Oil-Free Vegan Mayo [Nut-Free, Gluten-Free]

Made with tofu and aquafaba, this Oil-Free Vegan Mayo is much lower in calories and fat than its oil-based counterpart. This vegan mayonnaise is the perfect spread for your favorite sandwiches, wraps and veggie burgers. There's also a thicker version included that works great in potato salad or pasta salad.

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 soft 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  served it to my daughter without telling her the mayo was homemade. 

When I finally 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 unsuspecting 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!

Equipment You'll Need

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.

How to Make Oil-Free Vegan Mayo

Open a 16-oz. package of refrigerated silken tofu and carefully remove the block.

Transfer the block to a plate and cut it in half.

Keep half on the plate and store the other half in an airtight container in the fridge for future use.

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 up to 3 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 aquafaba, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, mustard powder, salt and agave (if using).

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 to infuse the flavors and firm it up.

I can't find silken tofu in the refrigerated section of my grocery store. Can I use a different kind?

Yes, you can use Mori-Nu brand non-GMO soft silken tofu instead. It comes in a 12-ounce aseptic pack, so you'll need to weigh out 8 ounces.

How can I make a thicker version?

For a slightly thicker version of this mayo, use the firm silken tofu or extra firm silken tofu by Mori-Nu.

In addition, substitute Dijon mustard in place of the mustard powder.

You can also make it super thick by using the extra firm silken tofu by Mori-Nu.

I don't recommend the super thick version as a spread, but it works nicely as a base for dressings where you'll be adding plant-based milk or other liquids.

The super thick version is also perfect for pasta salads since the noodles tend to soak up liquids like a sponge.

It also works great in potato salads!

Can I use the whole block of tofu?

Yes! If you'd like to make a larger batch, you can definitely do that.

If you're using the entire 16-oz. block of refrigerated tofu, multiply all of the remaining recipe ingredients 2.

If you're using the entire block of MORI-NU tofu in the aseptic pack, multiply all of the remaining ingredients by 1.5.

How to Use This Vegan Mayonnaise

Use as a spread for your favorite sandwich, wrap or veggie burger. We love it on our vegan BLT and our ranch chickpea veggie burger. 

And, the thicker version is perfect for our vegan macaroni salad. 

You can also use either the regular or thicker version in place of store-bought mayo in our vegan chickpea salad, simple vegan potato salad or vegan dill potato salad. 

This mayo also works great as a base for creamy vegan dressings like this oil-free vegan ranch and this oil-free vegan blue cheese.

Storing This Egg-Free Mayonnaise

The mayo can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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