Taste Test: We Tried Every Vegan Mayonnaise, and Here Are Our Thoughts

Mayonnaise can make anything better—wraps, deli salads, sandwiches, and even cake (in the batter, not as frosting). It adds a necessary moisture element and creamy texture all of these foods need. While mayo is traditionally made with eggs, vegans don’t have to go without this essential, multipurpose condiment. 

Fortunately, there is vegan mayo, and it’s championed the innovation of plant-based cuisine since the 1970s. Here is where to buy vegan mayo, how to make it, and what to do with it.

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The original vegan mayo

Vegetarian restaurants and home cooks may have been whipping up vegan mayonnaise under the radar, but the first popularized form of eggless mayo was created by the founders of Follow Your Heart Cafe. A prior product, Jack Patton’s Lecinaise, claimed to be egg-free, but the founders soon discovered that the spread was mislabeled and did in fact contain eggs.

RELATED: 12 Show-Stopping Plant-Based Potato Salads to Elevate Your Summer Barbecues

Follow Your Heart

At a loss of what condiment to pair with their café’s signature sandwich—made with Avocado, Tomato, and Sprouts—the four founding members attempted to create a vegan mayo of their own. After several iterations, they came up with Vegenaise, and customers started asking for it by the jar. Fifty years later, the name has come to represent the entire category of egg-free mayo, much like how we refer to Kleenex when we really just mean tissue. 

Mayo and the FDA’s strict standards

Legally speaking, vegan mayonnaise cannot be labeled as “mayonnaise” according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). By the FDA’s definition, mayonnaise must contain at least 65-percent vegetable oil and at least one “egg yolk-containing ingredient.” Other ingredients aren’t upheld to these strict guidelines, but typically, mayonnaise also contains salt, acid (like lemon juice or apple cider vinegar), and mustard, along with sweeteners and stabilizers for store-bought options.  

Eat Just

This little-known fact made national headlines when Hampton Creek—now Eat Just—launched its Just Mayo. The product was on shelves for two years until the FDA sent its first warning letter to the brand in 2015, demanding Eat Just strike “mayo” from its label. Following a drawn-out dispute between Eat Just, retailers, the American Egg Board, and the FDA, the vegan company prevailed with only making minor concessions to its packaging. This ultimately helped pave the way for other emerging brands to use the term “mayo” without fear of legal repercussions. 

What is vegan mayonnaise made from?

Vegan mayonnaise can be made from a host of ingredients, but some sort of plant-based fat and vinegar are key. The typical ingredients include oil, lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, mustard, salt, and aquafaba. However, both brands and recipe creators have experimented heavily with this essential condiment, producing oil-free options, whipped nut-based spreads, and creamy tofu mayos.

How to make vegan mayonnaise

Vegan mayo is made in very much the same way animal-based mayo is made. It’s an emulsion of fat and acid, along with a few other ingredients. Whereas mayonnaise sources its fat from both oil and egg yolks, the vegan variety relies exclusively on oil as the primary fat source.

First, aquafaba, mustard, vinegar, salt, and liquid sweetener (brown rice syrup works well) are combined. Next comes the crucial step: emulsification. Essentially, you’re forcing two liquids that typically would not dissolve into one another (like oil and water) into a cohesive, smooth suspension. To emulsify the aquafaba mixture with the oil, it is critical to drizzle in the oil slowly yet steadily while continuing to rapidly whip the aquafaba. Thanks to science, the resulting condiment should be thick, fatty, and silky smooth. 

The Plant Based School

This is the most traditional method, but vegan mayo can be made in a number of different ways. The most common alternatives to aquafaba and oil call for either silken tofu and/or cashews as a base. No matter what route you choose, know that there is going to be a lot of whipping involved, so arm yourself with a trusty Vitamix or immersion blender before attempting to make your own.

Best vegan mayonnaise brands

Reach for these vegan mayo brands during your next trip to the grocery store.

Follow Your Heart

1 Vegenaise

There’s no ignoring the original. Not only was Vegenaise the first, but it also serves as the gold standard of vegan condiments. Follow Your Heart has expanded this inaugural product to include an assortment of flavors and formulations from chipotle to soy-free, but the OG will always have a place on our vegan deli sandwiches. Vegenaise has been voted multiple times as the “Best Vegan Condiment” by VegNews readers in the annual Veggie Awards.
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Eat Just

2Just Mayo

Although Eat Just’s labeling battle set a precedent for makers of vegan mayo nationwide, the company quietly discontinued its plant-based spread, and fans, to the say the least, were disappointed. Vocal consumers begged the company to relaunch Just Mayo, and four years after the condiment was officially discontinued, it made its return to grocery store shelves in early 2024.
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Hellmann’s/Best Foods

3 Hellmann’s/Best Foods

The brand from your pre-vegan years has caved into the pressure of the booming plant-based movement. Those who are brand loyalists need not step outside their comfort zone in search of an egg-free mayonnaise. Hellman’s/Best Foods’ vegan “dressing and spread” tastes just like the original.
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Sir Kensington’s

4 Sir Kensington’s

The knight of condiments, Sir Kensington’s has created a cult following around its dips, spreads, and dressings. Not all options are vegan, but we do appreciate its classic, soy-free vegan mayo, which is made from a blend of avocado oil, aquafaba, and sunflower oil. 
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NotCo

5 NotCo

Chilean company NotCo taps into the power of artificial intelligence to create vegan mayo. The company’s sandwich spread utilizes soybean oil, vinegar, chickpea flour, and lemon juice, among other ingredients. Currently, NotCo’s spread is available in two flavors: original and chipotle. 
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Chosen Foods

6 Chosen Foods

Chosen Foods is not a vegan company, but it does make a good vegan mayo. In addition to the usual suspects—avocado oil, mustard, sugar, and vinegar—this creamy condiment gets a boost from chickpea protein, and it definitely works. 
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Fabalish

7Fabalish

As the name suggests, Fabalish vegan mayo uses aquafaba as its base. In addition to aquafaba, this plant-based spread also uses apple cider vinegar, lemon, and Himalayan salt to recreate the classic texture and flavor of mayonnaise. 
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365 by Whole Foods Market

8365 by Whole Foods Market

Vegan mayonnaise has become so ubiquitous, that even grocery stores are jarring up their own versions of the spread. For its version, Whole Foods Market relies on sunflower seed oil, sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and rice protein. Slather it onto BLTs or mix it into pasta salads. 
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Sarah McLaughlin | VegNews

9Kewpie

Founded in 1919, Kewpie has earned a dedicated cult following. The fan-favorite mayonnaise is beloved for its rich, custard-like texture and feel. Luckily, vegans don’t have to miss out on the fun. The brand has debuted a plant-based spread that’s sure to elevate any sandwich or deli salad.
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So Good

10So Good

For vegan mayo that adds a little oomph beyond run-of-the-mill chipotle varieties, So Good’s line of miso mayo delivers on flavor. Choose between original, garlic and dill, spicy red pepper, and sweet black garlic for an infusion of creamy umami goodness.
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How to use vegan mayo

Vegan mayonnaise can be used any way one would use egg-based mayo (or even Miracle Whip). There’s the obvious slathering on sandwiches and tossing with potato salad, but it can also be used in more inventive applications like creamy dips and even desserts (yes, we’re going back to that mayo cake). Here are dreamy vegan recipes that incorporate vegan mayo in the best ways possible. 

Jackie Sobon

1 New York-Style Vegan Reuben

That addictive dressing so elemental to a good Reuben sandwich is fairly simple to make at home. All you need is vegan mayo and ketchup. The distinct condiments harmoniously come together to create a wonderfully tangy and complex schmear for this iconic sammie. 
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Zhoro Apostolov and Michelle Cehn

2 Creamy Vegan Picnic Potato Salad

One of the great advantages of egg-free mayonnaise is that you don’t have to worry about it in the sun. Go ahead and pack a mayo-laden deli salad on even the balmiest of picnic days.
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Desiree Nielsen

3Shiitake Bacon BLT Sandwich

This humble handhold doesn’t need much to satisfy. There’s something about the combination of crispy vegan bacon, fresh lettuce, and juicy tomato slices that just works. A slick of vegan mayo on both sides of the bread acts both as an adhesive and a tasty moisture element. 
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Natalie KW

4 Kale Slaw With Barbecue Walnut Crumble

It’s coleslaw, but dressed up a bit. Evenly coated with homemade vegan mayo, cruciferous kale softens into a delightfully toothsome side dish. The added barbecue walnut crumble turns this side into a light meal. 
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Catskill Animal Sanctuary

5Creamy Pasta Salad With Fresh Herbs

Pasta salad is our favorite kind of salad. And while you won’t find those classic leafy greens in this type of salad, this recipe calls for diced veggies alongside macaroni noodles and a silky, mayo-based dressing. It’s perfect for summer potlucks.
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Hannah Sunderani

6 Easy Vegan Tofu Egg Salad

Whip up this classic deli side in a matter of minutes with a few scoops of vegan mayo and a block of tofu. Season the mixture with a bit of mustard, nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper, and lunch is done. 
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Danielle Brown

7Devilishly Good Vegan Deviled Egg Potatoes

To make vegan deviled eggs, all you need are potatoes, a dash of seasonings, apple cider vinegar, mustard, and mayonnaise. In this recipe, potato skins are combined with salt, turmeric, vinegar, mustard, and mayo to create the signature, velvety filling of this classic dish. Give it a go for an easy, weeknight appetizer or snack—you likely already have all the ingredients in your kitchen. 
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Luke Albert

8Grillable Tofu Katsu Burgers With Wasabi Mayo

Burgers are a must-have for grilling season, but once you make these tofu katsu burgers, you’ll never go back to basic handhelds. Katsu sauce and crispy panko breadcrumbs impart an explosion of texture and flavor to tofu patties, but it’s the hot wasabi mayo that takes this burger to the next level.
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Candice Hutchings

9Crunchy Chalupa Naan Tacos With Avocado Ranch Sauce

Make these fusion tacos for your next Taco Tuesday night. Deep-fried naan is stuffed with saucy vegan beef, fresh tomato, lettuce shreds, and vegan cheddar cheese. The mayo-based avocado ranch sauce adds a creamy tang—slather it on your tacos and use any leftover sauce as a snack-time dip for chips or veggie sticks. 
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10Vegan Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

Here you have it: a foolproof recipe for mayo-infused cake, or in this case, cupcakes! We guarantee you won’t taste or see the mayo once it’s beaten into the cupcake batter. This fat-forward condiment adds a heightened level of moistness and indulgence. Bookmark this recipe for the holiday season—it’s a guaranteed hit. 
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