So much depends upon mayo. If you think that’s an exaggeration, try eating a dry sandwich or a tempeh salad with nothing but lemon juice to moisten it.
For omnivores, the solution is easy: Grab a jar of egg-based mayonnaise off any supermarket shelf. For vegans, it’s a little more difficult; oil-based Vegenaise* and soy-based Nayonaise* aren’t exactly everywhere, but people in larger towns and cities should be able to track them down.
However, for those of us who avoid added oil, there’s only one packaged option, the strange-tasting, not-very-mayonnaisey Fat Free Nayonaise*. Well, I say “Nay” to Nayonaise. Make your own mayo!
Tofu-based mayonnaise recipes abound–FatFree Vegan Recipes has some here, here, and here–but most are too sweet and all taste too much like blended silken tofu for my family’s tastes. My husband and daughter have gotten used to the not-fat-free stuff in the jar, and when our local stores recently stopped carrying the brand we use, I knew I had to create something that they would like as much or more.
We’ve never met a cashew-based dressing or sauce that we didn’t like, so I combined the fluffiness of silken tofu with the flavor (and a little fat) of blended cashews to come up with a mayo that somehow manages to be lighter than regular Nayonaise and much, much better than FatFree Nayonaise.
Even with the fat from the cashews, a tablespoon of my mayo contains only 15 calories and less than a gram of fat. You can use it on sandwiches, in salads, even in cooked dishes–anywhere you’d use mayo. You can also use it instead of oil in any oil-based salad dressing, instantly transforming it into a creamy dressing. Try blending a couple tablespoons of it into my Balsamic-Raisin Dressing. Or mix it with sweet relish to make a tartar sauce perfect for serving with Jackfruit “Crab” Cakes. Yum!
Note: Don’t do soy? Be sure to check out my tofu-free MiracleNaise!
MiracleNaise: Soy-free!
Tofu-Cashew Mayonnaise
Ingredients
- 1 12.3 ounce package lite firm or extra-firm silken tofu see note
- 1/2 cup raw cashews about 2 ounces
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon prepared mustard any variety
- 1/8 teaspoon granulated onion powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Drain water from tofu and place it and all other ingredients except salt in a high-speed blender. Blend at highest speed until light and creamy. Add salt to taste and blend again. Seal tightly and keep refrigerated. Stir before each use.
Notes
To make this in a food processor or regular blender, use 1/3 cup of cashew butter instead of cashews and process until smooth.
Nutritional info is approximate.
Vegenaise Original has 90 calories and 9 grams of fat per tablespoon. Regular Nayonaise has 35 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. Fat Free Nayonaise has 10 calories and 0 grams of fat.
Update: I tried freezing and then defrosting the mayo, and it came out a little less fluffy but still tasting the same.
Please pin and share!
Flo
I made this recipe and it is wonderful. I don’t think we will have any problem using the entire recipe within 2-3 weeks. Now I am actively looking for way to use it since it tastes so good!
Shannon
This is delicious!!! You can put big spoonfuls on your salad for a wonderful creamy dressing. 🙂 I love your recipes!
Simona
Great recipe as usual! Thank you Susan!
Connie Fletcher
Susan, you are truly my hero. I was hesitant, I will admit, but this really is wonderful!! I am ready to make my 2nd batch!!! Really nicely done!!! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!
Connie Fletcher
Susan, any updates on the freezing experiment? By the way…I agree with all the others who claim you are the summer saver!!! This really is delish!! I used it in a chickpea artichoke salad (from Evelyn’s blog) and it couldn’t be anymore delicious….thank you, thank you, thank you…..
Susan Voisin
I’m freezing some now so I should have some results to post in a few days, so check back. Glad you liked it!
Susan Voisin
Freezing works! There was no difference in taste or texture, though perhaps it was a little less fluffy.
Kelly
Susan your recipes are delicious and inspiring! I knew this was going to be good and once I tasted it I was blown away! So good and a great alternative to the reduced fat Vegenaise I’ve been using which comes in at 45 calories/tbsp. Thank you so much!
Michelle
I have to try this! My husband and I just started a plant based diet and his biggest complaint lack of dressings on salads. This will be perfect to mix with other dressings to make them creamier…. Thank you!
Rebecca
I tried this today, and tasting it right after making it, I wasn’t convinced. Then I put it on a “chicken” club sandwich and it was AMAZING! Thank you for the great recipe!
Dawn-Renée
I am on my second batch…the first one, made with a regular blender and a mortar and pestle (for the cashews), knocked my husband’s socks off. So much so he bought us a high-speed blender! Woo-hoo! Thanks again!
heidi
Yay! a fat free mayo recipe! I’m looking forward to trying it…but I also wanted to share what I currently do when I want a creamy spread:
Creamy Cauliflower Spread
chunk up a head of cauliflower and boil until very soft
good mustard, about 2 TBSP
salt if wanted
put all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. this stuff is great for sandwiches and as a base for creamy salad dressings.
Lynn
Do you think this would work with almonds?
Husband is allergic to almost all nuts and coconut, but does okay with almonds
Jacqueline
I’ve heard this works with almonds but that you need to soak them in water overnight to get the skins off and also to soften them up a bit, since they are more dense than cashews.
Lynn
Thanks Jacqueline I will give that a try!
Emily Stevenson
I just tried the tofu-cashew mayo recipe. Add a mashed up chickpea’s, lettuce, tomato, and onion to a high protein bread for a truly amazing sandwich!
Laina
Dear Susan,
I would like to make a Waldorf Faux Chicken Salad and what a beautiful recipe this will be for the mayo.
Question – if you were to come up with a recipe for the salad, would you use tofu? Frozen or not? Or would you use something else like the vital wheat gluten type of meat replacement?
I have a great idea. How about if you come up with the recipe for me??? Hee hee! Pretty please?
I’m looking forward to trying the mayo recipe.
Hugs,
Laina 🙂
Lori Lynn
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. As a McDougaller trying to lose a LOT of weight, I really appreciate this low fat recipe. I made it today and this is the first time in nearly a year (since going vegan) that I have been able to have mayonnaise. I used my food processor and I ground the nuts up into a fine powder before adding the other ingredients. It worked beautifully. I have never had mayonnaise taste so good that I could lick it right off the spoon. For the mustard, I used Grey Poupon Country Dijon. Within a couple of hours, I was whipping up a batch of old-fashioned potato salad. This is something I thought I would have to do without and now I don’t have to. It was so good I think I could bring it to a family picnic!
Pat B
I made this yesterday, but wasn’t thrilled with how hard it was to make or the taste, at first. After reading some comments below, I realize I would have had much more success if I had ground the cashews into a powder first. This morning I cooked up a single serving size of veggig rotini and stirred some of the mayonnaise into it. Brought it to work and set it in the refrigerator until lunch time. The only thing I would change is that next time I will add more of the mayo to the pasta and probably let it cool some before I dump it into my closed container. That will probably avoid the “clump” of pasta in the middle of the dish! I was surprised at how good it tasted. I’ve decided that part of the key to successful vegan eating is in the brain. Once my brain decides that a food is going to taste somewhat different (either in flavor or in texture) than it’s counterpart from my previous life, then my taste buds seem to be better able to get with the program and enjoy the food. I’m still loving this website!
Val Lewis
Why doesn’t everyone soak the cashews for a few hours first? Gets around the grinding to a powder business.
AVBear
I just wanted to say thank you! I’ve been making Bryanna Clark Grogan’s low-fat vegennaise for years now, but it takes time to set, so it requires a bit of planning. The other day, though, i didn’t have time to let a mayo set, and having read your recipe and the comments, I decided to give it a try.
I’ve been wary of tofu-mayos because they taste too much of tofu for my taste, but this one doesn’t! Admittedly, I added two tablespoons olive oil a clove of garlic and a bit more dijon than what your recipe called for, but it turned out beautifully! A really yummy mayo, and the texture, is better than Bryanna’s (otherwise delicious mayo!).
With my additions, Livestrong calculates the calories to 25 per Tbsp.
Totally yummy, and still fairly low in fat! Thank you again!! (maybe next time I’ll try it without the extra olive oil too and save those calories) 🙂
Roseatta @vegetarianbreakfastrecipes.net
Thanks for the cashew/tofu mayo recipe. I have been looking for one that i like and the cashews appeal to me. Let you know how it turns out!
catherine
This looks like a wonderful recipe. I use the commercial vegan mayo’s, however, I am trying to get away from processed vegan foods as much as possible. This recipe sounds delicious. This is a great site and has helped me with my relatively new vegan lifestyle. Thank you.
Nicola Bowman
can not wait to try. have been a long time vegetarian 18 yr. just recently became vegan miss the mayo like flavor for my sandwich’s.
Sue
This is a wonderful concoction. It’s great to have potato salad and coleslaw that’s creamy and low fat. “Saved my summer” is right! And if that weren’t enough, it means I’ve got something to lug to potlucks that not only looks-like but * is * old fashioned comfort food – so far as anybody can tell! Thanks for dreaming this up!
Twinkle Teacher
This looks great. Looking for a good vegan spread to give a go.
Val
YOU ARE A GENIUS!!!! I can eat tomato sandwiches and coleslaw again. Thank you so much.
Peggy
I am ner to the tofu choices. Is there a reason you use the shelf type in this recipe? I have only used the “fresh.” Thanks!
Pam
Yea! A yummy tasting mayo that is low in fat! I try to cut my grocery bill by making my own condiments and vegan foods. After several trials and blunders with other mayo recipes, I found your recipe for the cashew mayo. Delish! I appreciated the calorie and nutrition info after the recipe too. Since I am the only veggie in the house, I will freeze some of this to make it more economical. Thanks for sharing!
Marge
How can I print the photo with the recipe
Susan Voisin
The site doesn’t have a feature for printing the photo with the recipe, but if you select the photo and text in your browser, you can use the “print selection” function.
admattai
I made this for guests and used it as a salad dressing last night, it was great! I did add some more mustard/other spices for some kick, but I highly recommend this recipe; it was my first time using tofu in a long time (I had never used silken tofu before – only firm tofu which I would cook), and I loved it. Will be using for various sandwich spreads/salad dressings in the near future.
Almiel
“I recommend either Mori-Nu Organic Silken Tofu or Mori-Nu Lite Firm Tofu. Both are non-GMO, though the Lite uses Isolated Soy Protein.”
The regular firm I bought lists isolated soy protein too, what does this mean?
Anyway, it was really good. We like miracle whip so I added a teeny amount of a stevia sweetener. I just used some straight from the blender for a lettuce sandwich on Ezekiel bread along with a sprinkle of dill. Mmm-mm! I miss creamy dressing (ranch was always a favorite) so I look forward to using some that way. I also am going to make potato salad with potatoes and fresh dill I got from my co-0p box.
pumpkinopolitan
I tried your recipe today. I did it in a small food mill since thats all I had and it did for a second look really watery. But it did firm up as you said after resting in the fridge and it was delish!! Tofu and cashew do make a wonderful combination. I also added a touch of ground black pepper and a few pinches of thyme for an accent. Good wholesome stuff that beats conventional mayo anytime I’d say!
Lisa P.
Thank you for this wonderful game-changer recipe. I actually double it for my tribe and still have to make it weekly!
DeniseG
Made this mayo today using cashew butter and used some for potato salad. It turned out really good! Thanks!! So much better than nayonaise. I’m going to use it for cole slaw next and also make your tofu “chicken” salad soon.
Samantha
Hello Im interested in knowing how long it lasts in the fridge, I know the comment said 2-3 weeks but wanted to know if that still stands as your comment said your experimenting with that. Thank You again for all your beautiful and delicious looking Vegan recipes!!
Susan Voisin
I still think 3 weeks is the longest I would keep it in the fridge. You can freeze it, though, and it defrosts just fine.
Peggy Stermer-Cox
Hi Susan, I’ve been following your recipes for a couple of months (tried the pumpkin chili, yum!). I found you through the “Forks Over Knives” book. I tried your Tofu-Cashew mayo yesterday. I liked it particularly since you don’t use oil. I reduced the lemon just a little (two tablespoons or about a half lemon) and added a little bit of ketchup along with the mustard. It was a little bit lemony for my taste. BUT, what I really liked was using it with tomatoes for a creamy tomato based sauce. And, I like the idea of using it with vegan burgers. I’m trying the beet and tofu burger today. My husband and I are still vegan newbies…five months and counting. Thanks!
Susan Voisin
Oh my goodness, my site was mentioned in the Forks Over Knives book? I had no idea! I will definitely have to order a copy.
I use homegrown Meyer lemons, which tend to be milder than regular ones, so I can see why you might find it too lemony. I like the idea of a little ketchup. Add a little relish to it and it could be a 1000 Island type dressing!
groovymuse
This is FANTASTIC – it’s the ONLY mayo I’ll be using from now on!
Thank you so much for this website, Susan! I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis a few weeks ago and have been researching the Swank and McDougall diets. Though I’ve been Vegetarian for years, it became apparent I needed to return to a Vegan diet and severely limit fat intake. I ate a Vegan diet for awhile, but do not like processed alternative foods and this turned me off. Your recipes are showing me how to make these things myself and have fresh food – and save money!
Thank you again! Good health to you!
Peace