Homemade No-Fail Mayonnaise from Scratch

Mayonnaise might not win awards for being the healthiest ingredient, but it’s a versatile staple in countless dishes. Whether you’re using it as a base for dressings, sauces, and dips, or just put it on your fries, homemade mayonnaise deserves a spot on any from-scratch cooking blog.

With this recipe, you’ll skip the seed oils, stabilizers, and added sugars found in store-bought versions. Yes, making mayonnaise can be a bit of a pain in the bum, but I promise this method will have you whipping up fresh, creamy mayo in no time! And if things don’t go quite as planned, check out my troubleshooting tips at the bottom of this page.

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Which Oil Should You Use?

Choosing the right oil is key to great-tasting mayonnaise. For a mild flavor, stick with neutral oils like light olive oil or avocado oil.

I avoid sunflower or canola oils, even though they’re neutral-tasting. These oils are highly processed, and I like to keep processed foods out of my kitchen as much as possible.

How to Make No-Fail Homemade Mayonnaise

Supplies:

• Immersion blender with its matching jar
• Optional: wide-mouth jar

Instructions

Crack the egg into a wide-mouth jar, carefully keeping the yolk intact (this is crucial!). Add the lemon juice, mustard, and salt. Finally, pour in the oil and let it settle for about a minute.

Place your immersion blender directly over the egg yolk and press it to the bottom of the jar. Turn the blender on high and hold it steady.

This part is key, slowly move the blender up to ensure all the ingredients are fully emulsified. It should take about 1 minute to get to the top of the jar.

Transfer the mayonnaise to an airtight container, or use it immediately in your favorite recipe. Homemade mayo will keep in the fridge for about one week.

With this easy recipe, you’ll have a batch of creamy, flavorful mayonnaise ready to elevate any dish. Enjoy the satisfaction of knowing exactly what’s in it!

Troubleshooting: What to Do if Your Mayonnaise Fails?

If your mayonnaise doesn’t emulsify, don’t panic! Here’s how to fix it. You can either add one spoon of boiling water (this will make your mayonnaise slightly thinner) or add another egg yolk and repeat the process (this will yield a thicker mayonnaise).

Adding an extra egg yolk

1. Start fresh by adding one egg yolk to a clean, wide-mouth jar.
2. Slowly pour in your failed mayonnaise mixture and let it settle for a minute. Blend with an immersion blender, again, keep the blender steady at the bottom of the jar over the egg yolk. Slowly move the blender up to ensure all the ingredients are fully emulsified. It should, again, take about 1 minute to get to the top of the jar. This will help emulsify the ingredients properly.
3. Continue blending until the texture is thick and creamy.

Adding one tablespoon of boiling water

1. Add one tablespoon of boiling water to a clean jar, and whisk while you slowly add the failed mayonnaise.

Remember, patience is key when troubleshooting mayonnaise. Don’t rush the blending process, and you’ll be back on track in no time!

Mayonnaise

Print Recipe

Cook Time:1 minute min

Total Time:1 minute min

Equipment

• 1 Immersion blender
• 1 Jar that comes with the immersion blender Optional
• 1 Cup
• 1 Wide mouth jar Optional

Ingredients

• 1 Egg whole
• 1 cup Neutral oil Avocado oil
• ½ Juiced lemon or 1 tbsp of lemon juice or white vinegar
• ½ tsp Mustard
• ¼ tsp Salt

Instructions

• Crack 1 egg into a wide-mouth jar, carefully keeping the yolk intact (this is crucial!). Add ½ a juiced lemon, ½ tsp of mustard, and ¼ tsp salt. Finally, pour in 1 cup of oil and let it settle for about a minute.
• Place your immersion blender directly over the egg yolk and press it to the bottom of the jar. Turn the blender on high and hold it steady.
• This part is key, slowly move the blender up to ensure all the ingredients are fully emulsified. It should take about 1 minute to get to the top of the jar.
• Transfer the mayonnaise to an airtight container, or use it immediately in your favorite recipe. Homemade mayo will keep in the fridge for about one week.

Notes

• Be sure to use a jar that fits the immersion blender really tightly. This way the egg yolk won’t escape the blender. Preferably use the jar that comes with the immersion blender or a wide-mouth mason jar.
• Don’t use a food processor or normal blender, for the same reason as hereabove.
• Use a neutral-tasting oil, otherwise, you won’t taste anything else than the oil you’ve added.
• If you don’t feel comfortable with using a raw egg you can also use a pasteurized one.
• Need more than one cup of mayonnaise? Just double the recipe if needed.

Servings: 1 cup