a neutral taste just like refined olive oil. But in my opinion why bother with an exotic and super expensive oil such as avocado oil when you can use olive oil that is widely available and more affordable?

Can I use regular yellow mustard instead of Dijon mustard?

Yes. Even if you use regular yellow mustard, you’ll still end up with a fine homemade mayonnaise! But I prefer Dijon mustard for its more intense flavor.

Is it safe to consume mayonnaise made with raw eggs?

Pasteurize the eggs before using if you’re serving this mayonnaise to a pregnant woman, a child, an elderly or an immunocompromised person. I always pasteurize the eggs when I make mayonnaise for my family.