This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure and privacy policy.
Healthy, easy and amazing cashew mayonnaise! Made with 4 ingredients (plus water and salt), it is oil-free, vegan, and Paleo. Use it in any and all recipes calling for mayonnaise.
The price of plant-based mayonnaise makes me faint.
In addition to being close to 4 times the cost of traditional mayonnaise, the jars tend to be tiny. That’s fine if you are using it for an occasional swipe on a sandwich. But the mayonnaise-dependent summer salads in the warm months ahead (e.g., potato salad, coleslaws, and more) can break the bank in a single meal.
So I did what I typically do in such situations. I made my own. And you can make it, too, because my recipe is as easy as can be!
Start by soaking 1 cup of raw cashews. You can soak the cashews overnight, but I usually use a quick method: soak in boiling water for 15 to 20 minutes. The cashews will plump up to roughly twice their size.
Drain and rinse the cashews, and then blend with water, freshly squeezed lemon juice, a hit of Dijon mustard (tangy goodness), garlic powder and sea salt. A small bullet-style blender is ideal for this quantity of mayonnaise.
Oh, and yes, you are reading correctly: this mayonnaise has NO OIL! The velvety richness is derived from the fat in the cashews. Easy. Healthy. Amazing.
Here’s a breakdown of this mayo’s stellar attributes:
*Vegan
*Paleo
*Oil-free
*4 ingredients (plus water & salt)
*Frugal
*Less than half the calories of traditional mayonnaise
I know that you are going to love this mayo!
Easy Cashew Mayonnaise {vegan, Paleo, oil-free, 4 ingredients}
- Prep Time: 20
- Total Time: 20
- Yield: 1 cup (250 mL) 1x
Description
Healthy, easy and amazing cashew mayonnaise! Made with 4 ingredients (plus water and salt), it is oil-free, vegan, and Paleo. Use it in any and all recipes calling for mayonnaise.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (4 oz/112 g) raw cashews
- 1/3 cup (75 mL) cold water (more, as needed)
- 2 tablespoons (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (more or less, to taste)
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a mason jar or glass bowl. Add 2 cups (500 mL) boiling water. Let stand for 15 to 20 minutes until very plump. Drain and rinse the cashews.
- In a small food processor or handheld blender (i.e., bullet-style blender), process the cashews, water, lemon juice, mustard, garlic powder, and salt.
- Stop and scrape the sides and bottom of container multiple times until the mixture is very smooth creamy-looking, and the consistency of mayonnaise (be patient, this will take a good amount of stopping, starting, and scraping–about 3 to 4 minutes).
- If desired, add more water for a looser mayonnaise. Taste the mayonnaise and add more salt, mustard, garlic power or lemon juice as desired.
Notes
Storage: Store the mayonnaise in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Freezing is not recommended.
Overnight Soaking: If you prefer, soak the cashews in 2 cups cold water, at room temperature for 8 hours instead of using the quick soak method. Drain and rinse before using. I do not recommend soaking the cashews for longer than 8 hours (they can turn slimy).
Blending Tip: I specify a small food processor or blender because the small volume of mayonnaise is difficult to blend in a regular size food processor or blender. If you are making a large batch of the mayonnaise (e.g., double or triple), a regular size food processor or blender will work.
Fresh Garlic: I like the simplicity of using garlic powder, but fresh garlic can be used, too. I do not recommend using raw garlic; the flavor is too strong and grows stronger as the mayonnaise is stored. Instead, blanch the garlic in boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes or roast the garlic. I recommend 1 to 2 cloves, to taste.
- Category: Essential Basics
- Method: Blender
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 45
- Sugar: 0.5 g
- Sodium: 43.8 mg
- Fat: 3.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: mayonnaise, cashews, plant based, vegan, Paleo, easy, oil-free
I was really surprised, definitely in a good way, at how delicious and “authentic” this tastes. Brilliant recipe, thanks for sharing your creativity.
This is, hands down, the best mayonnaise, ever. Including oil- egg, French ones. We make this all the time, it is a staple at our house. I buy the cashews in bulk so this is extremely frugal, so much less than vegan mayonnaise at the stores, and SO much better. Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Camilla – you are so good at what you do. I must say, this is a fantastic mayonnaise. I am not vegan, but I am looking to eat less oil and more plant-based foods. Recipes like this make it easy – Thanks! 🙂
This is amazing. So glad I tried it. Made a triple batch so I could use my blendtec blender. so easy and perfect. thanks camila!
Camilla:
You made my day-week-month with this great recipe! It is so silky and delicious and is still perfect after 4 weeks in a mason jar in the fridge. I used some roasted garlic paste (homemade)in place of garlic powder-divine!
First, your blog is incredible I can’t believe how well done it is. This mayonnaise is so good. Made a potato salad for a potluck, people loved it, including some food snobs who said they could tell I made my own mayonnaise (!) I did not tell them it was from cashews.Anyway, I think you rock.
The best vegan mayonnaise. Thanks, it is now a staple.