Vegan Mayo

Our vegan mayo is so creamy and delicious. Vegan recipes have become increasingly poplar here at Clean Cuisine. We have finally created a new category to help everyone find them better: Vegan Recipes.

I really wanted to create an egg free vegan mayonnaise recipe that tastes like America’s favorite: Hellmann’s. A staple in dishes like potato salad, coleslaw, deviled eggs and fish dip; mayonnaise is definitely a classic favorite.

I have worked very hard on getting this vegan mayo just right. But all the hard work was definitely worth it!

Why We Love This Vegan Mayo

Although I already have an oil-free, vegan mayonnaise recipe on the blog, it still didn’t taste like Hellman’s. This version is oil-free and is still very creamy and delicious. But, if you want the taste of Hellmann’s mayonnaise, then this is the recipe to make.

Why Not Just Use Real Mayonnaise Made with Eggs?

If you use the highest quality ingredients, then homemade mayonnaise (with eggs) is actually a healthy food. Real mayonnaise is made of eggs, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt, mustard, oil and a tad bit of sugar.

Our definition of clean eating shows that we are not against eggs at all. Or if you happen to have our Clean Cuisine Cookbook, then you know we do use eggs.

So, why don’t I just buy Hellmann’s “Real” mayonnaise and call it a day? Why go to all the trouble of making an egg free mayonnaise recipe?

4 Reasons I don’t use Real Mayonnaise

#1: Raw Eggs Make Me Nervous

I can’t help but worry about raw eggs and salmonella. Which is one of the most common causes of food poisoning in the United States.

I buy the absolute highest quality pasture-raised eggs from chickens that are raised the way chickens are supposed to be. Outdoors and truly free to range on pasture. In theory, high quality eggs should be much less likely to be contaminated with salmonella. However, I just can’t bring myself to eat raw eggs no matter how “clean” they may be.

The problem is, all real mayonnaise homemade recipes call for raw eggs.

#2: I Don’t Like Store-Bought Mayonnaise with Pasteurized Eggs

Hellmann’s uses whole eggs but they are factory-farmed eggs, not pasture-raised eggs. Plus, since their mayonnaise is not sold refrigerated, in order to make the eggs shelf-stable Hellmann’s needs to pasteurize them.

Any other brand of mayonnaise that is not sold refrigerated needs to do the same thing.

Pasteurized eggs might be “safe” to eat in that you won’t get salmonella, but I don’t like the idea of eating a food that has eggs as an ingredient and that sits on the store shelf “stable” for over a year.

Maybe you won’t get salmonella from Hellmann’s mayonnaise, but it can’t possibly be as healthy as eating fresh eggs, regardless of how “safe” it may be.

By the way, Hellmann’s main competitor, Miracle Whip, was introduced as a cheaper alternative during the Depression Era. Because Miracle Whip used powdered eggs instead of whole eggs, it lost the “real” appeal to consumers, since “real” mayonnaise could only contain whole eggs, vinegar, and olive oil.

Hellmann’s used this as a key marketing tactic against Miracle Whip for a long time, promoting its own truly “real” mayonnaise and getting a leg up on the competition.

#3: Hellmann’s “Real” Mayonnaise is Not Like It Used to Be…

Hellmann’s is not like it was 100 years ago.

Today, half of the ingredients in Hellmann’s are likely produced from genetically modified (GMO) crops.  As mentioned above, the eggs in Hellmann’s are not exactly pasture-raised either. Instead, the eggs are sourced from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), commonly referred to as factory farms.

The actual list of ingredients in Hellmann’s “Real” Mayonnaise are (those that are likely directly or indirectly GMOs are bold): soybean oil, water, whole eggs and egg yolks, vinegar, salt, sugar, lemon juice, calcium disodium EDTA (used to protect quality), natural flavors.

#4: Almost All Store-Bought Mayonnaise is Made with Refined Oils

The other problem I have with Hellmann’s mayonnaise is that every single variety contains refined soybean oil. Or, another pro-inflammatory vegetable oil that is not healthy for inflammation. Even Hellmann’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise contains more soybean oil than olive oil!

Either way: if you decide to make my vegan mayonnaise recipe below or a conventional mayo recipe using eggs. Then, you want your mayonnaise to be healthy. It is essential you use a high quality and unrefined oil.

I have found unrefined avocado oil to be the best-tasting and healthiest oil. I have yet to try for homemade mayonnaise. By the way, did you know avocado oil has even received prescription drug status in France because of its proven ability to counter the negative effects of arthritis! (1)

I have tried using extra virgin olive oil in the past, but I found the flavor to be a bit too strong. Unrefined macadamia nut oil would also surely be very tasty, I just haven’t tried that one yet…

Look for Unrefined Oils

Unrefined oils are minimal heat processed oils (cold or expeller pressed) that have not been bleached or deodorized after extraction. Refined oils have been bleached and or deodorized. Heat damages the delicate polyunsaturated fats in oils. So, it is very important for the oils you use to be of the least refined.

Looking for healthy cooking oils? Click here to learn more about the oils that tolerate heat and those that don’t.

The Cleanest Store-Bought Brand of Real Mayonnaise

If you read all of my reasons above for why I make my own vegan mayo, but you’re not comvinced. Then, I totally get it.

Buy Primal Kitchen’s Avocado Oil Mayo

I understand if you don’t have the time to make vegan mayo. Your next best bet for the cleanest store-bought brand is this Avocado Oil Mayonnaise by Primal Kitchen. I actually only recently discovered Primal Kitchen brand, before this I always just told people to avoid store-bought mayonnaise.

Ingredients in Primal Kitchen Mayonnaise: Avocado Oil, Organic Cage-Free Eggs, Organic Cage-Free Egg Yolks, Organic Vinegar (from Non-GMO Beets), Sea Salt, Organic Rosemary Extract

Primal Kitchen is not vegan mayo. They still still use eggs and the product IS sold not-refrigerated. This means the eggs are therefore processed in order to remain shelf-stable, which is not optimal in my opinion. If you do not want to go to the trouble of making your own mayonnaise then in my opinion Primal Kitchen is definitely your best bet.

How to Make Vegan Mayo

If you have food allergies and food sensitivities, this will be helpful to know. Our Vegan Mayonnaise Recipe meets the following dietary restrictions:

Egg Free / Grain Free / Bean-Free / Gluten Free / Paleo Friendly / Vegan / Vegetarian / Dairy Free

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