Mayo is one of those things that people have very strong opinions about. They either love it or hate it. I have always been on team "love it", but when my husband and I started Whole30 and then Paleo, we gained a whole new appreciation for it.

We found that sauces really took our meals to the next level, but without dairy, it's hard to make anything creamy. That's where mayo comes in. It is a great neutral base that can be turned into an infinite number of sauces.

The problem, as with everything Whole30 and Paleo, is finding something that is compliant. Did you know that commercially sold Mayo has sugar in it?!? Like, why? It's not necessary. So in true Homemade Diaries fashion, I decided to make my own. What I didn't anticipate was how easy it would be!

Only 4 ingredients (plus a little water) to make Whole30 & Paleo compliant mayo!

As usual, I started by doing a bit of internet research. In fact, this recipe is not the original recipe I started making. There's a video on my Instagram from the early days of the Homemade Diaries that features my original recipe. But as I have made this time and time again, I have revised it and I think it's simpler and even better than the original.

This mayo recipe mixes up in less than 30 seconds with the help of an immersion blender.

Tools

This recipe is really simple and only takes a few ingredients. The real magic comes from the tools. Well, one tool really - an immersion blender. My husband bought me one when we first started dating and I use it almost daily. If you don't have one, I highly recommend getting one. This is the one I use here. It's easy to use, clean, and it comes with a cup that I use to make the mayo in.

Method

Here's a bit of foodie education for ya. Mayo is classified as an emulsion - a mixture made with ingredients that don't normally mix. In this case, oil and vinegar (mustard in this recipe) and combined and bound with the help of an egg, known as the emulsifier. This is a very simple explanation. If you'd like to know more, check out this Food Science Activity Guide.

Perfect mayo - put it on sandwiches, in potato salad, or use it as the base of another sauce!

To make this mayo, I put all the ingredients in the cup of my immersion blender, except for the oil. I then pulse them for just a second with the blender to get in incorporated. Then, I begin blending the ingredients in the cup with the blender at a slight angle, while slowly drizzling the oil in until your mayo reaches the desired consistency, about 1/2 to 1 c. If I'm going to be using this as just mayo, it can be a little looser. However, when I am going to be using the mayo as a base for a sauce, I typically add a little more mayo and make it a bit stiffer. Once you add stuff to it, it will loosen up.

Ingredients

1 t water

1 t dijon mustard

1 egg

1/2 t salt

1/2 - 1 c neutral oil like avocado, veggie or light-tasting olive oil

Directions

1. Add the water, mustard, egg, and salt to a bowl or the cup of your immersion blender.

2. Start blending the ingredients in the cup. After about a second or two, tip the immersion blender to be at a slight angle and then start slowly drizzling in your oil until you reach your desired mayo consistency.

3. Use as is, or add in herbs, spices, peppers, and other aromatics to create a sauce. Store leftovers in a sealed container for up to a week.