What Is Vegan Mayo Made Of, Anyway?

In my experience, it’s tough to tell the difference between “real” and vegan mayonnaise, especially when the taste is mixed in with all the other sandwich toppings. But regular mayo and vegan mayo are definitely not the same, since regular mayo is most certainly made with eggs. So, what’s in vegan mayo that makes it so close and yet so far from a standard jar of Hellman’s? Let’s get into it—it being a jar of vegan mayo. 

What is in vegan mayo?

Vegan mayo is typically made of two things: oil and your preferred substitute for regular mayo’s main ingredient—egg. Common substitutes often include soy milk, aquafaba (chickpea brine), or silken tofu.

Vegan mayo can also contain salt, lemon juice, mustard and/or vinegar to bolster the flavor. These add a little extra tang to the fairly neutral base of the vegan mayo. Heck, add a little paprika, too, to give it that classic devilled egg sensation! (Ok, full disclosure: I just wanted to finally use the term “devilled egg sensation” in something. I just googled it, and it hasn’t been used before, so now we’ll be the only result. How about THAT for SEO optimization!)

How is vegan mayo made?

Vegan mayo is made in practically the same way as non-vegan mayo. The key is the emulsification process (aka the joining of two liquid components into a whole new one). By whipping the oil and egg-substitute together slowly, the thick, creamy consistency we look for in a mayonnaise emerges. It’s really that simple! I can hear everyone across the planet rushing for their whisks now! 

If you don’t want to make it yourself, there are many great brands of vegan mayonnaise. But the best vegan mayo, according to Sporked, is Follow Your Heart Original Vegenaise. Check out the full ranking of the best vegan mayo for even more options. 

Is vegan mayo healthy?

Like most condiments, you wouldn’t necessarily want to chug a whole jar of it (unless you were trying to get on one of those clip shows where celebrities make fun of viral videos, in which case you might want to chug a few jars, just to make it more impressive). But, that being said, vegan mayonnaise is certainly more healthy than the egg-based original. It contains much less saturated fat and cholesterol, from the whole “not using eggs aspect” alone. 

Vegan mayo is a helpful, healthy alternative to the classic, and I really do stand by my assertion that the taste is almost exactly the same. You’d need some super-human taste buds to tell the difference. Or an egg allergy, I guess. Breaking out in hives would certainly give it away pretty quick, come to think of it.


About the Author

Joe Rumrill

Joe Rumrill is a fictional one-eyed spinach-loving sailor created in 1929 by E.C Se- Wait, no, that's not right... Joe Rumrill is a stand up comedian and writer currently based in Los Angeles. His favorite thing about food is a close tie between the taste and the nutrients one gets from it. His least favorite thing about it is the "gritty, dirt-like quality some food has", but he's most likely referring to the time in third grade he was dared to eat playground sand.

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