Finally, a post about food!! Hurray hurray, jump up and down but don’t get too excited because this post is a lesson – a very important paleo mayonnaise lesson and one that is worth learning for those folks who figured that their creamy white blissful days of mayo were over after hopping on the paleo wagon. Most decent tasting mayonnaise options that you’ll find in the market are made with soybean oil and really should be avoided because soybean oil is only good for, well, nothing that I can think of… But I promise, if you follow my mayonnaise making directions very carefully you’ll be back to loving the creamy condiment for dips, sauces, spreads, and salad dressings for several of your paleo creations included but not limited to tuna salad, chicken salad, sauce for fish, or to spread on your mushroom sandwiches.
Ok, here we go! I’ll list ingredients and directions below and feel free to watch paleo mayo making in action on the video as I add a twist at the end so it might be worth the few minutes it takes to get through it.
Also, as mentioned in the video, one concern that people have about making mayonnaise is the fact that you have to use raw eggs. The reality is that getting sick from raw eggs is extremely rare, especially if you are using farm fresh pasture raised eggs, click here for more information. If you are still concerned or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, I would recommend pasteurizing your eggs. Click here to learn the process of pasteurizing eggs which is a whole lot easier than you might think!
Paleo Mayo
Secret for better tasting mayo, do not use extra virgin olive oil but instead use a light tasting olive oil, or a mild tasting oil such as walnut oil. Also, try using a hand held mixer instead of a blender if you blender gets hot quickly which can mess up the emulsification process.
2 eggs
2 cups light tasting olive oil or walnut oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/3 teaspoon cayenne pepper
In a blender, add the eggs, vinegar, and mustard and blend together well – leave the blender running and slowly slowly slowly drop by drop or very slow drizzle add the oil. BE PATIENT!! Do not dump all the oil in quickly and give up!! When the mixture begins to emulsify or thicken, only then can you be a bit faster about pouring in the olive oil but still take your time. Turn the blender off once all the olive oil is in and the mayonnaise is thickened to your desired consistency. Add the salt and cayenne pepper and mix well or blend again for another few seconds.
Now for the fun part – variations!!! Always wait until after your mayonnaise is thick before you add seasoning but here is when you can get creative. Add dried of fresh dill, fresh basil, or cilantro, garlic and onion, hot sauce, or even curry powder to make your own spreads, sauces and dips for just about everything as mentioned earlier in the post. Now, watch my video to see the fun twist that I put on our homemade mayonnaise!
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Just made this Paleo Mayo for the first time and I gotta say, SO easy and SO SO yum!! Great tip on using just regular ole Olive Oil Sarah! I served it over some chicken thighs that I pan fryed in Coconut Oil and I felt like I was eating at a gourmet restaurant where they serve all of the fancy sauces. Two thumbs WAY up! I can’t wait to use try all of the variations!
Keep up the great work Sarah! Love your site and loving your book too!
Cheers!
Julie from Sac
Thanks Julie and I’m so glad you liked the mayo! Yum over fried chicken thighs, that sounds to die for…. : )
I don’t have yellow mustard, could I substitute spicy brown mustard instead?
Yes you sure can Kinsey, it will give your mayo a yummy kick.
How long does this last in the refrigerator? I’ve also heard of fermenting it with liquid whey, thoughts?
I have kept mine over 2 weeks and it’s been fine! I have never heard of fermenting mayo with liquid whey. I personally am happy with how it turns out and haven’t had any problems with the mayo going bad. I would advice to make 1/2 the amount if you don’t think you’ll use it as quickly.
Yes, making half the recipe is perfect. I find that since we don’t really use it much it is just the right amount. Great!
So 2 weeks; really?
Yes, but I bet you eat it all before then anyway. ; )
Thank you Sarah for the recipe and the video. I really enjoyed the fact that you were working with your kids. You have a couple of future chefs on your hands!
One note, to hopefully make the recipe slightly easier to make, is when measuring out the mustard, pour a little olive oil in the spoon first, essentially coating it, pour it out, then add the mustard. The mustard should come right out of the spoon with no banging.
Thanks again for the recipe. I will be trying it soon.
what are some ideas for failed mayo….. was going good with the drizzling, then i guess i did it too quickly once i saw it getting thicker. now i have a yellow oily mess- whoops! any way to salvage it? thanks!
Try chilling your oil and your oily mess, then start the addition process again. I can’t make any promises, but it worked for my first failed attempt with good results!
Great idea Liz, this could do the trick!
I’m new to Paleo but from reading Dr. Cordain and others, I thought vinegar is not paleo. Would the mayo also work with lemon? Thanks!
Please help! I’m 0/3. Every time I’m over a cup of oil in and everything is fine then all of the sudden it just liquifies and is worthless. I’ve borrowed tips from other at home mayo recipes and added a little extra vinegar when it was getting a little too thick in the blender and wasn’t actually blending. Nothing seems to work. Eggs are pasteurized and room temperature.
Any ideas what I’m doing wrong? I’m 100% sure I’m not adding the oil too fast as I keep the same pace the whole time and it thickens just fine then suddenly breaks down. Is heat a factor? After some time the base of the blender gets quite warm so maybe this is an issue? Please help, I really wanna make the “No Potato Salad”!
If you are using a blender like a vitamix, yes heat could absolutely be a factor! Once you mayo is thick, turn of the blender and just whisk in the rest of the olive oil. : )
Hi Sarah! :0)
I’m hoping maybe you can help me. I’m looking into the Paleo diet in order to lose 50-60lbs.. I am SO confused. Can I or can’t I eat full fat dairy? Can I use Stevia? First I read that you should eat lean mean then I read that you should eat fatty meat. HELP!!! :0(
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer, I recommend reading Robb Wolf’s book, The Paleo Solution, and my book as well Everyday Paleo. Robb’s book gives great insight into the science behind paleo. For a quick answer, I would stay away from dairy for at least the first 30 days, especially if you are trying to make body composition changes. I would not use any sweeteners either so that your body ditches the carb cravings and learns to run on real food like meat, veggies, and fats. When you see reference to lean meats, this is if you are only able to find grain fed meat. If you can buy grass fed meat or pasture raised chickens/pork don’t be afraid of the animal fat, it’s actually very good for you! To find local grass fed meat visit http://www.eatwild.com and for CSA’s in your area visit http://www.localharvest.org Here’s also the links to Amazon where you can find mine and Robb’s books. Best of luck to you!!
http://www.amazon.com/dp/098256581X/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
http://www.amazon.com/Paleo-Solution-Original-Human-Diet/dp/0982565844/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b
Can u use white vinegar instead apple cider?
I just wanted to tell you that I made this today and put fresh dill, garlic, and a bit of onion in it and EVERYONE LOVED IT!!!! Thanks for the video. I loved it to!!!
Thank you so much for this! I can’t eat regular mayo because I’m on an anti-candida diet, and all the other mayo recipes I found were complicated. This looks very easy, simple, and so glad it uses apple cider vinegar! Yay! :3
Hi Sarah! Made your Mayo last night and blended in a little Chipotle pepper for some extra kick! So good on freshly steamed asparagus and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast today. Thinking about using it as a salad dressing with some flank steak tonight. Delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
Ohhh, love the idea of adding in chipotle! I’m all over that! Thank you!
Wow, I just made this. It’s even easier than it seems – but you’re right – take it slowly! The flavor is incredible. Which begs the question – what the hell have I been eating all these years?
I know, scary isn’t it? The store bought stuff is not real food, that’s for sure!
Success!! I used my Vitamix and started at a low speed, then kept creeping the speed up as I trickled the olive oil in. I never had to go much over half speed.
I have my own chickens but I still pasteurized the eggs in warm water, first.
I’m used to a slightly sweeter mayo, but the more I test tasted the more I liked it! Yum!!
Thank you for a really tasty recipe. :)
My second attempt at making Paleo Mayo today. First time I used our blender, but it got too hot and mayo didn’t work at all. Huge bummer! Second time, I used our Kitchen Aid Mixer and it turned out wonderful. Next time, I am going to try the food processor idea (putting the olive oil in the tube and letting it drip down on it’s own. Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi, Sarah! I realize this post is old, but I wanted to let you know that my mom used your tips from the Everyday Paleo FB page for olive oil mayo last night and it was wonderful! She added wasabi and we served it as a dipping sauce for ahi tuna steaks that I seared blue rare.
I am 17 and my brother is 14. Our whole family is primal/paleo and we love your book, especially the apple shallot pork chops and the enchilada sauce (which we served over bison burgers). Thanks!
hi sarah! i made the mayo today. i used extra light olive oil and it made great tasting mayo. i’d tried before with extra virgin olive oil because it was all i had, and it was too strong tasting. i used the mayo in my bacon and hatch chili deviled eggs and it was awesome!
thanks for all the work you do,
michele
So glad you liked the mayo Michele! ; )
AMAZING! Easy and so, so, so delicious.
Just made deviled eggs with this mayo – kill me now; life may never get better!
LOL! That’s hilarious!
I made this tonight – my first successful attempt at homemade mayo. DELICIOUS! I can’t wait to add some other flavors tomorrow for a dip or dressing. I have been aching for a good paleo ranch and this mayo is just the base that I need! This was super easy and I will repeat it for sure. Might have to cut it in half though – seems like I’m the only one in this house who likes mayo after all…
Ugh. My blender is not meant to make mayo. Just as the mayo started thickening, it turned into a watery mess. The blender got hot as blue blazes and pretty much cooked the mayo. And I supposedly have a really good blender.
So I need all of you who are successfully making mayo in your blender to tell me what model blender you are using. I might try once in my KitchenAid mixer, but I’ not wasting anymore eggs and oil on my blender.
Another option, as soon as your mayo thickens, turn it off and just use a spoon to mix in the rest of the oil!! I also know that several people have had great luck with a hand held blender. Mine is a very old Osterizer.
Sarah, I plan on making this tonight. I just wanted to know how long this Paleo mayo will keep fresh in the fridge? Thanks!
It will last quite a while! I have kept it in the fridge for close to 2 weeks and it’s been fine. The vinegar acts as a preservative. : )
FYI regular olive oil contains chemicals that extract that final amount of oil from the olives. to eliminate these chemicals use a virgin olive oil. it may be a stronger taste but is much healthier.
You can also sub half avocado oil and half evoo if you can’t stand the strong olive oil taste.
Just made a slightly more speckled version with what I had available, half a lemon, wholegrain mustard and red thai paste. So easy to make and delicious. I knew it would work but was still thoroughly delighted when the the blender sound changed and what should I find inside but mayo! Only just begun my Paleo journey but I’m already feeling better, thanks so much!
Perfection. Just finished blending the roasted red pepper/mayo mix to top some chicken and spaghetti squash.. YUMO!!! Great Demo!! Thanks for letting us into your home and sharing your beautiful family
Oh my gosh. Just made this. YUMMM!!! I love mayo, but you’re right – every single jar of the store-bought stuff contains sketchy ingredients like soybean oil. I followed your directions and it worked perfectly! Thank you!
If your mayo is getting thin try using just egg yolks instead of whole eggs. Mayo is an emulsification- so if you provide less liquid (egg yolk only) there is less to emulsify in the oil. And another thing I’ve found is avocado oil instead of olive oil. Dee-lish!
This was easy and very delicious! A co-worker at school loved it! Thanks! Your recipes are always so easy and very good! It makes Paleo much easier to follow!
Keep up the good work and cooking:)
Oh wow! I just made this and it is incredible. I made 1/2 regular and 1/2 chipotle and I just used the food processor since I don’t have a working blender. I had to stop myself from eating it with a spoon, it was that good. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi! Thanks for this. Looks great!
For Rachel above who asked about fermenting it: the mayo recipe in Nourishing Traditions has you add 1 Tbsp of yogurt whey before blending, then letting it sit out for 7 hours after making it. I like do it that way and it lasts longer, which is good for smaller households.
Sarah, do you know how Extra Light olive oil is produced? I’m wondering if it’s as bad as seed oils. Thanks!
This was a HUGE FAILEO!!! I did it EXACTLY as you specified, and it came out with a watery consistency, and it looks like egg nog. The blender was on so long that it started steaming from the blender because it got so hot. You owe me the money I spent on buying “olive oil” specifically for this. Paleo Mayo should be called LAMESAUCE! And after a horrible experience with your plantain chip recipe too, I probably won’t try any of your other recipes. I couldn’t be MORE disappointed.
What kind of blender did you use? If it gets too hot then yes, it will not work. I’m so sorry for the inconvenience. We make this mayo all the time and it works well every time which is why I posted the demo. Again, I apologize that it didn’t work for you. I am fine with you not trying any more of my recipes. Best of luck to you.
If it doesn’t work, don’t throw it out, put it in a jug in the fridge overnight. Next morning it should’ve separated out with the oil on top and the egg/vinegar at the bottom. Pour most of the oil off, put the egg mixture back in the blender and start again, this attempt should be more forgiving as all the ingredients are now cold. The second time I made this I did it from memory but forgot one of the golden rules and seasoned before adding the oil, needless to say it didn’t work but after refrigeration and separation it worked well, even with the salt and spices in.
Hi! We tried to make the mayo last night … my cheap blender got hot unfortunately and I think from reading the previous posts that this is probably the issue. Checked out the cost of Vitamix Blenders in Canada omg! Anyhow, I was wondering if we could use a hand mixer (with the dual beaters) to make the mayo…of course one person would need to mix while the other drizzled olive oil…but do you think it will work?
LOL…hoping my blender is up to making the squash soup tonight without a nuclear meltdown!
The mayo we ended up with from last night … it did get a bit more solid in the fridge overnight and will make a good sauce … but it is definately not mayo consistency
Hi Jackie,
A hand blender will work just fine and I’ve had wonderful success with simply using a whisk while someone else pours in the oil! Good luck!
Thanks Sarah!!!
We used the “blender heated” mayo which firmed up nicely in the fridge overnight and made your “no-potato” salad and it is fabulous…looking forward to trying the mayo recipe with the hand blender to get the thicker mayo consistency! I am sure it will be delicious…looking forward to purchasing your book soon!!!!
Thanks Sarah! This recipe is GREAT!!! turned out wonderful in my chicken salad!! oh my gosh, to die for! I also, took half of it and added chipotle seasoning for dipping veggies. But I loved your idea of the roasted peppers, going to have to try that very soon, do not have them on hand!
My grandmother made the best mayo. The organic mayo at Trader Joes tastes just like it but has soy oil. Grandma’s undoubtedly used mazolla back in the 50s. So I decided to try to mimic the taste using lemons from my yard and very pale not evoo. Some time ago on his shoe Alton Brown explained the science of mayo making and I discovered this YouTube of it. This actually works. I love your book Sarah. Learning to adapt recipes is easy if you already know how to cook. The science remains the same. Thanks for the site and the book.
Oooooops forgot link:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CD4QtwIwAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6bKya9uMHYs&rct=j&q=Alton%20brown%20making%20mayo&ei=xeKoTs3hJoqMiAKh4vGgBg&usg=AFQjCNElvhAwW8FO0AUKqNnQc3xhDGW0aw
If that does not work here is the show episode link:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/mayonnaise-recipe/index.html
Hey there! Wanted to ask your opinion on home made mayo during pregnancy. I’m 5 months along & have been going back & forth w the idea of making my own mayo but I’m nervous of possible food poisoning from the raw egg. I’ve sadly bought an organic jarred mayo, which still contains junk so I’m torn. What’s worse? Eating questionable ingredients or raw eggs? Thanks!
Hi Trisha! For pregnant women who want to make their own mayo I suggest pasteurizing your eggs at home in order to protect from any chance of illness from eating a raw egg. Here’s a link that takes you through the steps and it’s really very simple. Happy mayo making and congratulations on your pregnancy! http://www.kitchenproject.com/BBQ/PasteurizedEggs.htm To further reduce your risk, try to purchase eggs that have been pasture raised; healthy eggs come from healthy chickens!
Made this in my KitchenAid and it turned out amazing! Tastes just like my grandmother’s recipe! Thanks Sarah!
I attempted my second try on the mayo today and it worked! Made a 1/2 recipe last week in my KitchenAid w/ whisk attachment, and although it was tasty and didn’t technically separate, it was still runnier than I thought it should be. This time I did the full recipe (mind you used 1 egg plus 1 yolk) in the KitchenAid and it was perfect! Must work better with a bit more volume to begin with. Thanks for the recipe! I have your book and have made a couple of recipes so far. I have been switching to paleo (just me – not the hard core italian bread-eating family – yet) and feel GREAT!!!
So glad the mayo worked and glad you are feeling great!!
The stick blender works the best. You add all the ingredients and then slowly pulse the stick blender until it becomes mayo consistency. My problem is that I came out with beautiful looking mayo that I didn’t like the taste at all. I used a plain olive oil and it still is too strong for me. My recipe was slightly different and used lemon juice instead of vinegar – maybe the vinegar and mustard will change the taste to something I like. I was able to make creamy ranch dressing from my mayo which was very good.
Try the vinegar and also try using walnut oil!
I use grapeseed oil; much lighter taste
How long does this mayo last in the fridge without it going bad?
At least a week, but honestly I have kept mine almost 2 and it was fine. : )
I used coconut oil instead. All I can taste is the vinegar. I used sea salt, garlic pwdr, paprika, chili powder, curry powder, turmeric, mustard pwdr to season it
Please help! I really would like to use this, but I have to cute the vinegar taste!
I also added a teaspoon of volcanic lemon juice after reading the replies to this recipe and it helped a tiny bit but not nearly enough!
Hi I just did it with EVO and lemon juice, and yes it taste like EVO, I knew it would taste like that before doing it, but I love it!
Thanks
Amazing!!!! I was so worried about making this mayo, I felt bad about messing up 2 cups of olive oil =))) … Actually I used Organic “Extra Virgin” Olive Oil which you don’t recommend… But it turned out just perfect!!! It does not smell nor with olive oil neither with vinegar! So thank you so much for the nice recipe!!!
Never buying mayonaise again! This was wonderful, about to make my second batch and add some garlic and onion for some added zing
I made this mayo yesterday with the addition of 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the end by folding it into the mayo. The end result was brilliant!! Made a bacon broccoli salad with the mayo today and it came out amazing! Never want to buy mayo every again! Thanks for the recipe!
Just tried this – I used extra virgin olive oil (nearly black), can’t get enough of the stuff. Threw in 2 cloves of garlic and some lemon. Came our superb. One million times better than store bought mayo (I never liked store bought anyway). This is fantastic. Cannot wait to share it with the rest of the family. Thank you so much!
I make mayo with a stick blender – works every time. I use only the yolks and discard the whites, after reading what Robb Wolf has to say about raw egg whites. When avocados are cheap and plentiful, half a ripe avocado (or even a whole one) blended into the mix makes a delicious addition and turns the mayo a beautiful pale green. I thoroughly recommend it!
When you say “stick blender”, do you mean an immersion blender? Do you still need to dribble in the oil or can you just add it all at once? I agree with you about the egg whites. Like the idea of the “green” dressing…sounds dee-lish!
Yes, this is referring to a immersion blender and yes, still just dribble in the oil, no matter what tool you use to make the mayo, always slowly add the oil!!
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