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Made with tofu and aquafaba, this Oil-Free Vegan Mayo is the perfect spread for your favorite sandwiches and wraps. This vegan mayonnaise is also great for pasta or potato salad. Plus this oil-free mayo is much lower in calories and fat than its oil-based counterpart.
I’m not gonna lie to you.
I love mayonnaise.
In fact, I could probably eat an entire batch of this vegan macaroni salad by myself.
No, it’s not a good problem to have since most mayo (vegan or traditional) is made with oil and therefore, contains quite a bit of fat…and calories.
Now, I am not giving up oils entirely or shutting out store-bought vegan mayo for good, but I figured I could make a suitable replacement that would satisfy my mayonnaise cravings while at the same time, being healthier.
But, could it be done?
Hmmmm…I pondered and pondered over how I was going to make an oil-free mayo that would appease the toughest critic…me!
I decided to go with silken tofu as the base since it’s pretty much a blank canvas and can take on the flavors added to it.
Plus, it blends up nicely. 🙂
I also wanted to use aquafaba as an emulsifying agent for my homemade mayonnaise.
I’ve seen egg-free mayonnaise made with aquafaba, but it either had oil or had nuts, and I wanted to keep this one free of both of those things, which is another reason I chose the tofu.
Once I had those two ingredients down, I looked at a jar of store-bought mayo to get some ideas for the rest.
Apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and brown rice syrup were common ingredients.
Being that I don’t typically use brown rice syrup, I opted for agave instead.
Of course, if you have brown rice syrup in your pantry, you can definitely give it a try.
You can also leave out the sweetener completely if you wish. There is only a touch of it in the recipe, but to me, it makes it taste more like the store-bought stuff.
After I first tested this recipe, I made my vegan macaroni salad with it and served it to my daughter without telling her the mayo was homemade.
She ate two helpings before she realized something was different and finally asked.
When I told her I made the mayo, she was surprised that it tasted so much like the one she was used to eating.
Testing recipes on unknowing children is one of the best parts of my job…especially when they approve of them. 😉
Anyway, not only was it kid-approved, it was hubby-approved too!
In fact, Greg uses it on his sandwiches for work and even requests it over the store-bought stuff.
Now, I can happily use all the mayo I want without all the guilt!
How to Make Oil-Free Vegan Mayo
First, to make this recipe you will need an immersion blender. You can also use a food processor or standard blender.
My preference is the immersion blender because it delivers a perfect consistency to the mayo. This is the brand I use.
Open the package of silken tofu and carefully remove the block. Transfer the block to a plate and cut it in half.
It might not weigh a full 16 ounces once removing it since some of the water will have drained off, but you can use a kitchen scale to weigh it if you’d like to ensure that both “halves” weigh the same or at least close.
For example, my tofu weighed 15.5 ounces when I removed it from the package, so I chose to split it into two blocks of 8 ounces and 7.5 ounces, both of which worked in this recipe.
You can save the other half to make this recipe again or make something different. Store the unused portion in airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
Leave the tofu on the plate for 5-10 minutes to remove any excess water. Carefully hold onto the tofu and tilt the plate over the sink to drain the water off the plate.
Add the tofu to the blending cup that came with your immersion blender. If you are using a food processor or standard blender, add the tofu to the bowl of the food processor or to your blender.
Then, add the remaining ingredients.
Use the immersion blender to combine the ingredients.
I start off by quickly pressing and letting go and then hold the button down for longer spurts as things start to incorporate, being sure not to overblend.
If you are using a food processor, start off by pulsing and then blend on low until you’ve reached your desired consistency, scraping the sides down as needed.
If you are using a standard blender, blend on low until you’ve reached your desired consistency, scraping the sides down as needed.
Transfer the mayo to an airtight container, such as a mason jar, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so that the mayo firms up.
How to Use This Vegan Mayonnaise
Use as a spread for your favorite sandwich, wrap or veggie burger.
You can also use it in place of store-bought mayo in our vegan chickpea salad recipe.
This mayo also works great in pasta or potato salads or as a base for creamy vegan dressings like this oil-free vegan ranch.
Storing This Egg-Free Mayonnaise
The mayo can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Oil-Free Vegan Mayo
Ingredients
- 1/2 block of a 16 oz. package of organic silken tofu (approximately 7.5-8 oz. - *see notes below)
- 2 tbsp aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3/4 tsp fine sea salt or kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground mustard (aka dry mustard, mustard powder)
- 1/8-1/4 tsp agave or brown rice syrup, optional
Instructions
- Open the package of silken tofu and carefully remove the block. Transfer the block to a plate and cut it in half. Leave the tofu on the plate for 5-10 minutes to remove any excess water. Carefully hold onto the tofu and tilt the plate over the sink to drain the water off the plate.
- Add the tofu to the blending cup that came with your immersion blender. If you are using a food processor or standard blender, add the tofu to the bowl or your food processor or to your blender. Add the remaining ingredients. Use the immersion blender, food processor or blender to combine the ingredients. Blend until you've achieved your desired consistency, scraping down the sides as needed. See notes below for tips.
- Transfer the mayo to an airtight container, such as a mason jar and refrigerate for at least 2 hours so that the mayo firms up.
Suggested Equipment/Tools
Notes
Nutrition
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