Ready in 3 minutes, this creamy vegan oil-free mayonnaise (plant-based) is an easy and much healthier alternative to store-bought vegan mayo. Free from dairy, preservatives, eggs, and excess fat. Just the good stuff!
With this creamy and rich whole-food plant-based mayo, I bet you wouldn’t feel like you’re missing out just because you opt for a plant-based diet this time!
In this post you’ll learn:
- Why you will love this recipe
- If vegan mayo is healthy
- Ingredients
- Instructions
- Equipment
- Storage instructions
- If you can use freeze this mayonnaise
- FAQ
- Oil-free mayo varieties
- Tasty ways to eat your mayo with
Why You Will Love This Vegan Oil-Free Mayo
- Quick and easy: Done in 3 minutes, with only 5 simple ingredients. Making this DIY vegan mayo cannot be easier!
- Rich and creamy: This no oil vegan mayo recipe gives that rich and creamy texture of the classic mayonnaise.
- Healthy: Free from oil, preservatives, excess fats, and eggs, this oil-free mayonnaise is therefore also free from cholesterol.
- Cheap: A jar of vegan mayonnaise could be quite expensive, depending on where you live. Which is why this recipe!
- Oil-free: This easy vegan mayo recipe is the perfect one if you want to reduce your oil consumption!
- Nut-free or soy-free: The perfect no oil mayonnaise recipe made with tofu is perfect for those of you who have nut allergies. And the cashew substitutes work well for those with soy allergies! Win-win! 😉
- Dairy-free and 100% vegan
- Versatile: A great base recipe that is great for sauces in poke bowls and Buddha Bowls (such as my Rainbow Poké Bowl recipe). You can also get creative, add some garlic and flavor to make stuff like my Gochujang Aioli and Kimchi Aioli recipes!
- Video: I’ve included a video all the way down in the recipe card to make this even easier!
Is Vegan Mayo Healthier Than Regular Mayo?
Yes, this low-fat and oil-free vegan mayo recipe is definitely much healthier than the regular mayonnaise! A regular mayonnaise is made by emulsifying eggs and oil. Eggs are high in cholesterol and oil is highly processed. This makes your regular mayo something that you would not want to consume too often.
And although most vegan mayo recipes eliminate the eggs, they use a lot of oil which makes them highly processed and high in fat. On the contrary, this mayonnaise recipe uses silken tofu as a base, with no oil at all. Silken tofu is full of fiber, plant-based protein, and contains no cholesterol. The wholesome ingredients create a completely whole food plant-based (WFPB) mayo. Talking about plant-power! 🌱
Furthermore, since you will be making it at home, this plant-based mayo is also free from preservatives. Plus, you can control how much salt and sweetness you want to add!
Does vegan mayo contain oil?
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 in this dairy-free mayo to get that creamy texture while going oil-free at the same time is using silken tofu, which can also be substituted with some cashews!
Another ingredient that I have seen being used to help get that creaminess is aquafaba, which is the water in a can of chickpeas. Aquafaba is a great ingredient to whip something up, in fact, you can make whipped cream just by using aquafaba, cream of tartar, and sugar. Check out this article from King Arthur Baking for how to use aquafaba in vegan cooking!
However, I have decided to not use aquafaba to turn this into an aquafaba mayonnaise recipe since I know that not everyone is familiar with this ingredient. However, if you have them on hand, and you are making the cashew-based version, feel free to substitute the water with aquafaba!
Ingredients
- 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: A creamy and rich alternative to silken tofu! It will make for an even creamier mouthfeel so definitely try both versions if you are curious!
- Vinegar: A classic ingredient for your mayo to give it that tang. I used rice vinegar but you can also use apple cider vinegar, white vinegar, or lemon juice.
- Mustard: To give that flavor boost and a rich tanginess.
- Agave syrup: A bit of sweetness to round off the flavor.
- Salt: A natural flavor enhancer.
Instructions
Option 1: Using Silken Tofu
Making your homemade vegan mayo is as simple as gathering all the ingredients and blending them. Easy peasy lemon squeezy! 😉
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).
If the consistency is too thick, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the desired consistency.
P.S. Cashews are on my ultimate List of 35 Brown Vegetables + Photos. Check it out if you want to see 34 other Brown Vegetables, complete with stunning images! 🤎
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!
Taste-wise, the mayonnaise with cashews has a richer flavor, whereas the tofu mayonnaise tends to have a milder flavor.
I don’t have a hand blender. Can I use a normal blender or a food processor?
Yes you can! If you have a big food processor or blender, just make sure you have enough tofu in there.
If you are not sure that your food processor or blender is too big, I suggest buying two blocks of silken tofu so you can double up the recipe if needed.
Storage Instruction
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! (no pun intended 😉)
Can I Freeze My Mayonnaise?
No, this oil-free mayonnaise does not freeze well as the texture will change. It will not be creamy and smooth if you freeze it.
Top Tips
- You do NOT have to press the silken tofu in this recipe. In fact, you probably can’t.
- However, silken tofu is quite soft in texture and thus you cannot really press it. If you try to press it, it might actually break apart.
- Pressing the tofu is often done when you want to squeeze out the moisture inside the tofu. This is usually done to firm or extra firm regular tofu. People often do this when they will eat the tofu such as in making this Marinated Tofu recipe.
- If you find that your vegan mayo is too thick, add 1 Tablespoon of water at a time to thin it.
Ingredients Substitutions
- For the tofu, please do NOT use regular tofu (such as firm or extra firm tofu). You HAVE to use silken tofu. A firm tofu will not blend smoothly to give that light and creamy texture of mayonnaise.
- Some brands sell “firm silken tofu”. This is okay to use. As long as the word “silken” is there, you can use that tofu.
- If you cannot find silken tofu, go with the cashews option instead.
- You can substitute the rice vinegar with other vinegar.
- I’ve tested this plant-based mayo with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar and both work well.
- 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 starting with 1.5 Tablespoons since white vinegar tastes stronger than other vinegars.
- I’ve tested this plant-based mayo with lemon juice and apple cider vinegar and both work well.
- I do not recommend omitting the sweetener (the agave syrup/nectar) since a sweetener rounds off the flavor really well.
- However, you can substitute them with any liquid sweetener such as maple syrup.
FAQs
Those opting to eat plant-based could make vegan mayo (both oil-based and the oil-free option such as this 3-minute tofu mayonnaise recipe).
Other than that, there are many other alternatives depending on the use. For instance, if it’s for dipping, vegans could use hummus, avocado-based spread like guacamole, or even the surprisingly creamy bean spreads!
Yes, vegan mayo is dairy-free as it is made with plant-based ingredients. However, to be sure, always read the ingredient labels!
Yes. Some people add black salt (kala namak) to add that ‘eggy’ flavor. However, I personally don’t think that there is a strong eggy flavor in mayonnaise so I do not substitute the egg in this plant based mayonnaise.
Regular mayo typically contains eggs, which is an animal product. Additionally, some brands might include dairy or other non-vegan additives.
Of course this depends on the ingredients used. Some vegan mayo options are healthier than traditional mayo because they are lower in cholesterol, but others may still contain processed ingredients.
Having said that, you can totally make a healthy mayonnaise with this recipe which uses silken tofu instead of oil! You only need 3 minutes and have complete control over what gets into your mayo!
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!
Looking for Varieties?
Want to pimp your low-fat vegan mayonnaise? Here are some flavors you can try!
- Sriracha Mayo: Combine 3 Tablespoons of your silken tofu mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon of sriracha and mix well. If you like things spicier, add more sriracha sauce (or sub with sambal oelek or cayenne/chili powder as I did in this Sambal Chili Aioli).
- Tandoori Mayo: Add some tandoori spices, following my 5-Minute Tandoori Mayonnaise recipe to spice this dairy-free mayo up!
- Chipotle Mayo: Mix 5 Tablespoons of mayo with 1/4 teaspoon of ground chipotle powder. Adjust the chipotle powder to taste.
- Smoked Paprika Mayo or Smoky BBQ Mayo: For some delicious smokiness.
- Yuzu Mayo: Add a bit of yuzu juice for that refreshing Japanese flavor as in my Yuzu Kosho Mayo!
Want more subtle flavors instead? Try these!
- Garlic Mayo or Aioli: Combine 5 Tablespoons of this plant-based mayonnaise with 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder. Adjust the garlic powder for a more garlicky taste.
- For more aioli recipes, check out my 3-Minute Gochujang Aioli and Kimchi Aioli recipes!
- Truffle Mayo: If you have access to black truffle, grate some of them and get a rich umami homemade black truffle mayo!
- P.S. If you also love going to the market and checking out produce, check my list of 33 Black Vegetables (+ Pictures!) for some inspiration for the next time you’re produce-hunting at the farmers market! 👩🌾🖤
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 in general. And speaking of Poké Bowls, of course, it makes it a perfect dipping sauce for sushi rolls too! So check out my sushi recipes such as:
- Kappa Maki (Cucumber Roll)
- Umeshiso Roll (Japanese pickled plums and shiso leaves)
- Shiitake Roll
- Kimchi Sushi
- Natto Rolls
You can also turn this into an oil-free vegan salad dressing! Perfect for dishes such as potato salad too!
Vegan Oil-Free Mayonnaise (Low Fat, with Tofu or Cashews)
Equipment
- 1 hand blender (or a normal blender/food processor, see recipe notes)
Ingredients
Option 1: Silken Tofu Variation
- 300 g silken tofu
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.
Video
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
April 23, 2023 at 8:37 pmSuch 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
July 27, 2023 at 8:11 pmThis 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.