One-Minute Homemade Mayonnaise (Immersion Blender)

Name: One-Minute Homemade Mayonnaise (Immersion Blender)
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 1 large egg (room temperature); 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt; 1 cup avocado oil

5 from 11 votes

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This one-minute homemade mayonnaise recipe made with an immersion blender is truly a game changer! If I'm being totally honest, one minute is being generous. You can whip up this creamy, healthier homemade mayonnaise in 30 seconds. It's literally so quick and easy, you can make it faster than you can pick one at the store. Make it as is or customize it with additional flavors for fun twists!

homemade mayonnaise in a small ceramic bowl with a spoon scooping some out.

What Is Mayonnaise?

Okay yeah we all know what mayonnaise is. But what is it really and why is it so feared by home cooks? Mayonnaise is an emulsion. What's an emulsion, you ask? An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that don't normally mix, leaving them separated. Try whisking together water and oil and let it sit. You'll see that the oil floats to the top and is clearly separated from the water. That is not an emulsion.

In the case of mayonnaise, the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, and egg white won't mix properly. Therefore the mixture would separate and not emulsify.

The old school way to emulsify such liquids is by combining them very slowly while whisking very vigorously. It's an arm workout. But you'll end up with a less than stable mixture that will later separate again.

The key to a stable emulsion is the introduction of an emulsifier, or an emulsifying agent. An emulsifier is a compound that has one end that is attracted to fats (hydrophobic) while the other end is attracted to water (hydrophilic). So when it is introduced to a mixture of oil and a water based ingredient, it can actually mix with them and bond, or emulsify, resulting in a stable, homogenous mixture.

Emulsifiers include egg yolks, butter, mustard, fresh garlic, honey, tomato paste, and more. In the case of mayonnaise, egg yolks are the classic emulsifier. But mustard is a common additive in homemade mayonnaise for additional stability.

How To Make An Emulsion

To make a proper emulsion, you would typically need to stream the oil in very slowly while whisking the other liquid vigorously. Or a food processor can be used to make it a little easier. Even then, it can be tricky for the experienced home cook and you can end up with a broken mayonnaise!

Enter my favorite kitchen tool: the small but mighty immersion blender. Unlike a regular blender or food processor where you need to pour the oil in a thin stream over a long period of time while the machine is on, the immersion blender simplifies the whole process and cuts down the time to a fraction. It is seriously like a magic trick. I can't wait for you to try this easy recipe - it is the best!

How was that for a science lesson? If you're into super quick and easy recipes that are seemingly magical, then you have to check out my easy toum recipe. Just like this homemade mayonnaise, it is an emulsion that is fail-proof thanks to the immersion blender but instead of eggs, it is emulsified with tons of fresh garlic for the ultimate flavor bomb!

Ingredients

Eggs: Most mayonnaise recipes call for just the egg yolks, but I have not found a remarkable difference using the whole egg. Plus it's one less messy step. Note that mayonnaise is made with raw eggs. You can pasteurize your own eggs at home if you're concerned about consuming raw eggs.
Vinegar: I like to use apple cider vinegar, but you can use any light vinegar you have at home.
Lemon juice: Fresh is best.
Dijon mustard: You can use regular mustard as well.
Neutral oil: I prefer avocado oil for health reasons but any neutral oil such as grapeseed oil and vegetable oil will be the best option. You can make this easy mayonnaise recipe successfully with any oil, but if it is not a neutral oil (e.g. extra virgin olive oil) it will alter the flavor and color of your mayonnaise.

Instructions

First, grab a wide mouth jar that fits your immersion blender. Make sure to test it before getting the jar dirty so you don't have to start over.

For best results, choose a jar or container that will fit the immersion blender as snug as possible. You can also use the tall, narrow container that comes with most immersion blenders.

This recipe yields about a cup and a half of homemade mayonnaise, so make sure there is enough room.

To make this easy mayonnaise, crack the whole egg into the jar and add the dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and salt. You can use just the egg yolk if you want, but I use the whole egg for a simpler process.

Next add all the oil on top. You don't have to stream it in slowly.

Place the immersion blender in the jar, and let it touch the bottom of the jar so that it is in contact with the egg and other ingredients.

collage of how to make homemade mayonnaise in a jar with an immersion blender.

Hold the jar with one hand, and turn on the immersion blender while keeping it at the bottom. Do NOT move up and down.

As soon as you start blending, you'll notice the bottom quickly turning thick and white. Once you see that, move the blender up slowly about an inch, and continue blending.

Keep moving up slowly until the whole mixture is emulsified. It will literally take less than 30 seconds. It's so quick and easy you basically blink and your homemade mayonnaise is ready.

You may see some residual oil floating at the top of the mayonnaise. Simply lift the blender up (while it's off!) then push it back down or give it a quick stir and blend for a few more seconds to incorporate that last bit of oil.

Store and Enjoy Your Homemade Mayonnaise

And that is it! You now have a the best, creamy, homemade mayonnaise ready for use in your favorite recipes. It's going to blow your mind.

To store it, simply wipe down the edges of the jar, close it with a lid, and pop it in the fridge. Also, did I mention how easy clean up is when you make homemade mayonnaise with an immersion blender??

Thanks to this fail-proof method, you'll be able to enjoy the most delicious, homemade mayonnaise at home for a couple weeks. And when you run out, make another batch because it's that easy! You will be shocked at how much healthier, cheaper, and more delicious it is than store-bought mayonnaise!

homemade mayonnaise in a glass jar with a spoon scooping some out.

Substitutions And Variations

This recipe is naturally gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegetarian.

Mustard: You can use regular yellow mustard instead of dijon mustard.
Vinegar: Any light vinegar such as white vinegar, rice vinegar, and white wine vinegar would be a great substitute.
Lime juice: If you don't have fresh lemons on hand, you can use fresh limes.
Vegan: To make a vegan mayonnaise, check out my toum recipe. You can make it as is if you love garlic flavor, or reduce the amount of garlic by a lot to have something that resembles mayonnaise.
Flavored mayonnaise: You can really use this mayonnaise recipe as a base and customize it however you like. Sometimes I like to add a few dashes of hot sauce, a little bit of sugar, garlic, etc... The options are limitless!

Tips On Making The Perfect Mayonnaise With An Immersion Blender

Use room temperature ingredients for best results. Personally, I have never had an issue using ingredients straight from the fridge using the immersion blender method. But generally speaking, emulsions are more successful when all the ingredients are at room temperature. If you didn't plan in advance, submerge the egg in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes.
Use the narrowest vessel possible that fits your immersion blender. You need the immersion blender to be able to suck everything into the vortex at once in order for the liquids to emulsify. If the container is too wide, you risk creating a runny mayonnaise or one that splits.
Neutral oil is best. Mayonnaise is largely made up of oil, so you don't want to use an oil that will overpower the flavor of the mayonnaise. Extra virgin olive oil may make it too bitter. You can experiment by mixing oils until you find the combination you enjoy the most.

homemade mayonnaise in a small ceramic bowl with eggs and a lemon in the background.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it safe to use raw eggs in homemade mayonnaise?

According to the FDA and the USDA, eggs must be fully cooked to prevent foodborne illness due to the Salmonella bacteria. This technically means you also shouldn't be consuming runny egg yolks. However, it is thought that only 1 in 20,000 eggs may be contaminated with Salmonella, so even though there is a risk, it is a very small risk. I have been using raw eggs for years and never had an issue. Just make sure to use the freshest eggs possible with clean shells and without any cracks. If you are still concerned, you can look for pasteurized in-shell eggs at the store or pasteurize your eggs at home.

How do you pasteurize eggs for mayonnaise?

Please note that the USDA does not recommend pasteurizing eggs at home as it is not guaranteed to be done correctly. However many people still do it and you're welcome to try the following popular method. Place the room temperature egg in a saucepan with cold water and make sure it is fully submerged. Place the saucepan over medium heat and leave a thermometer in the water. Bring the water to a temperature of 140ºF/60ºC. You need to maintain that temperature for 3 to 3.5 minutes. Do not let it get hotter to prevent cooking the eggs. When the time is up, transfer the eggs to an ice bath for a couple minutes then use in the recipe or refrigerate until you're ready to use them. For a couple other methods, check out this helpful post by Samira.

How do I fix my runny mayonnaise?

Leave the mixture alone for a bit to settle and separate, then try blending again following the same technique. If that doesn't work, you could also try adding a couple tablespoons of boiling water to part of the broken mayonnaise, blend it well and stream in the rest while blending to help it emulsify. Alternatively, mix part of the mixture with a little more mustard or an egg yolk, and add the rest slowly while blending.

How long is this mayonnaise good for?

If properly stored in an airtight container in the colder parts of your fridge and if you used fresh eggs, this homemade mayonnaise should easily last two weeks. If you used older eggs, consume the mayonnaise within a week.

Can I freeze this mayonnaise?

No, mayonnaise does not freeze well. When thawed, it will lose it's creamy texture and separate, making it unpleasant.

homemade mayonnaise in a small ceramic bowl with eggs and a lemon and a spoon on the counter.

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