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This creamy vegan oil-free mayonnaise (with tofu or cashews) is an easy, low-fat, and much healthier no-oil alternative to store-bought vegan mayo!

With this creamy and rich whole-food plant-based mayo, I bet you wouldn’t feel like you’re missing out!

A spoonful of vegan mayo no oil (using tofu or cashews), close-up, on a white marbled background.

Ingredients and Substitutions

  • Silken tofu: For that creamy and light texture. Do NOT use regular tofu (non-silken tofu) as it will not work for dairy-free mayonnaise.
    • Or sub with cashews: Cashews will make for an even creamier mouthfeel so definitely try both versions if you are curious!
  • Vinegar: To give mayo that tang. I used rice vinegar but you can also use apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice.
  • Mustard: For a flavor boost and a rich tanginess.
  • Agave syrup: Substitute with any other liquid sweetener.
  • Salt: A natural flavor enhancer.
Ingredients for oil-free vegan mayo: silken tofu, vinegar, agave syrup, mustard, and salt.

Instructions

Option 1: Using Silken Tofu

Blend all the ingredients together using an immersion blender, or a small blender. Be sure to drain your silken tofu as much as you can first, so your mayo won’t end up being too runny! 😉

Silken tofu, mustard, vinegar, and salt in a jar.
Overhead photo of silken tofu blended using a hand blender to make mayo.

Option 2: Using Cashews

For a no-soy option, you can substitute the silken tofu with cashews!.

If you’re using cashews instead of silken tofu, you first have to soak 1 cup of cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes. Then just add those cashews, together with an additional 1/4 cup of water to substitute for 1 packet of silken tofu (10.6 oz, or 300 grams).

Cashews and water being soaked in hot water.
Cashews at the start of soaking.
Cashews after 1 hour of soaking in hot water.
Cashews after soaking.
All ingredients of vegan oil free mayo in a cup.
Blending cashews for soy-free and oil-free mayo with an immersion blender.

If the consistency is too thick, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use a small blender or food processor. If you have a larger blender or food processor, double up the recipe so it will still blend smoothly.

How does the taste of Tofu Mayo differ from the Cashew Mayo?

You can see from the picture below how the textures differ. The vegan tofu mayonnaise has a smoother texture as compared to the cashew mayonnaise. However, even if both mayonnaise are oil-free and vegan, they are both super creamy and smooth!

A bowl of no oil silken tofu mayo on top, and another bowl of oil-free cashew mayonnaise below.

Taste-wise, the mayonnaise with cashews has a richer flavor, whereas the tofu mayonnaise tends to have a milder flavor.

Top Tips

  • You do NOT have to press the silken tofu in this recipe. In fact, you probably can’t as it will probably just break apart.
  • If you find that your vegan mayo is too thick, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time to thin it.
A jar of creamy oil-free plant-based mayonnaise (cashew-based) with a spoon.

Reader’s Review

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Such a versatile base recipe that is done within minutes. I love to use this as sauces and dippings and I often combine it with herbs or sambal to add some fun 🙂 It tastes great with fresh black pepper too btw”

-Grace

Jazzing Up Your Low Fat Vegan Mayo

Storage, Meal Prep, and Freezing Instructions

Storage and Meal Prep: Store this tofu mayonnaise in the fridge for 1 week, depending on the best-before date of your silken tofu. The water might set when storing, but give it a quick stir and you’re all set!

Freezing: This oil-free mayonnaise does not freeze well as it will no longer be creamy and smooth after freezing.

FAQ

Yes, vegan mayo is both dairy-free and egg-free as it is made with plant-based ingredients. However, to be sure, always read the ingredient labels!

Regular mayo typically contains eggs, which is an animal product. Additionally, some brands might include dairy or other non-vegan additives.

A regular mayonnaise is made by emulsifying eggs and oil. Eggs are high in cholesterol and oil is highly processed. However, since vegan mayo does not use egg, vegan mayo generally has lower calories and fat.

Bonus point if you make this oil-free vegan mayo recipe!

Yes, most vegan mayo uses a neutral oil as its main ingredient to produce that creamy texture. However, there are recipes such as this Vegan Oil-Free Mayonnaise, which does not use oil at all. The secret ingredient is using silken tofu or cashews!

In general, yes. Of course, it depends on the brand or recipe that you are using. However, there have been multiple times when my guests do not even know that this mayo is vegan and they are always surprised to learn that afterwards!

Vegan oil-free mayo (from tofu) with a nice swirl from above on a white marbled background.

Tasty Ways to Eat Your Mayo With

This oil-free vegan mayonnaise is perfect as a sauce for this Vegetarian Poke Bowl and Buddha bowls. And speaking of Poké Bowls, of course, it makes it a perfect dipping sauce for plant-based sushi rolls too!

3-Minute Vegan Oil-Free Mayonnaise (with Tofu or Cashew, Low Fat)

A spoon of vegan oil-free mayo using tofu on a white background.
This creamy vegan oil-free mayonnaise (with tofu or cashews) is an easy, low-fat, and much healthier no-oil alternative to store-bought vegan mayo!
Jem @ The Fruity Jem
Cook Time 3 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes
Serving Size 1 cup

Equipment

  • 1 hand blender (or a normal blender/food processor, see recipe notes)

Ingredients

Option 1: Silken Tofu Variation

  • 300 g silken tofu drained

Option 2: Cashew Variation

  • 1 cup cashews unsalted, raw or roasted
  • ¼ cup water start with 1/4 cup, then add 1 Tablespoon at a time to adjust if necessary

Other Necessary Ingredients

  • 2 Tablespoons rice vinegar or sub with apple cider vinegar or lemon juice (see recipe notes)
  • ¾ teaspoon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon agave syrup/nectar or sub with your favorite liquid sweetener

Instructions

  • (Only for the cashews option)
    Soak and Drain: Soak your cashews in hot water for at least 30 minutes in a covered bowl. Then drain out the water.
  • Add: Add the silken tofu (or the soaked cashews + 1/4 cup of water), depending on which variation you are making). Then add all the remaining ingredients to a tall cup, or a blender/food processor.
    Blend: Blend for 15-30 seconds until smooth and enjoy your vegan oil-free mayo!
  • Check and adjust: Check if the consistency is right for you. If it is too thick, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time.

Notes

On the vinegar:
  • Lemon juice is not as acidic so you might want to add a bit more. Although note that with more lemon juice, your mayonnaise might have a lemony flavor, which sounds yummy too!
  • You can also use regular white vinegar but I suggest to start with 1.5 table spoons since white vinegar tastes stronger than other vinegars.
Other notes:
  • If you have a big food processor or blender, just make sure you have enough tofu in there.
  • The recipe yields 1 cup of mayonnaise, about 16 Tablespoons (16 servings).
  • The calorie count for this recipe is based on the silken tofu variation.

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Recipe Rating




4 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I’m not vegan but need to reduce fat intake. I followed directions exactly (using silken tofu) and it came together nicely. It was a bit thinner than other homemade mayo (non-vegan) recipes I’ve tried, but I think if I just drain it (not press), it will solve that issue. It is a GREAT basis for adding your own flavor profile.
    I wonder if a tofu approach could be used for hollandaise….haven’t looked but will see if you might have a recipe for it. Thanks!!

    Reply

    1. Thank you Danni for your comment! Indeed draining the silken tofu is necessary so it will have a thicker mayo-like texture instead of being runny. I’ve added this to the post to make things clearer, so appreciate your comment!

      I don’t have a hollandaise recipe for now but I think it would work! Browse around the internet for “vegan hollandaise sauce” for some inspiration 🙂 And a quick tip, if you want that egg-y flavor without having to consume eggs in your hollandaise, try black salt (kala namak). Black salt can be expensive when it’s at a health food store, but they’re quite cheap if you get them at an Asian/Indian grocery store!

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    This surprisingly tastes very close to the real mayo. Finding silken tofu was a bit of a challenge though, but we got the correct one in the end thanks to the pictures.

    Reply

  3. 5 stars
    Such a versatile base recipe that is done within minutes. I love to use this as sauces and dippings and I often combine it with herbs or sambal to add some fun 🙂 It tastes great with fresh black pepper too btw

    Reply