Cashew Mayonnaise

Name: Cashew Mayonnaise
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1 cup raw cashews; 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar; 1 medjool date; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder; 1 small pinch kala namak (also known as black salt); 2 tablespoons lemon juice (or juice from about one lemon); 1/4 - 1/2 cup water

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This cashew mayonnaise recipe is the perfect plant-based alternative to traditional mayo. It is creamy, rich, tangy, vegan, and oil-free! It is also incredibly easy to make, with just a handful of wholesome ingredients! You can spread it on sandwiches, use it as a dip, or add it to salad dressing.

Why You'll Love Cashew Mayo

This vegan mayo is incredibly easy to make! It is tangy, creamy, and a great recipe for your plant-based eating needs!

How to Soften Cashews

There are three different methods for softening your cashews to achieve the creamiest texture:

Soak overnight.
Soak for 30 minutes in hot water.
Boil for 10 minutes.

Overhead shot of labeled ingredients for cashew mayo.

Mayonnaise Ingredients and Substitutions

Cashews - Cashews are a common staple in vegan recipes because they provide a creamy fat base without using any oil! They can get pricey though. If you would like to make an oil-free mayo without them try this silken tofu mayonnaise! The best texture comes from soaking the cashews. You can soak them for 30 minutes in hot water or overnight. If you soak them for longer than 24 hours though they can become slimy and unpalatable.

Mustard Powder - You can use regular mustard if you’d like. I like to use powdered mustard because it gives more consistent results. Prepared mustards vary pretty widely in their flavor and acidity. If you use prepared mustard, then you don’t need the vinegar in the recipe. You can use 1 teaspoon of prepared mustard and 1 tablespoon of vinegar. For prepared mustard, you can use regular yellow mustard or dijon mustard.

Vinegar - this gives the mayonnaise its tangy flavor! White wine vinegar is good because it has a very mild flavor. If you don’t have any, you can substitute with another vinegar. The milder the flavor, the better! Regular white vinegar or white rice vinegar would work well. You can use apple cider vinegar in a pinch, but it will have a stronger flavor in your mayonnaise.

Medjool Date - I like to round out the flavor of this mayo with just a hint of sweetness. To help it blend up easily you can soak it with your cashews! You could also use 2-3 teaspoons of maple syrup.

Lemon Juice - This also adds to the tangy flavor of the mustard, as well as brightening it up!

Salt - helps all the different flavors of the mayonnaise to shine! Without the salt, the mayo can taste flat or bland. If you are on a low-sodium diet you could try decreasing the amount, using miso (lower in salt but not salt-free), garlic powder, or onion powder, or just leave it out altogether.

Kala Namak - Also known as black salt. Use just a pinch to give it the traditional ‘eggy’ flavor. If you don’t have any on hand, you can just leave it out!

White Pepper - adds a more subtle, earthy heat compared to the bold, pungent bite of black pepper. It's less aromatic but has a lingering warmth that blends smoothly into the cashew mayo while maintaining the delicate flavor.

How to Make Creamy Vegan Mayonnaise

Step 1: Soak the cashew nuts and medjool date. You can do a quick soak in hot water for 30 minutes or a long soak overnight. (Do not soak for longer than 24 hours.) Alternatively, you can boil your cashews for up to ten minutes to soften them up.

Step 2: Drain the soaking liquid.

Step 3: Blend soaked cashews and everything else in a blender until smooth and creamy.

Top Tips

Cashew mayonnaise will thicken slightly in the refrigerator. If you like it thicker, this is perfect. However, if you would like to thin it back out, you can stir a splash of water in it.
The flavor develops more over time, so it will taste better after it has been able to sit for a while.
You may need to help your blender with this recipe. When you blend, just stop periodically to scrape down the sides.
Cashews will absorb some of their soaking water. If you soak them for a while, you may want to decrease the amount of water in the recipe to make up for the water they absorb. Start with a smaller amount of water and increase until you reach a consistency that you like!

How to Serve

You can use this vegan cashew mayo recipe the same way that you would use traditional mayonnaise. Here are a few ideas!

As a spread for sandwiches
In a dressing for vegan potato salad, macaroni salad, or pasta salad
As a base for creamy sauces or salad dressings

Variations

There are so many things you can do with this homemade vegan mayo! Here are a few to try:

Chipotle Cashew Mayo - Turn this into a chipotle mayo by blending in a chipotle pepper or chipotle powder
Garlic Herb - Add some fresh garlic and fresh herbs
Curry Mayo - Add your favorite curry spice!
Spicy Mayo - combine with your favorite hot sauce for a spicy, creamy mayo!
Ranch - Add some of this ranch seasoning blend and thin out with a little plant milk for a delicious ranch dressing! I often do a mix of both chipotle powder and ranch seasoning for a delicious dressing for taco salad!
Mix with some pesto for a delicious tomato sandwich spread - this is one of my favorites!
Mix with hot sauce or ketchup for a delicious dip for french fries or sweet potato fries!

Overhead shot of cashew mayonnaise in a glass jar. In the background there are cashews, lemon wedges, and mustard powder.

Storage

If you store this in an airtight container, it will last 4-10 days in the fridge and about 6 weeks in the freezer.

FAQ

Do I have to soak cashews before blending?

If you have a good high-speed blender, soaking is optional. I do not always soak my cashews before blending because sometimes I just can’t be bothered. However, for the most creamy texture, soaking is recommended!

Is this fat-free?

While this recipe is oil-free, it is not fat-free. The main ingredient is cashews, which contain healthy fats. Nuts are generally considered a more nutritious and healthier source of fat than pure oil. For more information check out this article from nutritionfacts.org or this one from Dr. Furhman. For an even bigger nutrition boost, you can substitute some of the cashews for hemp seeds.

Can You Buy Oil-Free Mayonnaise at the grocery store?

I have not found oil-free mayonnaise that you can buy at the store. All store-bought vegan mayo that I have seen contains oil. If you want to buy a good oil-free mayo, you can try ordering this one from Dr. Furhman.

Can You Use a Food Processor Instead of a Blender?

Yes, you can! If you use a food processor, do not skip soaking the dates! Also, you might want to use a smaller food processor or consider doubling the recipe.

If you make this let me know in the comments how you like it!