Homemade mayonnaise is a classic emulsion of egg yolk and oil, brightened with a little mustard and vinegar (or lemon). With a whisk to get it started and a blender to finish, you can make thick, creamy homemade mayonnaise with a clean, fresh flavor that's hard to beat. Use it as-is, or stir in chopped herbs for an herby mayonnaise that's perfect for sandwiches, grilled chicken, and roasted vegetables.
I've been making homemade mayonnaise for years, although these days I don't make it as often because of its shorter shelf life. But when I want the freshest flavor or need mayonnaise for a special recipe, it's worth the few extra minutes. Homemade mayonnaise lets you choose the oil, control the ingredients, and customize the flavor with fresh herbs, garlic, citrus, or other additions, or of course, simply plan good mayonnaise.
Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe Snapshot
- Better flavor - Fresh, clean, and silky, with a richer taste than most jarred mayonnaise.
- Control the oil - Choose the oil you prefer, which changes both the flavor and nutrition profile.
- Easy to customize - Keep it simple or add herbs, garlic, lemon, or spices.
- Great foundation sauce - Use it for quick aiolis, creamy dressings, dips, and sandwich spreads.
Chef's Tip: Why Make Mayonnaise at Home?
Homemade mayonnaise gives you control over the ingredients and the flavor is incomparable to anything out of a jar. You choose the oil, acidity, and seasoning, and you can keep it simple or add herbs, garlic, citrus, or spices. Not all store-bought mayonnaise is the same; some brands are pretty clean. But homemade mayonnaise is naturally gluten-free and skips the added thickeners or stabilizers some commercial brands use for texture and longer shelf life.
Try homemade mayonnaise in this broccoli-cabbage slaw recipe.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Egg yolks - Yolks contain lecithin, the natural emulsifier that helps oil and water-based ingredients bind into thick, creamy mayonnaise.
- Acid - White wine vinegar or lemon juice adds brightness and balances the richness.
- Mustard - Dry mustard powder adds flavor and helps support the emulsion.
- Cayenne pepper - Just a pinch adds subtle warmth. Optional, but I love it.
- Oil - Use extra virgin olive oil, avocado oil, or a clean neutral oil. Skip standard vegetable oil if you want the cleanest flavor. See the oil tips below.
- Fresh herbs - Optional, but finely chopped herbs add color and fresh flavor, especially for sandwiches, grilled meats, and roasted vegetables.
Chef's Tip: The Oil Matters Most
Mayonnaise is mostly oil, emulsified into a creamy sauce, so the oil you choose matters. Many common "vegetable oils" are highly refined to be neutral, inexpensive, and shelf-stable, often through standard industrial processing steps such as refining, bleaching, and deodorizing. For homemade mayonnaise, I prefer cleaner, better-tasting oils I feel good about using.
- Avocado oil - Mild, clean, and closest to classic mayonnaise flavor.
- Extra virgin olive oil - Richer and more flavorful.
- Half & half - If your olive oil is peppery or strong, blend half EVOO and half avocado oil for a smoother taste.
- Zero Acre oil - A neutral cultured oil and a clean-tasting alternative to standard vegetable oil.
Choose what aligns with your preferences, because you'll taste the oil in every bite. Note - the lead photo of the mayo was made with all olive oil, which is why it is such a rich gold color.
Substitutions and Variations
- Herbed mayonnaise - Stir in finely chopped dill, chives, parsley, tarragon, basil, or a blend of herbs.
- Garlic mayonnaise - Add fresh microplaned garlic or a little garlic powder for a quick aioli-style mayo.
- Spicy mayonnaise - Stir in Sriracha, hot sauce, cayenne, chipotle powder, or chili powder.
- Smoky mayonnaise - Add smoked paprika or chipotle powder for smoky depth, and even a few drops of liquid smoke.
- Zesty mayonnaise - Add lemon zest, lime zest, or an extra squeeze of citrus juice to brighten the flavor.
- Savory mayonnaise - Add onion powder, curry powder, or your favorite seasoning blend.
How to Make Homemade Mayonnaise
The hardest part of making homemade mayonnaise is resisting the urge to rush. Take your time adding the first few tablespoons of oil, drop by drop, until the emulsion begins to thicken. Once the emulsion is established, the rest comes together much more quickly. Start by hand for control, then finish in the blender for thick, silky mayonnaise.
Start by Hand
Whisk the egg yolks, dry mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and cayenne together in a small bowl. Begin adding the oil a drop at a time while whisking constantly. Yes, really-drop by drop at first. This starts the emulsion and helps the mixture become thick, smooth, and creamy.
Chef's tip - To stabilize the bowl so you can both pour and whisk at the same time, nestle the bowl in a twisted kitchen towel.
Blender Finish the Mayonnaise
Once the emulsion has started and the mixture looks thick and creamy, transfer it to a blender to finish. With the blender running and the top on, slowly drizzle in the remaining oil through the center opening until the mayonnaise is thick, smooth, and fully emulsified.
Why not start in the blender? For a small 1-cup batch, the egg yolks usually sit below the blender blades, so the emulsion doesn't start properly. Starting by hand gives you control, then the blender makes the finished mayonnaise silky and smooth. A double batch may work better from the start in a blender, but for small batches, this method is more reliable.
How to Fix Broken Mayonnaise
Why does mayonnaise break? If you add the oil too quickly, the emulsion can break, meaning your thick, creamy mayonnaise turns thin, oily, and separated. Don't worry; it's usually fixable.
To fix it, whisk 1 fresh egg yolk in a medium bowl until smooth. Very slowly drizzle the broken mayonnaise into the yolk while whisking constantly. As it re-emulsifies, it will thicken again. Once stable, add the remaining broken mayonnaise a little faster, but still in a steady stream.
Chef's Tip: A teaspoon of water can help the emulsion catch if it's being stubborn.
Ways to Use Homemade Mayonnaise
- Spread it on burgers and sandwiches.
- Use as a sauce for fish, chicken, or grilled meats, like this quick Harissa Aioli.
- Dip with veggies for an easy snack, like this Buffalo Ranch dip.
- Turn it into dressing - thin with a little lemon juice or vinegar.
- Pair with artichokes - steamed or grilled, as a dipping sauce.
- Make chicken salad or slaw - it's especially good in broccoli-cabbage slaw).
- Flavor it fast - add garlic for aioli or Dijon for mustard mayo.
- Eggs - Make the best deviled eggs.
- Pair with potatoes - Make this French potato salad.
Storage Tips
How long does homemade mayonnaise last?
Because homemade mayonnaise is made with raw egg yolks, it does not keep as long as commercial mayonnaise. Store it covered in the refrigerator and use within 2-3 days for best quality.
If raw yolks concern you, use pasteurized eggs. Homemade mayonnaise made with pasteurized eggs can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.
More Homemade Condiment Recipes
A good condiment finishes the dish. Here are a few more favorites to keep in your fridge, to add instant punch to everyday meals.
If You Make Homemade Mayonnaise
Please drop me a comment and let me know how you did, and how you used it. I love to hesr from you and your comments help other readers as well. Thanks for supporting my site.
📖 Recipe
Homemade Mayonnaise (with optional herbs)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/16 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/16 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup oil of choice olive oil, avocado oil, or a clean neutral oil
Optional add-in's (more ideas in notes)
- 2-3 teaspoons finely chopped fresh herbs of choice parsley, dill, chives, cilantro or tarragon
Would you like to save this recipe?
Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vinegar or lemon juice, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and cayenne until smooth. Place the oil in a measuring cup or small pitcher with a pour spout so you can control the flow.
- Twist a long kitchen towel into a circle and nest the bowl in it for stability. With one hand, whisk constantly while slowly drizzling in the oil with the other. Start drop by drop and whisk quickly until the emulsion begins to look creamy and thick. Once you've added about 2 tablespoons of oil, scrape the emulsion into a blender with a flexible spatula.
- Start the blender on low with the lid on and the center cap removed. Slowly drizzle in the remaining oil in a very thin stream until all of the oil is incorporated and the mayonnaise is thick, creamy, and fully emulsified. This can take 15-20 minutes total. Be patient and go slowly.Stir in fresh chopped herbs, if using.
Notes
- Herbed mayonnaise - Stir in finely chopped dill, chives, parsley, tarragon, basil, or a blend of herbs.
- Garlic mayonnaise - Add fresh microplaned garlic or a little garlic powder for a quick aioli-style mayo.
- Spicy mayonnaise - Stir in Sriracha, hot sauce, cayenne, chipotle powder, or chili powder.
- Smoky mayonnaise - Add smoked paprika or chipotle powder for smoky depth, and even a few drops of liquid smoke.
- Zesty mayonnaise - Add lemon zest, lime zest, or an extra squeeze of citrus juice to brighten the flavor.
- Savory mayonnaise - Add onion powder, curry powder, or your favorite seasoning blend.
Nutrition
Would you like to save this recipe?
Never lose a recipe! We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later.
TerryB says
That looks so good. I'm going to make some this weekend. Are there other fresh herbs I can use?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Terry. You can use whatever herbs you would like. I like to use parsley as a base herb then add something else - cilantro, dill, thyme, oregano, marjoram, chervil, chives. You can also try citrus zest, saffron threads, more mustard. It is really versatile.Have fun experimenting!
Madonna/aka/Ms. Lemon says
I too am impatient or a better term for me is anxious. I have tried this so many times and it pains me to have failures. Mine always breaks. I ended up using it in potato salad, but I really want to learn to make homemade mayonnaise. You make me want to try again. 🙂
Sally Cameron says
You can do it Madonna! It takes patience. When you are drizzling in the oil it seems an eternity. But the flavor, ahhh. I have found making batch after batch that starting my hand and finishing in the blender works fantastic. IF you break it try the fix! I've done that too.