I’ve been hearing a lot about how easy homemade mayonnaise is to make for ages. But I kind of thought, “well, I don’t really like mayonnaise anyway” and also “I doubt it.” The idea of whisking and pouring, and hoping the mayonnaise didn’t “break” seemed pretty intimidating. Plus, a lot of the dairy-free recipes for homemade creamy dressings use coconut milk in them, and I just really thought that I didn’t want to Coconut All The Things. (Oy.)
Then I came across the method of using an immersion blender (this is the one I have), and a switch flipped. No slowly pouring, no furious whisking, and it’s almost impossible to mess up. Sounds like a plan! I used avocado oil for most of my testing since it’s very neutral and is one of the healthier oils around. You can also use olive oil, but know that the flavor will be noticeable (I like the flavor of olive oil, so that’s not a big problem for me). You can also go 50-50 for a change. Made with either of these oils, this recipe is Whole30- and Paleo-friendly, which can be a real life saver if you have dietary restrictions.
Let me say that I was exceptionally skeptical that this kitchen sorcery would work as easily as everyone said it would, and I was also certain that if it DID work, the ranch dressing would be ruined by the flavor of coconut milk. Please believe me when I tell you that everything will work out GREAT. No coconut flavor, and–hands down–this is THE BEST RANCH DRESSING I’VE EVER HAD. EVER. Sorry to cyber-shout, but it’s true.
I’m dreaming of all the variations in our future: pesto, cilantro-tomatillo, sun-dried tomato, garlic, chipotle… Yep. This is a good thing.
p.s. In case you don’t have an immersion blender, you can use the traditional whisk and pour method, and proceed from there.
- 1 cup avocado oil, olive oil, or a mixture
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- Juice of ½ a lemon
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup mayonnaise (see above or substitute your favorite recipe)
- ¼ cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill
- salt and pepper, to taste.
- Place all ingredients in a narrow container or jar. I use the mixing cup my immersion blender came with, but a half-pint jar works well, too.
- Place the head of the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar and turn the blender on. The bottom of the jar should quickly emulsify (you'll see it turn white and thick). Slowly move the immersion blender upward toward the top of the jar as the mixture emulsifies.
- If any oil slips back down the jar, simply move the head of the blender down to mix it in, then continue lifting the blender upward toward the surface until all the oil is incorporated and the mixture is thick. This process takes only 1-2 minutes, at most.
- This mayonnaise will keep covered in the refrigerator up to 1 week. It's great for chicken or egg salad, on a sandwich, or in creamy salad dressings.
- For every 1 cup of mayonnaise (the recipe above will yield the right amount), add 3 Tbsp coconut milk, cider vinegar, onion and garlic powders, and dill. Stir to mix well. Add additional coconut milk as needed to thin the mixture (it will naturally thicken somewhat in the refrigerator). Taste and add salt and pepper as desired.
- Ranch dressing will keep 1 week covered in the refrigerator.
Love, love, love homemade ranch dressing! My friend gave me her immersion blender a few months back and it’s been a lifesaver! I’ve used it for baby food, soups and homemade refried beans.
Thanks for sharing! I will give this a try with store bought mayo. I love homemade ranch, but hate buying buttermilk special for it or having to take lactaid just to eat a salad.
I adore my immersion blender and have used it for years. You know when you hear the question, ‘if you could only have one kitchen tool to use, which would it be…?’ I’ve always thought, I’d choose an immersion blender… It’s the best for hot soups, frosting that is lumpy, (not that I’ve ever made lumpy frosting…) or butternut squash. I love it!
I have one question about this recipe… I live with someone that really, really, dislikes the flavor of Dijon mustard. Does the small amount required for this recipe give a strong Dijon flavor to the mayo?
Michael HATES mustard and there’s zero mustard flavor.
Do you use coconut milk from can or the unsweetened coconut milk in refrigerator section?
Truthfully either will work. I used canned milk, but either is totally fine!
So glad I just came across this recipe! My husband and I wanted to eat a salad for lunch and we were looking for a creamy healthy dressing. We were actually making funny comments how bad and unhealthy traditional “ranch” is for you and so many people eat that stuff!! I just made your dressing and can’t wait to share it with my family. It is nice to try new recipes and discover what other healthy family eats! Love you site as well Emily!
Cheers
Mireille
Would this work in a blendtec?
Jen – I haven’t made it in a Blendtec. I know with a traditional hand-whisk method you need to slowly add the oil for it to properly emulsify and come together. The immersion blender does that for you, but I haven’t tried it in a Blendtec and don’t know if you could achieve the same effect unless you slowly drizzled in the oil.
A bit of a stupid question but I live in Canada where it is recommended to NOT eat raw eggs. I am not too sure what I can do to eat the yolk without cooking it?
I understand the concern! Here’s a great link to a conversation Alton Brown had with NPR on this exact concern. Hope that helps!
What can you use in place of egg yolk? Allergic to eggs.
Lydia – With an egg allergy, you can’t make this mayo recipe since it relies on the emulsification of the egg yolk and won’t work without it.
You CAN make the ranch by using 1 cup veganaise in place of the mayo. My favorite brand is Just Mayo, which uses pea protein. I use the Just Mayo veganaise all the time with great results!
I use aquafaba, the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans. Use 3 TAB of aquafaba to replace the one egg. Follow the recipe and presto, you have beautiful mayo. No kidding!
GENIUS! I keep meaning to try this with aquafaba and I’m so glad to know just how to do it!
So I used an immersion blender, followed recipe to a T. Mine never thickened……suggestions?
Marsha – Your ranch or the mayo? Can you tell me more? Did it just not come together at all, or it wasn’t as thick as you expected? I’d love to help!
Same here. Just a liquid (the mayo), no matter how long I blended it.
Oh, no! I’m sorry you had trouble!
The first time I tried to make the mayo, it imulsified quickly and beautifully! The second and third, It never got past the liquid stage. It didn’t even begin to thicken and I followed everything to a t just like I did the first time. I made sure I had room temperature ingredients. I think the humidity and weather play a big part. Any suggestions?
Dana – Oh, no! I’m so sorry to hear it! I haven’t had this problem, but my mayonnaise guru (NomNomPaleo) recommends making sure the blade is right at the bottom of the narrow container and blends the yolk right away. She has a lot of discussion about troubleshooting in her mayo post: http://nomnompaleo.com/post/3440774534/paleo-mayonnaise
She also has a video of her making it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbPF_rLpd9o
I hope this helps! I’m so sorry.
I have been so hesitant to make my own ranch so I keep buying it even though I’ve had this pinned for months…and I finally ran out my Tessemaes and whipped this up and ITS BETTER! And way way cheaper !!!
Thanks for such an easy recipe! I’ll be making this pretty much every week 🙂 yum
Oh, I’m so glad to hear it! You just made my day!
can the mayo be frozen?
Jenna – I wouldn’t recommend freezing it, since the egg yolks won’t hold up well. It would break apart as it thaws and have a lumpy texture. I’m sorry!
I have made several paleo ranch dressings and this one is by far the best! I would say better than the real thing, actually. The coconut milk is genius- makes it so creamy! Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that Amy!
I can’t eat coconut milk….anything I can substitute for it? Thanks!
Mary – Sure! Can you do any other non-dairy milks? Cashew milk works great here, or unsweetened almond milk can work. Coconut milk is nice because of the thickness, but other milks will also work well, too. You may want to start with slightly less than the amount of coconut milk and add a little bit at a time from there till you reach the thickness you like.