Bright, tangy, & creamy
Traditional mayonnaise is made with a base of egg yolks, oil, and vinegar. Finding an egg-free and oil-free plant-based mayo in the store can be quite a challenge. Most (if not all?) of the "vegan" mayonnaise options available in the store contain oil. In addition, there seem to be limited options for oil-free plant-based mayo recipes online. Lucky for us, this bright, tangy, & creamy mayonnaise has us covered! 😁
This mayo has no oil, no egg, & no dairy yet it's still nicely creamy and tangy. Therefore, you can feel free to use this much healthier option in place of store-bought mayonnaise in any recipe.
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Gathering all of your ingredients
To make this easy oil-free plant-based mayonnaise, begin by gathering all of your ingredients. A high-speed blender will help you reach the best creamy consistency for this recipe. So, you'll want to be sure your cashews are soaked well prior to blending, especially if you are not using a high-speed blender.
In this recipe, the cashews, silken tofu, and aquafaba add to the creamy texture while the lemon juice, distilled vinegar, and dijon mustard balance out the sweetness of the cashews and bring forward the tanginess we're used to. In addition, the black salt adds a very subtle eggy quality to mimic the eggs included in regular mayonnaise.
Blend all of the ingredients
After placing the ingredients into the high-speed blender in the order listed, simply blend all of the ingredients for about 2 minutes, until the sauce becomes nice and creamy smooth. If you are using a regular blender, you may need to blend the sauce longer. It may also be best to add small amounts of the cashews at a time, allowing each small batch to blend thoroughly before adding the next.
Store in a sealed container
After blending, pour the mayo into your preferred storage container. This recipe, which makes about a cup of mayonnaise, fits nicely in a 16 oz wide-mouthed canning jar (you could actually double the recipe & it should still fit), though any sealed container should work well.
Store in a sealed container the refrigerator, where it should last about 4-6 days.
I have not tried freezing this recipe yet. However, you may be able to freeze this mayonnaise for up to 4 months. Please keep in mind the consistency will likely change with freezing. When removing from the freezer, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator. Then, you may need to re-blend or whisk the sauce in order to make it creamy smooth again.
Black salt also goes by "kala namak", Himalayan black salt, or Indian black salt. It is frequently used in Indian and Asian cuisine. It has a very sulfurous quality to it that is reminiscent of egg yolks, so it is often used to provide an eggy quality in eggless dishes.
You may be able to find black salt in a specialty grocery store near you. I purchased my black salt from Amazon several years ago. Since only a very little amount is used in any given recipe, a small quantity of black salt lasts quite a long time.
Aquafaba is the brine or liquid drained from a can of chickpeas (chickpeas are also called garbanzo beans). It's an excellent egg replacement in many recipes & it can even be whipped to the consistency of whipped egg whites. It doesn't impart any sort of bean flavor in this recipe. It's quite remarkable stuff, actually! Each ~15 oz can of chickpeas contains about ¾ cup of aquafaba.
📖 Recipe
Oil-Free Plant-Based Mayonnaise
Equipment
- high-speed blender
Ingredients
- ½ cup cashews, pre-soaked* unsalted and unroasted
- ¼ cup aquafaba liquid brine from a can of chickpeas
- ¼ cup silken tofu, firm or extra firm ¼ cup = a little over 2 ounces
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
- ¼ tsp black salt (kala namak)*
- 1 tsp flake sea salt
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ⅛ tsp paprika
Instructions
Prepare your mise en place
- Gather your ingredients including your pre-soaked cashews (see note).
Add all ingredients to your high-speed blender
- Add all ingredients to your high-speed blender* in the order listed.
Blend
- Blend ingredients for about 2 minutes or until creamy smooth.
Pour mayonnaise into a container, seal, and refrigerate
- Pour the creamy mayonnaise into a container of your choosing (a 16 oz wide-mouthed canning jar works really well), seal & refrigerate. The mayonnaise will thicken slightly as it cools.
Cool mayonnaise in the refrigerator
- Depending on how you're using this mayonnaise, you may wish to cool it in the refrigerator prior to using it. The mayonnaise will thicken slightly as it cools.
Storing the mayonnaise
- You can store the mayonnaise in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It should last 4-6 days. If some separation occurs, stir to combine before using.I have not tried freezing this recipe yet. However, you may be able to freeze this mayonnaise as well, for up to 4 months, though the consistency will likely change. When removing from the freezer, allow it to defrost in the refrigerator. Then, you may need to re-blend or whisk the sauce in order to make it creamy smooth again.