Am I the only one around that just can’t seem to make homemade mayo using the standard eggs and oil? It always looks so dang easy when someone else does it. But for whatever reason, my attempts have ended in runny oily messes. I’ve even tried what appeared to be the simplest way ever and ended up with the same broken soupy mix. ”Foolproof”? NOT!
The kitchen is a place where I feel comfortable. It’s one of my passions in life. So this mayo beat down really got to me. Although my ego was quite bruised, I kept searching. I got to thinking about how I’ve seen cashews used to create different creamy concoctions and B-I-N-G-O! The raw and vegan communities opened the door for me and I gladly jumped in. Now I have my ‘simple and foolproof’ version of mayo. Whoopee!
This recipe, as it’s written, is closer to what you might call a lemon-garlic aioli. If you are looking for a more neutral flavor, feel free to adapt it by adding less lemon or garlic or both. Either way, you can feel good knowing that you aren’t eating this…
Also, I made this in my 15+ year old food processor. (It wasn’t even a top-of-the-line processor back then. 
) So the texture of my batch of mayo may end up looking different than yours if you use a better machine. And let’s face it…ANY machine is probably better than mine. But for those of you like me…no worries. Just expect that your mayo won’t be as smooth.
I admit that mayonnaise has always been one of my least favorite condiments. But this stuff…it’s so good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Goodbye wasting eggs and expensive oils. Hello my new go-to mayo!
- ½c. cashews, raw & unsalted (See note below)
- ½c. sunflower seeds, raw & unsalted
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 4 T walnut oil (See note below)
- Scant ¼c. lemon juice (preferably fresh-squeezed)
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- Water
- Soak the cashews and sunflower seeds in water for at least 2-3 hours. (I soaked mine for just over 3 hours because of my low-quality food processor. I could have gone longer.)
- Drain the water off and dump the cashew/sunflower seed mix into the food processor.
- Add in the garlic and lemon juice and give it a whirl until the nuts and seeds break down.
- Stop and scrape down the sides with a spatula as needed.
- When it looks like the mixture is no longer breaking down, drizzle in the oil with the machine running. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- At this point in time, stop and taste. Adjust the seasoning if need be.
- With the machine running, slowly add in your water until you reach the consistency you want. The mayo will thicken a bit more as it sits. Enjoy.
-Remember that some oils begin to thicken or even harden when cool. I used walnut because it won’t seize up when refrigerated. If you plan to make and use this immediately, olive oil and possibly coconut oil would work fine. If refrigerating, make sure not to use these.
**My mayo was inspired by this version from Choosing Raw.
