Avocado Oil Mayonnaise (Ranch Flavored & Plain)

It is incredibly easy to make your own homemade mayo, but it took me a very long time to figure it out!

I mostly ended up with oil soup; no matter which mixing technique I tried, it didn't work. The flavor was also nothing like mayo, even on rare occasions when the mayonnaise emulsified and thickened. My homemade mayo tasted horrible... until I used avocado oil! 

Pictured below is my Ranch Flavored Mayonnaise that I used to make the BEST Pot Roast Sandwiches!

After trying out several different mixing techniques, I found the easiest two methods are using an immersion blender or a hand mixer. 

I know some people have great luck with a food processor, but I have not... and now I know why! The container size you mix your mayo in makes all the difference in the outcome of the mayo and my food processors are too big.  

You can also use a regular blender, but I did not have great luck in my attempts to make mayo in a blender.

I have learned so much through all of my mayonnaise-making failures that I can now share all of my tips and tricks with you and you will be whipping up delicious mayonnaise in no time at all! 

Suggested Kitchen Tools for Homemade Mayonnaise

• Small bowl or cup to hold mayo ingredients (more on this later)
• Immersion blender (stick blender) or hand mixer
• spoon or something else that allows you to drip the oil into the egg mixture

Ingredients & Substitutions

Homemade mayonnaise is made with just a few simple ingredients; eggs, oil, an acid, and then whatever seasonings you want.

Eggs

If you look online for mayonnaise recipes, the first thing you will see is that some call for whole eggs and others just egg yolks. Either works fine, but in my homemade mayonnaise recipe, I like to use the yolks only.

I have made my Ranch Mayonnaisse with both a whole egg and 2 egg yolks and have found that a whole egg works best if you are making less than ½ cup of mayonnaise and egg yolks work better if you are making up to a cup of mayo. For quantities of more than a cup, I would use a combination of whole eggs and extra yolks to get the best balance of flavor, structure, and color. 

Probably the most important thing about the eggs is your comfort level using raw eggs that have not been pasteurized. Most eggs in US grocery stores HAVE NOT gone through the pasteurization process. If they have, the carton will be clearly marked "pasteurized" and the price will also be higher in most instances. 

I raise my own backyard chickens and have no problems using their fresh eggs, but there are options if you are not comfortable with raw eggs in your mayonnaise. You can purchase eggs that have been pasteurized OR you can pasteurize them at home using a sous vide machine. Here are the directions on how to safely pasteurize eggs: Sous Vide Pasteurized Eggs

Oil

Honestly, I think the quality of the mayo is 100% related to the oil you use. Most neutral flavor oils will work when making mayo. Olive oil, soybean oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, and avocado oil are probably the most common.

I have tried making mayonnaise with olive oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, and avocado oil, and, hands down the homemade avocado oil mayonnaise is the best tasting of them all. The funny thing is, I've tried store-bought versions of Avocado oil mayo and I didn't like them at all! So, even if you have tried the store-bought kind and didn't like it, it's worth trying this recipe!

You can absolutely switch the avocado oil in this recipe for any neutral flavored oil you like.

You may also notice that in this recipe I use about half of the oil that most recipes call for. This does decrease the volume of the mayo but improves the flavor so much, at least in my opinion.

Vinegar or Lemon Juice

Vinegar, lemon juice, or some other type of acid is a common ingredient in mayonnaise and its main function is to inhibit bacterial growth to prolong the shelf life of store-bought versions.

In homemade versions, it does provide some antibacterial properties as well as flavor.

I have experimented with different vinegars and fresh citrus juices like lemon juice and lime juice and it really is just a matter of personal preference what you use.

White wine vinegar is my go-to most of the time, but feel free to experiment with other types of vinegar, like apple cider vinegar, or citrus juices until you find what you like the most.

Sometimes, I mix a little balsamic vinegar into the mayo at the end for a slightly different flavor. This goes really well with smoked burgers topped with feta and grilled peaches.

Seasonings

This is where the magic happens! There are so many different kinds of mayonnaise that you can make at home just by adding seasonings.

Some people like to add a touch of Dijon mustard to their homemade mayo, but I found it to be a little overpowering.

You can keep things simple and easy and add some dry spices like onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, or Italian seasonings. You can add cayenne or chipotle powder if you want a spicy mayo.

You can also add some fresh ingredients to your mayonnaise. Roasted garlic is a great addition and I would stir it in after you make the mayo. Same with roasted red peppers. Fresh herbs like cilantro, thyme, and dill are also great added at the end.

One of my favorite homemade mayonnaise recipes that I've made is a Ranch Mayo which is made by adding a few spices and powdered buttermilk when making the mayo. The full recipe is in the recipe card at the end of the article.

How to Make Homemade Creamy Mayonnaise

Mise En Place

Gather your ingredients and the tools you need to make the mayo.

Make sure your mixer or immersion blender fits into the container. Wide-mouth mason jars or deep bowls are good choices.

You can also use plastic cups, but make sure the base isn't rounded at the bottom or all the ingredients won't mix evenly. You also want to have enough room at the top to add the oil slowly.

Mixing Base Ingredients

Place the egg yolks and vinegar into the bowl, jar, or container you are using to make the mayo.

If you are making the Ranch Mayonnaise, add the dry buttermilk and the seasoning blend to the container.

Lower the immersion blender or the hand mixer with ONE beater attached into the container and blend the ingredients together.

Adding the Oil

This is the most crucial part of the process. ADD THE OIL SLOWLY. Start by adding 1-2 drops into the blended mixture and constantly blend on high speed.

Once those few drops of oil are no longer visible, add a few more drops and blend. The immersion blender or hand mixer will be going the entire time.

At first you may not think it's ever going to thicken and then once you have about a quarter of the oil added, it's starts to thicken up.

If you see any oil pooling on top of the mixture, you have added the oil to fast. Stop adding oil and mix with immersion blender or hand mixer until that oil has been incorporated. Then, resume adding the oil slowly.

I go back and forth between using a spoon and a measuring cup. The issue I ran into with my measuring cups is the oil drips down the side because I'm adding it so slowly. This can become messy, so a spoon works great for me.

Once the mayo starts to thicken, you can add the oil in a little faster, but not too fast!

Finishing Up

One thing I liked about using the hand mixer and a small bowl is how the bowl spun around on the cutting board making it easy to stream the oil in and never have too much in one spot. I also felt like I was in pottery class!

Once all the oil has been added, the mayonnaise is done. You now have a delicious creamy mayonnaise to use on sandwiches, in salad dressings, or in pasta salads.

It's so good that I used it as a dip for cucumber slices!

Homemade Mayonnaise Variations

There are so many ways to customize this recipe so I hope you get creative and start making homemade flavored mayo that you love!

Here are a few ideas for inspiration.

• Curry Mayo: Use lemon juice instead of vinegar and add 1-2 teaspoons of curry powder to the eggs and lemon juice. Blend and then slowly add the oil.
• Pesto Mayo: Make a plain batch of homemade mayonnaise and add 1-2 Tablespoons of prepared pesto. Make sure the pesto isn't too oily before adding to the mayo.
• Spicy Mayo: Add 1 Tablespoon of your favorite hot sauce to a batch of plain mayo.
• Cilantro Lime Mayo: Use lime juice with the eggs, then add the oil to make the mayo. Add 2-3 Tablespoons of chopped cilantro to the finished mayo.

Storing Homemade Mayonnaise

Homemade mayonnaise does not last as long as store-bought, so plan on keeping it 3-5 days.

The best way to store it is in an airtight container and it must be refrigerated.

Freezer

Technically, you can freeze mayonnaise, but the texture won't be the same when thawed.

The texture changes from smooth to clumpy during the freezing and thawing process. Sometimes, it is possible to whisk it back into a smooth texture, but not always.

I don't recommend freezing mayo.

Homemade Condiment Recipes

When it comes to making homemade condiments and sauces, I am all in! I love being able to control the ingredients and modify things the way I like them.

You will be pleasantly surprised at how easy these are to make and so delicious!