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.
The Best Mayonnaise + Homemade Ranch
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Yield: about 1 cup
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeIngredients
For the mayonnaise:
- 1 cup avocado oil, olive oil, or a mixture
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 Tbsp dijon mustard
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the ranch dressing:
- 1 cup mayonnaise (see above or substitute your favorite recipe)
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp fresh dill or 1 tsp dried dill
- salt and pepper, to taste.
Instructions
For the Mayonnaise:
- 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 the ranch dressing:
- 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
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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!
I love making mayo with my immersion blender but I prefer not to use raw eggs. I use pasteurized egg whites instead and it comes out great. I use the equivalent of 1 egg as indicated on the container (3 T or 46 g) and it emulsifies just as quickly, and it keeps a lot longer in the fridge since it doesn’t have raw egg in it.
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What a great solution! Thanks for sharing!
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’ve been making my own Mayo successfully for years used my Bamix stuck blender but also have had my share of failed batches in years past. Sometimes it would work and then sometimes not. I was so determined I researched for hours. The first secret to successful Mayo every time is room- temperature eggs (fresh pastured eggs are highly recommended) and oil and secondly is to add the acid (vinegar, lemon juice, ect.) AND salt ONLY when you are ready to blend within 5 seconds or so. These two steps have revolutionized my final results!
Charlotte – What awesome tips! Thank you for adding these!
I make mayo with an immersion blender a lot and use pasteurized egg whites instead of raw egg. One time it didn’t thicken, and by trial and error, I added some more pasteurized egg whites, used the immersion blender again, and it thickened right up to mayo consistency.
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!
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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.
We do not add the Dill. We use parsley instead and add 1/2 t mustard powder. We also add 1/2 t salt. We use Chosen Foods avacodo oil mayo. Hope this helps somebody.
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Yum! That sounds delicious Hailey!
Do you make it with a normal egg or pasteurized? I’m not sure if I should be worried about eating the raw egg.
Lindsey – great question! That’s up to you. Alton Brown talks about this a lot and says the incidence of salmonella due to raw egg is so low that he doesn’t consider this a risk, especially if you are sourcing your eggs from a high-quality source. If you’re nervous, I always say go for pasteurized.
I really wanted to love this recipe and followed the directions very closely. My mayonnaise and ranch concoctions came out awfully liquidy. Any suggestions to firm this mixture up? I used the immersion blender in a narrow container as specified. Thanks for your help.
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Kipp – I’m stumped! I’ll need to make a batch myself to see if I can troubleshoot. Did it thicken up at all in the fridge?
Love this dressing! I used avocado oil mayo instead of making my own which required a little more Milk and seasonings, but so pleased with the results! I’m picky with dressings and have many diet restrictions, this is a life saver!
That’s the best! I almost always use avocado oil mayo (so convenient to have that step done!). I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
I tried this and like others it was very runny for me. It was also very green (I used the mayo recipe) and didn’t look at all like the photo. The taste was also bad. I threw the whole batch out.
Oh dear! I wonder why on earth it was green? Did you have very green olive oil?
I just made your Homemade Ranch dressing and it was excellent! My husband looked at me and said his taste so much better than any store bought Ranch we’ve ever purchased. My reply was, it’s healthier too! Thank you for sharing~
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Oh how wonderful! I’ve got some in my fridge right now. It’s my FAVORITE!
I made this two different ways (mayo) by the recipe & the ranch taste too much like the the oil. I also made it with Trader Joe’s vegan mayo & the ranch again taste like the mayo? Any suggestions on what I’m doing wrongm
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Hmmm… are you generally a fan of mayo? If you’re not, you may appreciate using one like Just Mayo brand. It’s a vegenaise, but tastes VERY neutral and allows the other flavors to really shine through. It’s what I use most often these days. If you can’t find it/don’t want to use it, you could try just adding additional flavoring (vinegar, salt, pepper, garlic/onion, and dill) until you taste the flavors more than the mayo. Depending on the brand of mayo I’m working with, I’ll add more vinegar/flavorings a bit at a time until the flavor is more where I like it. The flavor also develops over time, so while the dill/garlic might not be coming through immediately after you make it, it might be more pronounced after a few hours in the fridge.
I hope one of those tips helps. We make a batch of this ranch a week (usually with the Just Mayo brand lately) and LOVE it!
Thank you will try these ideas.
I truly hope they help!
Wondering if the quality of immersion blender affects the outcome. We got runny mayo. I’m trying it again with a room-temp egg and maybe adding oil after I do the egg….please add ideas as I’ve never made mayo.
Andrea – My friend Cassie makes mayo the same way I do. Maybe her video/tutorial would help you? I think it’s worth a watch!
I made this recipe with chicken bone broth instead of coconut milk and it turned out great! I love it especially with fresh dill which I grow. Thank you!!
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Great idea! Thank you for sharing!
I could not get this to thicken. Tastes good but don’t know what I did wrong. I have never made homemade mayo before so am sure I didn’t mix it right.
Debra – I’m so sorry this happened! I wonder if this video tutorial from my friend Cassie (who uses my same method) would help: https://wholefully.com/homemade-mayo/