Homemade Mayo – Keto & Whole30/Paleo Options

Make the creamiest homemade mayo in under two minutes! Skip the sketchy ingredients in store-bought mayonnaise and whip up a batch today. Conventional, Keto and Whole30/Paleo options are included in the recipe.

Anyone who has read this blog for more than a hot second knows the revulsion that mayo induces in me. I’ve dedicated whole swaths of this blog to recreating mayo-free classics like Chicken Salad With Greek Yogurt and Dill or Easy Deviled Eggs With Greek Yogurt.

And yet here I am with a recipe for homemade mayo. Yeah, I can’t believe it either.

My issue is the dude I am married to and kinda like a bit, is a big mayo lover. We decided to do Whole30 for shits and giggles this month and mayo is a big no-no for the next 30 days.

This mayo recipe has probably had more iterations than WD-40 (it took the people who made it 40 tries before finding the current recipe…), but I’ve finally found one that makes Troy say “this tastes like Best Foods” (Hellman’s to my East Coast readers).  I’m still repulsed by it indifferent, but the mayo fiend enjoys it.

Is If Safe To Make Homemade Mayo?

For the smoothest mayonnaise, you’ll want to use raw egg yolks at room temperature. You’ll refrigerate the finished product but the yolks will never be cooked. Due to this fact, only use egg yolks from sources that you trust.

Fun fact: the color of your egg yolks will dictate the final product color of your mayo. I always wonder how store-bought mayo is bleached white when even the cheapest factory farmed yolks are yellow. The mayo in the photos for this post were laid by our spoiled backyard chickens. They give me the prettiest bright orange yolks.

And a ton of attitude.

Is Mayo Allowed on Whole30? What About Paleo?

Yes, but finding the right brand can be very tricky. Most commercial brands of mayo contain sugar or soybean oil and thus are not Whole30 and/or paleo approved. Making it yourself takes under two minutes, so why not skip the sketchy ingredients and whip some up today?

What Kind of Oil Should I Use in Homemade Mayo?

You want an oil will a low flavor profile so that it doesn’t overwhelm the finished product. Just using all olive oil is way too strong, and I would strongly recommend against soybean or canola oil.

Over time I’ve found it is best to use a mix of different oils. Melted expeller-pressed coconut oil adds a good texture, walnut oil or avocado oil is pretty tasteless and just the right amount of olive oil gives it a great flavor. Avoid virgin coconut oil as it does have a coconutty taste.

If you use coconut oil, this oil is solid below 76 degrees. The finished product will be a slightly thicker mayo after it has been chilled in the fridge. The olive, avocado, and/or walnut oil make it spreadable.

The mixture of oils is essential to not making this taste like a pile of crap.

What Tools Do I Need to Make Mayo?

A bowl, a whisk, and a strong bicep are technically all you need. But if you don’t feel like exhausting your arm, a food processor or an immersion blender will make the job a lot easier. If you use the immersion blender, you can mix and store everything right in a simple pint-sized canning jar.

How To Make Your Own Mayo – Step by Step

1. Whatever method you are using (food processor, bowl and whisk, or the immersion blender), blend the egg yolks and egg together for 45 seconds.
2. While the food processor/immersion blender is running, add the lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar), salt, and dijon. Blend.
3. Slowly add the oils in a steady stream. Keep blending until it looks like, um, mayo.
4. Carefully read the recipe notes for options for the next steps.

Recipe Notes For Homemade Mayo

• If you are using a food processor, most will come with a little plastic insert for the lid that has a small hole in it. That is designed to slowly add the oil in while making homemade mayonnaise. Use this insert to make the process even easier.
• If you are using an immersion blender you can add ALL the ingredients together at once in the mason jar. Position your stick blender at the bottom of the jar and blend moving the blender up and down until everything is blended. I prefer to add things in shifts because I think it keeps the mixture from “breaking” at a later time i.e., the oil and eggs separating.
• Store in the fridge in a container with a lid. It will last seven days. After that, the freaky chick from The Ring (which Troy worked on!) will climb out of the jar. Don’t let that happen. Nobody likes her and she looks like she could use a good scrub down. And a whole bottle of detangler.
• If you are not following a Whole30/Paleo diet, adding 2-3 tbsp of whey to the finished product will create a homemade mayo that will last at least a month.
• What is whey you may ask? It’s the watery liquid that comes off of yogurt that everyone shuns and dumps into the sink. Try making your own yogurt sometime. I mean, you’re willing to make mayo; why not yogurt too?
• Mix the whey into the finished product and leave the covered container at room temperature for 7 hours.  Yeah I know, that sounds freaky, but it’s not actually that scary.  It’s called lacto fermenting and smarter people than me have found that the whey creates an explosion of good bacteria that is good for you and prevents your food from spoiling. The chick from The Ring could have used some whey in her life. Just sayin’.

If you like mayo (<—–still a firm nope for me), you’ll love this homemade mayo.

One year ago: The Rolling Sandbox
Two years ago: Those Three Bears Should Have Just Left Goldilocks Alone
Five years ago: Confessions. It is Good For the Soul.

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Print

Homemade Mayo - Conventional, Keto & Whole30/Paleo Options

Prep Time

5 mins

Total Time

5 mins

 

Make the creamiest homemade mayo in under two minutes! Skip the sketchy ingredients in store-bought mayonnaise and whip up a batch today. Conventional, Keto and Whole30/Paleo options are included in the recipe.

Course: Condiments

Cuisine: French

Keyword: homemade mayo

Servings: 20

Calories: 52 kcal

Author: Sarah

Ingredients

• 1 large egg room temperature
• 2 egg yolks room temperature
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 1/2 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 1/3 cup oil walnut, avocado, or coconut
• 3 tbsp whey optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Whatever method you are using (food processor, bowl and whisk, or the immersion blender), blend the egg yolks and egg together for 45 seconds.

2. While the food processor/immersion blender is running, add the lemon juice (or ACV), salt, and dijon. Blend.

3. Slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Keep blending until it looks like, um, mayo. Carefully read the recipe notes for options for the next steps.

Recipe Notes

If you are using a food processor, most will come with a little plastic insert for the lid that has a small hole in it. That is designed to slowly add the oil in while making homemade mayonnaise. Use this insert to make the process even easier.

 

If you are using an immersion blender you can add ALL the ingredients together at once in the mason jar. Position your stick blender at the bottom of the jar and blend moving the blender up and down until everything is blended. I prefer to add things in shifts because I think it keeps the mixture from "breaking" at a later time i.e., the oil and eggs separating.

 

Store in the fridge in a container with a lid. It will last seven days. After that, the freaky chick from The Ring (which Troy worked on!) will climb out of the jar. Don't let that happen.

 

If you are not following a Whole30/Paleo diet, adding 2-3 tbsp of whey to the finished product will create a homemade mayo that will last at least a month.

 

What is whey you may ask? It's the watery liquid that comes off of yogurt that everyone shuns and dumps into the sink. Try making your own yogurt sometime. I mean, you're willing to make mayo; why not yogurt too?

 

Mix the whey into the finished product and leave the covered container at room temperature for 7 hours.  Yeah I know, that sounds freaky, but it's not actually that scary.  It's called lacto fermenting and smarter people than me have found that the whey creates an explosion of good bacteria that is good for you and prevents your food from spoiling.

Nutrition Facts

Homemade Mayo - Conventional, Keto & Whole30/Paleo Options

Amount Per Serving

Calories 52 Calories from Fat 45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g 8%

Saturated Fat 0g 0%

Cholesterol 28mg 9%

Sodium 39mg 2%

Potassium 23mg 1%

Total Carbohydrates 0g 0%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 0g

Protein 1g 2%

Vitamin A 1.6%

Vitamin C 0.8%

Calcium 1.2%

Iron 1.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This post contains affiliate links and we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you if you click through and make a purchase. This allows me to continue to provide free content, and I only share products that I use and love myself.

This post was originally published in September 2011. It has been updated with reader feedback, retested, the recipe was made printable, and new photos were added.

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