
Dear Hellmans,
I love your “Campaign for Real Food.” Even though I told my husband it was the onions, we both know the reason my eyes misted over the other day is because your commercial came on. So, uh, when are you going to jump on board? Because when the first ingredient in your product is soybean oil, that is not real food.
Oh, and what are those “natural flavors” you keep mentioning? Come have a seat over here and I will make you REAL MAYO. Farm fresh eggs rich in essential fatty acids, Vitamins A&D, and tons of minerals. Antioxidant rich olive oil blended with metabolism-boosting coconut oil . . . with a touch of honey, salt and cider vinegar for added yum-factor. Come a little closer, I promise I won’t bite. Real food changed my life, so let’s keep your campaign and update your product. In the meantime, pull of a chair and I’ll make you a sandwich. Love, Heather
How to Make Homemade Mayo
Update: I’ve actually discovered an easier method using an immersion blender. Here’s the tutorial.
I hope that video helps you erase the intimidation of learning how to make homemade mayo. I’m not sure what happened to the last few seconds of video, but what I was trying to say is that the mayo is so thick it will cling to a spoon upside down! UPDATE: If you don’t want to stand around and pour the oil in, you can pour it in the “food pusher” and let it drip through the tiny hole at the bottom.
It can be kind of difficult to clean, but it makes the emulsification process really easy!
From there, slowly add the oil directly to the jars while running the immersion blender continuously. Easy peasy!

This recipe makes a great base for this Thousand Island dressing recipe or chipotle mayo.
Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 egg yolks
- 1⅓ tbsp lemon juice
- ½ tsp unrefined sea salt
- 1 tsp raw honey (to taste)
- 1 cup avocado oil (or ½ cup extra virgin olive oil plus ½ cup expeller-pressed coconut oil)
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
Instructions
- (For a simplified version of this method using an immersion blender, see the video above.) Place egg yolks in food processor and blend for 1 minute
- Add lemon juice and blend for 30 more seconds
- Add salt and honey and mustard. Blend just enough to mix
- Turn the food processor on and pour the oil in as S-L-O-W-L-Y as possible (this is the secret to creamy mayo!)
Notes
Nutrition

You did great! Now that I see how easy it is and that I have all the ingredients (except my coconut oil might be the extra virgin kind–can’t remember!) I want to make this now!
Isn’t there a way to add whey to make it last even longer & give it a probiotic boost??
Thanks Heather!
Hi Megan! I meant to mention that you can add 1 Tbs. whey at the end to make the mayo last longer (a few weeks). Thanks for reminding me! Just added it to the main instructions. Oh, and the EVCO will work . . . it will just have a hint of coconut flavor.
Quick question; Where would I find whey? And is it just called whey or is there a more precise name for it? Thank you so much for the detailed yet simple recipe! I’m looking forward to trying it and ditching yet another processed, chemical laden food!!
Amanda, whey is a byproduct of making kefir or yogurt at home. You can skip it or use a vegetable-based starter such as the ones from Cultures For Health.
I make kefir at home and don’t get whey as a bi-product, so I’d have to investigate that further. I don’t make my own yogurt either, so I have a different way of getting whey: I buy a container of plain organic yogurt, strain it in a cheesecloth or nut milk bag for a little while, and the whey will drip down into a container below. The yogurt will become Greek yogurt; or, if you leave it in there too long, it will become something pretty stinkin’ similar to cream cheese (and I use it as such!). 🙂
The same process will work with your kefir! Remove the grains and strain the kefir through the cheesecloth. The resulting clear liquid is whey.
YAY!!!!!! i hate buying mayo from the grocery store. one of those, have to have it, know it’s bad, maybe someday i’ll make my own, things. thank you for this! my food processor doesn’t allow for adding while going, so i’ll just add a little at a time and hopefully it will come out good! do you know about how long this lasts in the fridge? (maybe you said it in the video but my computer doesn’t have sound right now so i apologize).
I have tried adding it in stages before like you mentioned and it turned out really runny. You might try an immersion blender instead of a food processor. With the whey it should last a few weeks. Without . . . a few days maybe? Usually when I make it without it’s because we’re going to eat it right away so it never has a chance to go bad.
i DO have an immersion (handheld) blender but i kind of hate it because it splattered squash soup all over me and the stove one time. maybe if it does the trick with this though, i’ll start liking it again. =)
Put the ingredients into a wide mouth pint canning jar… put the stick blender in, turn it on and count to 10… then begin slowly moving the blender up the side of the jar till you reach the top of the mixture. You will have mayonnaise in less than ONE minute… I love this easy method Then you can just screw the lid on the jar and refrigerate!
My FP has a little whole in the bottom of the “chute” that presses down stuff I need sliced/grated (don’t know a better way to describe that part). The hole is probably the size of a pin-head or a little bigger. I just pour the oil in there while the FP is running and it slowly drizzles in. It has worked for me every time. 🙂
OK, very funny. I just looked up the part on the Cuisinart website, and they call it a “pusher”. I guess they have a hard time describing it too!
Wow I know this is an old post but you are totally my hero for sharing that. Just tried the pin hole trick on my food processor and it worked like a charm! Can’t tell you how many batches of mayo I’ve ruined by pouring too fast. I was about to give up on mayo for good! Easiest way ever! Thanks for sharing.
I feel the same way! SO GLAD I don’t have to stand there watching it trickle in now!
WOO HOO!! I am so excited to try this!!
Yummy! I’ve been making this in the blender for a while now but with sunflower or organic canola oil. I”ll have to try the olive/coconut oil version…
This is great! I am definitely going to try this out on my family. 😉 And, by the way, I think you are a fabulous presenter, and you did an amazing job on the video!
thanks Heather! this looks like the best recipe I’ve seen so far! 🙂
I love mayo. Thick. Creamy. Rich. Mayo. My sister has made if for years. Thanks for your recipe! I am eager to try it!
Hey, what do you do with your leftover egg whites?
I often use them to make almond pancakes https://mommypotamus.com/almond-pancakes-gluten-free/
We’re allergic to dairy, so I just use a little bit of kimchi juice instead of whey. I always use it though – I mean, why not!
I usually use avocado oil for mine these days – it’s delicious! My basic recipe is:
1 whole egg and 1 additional egg yolk
1 cap full of eden raw apple cider vinegar
1 generous splash of kimchi juice
salt and pepper and whatever
to which, once it’s beaten for a bit, I slowly add 1 bottle of avocado oil from whole foods (i think it’s 8oz). presto!
There are so many great homemade mayo recipes out there, and it’s really easier than you think! I always thought it would be intimidating, but it’s not. Washing the blender is the hardest part of the process! 🙂
This sounds delicious! I’ve never really known what to do with avocado oil other than pour it on my salad . . . will have to give this a try!
Just made this..Turned out GREAT!
Thanks for letting me know, Jenny! Sometimes I worry that things don’t translate well into other kitchens so it’s always good to hear when something does.
Hi, I hope you can help! I have made homemade mayo three times now, and I find that I really dislike the taste. It has a bitterness in it that I really don’t like, and that bitterness overtakes any other taste in the mayo. I am using good quality EVOO, pastured eggs, organic apple cider vinegar etc. –all the right stuff. I haven’t used any sweetener as we’ve been off sugar 100% for the past couple of months. Does the honey help to mask the bitterness of the EVOO? I did read somewhere that if you use an electric mixing device, that will render a bitter flavour. If you mix by hand how do you mix and pour the olive oil slowly? I would need three hands!
Yes, the honey helps, but so does doing a 50/50 blend with coconut oil. Much sweeter!
The problem is the EVOO. You need to use “olive oil” that is NOT extra-virgin. I am going to use this recipe because my mayo has been runny (delicious, but runny) lately, but I was shocked to see extra-virgin olive oil in the ingredients list. Every single other site I’ve seen on making mayo has said not to use EVOO because your mayo will taste bitter! I will be making this with regular light-tasting olive oil, as I always use.
Hi Leigh! I buy my EVOO from a California orchard that produces a very mild oil – maybe that is why this never occurred to me! Thanks for the tip!
do I have to use raw apple cider vinegar, or will regular work? Can I use regular sea salt and it still come out ok?
Also, probably a dumb question- can I just use the whey off of our yogurt and that work for this recipe? Otherwise, I’ll have to figure out where to get it… (we live in the UK).
Thanks for the recipe!
Any vinegar will work, regular sea salt will not affect the outcome and YES! The whey off of your yogurt is the best thing to use 🙂
Is the Coconut oil you use refined or unrefined? I have read in other recipes to use refined – I know that the refined does not have the coconut flavor. Thank you so much for all your time & wonderful info!!
I have used both. The unrefined does yield a more mellow flavor but the extra virgin has a lot of benefits when taken raw so I sneak it in when I am making chicken salad or something. No one notices 🙂
I have made this mayo and it solidifies in the fridge??? How do I keep it smooth and creamy in the fridge?
Hi Christine! What kind of oil are you whipping it up with? Mine solidifies if I use 100% coconut oil but not if I do a 50/50 blend with coconut oil and olive oil. If you’re already doing the 50/50 you might try using more olive oil than coconut. It stays liquid in the fridge 🙂
Hi Heather,
I tried this tonight. The texture came out PERFECT. The color is nearly neon green. LOL. I think its because of the deep yellow folks and the green olive oil. But to be painfully honest, I’m not loving the coconut flavor. 🙁 Will it work with just olive oil?
Yes, it will work with just olive oil! You’ll probably prefer a mild version like Chaffin Orchards late harvest stuff, otherwise the flavor is pretty strong. I’m not a huge fan of coconuty mayo either, so I use a refined coconut oil that is pretty neutral in flavor ()
Argh! Total fail on the mayo. My mixer doesn’t have a drip feature. Obviously, I poured too quickly, despite my efforts to the contrary. I am going to try again at a friend’s house with a different blender. The mixer that resulted tastes great, though. I went ahead and added the whey. Maybe it will make a great salad dressing, or a dressing for avocados.
Help! Every time I make this recipe it turns out really runny. Same goes for my other attempts at mayo. I’m using really fresh pastured eggs, and high quality coconut oil. Any ideas?
Thanks!
Hi Laura! The most common reason mayo turns out runny is that the oil is poured in too quickly. It needs to go in realllly slowly to properly emulsify. Hope that helps!
May I give another tip? Whip the egg with the salt until it looks white, frothy, and sticky. The salt helps the egg yolk thicken. Then add the oil, no more than a teaspoon at a time. After your mayonnaise base (oil + egg + salt) comes together, then add your liquid ingredients like the whey, vinegar, lemon juice, etc. I’ve never added honey to my mayonnaise, but since it’s also an emulsifier, I don’t see why you couldn’t add it in with the base. If you want it more runny like a salad dressing, then add the liquid ingredients with the yolk when you drizzle in your oils. If the oil is poured in too quickly, it can look like egg glop.
I made your recipe yesterday for my husband’s tuna salad and my egg/avocado salad(recipe found here: http://thenourishinghome.com/2012/05/avocado-egg-salad-gf/) and it was wonderful! Will definitely make more often. Thank you!
So glad you liked it, Sarah! Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know!
You got me started on ferments… I didn’t know much about them or that I could make them myself. Thank you for sharing what you have learned! I’ve got a question about this recipe. If I wanted to make it fermented so I added the whey and left it out for a few hours to ferment would honey be an issue… I have read that honey is antibacterial and therefore would it kill the good bacteria that I am trying to grow and could that cause it to loose its preserving qualities and actually go bad? Do you know of a good substitute to use for honey if one is needed?
Hi Emily! Because the amount of honey in this recipe is so small I don’t think it is an issue. Hope that helps!
I’m very excited to finally find a recipe to make (that isn’t all EVOO). I cringe every time I buy mayo at the store. So here goes nothing! My question is about adding the whey. I don’t have whey today, but will have some in a couple days. Can I add it then? And do I just mix it in or should I put it back in the processor? Finally, what is the theory behind allowing the mayo and whey to sit at room temperature for 7 hours before placing in the fridge? I’m certainly not questioning this, just hoping to learn more =)
Is there something else besides whey we can use to ferment the mayo? Thank you!
Yes… Lacto (referring to lactic acid bacteria NOT dairy milk) fermented veggie juice. If unfamiliar to you, search lacto fermented vegetables… there is a wealth of info available 🙂
Is there a way to make this without the eggs? Would it work using chia/flax seed or psyillium husk eggs? Can’t have eggs and can’t seem to find a good mayo recipe w/o eggs. 🙁 thanks for your help
Hi Michelle! You may find this recipe helpful http://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/video-mayonnaise-recipe-egg-and-dairy-free/
I’ve made this mayonnaise twice, and I have to compliment you on this recipe. It is absolutely delicious! The first time I made it, it all went into egg salad, and I was sad to have run out! This time I made a double batch! I can eat this stuff out of the jar. I could have dreams about this mayo. Just awesome stuff!
Yay! I’m so glad you like it!
I made this mayo a couple weeks ago it was amazing, even my fiance who hates mayo will eat this. My question is though what brand of whey do you use, I am from an area where even the health food stores can be questionable and i just want to make sure it is legit before I start using it lol.
Can’t wait to try this recipe. Is there a particular food processor that you recommend?
Could I use raw milk, or is it necessary to use just the whey? Thanks!
Going to try this today! Happy to see all of the comments, so it’s not a epic fail. Thanks for all the tips ladies!
Hi, I was just wondering…your recipe lists mustard, but there is not mention in the directions or in your video. Do you use mustard in your mayo? If so, is it dry mustard? Can’t wait to try this!
I do! I may not have at the time I made the video (can’t remember!), but I use a dab of dijon for a little tang.
Hey Heather! I’m making this as soon as I replenish my coconut oil. Is it okay to get extra virgin coconut oil? And also, what was the name of the company you get your olive oil from again? Thanks!
Yes, you can use extra virgin but it will have a slight coconut flavor. I buy from Chaffin Family Orchards 🙂
Thank you! I’m excited to try this!
I love mayonnaise, so I was nervous to make my own. All that I have to say is YUM! Thank you for sharing this!
Is the mustard dry seasoning? or mustard (condiment)? And is it yummy for egg salad? What a timely post, I am gearing up for summer and I need to stop buying ketchup, mustard, and mayo! Thanks, you are fabulous as always!!
I just wanted to thank you for the recipe and video. You saved me from giving up on homemade mayo. I had tried many times and sometimes it would work and others it just wouldn’t (even though I was doing the same thing!). I just couldn’t figure out why and it was so frustrating I was about to give up. I’ve made your recipe 4 times now and it works perfectly every time!!
Can I use extra virgin coconut oil for this mayo recipe, or will it taste like coconut?
It will have a bit of a coconutty flavor. I prefer the second-press expeller kind for this one 🙂
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve got it memorized now! I crave it on everything! – bugers, sweet potato fry dip, etc. Our 13 mo. old son loves it, too, and I love that I’m giving him healthy fats! Blessings!
I’ve been using safflower oil to make my mayo, as straight coconut oil solidifies in the fridge. I’d previously heard that you can’t use olive oil in the food processor or blender because it turns bitter. Is that why your recipe is half and half? Or have you not experienced this issue?
I have a question about using the coconut oil with the olive oil. If I don’t use it all and put it in the fridge it gets too hard to use. How do you deal with this issue? would it be ok to use olive and safflower oil instead?
You can, though safflower oil has a higher ratio of omega 6’s. You might also try increasing the ratio of olive oil and decreasing the ratio of coconut oil
Any thoughts on how to make more of a “Miracle Whip” flavor than mayo? My hubs is a Miracle Whip fanatic and I’d love to find something he loves…I’m thinking more vinegar and more sweetener?
That would be the place to start, but I don’t have any specific guidelines unfortunately. It’s been so long since I’ve had Miracle Whip that I honestly don’t remember what it tastes like!
What is the name of the olive oil you use? The link didn’t take me to the product. Thanks
Great post, Heather! Love it.
My husband and my four year old made homemade mayo over the weekend but our recipe uses butter and olive oil instead of coconut. It’s out of this world.
We thought about using coconut before I saw this but were a little worried it would smell and taste like coconut oil.
Does it?
I used a high quality expeller-pressed oil that does not have a coconut flavor, but extra-virgin would leave a coconutty taste. 🙂
I don’t have a food processor, or an immersion blender. My blender is that silly one that I can’t stand with the motor on top, so adding things slowly through the lid is impossible. But it was a gift and my old one was broken. So….. how do I make this??
I’ve tried a recipe in the past that used coconut oil, but found that it really hardened once I put it in the fridge! Do you find this recipe stays spreadable once refrigerated?
I’ve had that problem with 100% coconut oil versions as well. Fortunately, the olive oil in this recipe keeps it spreadable 🙂
Love this recipe! I’ve been using it for a few months now, and I love the taste! The only thing is, my family eats a lot of sandwiches and using all that olive oil and coconut oil gets kind of expensive! Does it matter what kind of oil I use? I was thinking of replacing the olive oil with sunflower oil.
Hi Kirsten! The recipe will work with sunflower oil, but I prefer olive oil/coconut because sunflower is rich in omega 6 fatty acids, which we tend to get too much of in our diet.
Honey? In mayo? Really? Where’s the paprika?
I have hemp oil and flaxseed oil that I haven’t used much. Am wondering if they would work for making mayo? Anybody tried this combo yet?
Hi Ann – I haven’t worked with either of those oils so I’m not sure, sorry!
Ok thanks! I may try the hemp/olive oil combo first. Will report back on the taste. 🙂
I made this for the first time today. I only had EVCO on hand so I used it and EVOO. Based on my experience, I will not use extra virgin of either of them again. I felt like I could taste the olive oil and there was an aftertaste of the EVCO. The texture turned out great though as I took 30 minutes using a dropper type device to add the oil. If I try this recipe again I will not take that long though to add the oil.
Hi! Great video… and exactly the way I used to do it…. UNTIL I found the “dump it all in and whiz it up” method… which I LOVE and now use. I find a 2 cup glass jar (recycled is fine.) Then add:
1 whole, pastured egg
2 1/4 teaspoons white vinegar
1 teaspoon water
1/3 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar (or honey)
1/4 tsp lemon juice
1 cup olive oil (or you choice of oils)
1 dash (to taste) cayenne pepper
1 dash (to taste) granulated garlic
Any other flavors you like (mustard, wasabi, whatever)
Dump all ingredients in a 2 cup jar. Let settle. Insert your immersion blender and push it all the way to the bottom of the jar. Push the power button and do not move the blender for a full 20 seconds. Slowly start raising the blender until you get to the very top. TaDa! Mayonnaise! Here is a video thanks to http://thehealthyfoodie.com/2013/07/07/fail-proof-home-made-paleo-mayo-whole30-compliant/
Hi Heather! I’m wondering if the mustard is necessary and what kind you use? Thank you!
I just attempted this for the first time and it did NOT turn out good 🙁 I’ll have to make a run for light flavoured olive oil and refined coconut oil.
After reading all the reviews and having a bit of trouble with my food processor not having enough liquid to whip at first, I doubled it. I’m dying inside at the thought of throwing out 6 egg yolks, a cup of olive oil and a cup of coconut oil 🙁
Here’s to trying again. I refuse to use Hellmann’s ever again!!
I don’t want to waste products on making this without first asking questions.
We don’t have a typical blender or emersion blender. All we use is a “magic bullet” blender which cannot be run for more than 1 minute in length before a rest. Do you think this will cause issues in making this mayo?
I’m seeing others ask about the “mustard”… what’s up with that?
hi there,
Thanks again for recipe – loved it! However, I am wondering how it would taste with all Safflower oil – have you or any of your readers tried it?
Thanks!
Kristen
Hopefully I don’t sound too ridiculous, but raw egg yolks– right? And, pastured hens I assume is the same as coming from chickens who roam around and eat whatever rather than being locked up in a pen?
Nevermind…I should’ve watched the video before asking. Sorry for jumping the gun;)
Wow! I wasn’t expecting this to taste as good as it did! I love mayo and not miracle whip so I made sure to use expeller pressed coconut oil and it tastes great! I may put more salt in my next batch because I loooove salt. Think this will change the recipe too much? Thanks so much for the video, I love it!
Can I use whey off the top of my Stoneyfield organic plain whole milk yogurt? I don’t find time to make my own yogurt anymore 🙂
I made this a few times in hopes that something has to give, but ALL I can taste is olive oil…YUCK! I’m not sure how to make this using extra virgin olive oil without tasting it so much. Any suggestions? Can other oils be used?
That is so strange! I live in Norway, and here Hellman mayo is made with rapeseed oil.. I wonder why it is different?? I will try to make this, by the way. I really like your blog!
It’s actually the same oil, but due to the fact that rapeseed contains a toxic compound unless filtered and therefore has been historically used for historical purposes they changed the name. Canola oil is actually just a combination of Canadian Oil, because most of the rapeseed is grown in Canada.
I tried to read through all the comments so I wouldn’t ask the same question twice. How long has this mayo lasted for you in the fridge?
This recepie is amazing! I used the immersion blender method and it was super simple, and resulted in a delicious, creamy and firm mayo.
Thanks
I added a tablespoon of whey, how long should I leave it out of the fridge for to ferment?
I can’t for the life of me think what I did wrong. I followed the recipe exactly and I used my immersion blender but it turned out runny. And yes all my ingredients were room temperature. Any way to salvage this?
Wow, fantastic video. Thank you.
Ok some times I have luck with this and sometimes I don’t. Did you have to go slow while mixing? Room temp egg? Cold oil?
Hi Megan,
I didn’t see when you put in the mustard. Also, is it prepared or dried? I’m eager to try this.
Thank you.
Nancy
What if you are allergic to eggs,garlic and lemon juice. HELP! I miss my Mayo! Can you give any suggestions as to how I can make Mayo another way and still taste good?
I’m allergic to eggs,garlic and lemon juice. Do you have any suggestions on how I can make home made Mayo? I miss my mayo and need something to take the place of Mayo that taste good.
Thank you
How many cups does one “batch” of this homemade mayo yield?
Couple of questions-
1. in the ingredient list it says lemon juice- is it supposed to be apple cider vinegar?
2. Can you tell me where to buy whey (I’ve never made yogurt or kefir) and how much and how to add to the mayo?
thank you!
Hi Joy, the instructions should have said lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar. Regarding the whey, I am not aware of any place you can buy it commercially.
Can I use a regular blender for this?
Looking forward to trying this recipe. If I make my own whole milk ricotta, it produces tons of whey. I have saved it in ice cube trays so I could have small portions to add to various things. It’s not the thick, rich whey that yogurt has. Thoughts on this? Does it have to be from yogurt?
Have you made this with straight avocado oil (a staple at our home)? I didn’t get the impression you did, just the EVCO.
Thanks!
I made this tonight and it was great. I’ve made homemade mayo a lot of times and forgot to add the oil slowly, so it turned out runny. I let it sit while we ate dinner and it separated a bit. I poured off the oil layer and used my immersion blender and started beating the thicker yolk mixture at the bottom of the jar, then SLOWLY poured the oil mixture back in and it thickened up beautifully! Just a tip if that happens to anyone. I probably could have sped up the separation process by refrigerating it had I needed to.
Dear Heather,
Thank you so much for uploading this recipe,
I never have to buy mayo again.
And it tastes amazing, thank you so much.
what makes you say soybean oil is not real food???
avacado oil is real food???
they both are made from real food
I rather stick with off brand kinds them to make my own with avacado oil. It’s way too expensive. I get mine with olive oil