Homemade mayonnaise

Traditional mayonnaise contains egg, and mayonnaise replacements (like Miracle Whip) generally include corn syrup. Most vegan mayonnaise replacements contain soy, and those that don’t are made with pea protein and seed oils. For a multiple-food allergic person, all of these options can be a problem. Luckily, making homemade aquafaba mayo is a breeze, especially if you have an immersion blender.

I used this recipe from minimalistbaker.com, changing the instructions slightly to use “safe” ingredients and my immersion blender. I recommend using either avocado or olive oil in this recipe to reap the benefits of their high levels of oleic acid, a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Regular consumption of modest amounts of oleic acid has been linked to a reduced risk of heart disease.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup aquafaba

• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/4 teaspoon ground mustard

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt (I used 1/4 teaspoon table salt)

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon safe powdered sugar

• 3/4 cup avocado, grapeseed, or light tasting olive oil (I used olive)

Instructions:

1. Add aquafaba, cream of tartar, mustard, salt, lemon juice, vinegar, and sugar in a deep bowl or jar (if using an immersion blender).

2. Blend briefly to combine.

3. While continuing to blend, slowly pour oil into jar until mixture thickens and looks like mayonnaise. This can take several minutes with an immersion blender and up to 10 minutes with a hand blender.*

4. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference.

5. Cover and place in refrigerator until cold (at least 2 hours). Best when used within a few days but will keep in the fridge for a week.

Makes about 1 cup.

One tablespoon of aquafaba mayo made with olive or avocado oil provides 94 calories, 10.5g fat (including 7.5g monounsaturated, 1.1g polyunsaturated, and 1.5g saturated fat), 36mg sodium, 5.4mg potassium, 0.8g carbohydrates, and 0.6g sugar.

* I don’t think I blended mine quite enough, because even after chilling it’s more fluid than mayo, but the consistency worked out perfectly for making dressing for dinner.