What do you do if you exhaust this traditional condiment?
Egg yolks, oil, vinegar, or lemon juice are the main ingredients of mayonnaise, a traditional condiment that is tart, creamy, and delicious in every way. Furthermore, it can be used for dessert as well as breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But what happens—gasp—if you run out? When you’re in a pinch, our mayonnaise alternatives are the greatest.
How Is Mayonnaise Used and What Does It Taste Like?
Products like mayonnaise are usually either loved or hated. Its sheer utility and expansiveness in the kitchen, however, are indisputable. Since mayonnaise is made of oil, it adds the ideal amount of fat to a variety of foods, so if you’re willing to try it, you’re sure to find at least one you enjoy.
You Can Learn to Master Shortcut With Our Mayonnaise Guide. When cooked, mayonnaise has a smooth, creamy consistency, custard-like texture, and a tangy flavor. The combinations are endless and include both straightforward (such as spreading over a turkey sandwich or a BLT) and sophisticated (such as mixing into mashed potatoes, adding to a cold salad, or incorporating into a cake or quiche mixture).
An ombre blue to green background with an open mayo jar with a knife protruding from it and the top on the counter behind it
It’s nearly hard to run out of recipes involving mayonnaise, but in case you need inspiration, we have all the ideas you would require.
Top Mayonnaise Alternatives
Wonder Whip
With nearly the same texture as mayonnaise, this dressing is the closest to it. It has the same ingredients, but it also contains extra spices like mustard, paprika, and garlic, as well as water and sugar or high fructose corn syrup. While modifying the recipe to accommodate the extra sweetness could be a good idea, you should probably be fine if you’re simply using it as a topping for a ham sandwich.
Greek dairy
It will work wonderfully if you season some Greek yogurt with salt and pepper. You’ll get the added benefit of fresher flavor and the ideal option for those looking for a lighter, egg-free alternative. But avoid really flavorful raw dishes like potato salad.
Aquafaba
The water that remains after you open a can of chickpeas if you follow a vegan diet. Whipped, it can be used in baked goods, cocktails, and other recipes calling for egg whites. And baking items are precisely what this replacement is meant to be used for. Alternatively, add a little oil while whisking until the consistency and flavor are similar to mayonnaise, and presto—the ideal replacement for almost anything.
sour cream
Sour cream is light and wonderfully tart, whereas mayo is creamy and eggy. However, the textures are comparable. This would be great on your next tray of deviled eggs, baked goods, or even a cold salad with mayo as the binder.
Butter If you’re out of mayonnaise, butter works best when spread on the outside of a slice of bread. To make that panini or grilled cheese sandwich wonderfully crispy, apply a thin layer of something.
Harissa
The most famous use of tahini, a sesame seed paste, is in hummus, where it lends the dish a unique yet delicately nutty flavor. It will taste more like mayo if you mix equal parts tahini, lemon juice, and water; however, keep in mind that it will be somewhat thinner. Although some salads, vegetable sandwiches, or baked fish will work nicely with it, it wouldn’t work as well on the outside of that bread as butter will.
Avocado
It’s a novel idea to submit some avocado instead of mayonnaise. It’s ideal to add fat to sandwiches—more especially, a BLT or burger—but only healthy, pure fats. Although this wouldn’t work well in baked applications, you could process some of it with a little water or oil to create a creamy spread. Although blended avocado may give your deviled eggs a more ‘Green Eggs and Ham’ appearance, they will still taste great.
Tofu
A vegan mayo can be made easily from silken tofu that has been mixed until smooth. Use this instead of mayo in any recipe, with the exception of baked products. The outcome is not likely to be the same.
Create Your Own
You can always make your own if you run out. The process of making mayonnaise is as easy as mixing egg yolks, vinegar, and lemon juice until everything comes together. Although the homemade version only lasts roughly three days, it tastes better than store-bought.