Vegan Mayo
Make this easy creamy vegan mayo at home! It’s so easy to make and tastes amazing. Spread it on over your favorite plant-based sandwiches.
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I’ve bought a lot of store-bought egg-free mayo over the years, and here’s my honest take: some taste great, but I could never find one nearby, and the price always made me wince a little at checkout.
So I started making my own, and it turns out a jar of creamy, tangy homemade mayo takes about 15 minutes and costs a fraction of what you’d pay at the store. No eggs, no dairy, just a handful of pantry staples and a food processor. Whether you’re fully plant-based or just trying to cut back on animal products where it’s easy, this one’s worth keeping in the fridge.
In this Post
Why Isn’t Regular Mayo Vegan?
Traditional mayo gets its rich, creamy texture from egg yolks, which act as the emulsifier, the thing that binds oil and liquid together instead of separating. That’s the one ingredient swap this recipe has to solve for.
The good news: soy milk has its own natural emulsifiers, so it steps into that role beautifully. You get the same thick, creamy texture without a single egg involved.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Soy milk — I prefer soy milk because of its high protein content and relatively neutral flavor.
- Nutritional yeast flakes — You’ll like how nutritional yeast flakes add a slightly “eggy” flavor to this vegan mayonnaise.
- White wine vinegar — You can substitute apple cider vinegar, but I prefer the more neutral flavor of white wine vinegar.
- Salt — A little bit of salt adds complexity to the flavor.
- Brown mustard — If you don’t have brown mustard, I highly recommend getting it for this recipe and others. It’s a great condiment to add to vegan cheese sauce.
- Lemon juice — You can use freshly squeezed or bottled lemon juice.
- Maple Syrup — Use anywhere from 2 to 3 teaspoons, depending on your taste preferences.
- Vegetable oil — Use neutral-flavored vegetable oil, like canola oil, olive oil, or even avocado oil. The good news? Vegetable oil like olive oil is vegan!
Why Use Brown Mustard?
You won’t find many mayo recipes — vegan or not — that call for yellow mustard, and there’s a good reason for that. Yellow mustard gets its bright color and tang from added vinegar, water, and turmeric, and those extra liquids can overpower the smooth, creamy profile you want in mayo.
Brown mustard has a more concentrated, complex flavor that works with the mayo instead of against it. The finished mayo doesn’t taste like mustard — it just adds a subtle tangy depth.
As for emulsifying, the soy milk is doing most of the work here, thanks to its natural lecithins. Mustard plays a supporting role in that process, and brown mustard contributes its share, just with a flavor profile that’s the better culinary fit for mayo.
How to Make Vegan Mayo
- Measure and set out the ingredients for 15 minutes so they are all at room temperature.
- Process the milk in a food processor for 30 seconds until it begins to bubble.
- Add the yeast flakes, vinegar, mustard, salt, and lemon juice.
- Pour in the maple syrup.
- Process for another 10 to 15 seconds to combine.
- With the food processor running, slowly add ¼ cup of the vegetable oil.
- Pulse until the mixture begins to emulsify (looks creamy).
- Then slowly add the remaining oil while processing.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again to combine, up to 30 seconds.
- Give it a taste and add a bit more salt, nooch, or agave.
- Transfer to a mason jar and refrigerate until it thickens.
Why Is My Vegan Mayo Too Thin? (Troubleshooting)
Homemade mayo is an emulsion, which means it’s a little particular about conditions. If yours comes out runny instead of thick and creamy, it’s almost always one of these:
- Cold ingredients. Room-temperature soy milk emulsifies far more reliably than cold. Give everything 15 minutes on the counter before you start (this is in the recipe for a reason!).
- Oil added too fast. The oil needs to stream in slowly while the processor runs, especially in the first 30 seconds. Dump it in too quickly and the emulsion can break before it forms.
- Wrong plant milk. Soy milk is the one that reliably works here because of its protein content. Almond, oat, and rice milk are too thin and won’t thicken the same way (more on substitutions below).
- Underpowered blending. A weak or older food processor may need a longer processing time at the end — up to a full minute — to fully emulsify.
If your batch comes out thin, don’t toss it — it still works beautifully as a creamy salad dressing base. Add a squeeze of lemon and some herbs and call it a win.
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- EASY — This recipe comes together in minutes, making it perfect to throw together for your next sandwich night!
- AFFORDABLE — Don’t buy expensive vegan mayo again when you can make your own for a fraction of the cost!
- VERSATILE — Use vegan mayo in salad dressings (like this Vegan Thousand Island Dressing), as a condiment on sandwiches, or even as an ingredient in some dips and appetizers (like Vegan Spinach Dip).
Frequently-Asked Questions
What is vegan mayonnaise made from?
Typical mayonnaise is made from eggs and oil. However, vegan mayo uses either soy milk or aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas) combined with oil. It makes the perfect egg-free mayo substitute!
Does vegan mayo taste like mayo?
You can adapt the ingredients in your homemade vegan mayonnaise to taste more like regular mayo. For example, a bit of nutritional yeast flakes can contribute an “eggy” flavor.
Can I use a different plant milk instead of soy milk?
I don’t recommend it for this recipe. Soy milk has a naturally high protein content that acts as the emulsifier, giving you that thick, classic mayo texture. Almond, oat, and rice milk are too thin and tend to produce a runnier result.
How long does homemade vegan mayo last?
Stored in an airtight jar in the fridge, it’ll keep for about 2 weeks — though in my house it never lasts that long!
Can I make this with aquafaba instead of soy milk?
You can! Aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas) makes a wonderful egg-free, soy-free mayo with a slightly different texture — a little smoother, a little less thick. It’s different enough from this soy milk version that I gave it its own dedicated recipe (link to your new Aquafaba Mayo post once it’s published) if you want to try that route or need a soy-free option.
Do I need a food processor to make this?
A food processor provides a consistent result, but an immersion blender works even better. Just add everything except the oil to a wide-mouth jar, then slowly drizzle the oil in while blending on high.
Serving Suggestions
Because this homemade vegan mayo is free of commercial preservatives, it’s best enjoyed fresh. That makes it the perfect excuse to whip up a batch whenever you’re planning mayo-forward recipes or summer cookouts.
Salads & Dressings
- Creamy Salads: Use it as the base for Vegan Tuna Salad, Vegan Tofu Egg Salad, or a classic creamy vegan coleslaw.
- Layered Dishes: Spread it into a creamy dressing layer for a Vegan Seven Layer Salad.
- Dips & Sauces: Whisk in pickles, ketchup, and spices to make homemade Vegan Thousand Island Dressing, or use it as a base for creamy garlic aioli.
Burgers & Sandwiches Slather a generous spoonful onto your favorite toasted buns, wraps, or artisan breads. It pairs especially well with:
- Classic Vegan Black Bean Burgers
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
- Air Fryer Impossible Burgers
- Hearty Hemp Burgers
You can also serve vegan mayo on your favorite sandwiches and veggie burgers, such as:
Storage Tips
Transfer to a lidded glass jar and refrigerate, where it will thicken even more upon being chilled. It will keep for up to 3 weeks in the fridge.
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Vegan Mayo
You’ll also get even more vegan recipes delivered to your inbox every week!
Ingredients
- ½ cup soy milk
- 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons brown mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 3 teaspoons maple syrup
- 1 cup vegetable oil
Instructions
- Measure out your ingredients and set them out for 15 to 20 minutes to ensure they are all at the same room temperature.
- Add the milk to a food processor and pulse for 30 seconds until the liquid begins to bubble. Add the yeast flakes, vinegar, mustard, salt, lemon juice, and maple syrup. Process for another 10 to 15 seconds to combine.½ cup soy milk, 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast flakes, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoons brown mustard, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 teaspoons maple syrup
- With the food processor running, slowly add ¼ cup of the vegetable oil, a little bit at a time. Continue pulsing until the mixture begins to emulsify (looks creamy).1 cup vegetable oil
- Once the mixture looks creamy, begin to slowly add the remaining oil while processing.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl and process again to combine, up to 30 seconds.
- Give your mayo a taste test. Here you can add a tiny bit more salt, nutritional yeast flakes, or maple syrup.
- Transfer to a lidded glass jar and refrigerate where it will thicken even more upon being chilled. It will keep for up to 1 month in the fridge.
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Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Vegan Condiments
If you love making this vegan mayo, it may be time to spread your wings and try making even more of your own vegan condiments. Here are some of our favorites:
About the Author
Hi! I’m Marly McMillen. I’m the founding editor, author, recipe developer, vegan home chef, and food stylist behind Namely Marly. I’m so grateful to you and every member of my audience for your support and dedication. More about Namely Marly ›
3 Responses to Vegan Mayo
Rate / Comment
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Hi Marley….
Thanks for the vegan mayo recipe.. sounds yummy.. theres a spot that says
Notes
See the post for No Oil Vegan Mayo
But I don’t seem to find the no oil option
I know my visiond is failing… but did I miss the no oil option?
Thanks in advance
—Whack
Hi Whack! Well, the problem is I have not yet published that no-oil mayo recipe. I have it, but your encouragement will help me move it up the priority chain. The good news here is that your eyes are perfect and you do not need new glasses 🙂 Let me know if you’d like me to email you the recipe. I’d be happy to do that.
I’m with you, Jasmin. It’s so nice to be able to make your own homemade ingredients!