Your New Tasty (& Easy) Oil-Free Mayonnaise Recipe!
Your New Tasty (& Easy) Oil-Free Mayonnaise Recipe!The quintessential condiment must-have gets all cleaned up in this vegan, nutritarian, low-sodium, no-refined-sugar, no-oil mayo recipe!
And all I can say is: It’s about damn time!
I’ve been at this for over 4 years and I’m only now making a mayonnaise recipe??
While I can’t account for this culinary anomaly other than to say I’ve been using hummus and herb tahini sauce on just about everything I’d otherwise be using mayo for, I can tell you that this recipe is sooooo good!
When Your Ezekiel Bread is Begging to be Slathered, Use This Mayo!
There are exactly 2 reasons I finally made this no-oil mayo recipe:
- sandwiches
- macaroni & potato salads
That’s right, my nutritarian philosophy is: Eat all the foods you love, just “nutrify” them.
Nutrifying means getting rid of the animal products, oil, sugar, and salt.
So, in this recipe you get that richness from raw, soaked cashews; you get some salt from miso paste; you get a hint of sweet-acid from apple cider vinegar and you use a few staple spices to make it all “sing.”
What’s the Best Base for No-Oil Mayo?
What’s the Best Base for No-Oil Mayo?I checked out a whole lot of oil-free vegan mayonnaise recipes before I finally made this recipe.
Some were straightforward enough, others were utterly complicated.
In the end, I used ingredients that I usually always have on hand. So it was an absolute no-brainer that the base for this mayo would be tofu.
See, I kinda have a thing love-affair with tofu (like here, here, here and here). And I’m not concerned about it. If you are, I highly suggest you give this Dr. Fuhrman article, “Don’t Fall for the Myths About Soy,” a read!
Tofu is wonderful as a base for nutrified no-oil mayo because it has protein without a lot of fat. If we used only cashews for the base (it would be absolutely dreamy) but we could only enjoy so much as self-respecting nutritarians (who are striving to meet our ideal weight).
With tofu as the base we get to do my favorite thing: eat a whole lot more!
This mayo is savory with a bright, crisp, clean flavor. You get the umami taste from the miso and a good note of Dijon at the end.
So far I’ve used this No-Oil Nutritarian Mayo with this macaroni salad recipe, this baked-tofu sandwich you might have noticed above, as a salad dressing mixed with balsamic and as a dip for raw cucumbers, carrots and bell peppers.
I. Love. It.
And I hope you do too!
No-Oil Nutritarian Mayo
Ingredients
- 1 block silken or soft tofu 14 ounce package
- 2/3 cup raw cashews
- 1/8 cup white miso paste
- 2 tbsp. onion powder (note: you can decrease this amount to taste)
- 1 tbsp. garlic powder (note: you can decrease this amount to taste)
- 1 1/2 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. celery seed
Instructions
-
Soak the cashews in a bowl covered in water overnight. Strain and rinse.
-
Add all the ingredients into a high-speed blender and blend on high for 45 seconds to a minute, or until very smooth and creamy.
Recipe Notes
Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to 10 days!
Because this recipe yields 3 cups of mayo the onion powder and garlic powder proportions may seem excessive. Feel free to add less of these spices when you blend and adjust to your personal tastes.
If you give this No-Oil Nutritarian Mayo recipe a try, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a recipe rating and comment below!
I’m thrilled to see their is an alternative to mayonnaise. I’m looking forward to trying it and I will surely get back to you. I think it is very interesting. And I thank you patty
Hi Patty!
Oh, I’m so happy about this mayo recipe too!! It’s so hard to find good oil-free recipes, I think the flavor on this one is great–but I’d love your feedback once you get to make it!
xo, Kristen
I recently discovered that I maybe allergic to nuts. Have always had a peanut allergy. Looks like seeds except sesame are okay. Ideas as to what I can substitute for cashews? Thanks for any ideas you may have.
Hi Beth!
Yes, I think a great substitute would be hemp seed or possibly sunflower seeds. White chia seeds might work too, especially soaked!
Personally, I’d start with the hemp, 1/2 cup! If you give it a try please let me know how it turns out!
xo, Kristen
Just made the mayo..making the macaroni salad tomorrow to serve on 4th of July at a family BBQ. The mayo is so delicious..hubby loved it! Can’t wait to make the salad😀
This recipe is fantastic, thank you! I tried it by itself, and I also used it as a base for a Russian dressing which I put on a vegan Reuben sandwich. Ahh, it was lovely. Side note, I did not soak the cashews before, and it still turned out smooth and fluffy in my vitamix!
Thank you for the recipe!
Hello,
love the fact that this is oil free! I’m certainly looking forward to trying it.
I just have one problem. I can’t find organic white miso paste in my area. I prefer to not shop for grocery’s online. Is there a (healthy) alternative? Or can I just leave it out?
Thank you! 🙂
Hi Lisa!
You can use Liquid Aminos instead of the miso, just use 1 or 2 tsp because it’s stronger and has a higher sodium content!
You can leave out any sodium if you’d like but I only recommend that if you’ve been following a low-sodium lifestyle for some time because it can be hard at first!!
Thanks so much for your comment!
xo, Kristen
Can you please tell me if I can make this in a food processor?
Thank you
So, I do not own a “high powered” blender. I decided I wanted to make this, but I didn’t have soaked cashews. So, I put the cashews in my regular blender along with 1 tbsp of water, and blended the cashews. They reduced to small chunks. Then I added the tofu, and blended the nuts and water with that, and then once that was creamy, I added the remaining ingredients. I reduced the seasonings by half, and still found it a little too “dijon-like” for my taste. I don’t really want my mayo to taste like mustard. However, I added more tofu to the batch, and it came out very good. I loved it w/my chickpea “no tuna” salad, and I especially love how thick and creamy it is.
Hi Teresa!
Thanks so much for your review and thoughtful notes! I love robust seasonings but I understand that it’s not for everyone’s palate!
I’m SO happy to know this recipe can work in a regular blender to–woop, woop!!
xo, Kristen
So so good! To reduce the “bean” flavour of the tofu, I just boil the whole block in water for about 2 mins before adding to the blender. It really makes a difference in my opinion.
Thanks for all your yummy recipes!!
Hi, is there any chance you could give the 2/3 cup and 1/8 cup measurements in tbsp or tsp? We don’t use cups much here in the UK, so I don’t know what these measurements mean. Many thanks.
Could I use any nuts besides the cashews? My daughter is very allergic, but the rest of the recipe sounds amazing!
Hi Cara!
I haven’t tried this specific recipe with any other nuts but I do like subbing blanched almonds for cashews–just note the texture is overall more grainy but if you soak them first it should help with that!
xo, Kristen
Hi, I just made this so I could make macaroni salad recipe that you sent. I’m so excited to have macaroni salad, and it is so colorful. May take me time to get over no olives in it. or pickles, but it looks awesome, that’s going to be part of dinner tonight. Thank you for listing what to use instead of miso paste, I’m having trouble finding it.
What miso paste do u buy? I’ve only found miso paste that’s very high in sodium
Hi Dawn,
I use white miso (which is the lowest in sodium of all the varieties). I buy the “Miso Master” brand from Whole Foods!
xo, Kristen
Don’t get me wrong; this is a delicious sauce and I will be using it many different ways but I took away 1 star cuz it was a little too tangy for my taste in mayo! Maybe because I’m a Best Foods/Hellman’s girl (I miss you mayo) and not a Miracle Whip fan, it just didn’t quite work as mayo for me. Do use this sauce in lots of mayo apps, though; it has a great, sparking personality of its own!
I am allergic to soy products. What can I substitute for the tofu in your recipes?
Hi Lisa,
For this particular recipe you can just go for a more traditional all-nut-based mayo! For my other tofu recipes the recommendations would differ depending on which recipe you’re looking at.
You can always email me through the contact form for more specific guidance!
xo, Kristen
I eyeballed nearly all the ingredients. And even without celery seeds, the flavor and texture of this mayo are lovely. (Can’t wait to see how the flavor improves with them added.)
Used a couple dollops as dressing for a chopped salad—creamy and dreamy.
I’m SO happy to hear you enjoyed this mayo recipe, Trish!
And thank you for taking the time to leave your lovely comment and recipe rating!
xo, Kristen
This recipe is delicious, even to people who eat a standard american diet. Thank you!
Hi Amy,
I’m SO happy to hear that! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a recipe rating and comment!
xo, Kristen
This is a lovely, light dressing/sauce. It really hits the same flavor notes as mayo! The celery seed is a brilliant addition and adds that something extra. I made the recipe as written and I don’t think I would change anything (which is rare- I always tweak things). This is great as a dip, dressing or spread. I think this will now be a staple in our fridge. Thank you Kristen for creating high-flavor, high-nutrition recipes- it definitely makes eating this healthy exciting and fun :).
Hi Amanda,
Oh, I’m SO happy to hear that you are loving this recipe exactly as it is! It’s rare when that happens because tastes are so individual but I’m truly honored that you are enjoying it so much! Thank you for taking the time to leave such a lovely review and recipe rating!
Best,
Kristen
Does this actually taste like real mayo?
If you’re not accustomed to plant-based eating it may not. But to me it does!
I Am Vegan
Spouse is not
Looking for healthy recipes for both
Thank You!
So happy to hear that you’re finding inspiration here!
I see a lot of posts saying they couldn’t go vegan because of cheese. I’m allergic to cheese, so it’s not that that has always made me hesitate to try this lifestyle-it’s mayo! And I have to say-this recipe is very tasty! Would be delicious on a sandwich or your macaroni salad! Thanks for the recipe!!
Hi Tiffany,
Lovely to meet a fellow mayo-lover! YAY! I’m so thrilled that you love this recipe as much as I do!
thank you for the tip on replacing cashews. I have been a vegetarian for 20 years, but allergic to tree nuts. I always find it challenging as so many recipes call for cashews to replace cheese/dairy ingredients. Will try your suggestion here. Thank you!
So happy to hear it was appreciated, Michelle!
Thank you for the mayonnaise recipe. It was awesome! I have tried many recipes and this one is by far the best.
YAY! I’m so very happy to hear that Susan!
Thank you for taking the time to leave a recipe rating and review–this is so helpful for the site!
xo, Kristen
How long does the recipe it keep for?
Hi Megan, it lasts for up to 10 days in your fridge stored in a glass jar (closer to an air source is better for the longer shelf life too).
This recipe sounds yummy! For those who want to avoid tofu, I suggest white beans instead. I make mayo using a recipe with 1 1/2 cups white beans and 1/2 cup soaked cashews, plus seasonings.
Love those recommendations Melissa–thanks so much for sharing!
Mind blown!! I’ve only been full-steam WFPB/vegan/no SOS for two months, and this was my first attempt at vegan mayo. (I thought, how good could it possibly be without oil or eggs?) Your vegan mayo is SOOO much yummier than what I used to make pre-dietary change. Thank you SO much for sharing this amaaaazing recipe… WOW!
Huge congratulations on your health journey so far, Nancy! And I’m just so pleased to hear that you loved this recipe–it’s one of my favorites!
Hey tried this again, it was good, Since last time I made it I’m on a lower salt diet. So used Coconut Amino’s instead of miso paste. Turned out well. I also couldn’t find silken or soft tofu, (used firm) so after rinsing and squeezing some water out, I ended up adding some water, a 1/4 cup at a time, total 1/2 cup. Next time I might only go a 1/3, but is still creamy and rich, but does pour out of blender.
Thanks so much for sharing your modifications Lesa! Sometimes people don’t have everything they may need on hand so it’s nice to get these variations noted!
Wonderful! I’ll be honest, Mayo has always been the thing that keeps me from going full nutritarian, but with this recipe, I think I can finally commit! Thanks!!
Oh I’m so pleased to hear that, Tiffany!
I only need about half this amount at a time . Can I freeze the other half? That would be very convenient!
Hi Renee, I have not experimented with freezing this recipe but I’d imagine it would be okay. Let it defrost on the counter then whisk to recombine. I don’t know how long it would last in the fridge after that–these are things I’ll have to find out when I update this recipe!