Name: 3-Minute Pesto Mayo (The BEST Basil Sauce)
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 3 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup mayo; 3 Tablespoons (vegan) pesto; 1 teaspoon lemon juice

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Basil pesto mayonnaise sauce in 3 minutes, with just 3 ingredients! Creamy, herby, and flavor-packed, it’s perfect as a sandwich spread, dip, and more!

Basil pesto mayonnaise in a white bowl with a spoon in the middle.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Mayo: DIY your oil-free mayonnaise in 3 minutes, or use any store-bought mayo.
(Vegan) Pesto: Packed with herby goodness; you can use store-bought pesto or whip up a quick homemade pesto version, like my purple basil pesto.
- P.S. Making homemade pesto is quite easy with olive oil, basil, garlic, pine nuts, and lemon juice!
Lemon Juice: Use fresh lemons, NOT the bottled ones.
- Sub with vinegar (like red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar).

Mayonnaise, vegan pesto, and half a lemon on a white marbled background, with labels.

How to Make Pesto Mayo

Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until smooth. Enjoy your homemade pesto mayonnaise!

A small white bowl containing mayo, vegan pesto, and lemon juice.

Mixing the ingredients for basil pesto mayonnaise with a spoon.

Top Tips

Since pesto is quite thick, this pesto mayo is also quite thick. If you like your sauce to be thinner, add a teaspoon of water at a time until you reach your desired consistency.
Use high-quality pesto for the best results. You would definitely notice the difference!

Close-up of basil pesto mayonnaise with nice swirls.

Serving Suggestions

Sandwich Spread: Smear it on your finger sandwiches (combined with roasted bell peppers for the maximum pesto sandwich flavor), wraps, and even your hummus bagel for a herby upgrade!

Dipping Sauce: Level up your adobo French fries, masala French fries, or a simple bread with this basil pesto mayonnaise.

Salads and Grain Bowls: Drizzle it over a quinoa or rice bowl loaded with roasted/air-fried/raw veggies. This pesto mayo sauce packs a punch of flavor, making them great to jazz up your bowls!

Pizza: Drizzle some on top for a unique twist!

A bowl of pesto mayo sauce with the ingredients around it.

Storage and Meal Prep Instructions

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Do NOT freeze as this will change the texture of the mayo.

FAQ

My pesto mayo is made of vegan mayonnaise, vegan pesto, and a splash of lemon juice for brightness. The exact ingredients vary between recipes, but most include these three!

Regular pesto contains Parmesan cheese, which is made from dairy, making it not vegan. You can read more about it in this Sporked article.

Pesto pairs well with pasta, sandwiches, wraps, roasted veggies, grain bowls, fries, and creamy sauce like mayonnaise like in this mayo pesto sauce!

Absolutely! In fact, I paired them with roasted red peppers in my vegan tea sandwiches. If you like the herby taste to be a bit milder, swap the pesto with this pesto mayo sandwich spread which is also creamier!

Basil pesto mayo sandwich spread with a spoon.

Want More Saucy Goodness?

For more pesto sauces, try my basil pesto aioli for a garlicky sauce, or my lemon basil aioli if you’d like to use fresh basil (instead of jarred pesto).

For another Italian sauce, try my spicy Calabrian mayonnaise or my balsamic mayo sauce. And if you’d like something that packs a lot of umami, I recommend my sun-dried tomato mayo, my roasted red pepper mayo, or my smoked paprika mayo!