How to Make Mayo from Scratch

The grocery store doesn’t get to decide whether or not you have mayo today.

That’s the energy I want you to walk away with after reading this post because here’s the thing, mayo is one of those condiments that feels totally out of reach when you’re living off-grid, stocking a pantry for the long haul, or just trying to stop depending on a store shelf to feed yourself. But it’s also one of the easiest things you’ll ever make from scratch once you know the trick.

We’re talking five ingredients. One mason jar. An immersion blender. And about 60 seconds of your time.

That’s it. That’s the whole thing.

Why Make Your Own Mayo? (Real Talk)

Most store-bought mayo, even the “healthy” ones, is made with soybean oil or canola oil. Both are highly processed seed oils that your body isn’t really designed to run on. And if you’re like me, you’ve spent time learning how to eat cleaner and take better care of yourself. Why stop at the label on the jar?

This homemade mayo uses avocado oil, a clean, stable fat that’s actually good for you. It’s rich and creamy and tastes so much better than anything you’ll find in a plastic squeeze bottle.

Beyond the health piece, there’s something bigger here: self-sufficiency.

When you know how to make your own mayo, you’re not stuck. You’re not at the mercy of a supply chain, a sold-out shelf, or a grocery trip you didn’t plan for. You’ve got eggs, oil, a lemon, and a little mustard? You’ve got mayo.

That’s the kind of skill that matters. Whether you’re living in a bus, camping for weeks at a stretch, or just building a pantry that can actually sustain you.

If this resonates with you, I made something for you. A free From Scratch Pantry Guide to help you start building your own pantry without the overwhelm. No giant list. No pressure. Just one recipe at a time. Grab it here → From Scratch Pantry Guide.

What You’ll Need

These are humble, real ingredients. Nothing fancy. Nothing hard to source.

• 1 Egg (room temperature works best)
• 1 cup Avocado Oil
• 2 Tbsp Lemon Juice (or vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Quick tip for off-grid folks: Lemon juice from a bottle, dehydrated or freeze-dried lemon powder works just fine here, too. So does apple cider vinegar if that’s what you’ve got. This recipe is forgiving.

Tools: A wide-mouth pint mason jar and an immersion blender. That’s it! No stand mixer, no food processor, nothing that needs a big counter or a power hookup you don’t have.

How to Make It (The Foolproof Method)

This is the part where people get nervous. They’ve heard mayo is finicky. They’ve had batches break on them. But this method is basically foolproof once you understand the one rule:

Don’t move the blender until it tells you to.

Step 1:

Add everything to your mason jar. Crack the egg into the bottom of the jar. Add your lemon juice, Dijon, and salt. Then pour the avocado oil right on top. It’ll float. That’s normal. Don’t stir it. Don’t touch it.

Step 2:

Blender goes all the way to the bottom. Place your immersion blender into the jar and press it all the way down so it’s sitting right on top of the egg. The blades need to be down in the wet ingredients, not up in the oil.

Step 3:

Turn it on and hold still. This is the part that feels counterintuitive. Turn the blender on and do not move it. Hold it completely still at the bottom of the jar. Within about 20 to 30 seconds, you’ll see thick, white, creamy mayo start forming around the blades. That’s your emulsification happening in real time. The egg and mustard are binding the oil and acid together into something magical.

Step 4:

Slowly lift to pull in the oil. Once you can see that creamy mayo has formed at the bottom, begin slowly lifting the blender upward while keeping it running. Take your time. Move it up gradually so it pulls that floating oil at the top down into the rest of the mayo.

By the time the blender reaches the surface, your jar should be full of thick, gorgeous, homemade mayo.

Step 5:

Taste and make it yours. A little more lemon for tang. A pinch more salt for depth. This is your mayo, adjust it however you like.

Storing It

Since this is made with a fresh egg and zero preservatives, it’ll keep for 1–2 weeks in the fridge, sealed in the same mason jar.

If refrigeration is limited, a cooler, a 12-volt fridge, a root cellar could work, just make smaller batches more often. The whole process takes under five minutes, so there’s no reason to stress about making a huge jar at once.

The Bigger Picture

I want to be really honest about why I make things like this from scratch.

It’s not about being perfect and not about being the most hardcore homesteader on the internet. It’s about not being helpless.

There’s a certain kind of confidence that comes from knowing you can feed yourself — really feed yourself — without running to a store for every single ingredient. And it builds slowly, one skill at a time. Homemade broth. Sourdough. Fermented vegetables. And yeah, mayo.

Every time you make something yourself, you’re adding to a toolkit that belongs to you. The store can be closed. The shelf can be empty. The road can be impassable. And you’ll still be okay.

That’s what Koda Kingdom is all about. Real skills for real life.

Start with the mayo.

Want to keep going? Here’s how to build a whole pantry around recipes like this one. Grab the From Scratch Pantry Guide.

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