Did you know I have a special section of my website dedicated to making homemade pantry staples? I’ve been making homemade mayonnaise for 15 years because it’s so tasty and quick! If it seems daunting, I’ll show you a couple of fail-proof ways to make your own.
The beauty of making your own mayonnaise (besides tasting better than store-bought) is that you can use whatever oil you prefer. The majority of commercial mayo is made with some kind of vegetable or canola oil which is very inflammatory.
Below I’ll give you suggestions on which oil to use, show you a couple of different methods, and give you all my best tips for making great mayonnaise in just minutes.
What is Mayonnaise?
Mayonnaise is basically an emulsion of egg yolks and oil (with seasonings). Making mayonnaise from scratch means eating raw egg yolks, so using high-quality free-range eggs is important. ("cage-free" is not the same thing as "free-range")
Olive Oil Mayo Recipe Ingredients
- Egg yolks
- Ground mustard
- Lemon juice
- Sea salt
- Avocado oil or light olive oil
How to make Olive Oil Mayonnaise
Put all the ingredients except for the oil into the work bowl of a food processor. Buzz it for a minute or so until it gets creamy, then gradually add the oil in a small drizzle while the processor is running. Like... REALLY slowly.
When you drizzle in the oil and blend it for a minute or two it gets thick! It'll even thicken a little more in the fridge, but you can go ahead and use it.
Homemade Mayonnaise with an Immersion Blender
I know a lot of people who prefer the mason jar - immersion blender method. I haven't had consistent success this way (due to the style of immersion blender I have), but here's the skinny if you want to try this way. There are a couple different methods...
- Add the ingredients (except the oil) in a quart sized mason jar. Buzz them up with your immersion blender. Continue to leave the blender running while you slowly drizzle the oil into the jar. Move the blender up and down a little to ensure everything is blended well.
- OR Add the ingredients in order and let the oil float to the top. Stick the immersion blender clear to the bottom of the jar and THEN turn it on. Let the very bottom ingredients blend together. And then very slowly and gently raise and tilt the immersion blender so some oil slips underneath and blends with the yolks. Continue to do this until all of the oil is incorporated.
Olive Oil Mayonnaise Recipe Tips
- Adding the oil slowly is the most important part of this recipe! The oil and eggs need to blend together in small amounts to emulsify properly.
- It helps to have fresh eggs. If your eggs are fresh from the store you'll have better success than if they've been sitting around for a week or two.
- What if the mayonnaise never emulsifies? Unfortunately, it's not salvageable. And it's probably because the eggs were older or the oil was added too quickly.
How to use Homemade Mayonnaise
This homemade version could be used as you use any other mayo - You can use it in any recipe that calls for mayo!
Sandwiches, tacos, sushi bowls or fries would all taste amazing served with this recipe.
Storing Homemade Mayonnaise
Keep it in an airtight jar in the fridge and it will keep for a week. Next time I'll have a recipe for Paleo Ranch Dressing that will knock your socks off!
Olive Oil Mayonnaise FAQs
If it smells bad, develops mold, or has been more than 2 weeks, I don’t recommend eating it.
If you use light olive oil you’ll have a pretty neutral tasting mayonnaise similar to store bought brands. (Honestly, it’s a better flavor in my opinion.) If you use extra virgin olive oil, it’ll have a stronger olive oil flavor.
Make sure your lemon juice is fresh. And if you use extra virgin olive oil it can create a bitter taste in the mayonnaise.
It’s much healthier than canola or vegetable oil based mayonnaises, yes.
Olive Oil Mayonnaise Recipe
If you've ever wondered how to make mayonnaise -- here's a drizzle method with a food processor! I love using avocado oil because it's tasteless.
Ingredients
- 2 egg yolks (fresh, free-range eggs if possible)
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- 2 T lemon juice
- ¾ teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup avocado oil or light olive oil
Instructions
- In the work bowl of a food processor, combine all the ingredients except for the oil. Process until smooth.
- While the machine is running, add the oil in a slow drizzle. Like... very, very slowly. The mixture should thicken after a minute or two. Adjust seasonings if necessary and store in an air-tight container for up to 1 week.
