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!
Linda
Hi Susan,
I just want to add my thanks for this recipe. I have been moving steadily toward 100% plant-based fuel for my “temple” 🙂 and this recipe has proven that no one has to suffer in achieving this goal. I didn’t have onion powder so I grated ~ 1 t of yellow onion into the blender jar. I also used soaked raw cashews as I don’t have a Vitamix. It’s chillin in the fridge right now but the little tastes I took while adjusting salt blew my mind, THANKS THANKS THANKS!! I’m currently eying my little stash of fingerling potatoes and fresh dill from my CSA box. They are about to meet again in the most fantastic way! Out of the box, into the bowl, next stop our tummies!
MyRedSandals
I have been using Vegenaise up to this point, but would love to find a way to reduce calories/fat. But I have never used tofu packaged in aseptic boxes because I’ve heard it doesn’t taste as good as the fresh tofu (sold in the refrigerated case at most grocery stores). So I’ve always purchased the latter. Can you use fresh tofu in this recipe?
Susan Voisin
If it’s fresh silken tofu, it should work just as well. But regular tofu will be grittier, less smooth.
Nikki
I haven’t made this recipe (yet), but just wanted to mention for other readers’ sake that I used to make pudding with bananas and fresh tofu (both soft and medium) and have never noticed a gritty texture – if it is being blended up, it really won’t matter… plus, the fresh type is MUCH MUCH cheaper. So if you can’t get or don’t want to pay the extra money for the silken type, I really do think fresh will be just fine. Will comment back if I get around to trying this recipe! Also, one could sub vinegar for lemon juice if they didn’t want the lemony flavor. I think this is a great base recipe!! I am no longer vegan, but do appreciate making everything as cheap and low calorie for the greatest volume possible. I have been mixing 4 parts plain skim milk yogurt (vegans can use dairy-free yogurts) with one part light mayo (that is what my mom had in the house, though I prefer fat free, and also like Miracle Whip – first choice fat free, second, light), and that lowers the calories considerably. Sometimes I also add in one part mustard. Excellent.
Jennifer
Hi Susan,
I used your “mayonnaise” in place of the 2/3 cup of olive oil called for in another vegan chef’s pasta salad recipe and it’s DELICIOUS. It made a creamy tomatoey sauce for the pasta. Thanks!
Adron
Has anyone tried adding some roasted garlic? I bet it would be amazing!! So excited to try this recipe today 😀
vegwell
I tried this recently and it is delicious. So much tastier than fat-free Nayonaise. It opened up a world of possibilities…could make so many types of salad dressings with it. I used it in pasta salad….wonderful.
Doug Lerner
I was excited by finding salad dressing recipes at this site, but was sort of disappointed to see how much fat most of these recipes have! For example, this recipe is 53% calories from fat!
A lot of the recipes have nuts and avocado, etc. While I appreciate the effort I wonder how you can justify listing them on a “fat free” vegan site.
Thanks,
doug@looking for really low fat fat vegan recipes, especially salad dressings
Dawn-Renée
Doug…from Susan’s About Me page:
“What’s this “fatfree” business all about?
In general, I don’t cook with refined fats (oil, margarine, and shortening). This simply means that instead of sautéing in oil, I use water or broth. In baking, I substitute apple sauce or flax seeds or some other substance for margarine, butter, or shortening. I do use a little sesame oil now and then because a little bit imparts a lot of flavor. And once in a very long while, I go crazy and make something with a little olive oil in it, but this is rare, and I don’t use whole heaping gobs of it.
Wait a minute…I saw a recipe with coconut milk…and another with walnuts. Those aren’t fat-free ingredients!
You’re very observant! Yes, I sometimes use lite coconut milk (though I’m trying to cut down), and I do include avocados, nuts, and seeds in my diet as forms of healthy, unrefined fat. This blog probably should have been called “Oil-Free Vegan Kitchen,” but I didn’t like the way that sounded. Whenever a recipe gets more than 15% of its calories from fat, I add the tag “Higher-Fat” to it, which you can see at the end of the blog post.”
My personal opinion is that the idea that fats are bad is pretty ridiculous. Fats satiate us and make us feel full more quickly than gobs of refined flours and sugars. I personally avoid those things and embrace natural, unrefined fats like those in nuts, avocados and in nut and olive oils. Just another point of view.
Beth
I long does the Tofu-Cashew mayonnaise keep in the refridgerator?
karina sastropawiro
So yummy!!!! love it!!!! My 1 year old just love it as a dip for his veggies
Joshua Parker
Since becoming vegan, I’ve not had the opportunity to try other vegan mayo’s. However, when I’ve made sandwiches, I’ve used hummus as a condiment. I actually stole the idea from Rip who created the Engine 2 Diet.
susan
Wow, I am not a huge tofu lover and I despite all Nayonaise! This is a totally awesome low fat substitute. I only had salted cashews and no onion powder so I subbed 1 tsp dried minced onion and a half tsp of garlic salt. I think I like it as much as any full-fat mayonaise.
Going to try it with pureed kalamata olives, a lot of roasted garlic, and a little lemon. This is a dip I’ve made with regular mayo that is so ridiculously high fat that it takes the fun out of it. We will enjoy a version made with this tofu-cashew mayo. Thanks!
KCalla
This is fantastic! It opens up great new sandwich options for us. The first time I made it, I set aside half of the recipe and added Chipotle powder (mine was from Penzey’s). Had both plain and Chipotle versions on whole wheat toast and tomato sandwiches. Both were great but especially loved the Chipotle “mayo”. Today I used plain to make an adapted version of your chickpea “tuna” salad” with Old Bay type seasoning. Another hit. ***Hint: don’t panic, like I did, thinking that Mori-Nu Silken tofu (shelf stable) was no longer being carried by my grocer. They have changed the package labeling and the brand Moringa is more prominent on the package….but the words Mori-Nu are still present in smaller lettering****
glennie feinsmith
Hi, I have just been told that I cannot have any soybean products at all, and have to cut out ‘all’ fats from my diet. I am wondering if I can substitute tahini for the tofu or veganaise. Salad dressings without oil are a challenge. Trying to have a varied and tasty diet and follow Dr’s orders are driving me mad!
Dori
I made this tonight, with raw almonds (soaked) and I used garlic powder because I had no onion powder.. simply amazing. Thank you.
Tamara
I have been looking for an oil-free vegan mayonaise for a while now!! Thanks for posting this!! I can’t eat soy, is there anything I can use instead of tofu? Or do you know of any soy-free oil-free vegan mayonaise recipe that work for us with soy allergies? Thanks : )
Maria
I just made this! I love my condiments so I don’t see there will be any left by the end of the week 😉 I think I overdid the onion powder.. the only thing I didn’t measure..and I think a teaspoon went in, yikes! Thank you for this dairy free, oil free alternative.
Melissa Lang
I keep a batch of this in the fridge at all times since I discovered it mid-summer. I love it and use it for many things. It is a great sub for mayo or veganaisse. I really like it as a sauce for artichokes. I spread it on warmed corn tortillas for a quick snack. It’s great in home-made salad dressings. My favorite lately has been a poppy seed dressing. My husband (transitioning to a plant-based diet) likes “that white sauce” on his lentil enchiladas. I usually add a small clove or two to the recipe for a little flavor boost. Thanks for a great recipe!
Diane
Hi Susan,
I love your recipes! So much better than Dr. Fuhrman’s. I am thoroughly confused about using ‘high speed blenders’. (re: your recipe for Tofu-Cashew Mayo). Why don’t food processors do the same thing?
Thanks,
Diane
Susan Voisin
Thanks, Diane! I don’t know the exact mechanics of it, but I think the shape of the blender container concentrates the ingredients in the area of the blender’s blade. That combined with the higher horsepower of the blender enable it to blend things much more smooth than a food processor can. I never thought hummus could get any better than my food processor makes until I got a Vitamix.
Jenny
Hey, I’m really not a fan of mustard- do you have any suggestions to substitute in place of it, or is this still tasty without it? Could you use garlic and make it more of an aioli type thing?
Susan Voisin
You can leave the mustard out or use less of it. It doesn’t really give it a mustard taste that you can discern, just adds flavor. And yes to the garlic idea. It makes a great base for aioli!
Jessica
This mayo is delish! I only have a regular blender, so I went to Whole Foods and bought fresh cashew butter from the self grinder they have in the bulk section. Oil free! Worked perfectly and blended smooth when I mixed it with the other stuff. I also boiled the tofu for a couple of minutes and then ran it under cold water. This helps get rid of any lingering beany taste. I will definitely make this over buying veganaise from now on. So excited to make chickpea “tuna” salad with as well as FFV “chicken” salad, which I have made before and was mega delish. Thanks for the great, simple recipe!
Shabooboo
This is quite tasty! I generally don’t like tofu-based spreads, only because it has a somewhat chalky and dry flavor to me. I had to grind the cashews in a food processor, then transfered everything to my blender and pureed it. I added a spoonful of coconut oil to see if it gives a firmer texture. Needless to say, I won’t be making soy milk canola mayo anymore!
Roberta
This is excellent and came out just right. Great news on the freezing update. I made more than I could eat so will now try to freeze.
Steve Voelker
This is intriguing as heck, but I have a child with a tree nut allergy. Which is frustrating since most cream sauce recipes I’ve run into require cashews. 🙁
He does well with almonds, interestingly. Will blanched raw almonds work in this recipe? They seem harder than cashews but I have the killer blender. What are your thoughts?
Susan Voisin
I believe if you look through the comments, you’ll find someone who has made it with almonds. Good luck!
Steve Voelker
Sure enough- that’s what I get for finding this recipe so late in the day compared to everyone else! Sorry about that 🙂
Time to start blanching…
Kristyn
Could I use almond butter instead of cashew butter? It’s what I have on hand. No cashews or cashew butter at the moment.
Susan Voisin
Someone in the comments above made it with soaked almonds, so I think almond butter would work equally well.
Kristyn
Great! I’ll give it a go. My husband loves macaroni salad and I refuse to buy miracle whip. I’m trying to find the perfect substitute. I hope this is it!
Annetta Williams
I’m vegan and gluten/soy sensitive. What can be used instead of tofu? Vegannaise is off the list for the same reason.
Hazel
Oh I like that you froze it and it was still good! We don’t eat much mayo, but it’s still something I like to have around. Will for sure be making a batch of this and freezing some. I am a fan of any creamy goodness made with cashews so I am very excited to try this!
Terri Cole
I’ve been using Trader Joe’s low-fat mayo (it’s vegan) but I love having a no-oil alternative! thanks, Susan!!!
LISA
Thank you, thank you!!! I have tried SO many posted recipes for vegan mayo and always ended up with oily “glop”… This one had my teenage vegan finger cleaning the magic bullet cup!!! Finally the creaminess, lemon zing, mustard tang of my used to be homemade mayo…(with eggs and oil, then it was divine now it just sounds yuck)… I’m blown away!!!
karen
This mayo is so good. I don’t mean good as in “this is an acceptable substitute for something else I like.” It’s better than anything I’ve had from a jar. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I love this recipe.
sherri
could you make this with regular tofu as around here you can’t get silken tofu?
Susan Voisin
I haven’t tried it with regular tofu, but it may work if you just blend it very well. It may need a little added water to get smooth.
trijbits
I’m so happy to have this non-oil vegan alternative for mayo. I use a very strong mustard (Japanese “karashi”) and also like to add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. This seems to diminish the distinctive tofu taste.
The recipe makes too much for the single vegan consumer in this house. 😉 Freezing half the recipe then thawing resulted in a more runny mayo, though still usable. Now I make just the half-recipe, even though in my experience it has a much longer fridge life than you specify.
Amanda
I’m not vegan but my best friend is and I am always looking for healthy alternatives for my family. Tried this recipe today and I’m impressed with the flavor and versatility! I tried the soaking method for the cashews after seeing that cashew butter was $10 as nearly dying of shock. The end result was a little grainy texture but still good flavor. Also, I am thinking that apple cider vinegar and a spot of sweetener would fulfill that Miracle Whip craving too! Great recipe. Love your site.
Sadanhungry
Hi, does cashew that are not raw work? Can i use roasted cashews? Like the one you buy thats inside a pack and you could just eat it right away. And what happens if i dont use cashew at all, would it be ruined, please anwser 🙂
Briana
How can a cashew based mayo have no fat?
Thanks
Susan Voisin
It doesn’t have no fat (nothing does–even lettuce has traces of fat). It has .88 grams of fat per tablespoon, as noted at the end of the recipe.
Lauren
I know this website focuses on not adding oils but I finally made a half recipe of this mayo and it was a little too tofu-ey for me, so I added about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil. Very delicious. Thanks for all your amazing recipes, I’m on your site constantly!
Sharon Collins
Thanks You ! I finally just googled fat free mayo — and found you ! Have been reading Esselstyne’s and MadDougall’s books and jar labels ! Happy to be here.
Patricia Conte
This is great! I’ve been looking for a mayo replacement to make. Can’t wait to try this! Thank you
Bonnie
This sounds great, but how long does it keep with tofu in it?
Susan Voisin
I estimate 2 -3 weeks in the fridge or indefinitely in the freezer.
priscilla
Hello Susan!
I’m a big fan of your website. Thanks for your great receipes and inspirations.
One question, recently, I’m allergic to all nuts… so sad 🙁
How can I replace nuts? Any suggestions???