This fresh & zingy lemon basil aioli is your next favorite sauce! Made with mayo and fresh basil leaves, it’s an easy & versatile sauce, done in 5 minutes!
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Mayo: Use my oil-free vegan mayonnaise for a quick, whole food plant-based option, but feel free to use any store-bought mayo.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: The secret to that herbaceous, fresh flavor!
- If you don’t have enough basil leaves, make my pesto mayo or pesto aioli instead! They’re also quicker since you don’t need to blend them!
- Do NOT sub with dried basil as it simply won’t cut it.
- Garlic: Brings a touch of savory sharpness.
- Although the flavor will be different and less mild, you can sub 1 garlic clove with 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder.
- Lemon Juice: Brightens up the flavors. It’s a MUST so don’t skip!
- If you have other citrus but not lemon (like orange, lime, or lemongrass), you might want to make my citrus aioli instead. Or try this Japanese yuzu aioli!
- Lemon Zest: Adds depth to this gluten-free basil cream sauce!
Step-by-step Instructions
Add all the ingredients to a tall cup. Use an immersion blender/stick blender to blend for 15-30 seconds until smooth. Enjoy your lemon basil mayonnaise!
Top Tips
- If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a small food processor or blender. Note that you may then need to double the recipe for enough volume.
- Zest your lemon before juicing. It’s easier to zest the lemon before cutting and juicing it—trust me on this!
- Adjust to taste. Love more tang? Add a bit more lemon juice. Prefer a garlicky punch? Add a bit more garlic!
Serving Suggestions
Use this lemon aioli as a dipping sauce for crispy air fryer fries, roasted veggies, (vegan) crab cakes, or tofu bites. You can also toss this lemon garlic aioli with pasta or potato salad for a zesty, herby kick.
Or spread this basil mayo on your vegan burgers, sandwiches (like in my finger sandwiches and avocado bagel sandwich), or wraps for an instant flavor boost!
You can also drizzle this lemon basil aioli over a grain bowl, buddha bowl, or simple salad to make your meal extra special.
Storage and Meal Prep Instructions
Store this basil lemon sauce in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. For longer storage, use your own discretion to determine whether it’s still safe for consumption!
Do NOT freeze this basil mayo since mayo does not freeze well in general.
FAQ
Want More Fancy But Easy Sauces?
If you don’t have fresh basil leaves, make my garlic pesto aioli or pesto mayonnaise instead.
For other Italian-inspired sauces, I recommend trying this sun-dried aioli, roasted red pepper aioli, or balsamic aioli. If you like spicy stuff, check out this Calabrian chili aioli to this Dijon mustard aioli for a milder punch!
5-Minute Lemon Basil Aioli (Basil Mayo Sauce)
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayo make your ownÂ
oil-free vegan mayo  in 3 minutes, or use store-bought ones! - 1 cup fresh basil leaves lighly packed (15 grams)
- 1 medium garlic clove grated or finely minced
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon lemon zest
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients in a tall cup, then use an immersion blender to blend for 15-30 seconds until smooth.You can also use a small food processor or blender, but you might need to double the recipe to have enough volume. Enjoy!1 cup mayo, 1 cup fresh basil leaves, 1 medium garlic clove, 1 Tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
