It’s time you stopped buying that salmonella pudding trap they call “mayo”. Do yourself a favor and make this Creamy Rich Cashew Mayo. It’s healthy, egg-free, low-fat, super easy, and delicious. You deserve better and so does your sandwich.
The Best Cashew Mayo Recipe
This Cashew mayo is a great vegan mayo alternative. Why? Because cashews are very neutral in flavor and have an awesome texture after you soak and blend them. Thick, rich, and creamy!
How Do You Make Cashew Mayonnaise
This recipe is amazingly SIMPLE! Soak some cashews, toss them in a blender with the spices, and blend until smooth. That’s it.
Plant-based or meat-eater, sauces are what make sandwiches. And, a sandwich is not a sandwich without some type of mayo on it. So, why not make a vegan mayo that’s healthy and can be slathered on with reckless abandon?
One way to try the amazing plant-based mayo is on my Potato Chip Tomato Sandwich. Pretty amazing!
You will love this Cashew Mayo recipe? It’s…
- creamy
- rich
- tangy
- thick
- simple to make
- & absolutely delicious!
And, if you do make this recipe I want to know. So, please leave a comment below with a star rating. And, be sure and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #shaneandsimple. I want to see your work. Enjoy!
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Creamy Rich Cashew Mayo
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup 1x
- Category: Dips & Spreads
- Method: Blend
- Cuisine: Vegan
- Diet: Vegan
Description
A much healthier alternative to regular mayo. This cashew mayo is creamy, rich, tangy, delicious and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
- 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. mustard (yellow or dijon)
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- ½ tsp. onion powder
- ¼ heaping tsp. sea salt
- ¼ to ½ cup water
Instructions
- Soak cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. If you have a high-speed blender, like a Vitamix, soaking is optional. But, it will make the mayo that much creamier.
- Add cashews along with all other ingredients to blender and process until smooth and creamy.
- Stop and taste test: adding more apple cider vinegar for tanginess; lemon juice for acidity; salt for saltiness; and more water if you want it not so thick.
- Blend once more after making final adjustments. Pour into a jar or container and store in fridge until ready to use. It will keep for several days.
Notes
Add a chipotle pepper in adobo sauce during the blending and it makes a great aioli.
If you have a nut allergy, use a 12 ounce box of firm or extra firm silken tofu.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 51
- Sugar: 0.6 g
- Sodium: 1.3 mg
- Fat: 3.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 0.3 g
- Protein: 1.7 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: vegan, mayo, plantbased, vitamix, raw, spread, sandwich
While I haven’t tried your recipe, I have several times made one that is VERY similar. I found that using Kala Namak (also called black salt) for all or part of the salt puts it over the top by giving just a touch of eggy flavor like regular mayo has. Also, I have found that it freezes quite well…it looks kind of weird when you first defrost it, a bit chunky and grainy…but with just a little stir it smooths right out.
★★★★★
Hi Shane I picked up large jar of Aldi’s deluxe whole unsalted cashews by mistake. Can I still use the cashews or will it alter the taste? I’m an hour away from the store🤪 Thank you!
I say use it:)
Finally! Omgosh this is exactly what I’ve been searching for! I tried others and threw them away knowing I had to try yours next because your recipes seem to always be great. But I just couldn’t bear to throw anymore cashews away so I just quit buying them. Finally I decided to try again. My plan was potato salad.
I learned to make small batches first because I have tried and tried to find a creamy Mayo or ranch substitute and nothing was working. Years ago My favorite sandwich used to be tomato, pepper and cucumbers with Mayo. I started.having it dry a long time ago because I couldn’t find a decent substitute. Then I just quit making them. Well not anymore! As soon as I tasted it I was like…Omgosh this will work great! And it did! It’s the first thing I made with your Mayo and it was great! I will definitely keep making this. Thank you for sharing it, it brought my fast, easy, delicious sandwich back! Whew!
★★★★★
Substitute for Lemon Juice (none citrus item)?
Apple cider vinegar would work.
So many comments I almost didn’t want to crowd your inbox but this is perfect! Followed exactly the amounts in the recipe and I can actually use this in place of mayo on sandwiches etc. So simple and so good.
★★★★★
I’m glad you didn’t listen to your inner voice. LOL! I love reading the comments and believe me, they help more than you know. So glad you enjoyed the mayo!
What would you recommend to use in place of apple cider vinegar. I simply cannot handle the taste of ACV.
Thank you
Lemon juice would be an option.
Can this recipe be cut in half? I never used a cup of mayo (DUKES!) in six months, so a cup of this will go bad long before I use it.
★★★★
Sure.
I was looking for a Raw enzyme friendly mayo recipe and made this as per the original recipe to try it before trying to make it as near 100% raw as possible. I found the texture to be beautiful, very creamy and also rich tasting, reminded me a bit like a high quality horseradish consistency. I think that the teaspoon of garlic powder was too much. Maybe the Garlic powder I used from the Chinese supermarket was just very potent but I felt that it was too dominant. If you like Garlic sauce/Mayo you would be in heaven with this but I’m not a massive fan of strong Garlic tastes in food although I do enjoy subtle garlic taste so I am not quite a vampire! I think next time I will add very little garlic to it. Overall a great recipe and could not agree more about how store bought sauces are quite often just poisonous and something like this is just such a fantastic replacement. Thanks for sharing
★★★★
Love, love, love! My go to Mayo for everything. Can you freeze it? Asking for travel purposes!
★★★★★
I have frozen mine after his additions for coleslaw dressing and it did great!
Made it with the tofu suggestion. Added sriracha as suggested in another recipe. Could eat it in spoonfuls!
★★★★★
Hi, can i opt out the mustard?
Absolutely.
Great recipe! I threw in a couple of chipotles in adobo sauce before I even saw the recommendation. It was nice on top of some beyond meat tacos. I will be making this many times in the future!
★★★★★
Thank you!!!
Making my third batch now. We are so glad to be free of the store-bought vegan Mayo. I also made a batch using silken tofu. It was not quite as flavorful so I added a small chipotle pepper and a little adobe sauce. Delicious!
★★★★★
This is fabulous! As close to the real deal as I’ve tasted. I’m going to make it with silken tofu tonight to try to cut down on some of the calories. Thank you, Shane!
★★★★★
Thank you, Susan! So glad you liked it. Tofu does really well.
Hi Shane, I made this mayo today and it turned out to be pretty good. I don’t own a Vitamix but I did use my high-powered food processor. The texture is not as creamy or smooth as it would be when using a Vitamix blender but that’s okay because once it’s mixed into other foods, it doesn’t really matter. It’s all about taste.
I love that your recipe does not require any oil or eggs. I cannot digest eggs and always can do without the added fat that comes from oil.
The best part is making only the quantity I need for the time I need it. I no longer have to worry about getting through a whole jar anymore.
Thanks for sharing and posting your recipes for all to benefit from.
★★★★★
I’ve been trying different mayo recipes for a few years and some were okay…but nothing was good enough to get my vegan 14 year old daughter off the veganaise. Tonight I made this recipe and asked her to taste it…she was hesitant because some of the recipes we’ve tried have not been very good. She tasted it and her face brightened and she said that it was the best one I had made and she would eat that! Very happy about that. I made it as written and it was so fast and easy. Turned out silky smooth in my Vitamix. I’m also really excited it’s only 1 point on WW. 🙂 Thanks for this great recipe!
★★★★★
That’s awesome, Olivia!!!
Hi Shane,
I made this mayo for Thanksgiving while i was whipping up your delicious Apple Cranberry Coleslaw. We couldn’t stay away from it.
Today I’m making the mayo again to slather on tortilla roll ups. I will finely mince some raw veggies and olives to sprinkle on before rolling and cutting. Love your recipes!!
★★★★★
Never been a fan of mayonnaise but this recipe is really good. I could see myself eating a small spoonful lol. I’ve made potato salad, pasta salad and tonight a coleslaw salad. First batch I tripled but forgot to triple water. Way too thick until I added more water. Second batch stayed with single ingredients and used 1/2 cup water. Wasn’t as smooth as first triple batch and thinner than I wanted. So next time will only add water a bit at a time after 1/4 cup.
Taste reminds me more of a sandwich spread than mayo so I’m happy about that. Thanks for the great vegan recipes. It’s making this lifestyle change easier.
★★★★★
Kathy, that is so great, and happy to hear you enjoyed it.
I have been looking for oil free recipes for some time. The first time I made this recipe, it was too thick. This time I added the extra water and it turned perfectly and tastes great. I made a chickpea mock tuna salad sandwich and the salad tasted better than when I usually make it with store brought vegan mayonnaise. Thank you!
★★★★★
Sandi, that’s awesome! Thank you!!!
I am a mayo lover and giving up oil has been the hardest part of a WFBD. I thought I would just have to live without mayo – and macaroni salad, potato salad, and coleslaw.
This cashew mayo is awesome! Thanks so much! I’m saved from a mayo free life!
★★★★★
Glad I could help, Melanie:)
I love, love, love this recipe!! It is SOOO good!!
Shane, you say it will last several days in the fridge, but I have found it lasts much longer. Mine has lasted at least two months in the fridge and probably would have lasted longer if I had not eaten it all. The consistency and taste at the end of two months was exactly the same as the day I made it I stored it in a sterile mason jar.
Do love your recipes! You are a whole food plant based recipe genius! Please keep them coming!!!
★★★★★
Thank you so much, Carolyn:)
I am one of those people who can eat mayonnaise with a spoon. I have been eating vegan mayo because I have not been able to find anything close. I think I can give up the mayo… this stuff is delicious. I was so skeptical but you blew me away. Thank you so much for this recipe and all your amazing recipes.
★★★★★
Thank you, Kim. And, I concur, I could eat as a soup:)
So great! Made it to make for the coleslaw, but have extra and so glad for it!
★★★★★
I saw questions asking if walnuts or sunflower seeds would work but didn’t see a reply.
I cannot East cashews or soy……
Thanks
Hi, Jane! I have never tried it with either of those things, but it should work. I would try the sunflower seeds first. Hemp seeds would be a possibility as well as they make a great salad dressing.
Shane, THANK YOU for taking time to respond! I do have hemp seeds here, so will try that.
Jane
Jane, I would LOVE to hear how your hemp seed version works out! Please share once you’ve made it!!
Let me know how it works out.
Can this be made in a good processor? I don’t have a blender.
I made this in a food processor and it came out good. Not quite as smooth as I had hoped, but that might be because of my food processor? I let the cashews soak for over 1/2 hour, so that isn’t the problem. I even added a little extra water hoping that would help. Good flavor!
★★★★
Hi, Marsha! What type of blender were you using out of curiosity?
I love this mayo!! Thank you! I also love how I already have all ingredients for your recipes, I don’t have to go out & get stuff I’ve never heard of before! This mayo delivers! Creamy, flavorful & simply divine! Super easy to make too! I would never eat dairy/oil based mayo’s ever again!!
★★★★★
Awesome!
★★★★★
This is excellent! I just made it to use with my eggless egg salad.
★★★★★
Has anyone made this with sunflower seeds?
This is my favorite mayo recipe. It also makes a wonderful dip for buffalo cauliflower and I also put it on my baked potato instead of sour cream. I love it!!!
★★★★★
Tastes great! I just purchased a Vitamix and this was my first recipe. The texture is still a bit grainy, is that expected. Looking for newbie advice!!!
It should be creamy and smooth. Try soaking the cashews in hot water for about 5 mins. and let them blend a little longer. Add a little water at a time to the blender if you need to.
Easy to make, and so delicious.
★★★★
Absolutely delicious! I’m in shock, have tried so many vegan mayo recipes in the past and nothing comes anywhere close to this amazing recipe. Genius!
★★★★★
Thank you so much!!!
Awesome stuff! Made it exactly as is with out tweaking anything. And only 1 weight watchers point per serving. Thank you!!
★★★★★
Jamie, thank you! Keep drumming!
How long will this last in the fridge if I make it ahead of time?
Yummy! So happy to have found a vegan mayo recipe I enjoy. I mixed it with chickpeas for lunch. Thanks so much for sharing.
★★★★★
That’s great, Ana! We just did the same thing:) Great minds…
Tastes great and super easy to make. My mayo still has a bit of texture and doesn’t look as smooth and creamy as yours. Is that the blender I’m using or do I need to add a little more liquid? I only used a 1/4 cup … Thanks so much for sharing this recipe.
★★★★★
Could be both. Try 1/2 cup of water. What type of blender are you using?
Shane, really love your recipes! Thank you! I have made this twice in my vitamix. Both times I have had to transfer from that to a food processor or blender (first time) because there wasn’t enough mixture to blend in the blades. My Vitamix is an under the counter model and works extremely well when the amount is more. Saw the comment about adding more liquid which I didn’t try but maybe should have. I’m sure I lost some good stuff in the transfer. Flavor very good but not as smooth as I’d like. Do you use vitamix or blender and do you mind sharing which one. Is yours smooth or still grainy? Thank you!
Hi, Suzanne! I use my Vitamix. Do you a narrow or wide blending pitcher. And, mine is always smooth.
I haven’t made it yet but I love the fact that I have an option to have plant-based mayonnaise thank you for all you do
★★★★★
Thank you, Pat! Blessings.
Judas Priest—-this stuff kicks ass!!! Thanks buddy, for the recipe.
This one is a keeper.
★★★★★
LOL, LOVE this comment! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. ROCK ON!
Just discovered your blog and made this mayo and it was great! I added nutritional yeast to mine, not since it needed it but just because I add it to everything.
★★★★★
Hi, Steve, and welcome to Shane & Simple! Thanks for trying the mayo and I’m so glad you liked it. Hey, ain’t nothing wrong with adding nooch to anything:) Have a great New Year my friend!
It’s the best recipe! I love it more than any alternative with oil, I think I make a potato salad just as an excuse to have some of this mayo by the spoonful:)
★★★★★
Ariana, I would absolutely agree. Because…potato salad. LOL! Thank you so much. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. Blessings.
Amazing. Tried the tofu variation (didn’t have any cashews on hand), added some black salt (kala namak) instead of regular salt and added a tbsp of nutritional yeast for some extra flavor. Turned out amazing. Thanks a ton!!!
★★★★★
that is awesome!!! So glad you enjoyed it and can’t wait to try it like that:)
Love this recipe! I had a tough time getting other vegan mayo recipes to come together without an immersion blender, but this was super easy and had a great flavor. I’m a bit of a curry freak so I added curry powder to one of my batches – fab, fab, fab!
Thanks again!
★★★★★
Awesome, Lauren! So glad you liked it and thanks for reaching out.
I tested freezing this. I froze about 2 tablespoons over night and let it defrost in the fridge. It was as if it was never frozen. Texture and taste exactly the same.
Karen, that is great. It’s never lasted long enough in my house. So, good to know it freezes well. Thank you!!!
Simple and delicious. Also a great healthier mayo alternative for non-vegans.
★★★★★
Thank you!!! Two words I love to hear: Simple and Delicious:)
Just made it this evening using Dijon mustard. It’s wonderful! Can’t wait to try it in various “salads” and sandwiches. Thank you!
★★★★★
Joan, awesome! I’m so glad you liked it. Thanks for reaching out! Blessings.
★★★★★
I am a huge mayo fan, I especially like Veganaise original mayo. Could eat it by the spoonfuls. Not any more. This mayo made with cashews is every bit as good as the Veganaise (which is up to about $9.00 per quart.) From this day forward I’ll be using this recipe instead. So good and so much lower in total calories. Thank you so much for the post.
Wow, Linda! Thanks so much for your endorsement and review. I’m so glad you like the mayo. If you wouldn’t mind, I’d really appreciate it if you would give it a “start” rating. It helps me and others out. Be blessed and again, THANK YOU!
★★★★★
Can walnuts be substituted for cashews in this recipe?
★★★★★
Easy peasy lemon squeezy. Made a potato salad with it and I can wait to make this mayo again.
★★★★★
Morgan, that is awesome! Thanks so much for reaching out and the rating. Blessings!
Delish!
★★★★★
Made it tonight and used it to make a healthier version of chicken salad. It was very good, thanks!
★★★★★
I made this using extra firm silk tofu and did not need to add any water. It is delicious!
★★★★★
Sounds awesome!!! Thanks for sharing.
I would like to try this recipe with Macadamia Nuts as they also have a very mild nutty taste….
Great recipe Shane, thanks…
★★★★★
Thanks, Nancy! And, would love to hear how it turns out.
This is really good! I kept it on the thick side and used it to dip pretzels and veggies.
★★★★★
Awesome! Add a little dill and it makes a great ranch:)
How long does this last in refrigerator. Really great 👍
★★★★★
I usually say about 7-10 days.
Wow! So happy to have found this. Thanks!
★★★★★
You are very welcome!
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Dear Shane,
Another winner, I’m sure! I’ve been using a similar recipe, courtesy of http://plantbasedu.com/oil-free-vegan-white-bean-and-cashew-mayo-recipe-plant-based/ (Veronica Grace blog). Instead of 1 cup cashews, it’s 1/2 cup cashews and 1 1/2 cup white beans. My non-vegan mayo loving husband loves it in his WFPB potato salad. I’m sure this is delicious too..
★★★★★