Easy Vegan Mayonnaise (With Aquafaba) Recipe

by
J. Kenji López-Alt Culinary Consultant
Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.
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J. Kenji López-Alt
updated Aug. 29, 2018
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J. Kenji López-Alt

Why It Works

  • Aquafaba, the liquid inside a can of chickpeas, provides plenty of protein and starch to help emulsify an egg-free mayonnaise.
  • Adding a few whole chickpeas to the mayo improves its emulsifying properties.

This chickpea-based mayonnaise ends up light, creamy, completely grease-free, and stiff enough to hold its shape when you mound it up, but loose enough to spread easily over a sandwich. I'm not tasting it side by side with real, egg-based mayo because I'm still staying vegan this month, but I'd put it up against any homemade mayo out there (and yes, it'll blow any store-bought mayo out of the water). Best of all, it takes only two minutes to make.

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Recipe Facts

4

(13)

Active: 2 mins
Total: 2 mins
Makes: 1 cup

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Ingredients

  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) fresh juice from 1 lemon
  • 2 teaspoons (10ml) Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) liquid from 1 can of chickpeas, plus 12 whole chickpeas
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Combine garlic, lemon juice, mustard, chickpea liquid, and chickpeas in a tall container just large enough to fit the head of an immersion blender. Blend at high speed until completely smooth. Alternatively, blend in the jar of a standard countertop blender. With the blender running, slowly drizzle in vegetable oil. A smooth, creamy emulsion should form.

  2. Using a rubber spatula, transfer to a bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mayonnaise will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Special equipment

Immersion blender or standing blender

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