Table of Contents[Hide][Show]
Which oils to consider for making nourishing homemade mayonnaise and which is best based on taste, consistency and healthy fat content.
Life without mayonnaise? Perish the thought! It is an essential condiment in the kitchen and learning how to make healthy mayo yourself is so simple and easy that once you give it a go, you won’t be settling for anything from the store – including the healthfood store – ever again!
Even homemade eggless mayo is super simple to whip up yourself. Psst. Don’t use aquafaba though!
The smooth, creamy texture and sheer elegance that quality mayo imparts to sandwiches, salads, and sauces are certainly unrivaled at least in American cuisine.
Never does the thought cross my mind to “go light on the mayo”. If I am feeling like a huge dollop or two, I feel free to indulge myself given that the mayo I insist on using is of superior freshness and quality and made with health-boosting oils and liquid whey for additional digestive enzymes and even probiotics.
Given that the fats used in the mayo are the most critical ingredient, which oils are the best ones to select?
Sunflower or Sesame?
I tell folks that when making mayo for the first time, use sunflower seed oil as this will give the closest consistency and taste to store mayo.
However, sunflower oil is a high omega-6 oil. This is fine if one follows whole food, traditionally based diet where the omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acid ratio is roughly between 1:1 and 1:4.
If one is still in the process of transitioning off processed foods, however, a lower omega-6 oil is probably a better choice. This is because processed foods are loaded with rancid omega-6 oils. Too much in your diet encourages inflammation.
Note that including even a few processed foods in the diet can skew that omega-3 to omega-6 balance in a hurry!
If you are concerned about your omega-6 intake, unrefined sesame oil is a good choice for mayo as it is higher in oleic acid (monounsaturated, omega 9 fat) and lower in omega-6 fats (polyunsaturated) than sunflower oil. Oleic acid is the healthy fat found in great quantity in avocados and olive oil.
Olive Oil
If oleic acid is so fantastic, then why not just use extra virgin olive oil for mayo?
While this can be a good choice for some, many folks find the flavor of olive oil mayonnaise too strong.
Using half olive oil and half sesame oil is an option for a milder taste which is still high in oleic acid.
In addition, some folks find that olive oil really packs the weight.
Oleic acid is a long-chain fatty acid and is more likely to contribute to the buildup of body fat than shorter chain fatty acids found in coconut oil or ghee. Let’s talk about both of those next.
Coconut Oil or Ghee
What about ghee or coconut oil for mayonnaise?
I’ve made mayo with ghee before and it turns out absolutely fabulous. The one drawback is that the mayo turns out too rich in my opinion. It also hardens in the refrigerator and loses consistency when brought to room temperature.
Since I like to use a lot of mayo, using all ghee doesn’t really work for me in most situations. However, half ghee and half sesame oil can work to lighten up the richness factor a bit.
A similar problem happens with coconut oil mayo. It hardens in the fridge and can’t be used quickly for chicken salad and other dishes.
If you choose to make coconut oil mayonnaise, be sure to use expeller-pressed, which is flavorless. Virgin coconut oil results in a coconut flavored mayo, which some people do not enjoy.
Blended Oils
Another option for homemade mayo is to blend fats together to achieve a good taste and consistency.
One I’ve used in the past is 1/2 sunflower or sesame oil and 1/2 expeller pressed coconut oil.
Since coconut oil goes very firm below 76 F/24 C, using half expeller-pressed coconut oil produces a mayo that is very thick and scoopable even after refrigeration.
Another option suggested by the Weston Price Foundation is what’s known as “Mary’s Blend” after the late Dr. Mary Enig, a PhD in lipids. She suggested a blend of 1/3 olive oil, 1/3 sesame oil, and 1/3 coconut oil.
Avocado Oil. My Favorite Fat for Mayo
As you can see, there are numerous options for healthy fats for making mayo.
Judging based on taste, nourishing lipid content, and consistency (both at room temperature and refrigerated), my favorite is avocado oil.
It is mild tasting, has a fatty acid profile similar to olive oil, and the mayo stays creamy in the fridge.
If you must buy, there are a couple of brands now available that are acceptable. This is the brand I use in a pinch. The only downside is that it does not use raw egg yolks, and it is a bit pricey.
Be sure to check my Resources page for a list of brands I trust that supply quality oils for all your mayo-making endeavors!
Here’s a short video of what avocado oil mayo looks like after I made a batch.
Thank you for this. I have free-range chickens and I love Mayo and Ranch, so I make mayo. 100% Avocado Oil gave it a bit of a bad taste to me. 100% coconut oil made it solid. I’d been doing half sunflower and half vegetable oil (to use it up because I’m cheap). But, I was distressed to learn that it was really Soybean oil. I think I’ll try the 1/2 expeller pressed coconut oil you mentioned.
HI there!
What is the avocado oil suppose to taste like? I spent alot on a small bottle and when I made the mayo, it was not mild tasting. It had a weird taste that was a bit strong like olive oil? Is that what it is suppose to taste like? I currently use ghee and bacon grease, however I don’t always like my salad tasting like bacon:) thanks! I’m just wondering if it was rancid. I don’t know how to tell if the oil is rancid or not!
Avocado oil is very mild tasting.
Hi All , did any body tried making mayo with yogurt ???
Can I use soybean oil for making mayonnaise???
I don’t recommend it. Most soybean oil is GMO at least in North America and soybean oil is high in omega-6 fats that most Westerners get far too much of in their diets already. Excess omega-6 fats trigger inflammation and give you the munchies. https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-vegetable-oils-make-us-fat/
I use grape seed oil, whole seed mustard salt, egg yolk and basil vinegar that I made from the stems of my basil harvest last year. It was amazing and great as a sauce on cold blanched veggies. I do use a wand mixer with a whipping blade and a tall cup. I find it mixes best if you start by whipping the egg and vinegar till frothy first then add the oil a little at a time.
I always use extra virgin cold pressed olive oil from Spain and I enjoy my mayonnaise exactly because of that liquid gold! The blend of it with lemon juice is just perfect (mustard is a great bonus, too) and I’m suprised/shocked no one here likes it. I pity you because of that, actually! ;D
Dearest Sarah,
W.A.P.F. tought me bitterness and acidity is unconditionally appreciated by the hardest working organ – liver! Egg yolks have all those essential vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and proteins and are the healthiest food along with organ meats!
I am so happy that my-way-mayonnaise is really healthy and tasty at the same time! You W.A.P.F. are the reason I know that and enjoy it, that is why I want to tell you: THANK YOU!
I do have a question, thou. I thought that fats makes us fat when consumed with certain amount of carbs because of the insulin. Then, why would oleic acid make me fat if, lets say, I don’t eat more than 5g of carbs that day?
I would be greatly thankfull if you answer me.
Best regards!
Will I get a milk Hellmans-ey flavor using this type of raw unprocessed sunflower oil
My daughter is addicted to Hellmans, and she’s only 6 years old so she’s picky. I need to start off with a homemade mayo that’s as close to Hellmans in flavor as I can, but I also don’t want to introduce an unhealthy version of a new oil.
I’d really appreciate some help with this question before I make the switch! Thank you very much!
excuse the typo. Should have said just Hellmans-ey flavor, not “milk Hellmans-ey” 🙂
Late reply… but sunflower oil is very mild tasting. I usually add a little bit of ACV (1 or 2 tsp) which helps it to taste more like store bought. The type of oil is key, the more mild flavor the closer to store bought flavor. Just salt it to your preference, that is probably what she will notice secondly, but also important when trying to mimic what she is used to.
walnut oil.
Hi, Zeitgeist,
Sorry to hear the mac mayo didn’t work for you! I make it all the time from NOW organic macadamia oil and add a couple of cloves of mashed garlic and some lemon juice, which neutralizes the nut taste and it always turns out perfect.
Good luck.
Hey y’all,
So far I’ve tried making mayo with (1) macadamia nut oil and (2) sesame oil and ghee, which Sarah suggested but must not have tested.
The macadamia mayo did not taste good at all. I had to neutralize it with some leftover grapeseed veganaise I had to make it edible.
The sesame and ghee mayo tasted absolutely disgusting. I used unrefined sesame oil, of course. It’s mild tasting, but sesame oil is higher is polyunsaturated fat and made it difficult to solidify the mixture. I had to keep cooling and whisking, as if I were making ice cream.
Maybe the 3rd try will be the charm. As far as I’m concerned, ghee is not useful for mayo, it’s too overpowering. I might try walnut or avocado oil. I think olive oil would only be good for aioli.
Cheers.