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Kelly the Kitchen Kop

What to Do When Your Mayonnaise Won’t Set (or emulsify) – How to Thicken Mayo

200 Comments

*Amazon or other affiliate links may be included, see full disclosure after the post. I'm not a medical professional, so use anything you read here only as a starting point for your own research.

How to Thicken Mayo:

Almost every single time I make it, my homemade mayonnaise comes out great and I love the taste.  Even more, I love that there are none of the scary ingredients that you find in store-bought mayo.  I attribute my successes to the tricks in my homemade mayo recipe, which by the way, is so simple and takes less than 5 minutes–I even prove it in a video that shows how I make homemade mayo FAST:

BUT even when I faithfully follow that recipe, every once in a great while I've still had the mayonnaise not set up, thicken, emulsify, whatever you want to call it, and it really makes me crazy.  When using quality ingredients that are not cheap, wasting them is even more frustrating, right?

But now I've figured out how to fix it…

The exact steps for fixing your mayo are below, and these steps work for me!  But I thought I'd also share something I just read in this fantastic book by Samin Nosrat, “Salt Fat Acid Heat”.  In the forward by Michael Pollan he describes Samin's instructions for how to repair a broken mayonnaise:  “Add a few drops of water and then ‘whisk with the urgency of a swimmer escaping a shark'.”  I haven't tried that, but if you do, report back!

However as I said, the following steps I have used successfully many times to fix my mayo that wouldn't set…

Steps for How to Thicken Mayo:

  • Set aside the mayo that won't set up. Try not to cry or swear at it like I do.
  • In another jar just like the first one, with an opening that just fits your immersion blender, put in one more egg yolk, and set the jar in warm water for a few minutes to warm.  (Or if you use your blender–I love my Bosch for this–just pour what you already have made into another bowl, and add another yolk to the blender.)
  • Once the yolk is warmed up a little, blend well.
  • Add another little squirt of mustard.
  • Slowly drip in the first batch of failed/runny mayo and keep blending.
  • When you get about half-way, you'll see and feel that it's getting thicker, and then you can pour the rest in a little faster, but until you feel that pull like it's working, keep dripping slowly.  (If you're using a blender, you'll know it's “working” when it starts sort of smacking against the sides in spurts.)

***What you're doing is basically making a new, but smaller, batch of mayo, and then instead of adding more oil, you'll use the failed batch as your “new” oil to pour in.

How to Thicken Mayo

That trick for how to thicken mayo works for me, but I've learned that once in a great while, mayo is just weird and unpredictable. 

In all the batches I've made over the years, and this is since I was done experimenting and had my recipe figured out, so we're talking about dozens and dozens and dozens of batches, I've only had it totally and completely bomb where I couldn't get it back ONE time.  That one time I don't know how many eggs I went through and wasted, but there was no bringing it back.  When that happens, if you don't want to keep going, try mixing some sour cream into it and herbs for a homemade ranch dip or ranch salad dressing.

Usually, though, if you follow the tips in the homemade mayo recipe post, it will work every time, and if not, this method for fixing it really works!

But don't beat yourself up if you chance upon that very rare occasion where the mayo wins!

In that case, just throw up your hands and use this mayo.  I keep it on hand just in case and that's the only not-homemade kind of mayo that I'll buy in a pinch.

Want to learn more about real food and what I feed our family?  Get my book here: Real Food for Rookies.
Or click here to get the whole first chapter of my book free!  It's a 20-page grocery store cheat sheet!

More you might like:

  • Has this ever happened to you, or is it something I should share in my Friday Food Flops?  🙂

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Comments

  1. Hillary says

    I was very suspicious that this would not work. To my surprise, it did work! Thank you. I have made many good mayos. Tonight I was about to cry. But saved it. Thank you!

    Reply

  2. Kelly F. says

    If I was smart I would just buy store bought, but I keep coming back to trying homemade again and again to a disaster every time. Every recipe, every instructor says “so easy…” which makes me feel like an idiot, but for some reason I come back and try it and the same thing happens every time no matter what tips I try. I love cooking but mayo makes me super angry on the kitchen.

    The very first time I made it–it was perfect. After that, including tonight, watery and NOTHING helps. I end up going through half a carton of eggs and end up with just more and more runny, milk-like liquid. I really don’t understand how any of these tips work.

    Reply

      • KitchenKop says

        Charisse Rose, I’ll try to help.

        Are you using a blender, an immersion blender, or what?

        Kelly

        Reply

    • Margaret says

      Add more oil! I had the same issue. It was super frustrating because all the forums and websites said to start with a new egg yolk and slowly add the old mixture- which just led to more runny mayonnaise. I finally tried adding more oil after pure frustration and it thickened up immediately. Apparently my mayo wasn’t broken just didn’t have enough fat.

      Reply

  3. Enid says

    Tried making mayo for the first time, and it separated, so I added three more eggs (I did a 3x batch but one had an extra egg) I didn’t have any apple cider vinegar but I did have balsamic vinegar, so that, plus 3 more eggs and boom! It whipped up completely! Thanks!

    Reply

      • Minnie says

        Shaking and on pins & needles, I nervously poured original soupy goop into separate bowl, added an egg yolk to the empty food processor bowl, along with a dash of lemon juice and mustard. Oh no! I’ve already messed up! Wasn’t supposed to add those until after I whip the egg yolk! Now it won’t come out! Arrrrgh, grimace, may as well keep going. Began to ever-so-slowly pour a thin thread of the soupy goop in. 5 seconds go by, oh no! It’s not thickening. Another 5 seconds go by. I knew it! It works for everyone else but not me! 3 seconds go by, my heart is pounding, I’m exhilarated! I see what looks like a thickish splatter on the side! Oh, careful, careful, cannot let the thin thread of soupy goop pour in too fast or too slow! Death grip on the handle, very tense! Oh, I can’t believe my eyes! The whole batch is thickening! It worked!!! It worked!!! I love you kitchen kop! A BIG HUG!!!

        Reply

    • Christine Zolman says

      GOD BLESS YOU!! IT WORKED!! I can’t tell you how many batches I have tossed in anger—NO MORE!!
      ?❤️?

      Reply

  4. ApexScrub says

    Thank you. It was driving me insane that I couldn’t thicken my mayonnaise and your way worked for me instantly.

    Reply

  5. Carolyn says

    I’m so thankful I found this before I burst into tears! I prefer using avocado oil to make my mayo and I hated the idea of wasting it. I very rarely indulge in expensive products and avo oil is one of the few things I’ll splurge on. My fixed mayo is delicous and cooling down in the fridge 🙂

    Reply

  6. Alex Cage says

    You are awesome. I couldn’t save it, but I made the most delicious salad dressing ever!

    I’ve been making it with an immersion blender for months with no issue, this was the first time it would not emulsify, and after the second egg yolk didn’t work either (as per instructions, using the failed batch like the new oil to drizzle into the new yolk mix).

    I now have a ridiculously rich herbal dressing! Saved me a headache from not wanting it to go to waste, and now I have a new method to attempt to fix the mayo if it randomly fails again!

    I do pasteurize my own eggs with a temperature controlled bath, but it’s never caused me issues before. I allow that it might cause problems with emulsifying yolks, and whipping whites, so that could well have been the case here.

    Reply

  7. Bella says

    You saved my mayo! Thank you so so much! I tried making mayo for the first time which ended up as mayo soup as I stupidly added the oil too fast. Using your method, I not only salvaged the mayo which thickened up so beautifully but I only had to use a couple more tsp of oil. If not for this method a lot of good quality oil would have been wasted. Thanks so much!!

    Reply

  8. Breia says

    Thank you!!!! I almost cried and DID throw my immersion mixer just a little before I found your advice. It worked! I was using Camelina oil (tasteless and unbelievably good for you, but also crazy expensive)
    It comes from Siberia and I can’t get it locally. I was sick at the thought of wasting it. Thanks to you I didn’t!

    Reply

  9. Tom says

    Gawd! Thank you so much! I tried your suggestion, with a great deal of trepidation, resigning myself, as I have done quite a few times, to throwing everything out. I watched carefully as it started to thicken. Slowly, slowly, it kept on thickening and I was breaking a sweat. Don’t blow this, don’t blow this. And I didn’t! So thank you, and oh before I forget, Thank You!

    Reply

    • Ed says

      TOTAL FAIL. Now I have a double helping of liquidy extraordinarily expensive “dressing”. I did everything that everyone talks about and yet I ended up with the blender turning itself off because it was trying to overheat. I give up ever trying to do this again LOL

      Reply

      • KitchenKop says

        That happened to me yesterday! It was the first time in years that I had a problem, and it was just because I was in a rush and tried pouring the oil in too fast. I ended up with TWO failed batches, and then because I had so much goop to incoorporate back in, I made two more separate batches (using only two yolks each), and used half the goop for each batch and got both batches to work, finally, by pouring the goop back in very slowly. I ended up with lots of extra mayo so I made a flavorful aioli and tomorrow we’ll have roasted potatoes to dip into it. 🙂

        Sorry you couldn’t get yours back!

        Kelly

        Reply

  15. Mllrbb says

    Never make mayo on an overcast day. According to Joy of Cooking cookbook, it won’t emulsify. I make mayo by drizzling the oil into the food processor tube with the little oil hole. It has worked perfectly every time except once…on an overcast day when I decided to experiment and see if the cookbook authors were correct. They seem to know what they are talking about.

    I’ve never been successful using the stick blender method, although I purchased the stick blender solely to make mayo after reading of others’ success with it. Hand whisking seems to work well for me, but I rarely have the patience for it. I’ve never tried the blender.

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      Interesting about overcast days, I’ve never heard that one!

      I’d never ever have the patience for hand-whisking it, throwing in the blender is my favorite. 🙂

      Kelly

      Reply

      • dina says

        well, I had to make two batches today (overcast day). Both with stick blender. first was perfect, second needed saving badly, so doesnt seem to back up the overcast recommendation but thanks to Kelly’s post here, totally saved it with an extra yolk and dripping in – thickened right up! Whew! Thank you, kelly!

        Reply

    • Ronaldo Garcia Jenmenize says

      As suggested above, I was able to salvage my court of non thickened mayonnaise by using one warm egg a tablespoon of vinegar and a tablespoon of mustard and slowly begin to drizzle the non thick mayonnaise into it. Salvaged

      Tks for the tip

      Reply

  16. Kevin N Lisa Campbell says

    How do u do it? I was just complaining to hubby about how horrible my olive oil mayo tasted, even with the best quality oil. I never heard of using sesame oil. I love mayo with my sweet potato fries! Will make this as soon as I can find the oil. Our local supermarkets don’t carry it, checked 3 today.

    Reply

  17. Lynn Erickson says

    NO. I’m beating 2 more yolks and the mustard then slowly adding the oil mix that won’t solidify. Should I also be adding more lemon/vinegar and spices that were in the origin? I’ve put it in the fridge until I get my nerve up again. If it doesn’t work this time any suggestions for all this oil and yolk mix? Should I leave the oil mix out overnight so that it is at RT? Thanks for your help.

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      Are you using your blender or a hand mixer or what? I’d recommend one of those. If it fails the next time, I’ve taken this mixture before and mixed it with sour cream and herbs for a ranch dip. It wasn’t as noticeable that it didn’t set up as a good mayo when it was part of a dip. ***Try it with a small amount first before you waste a bunch of sour cream though!

      Kelly

      Reply

  18. Lynn Erickson says

    I am having the same failures. So far I’ve added 4 more yolks (2 on different occasions) and still had no success. If I add another 2 yolks will it still taste ok? I hate losing!

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      Lynn, you’re not just adding more yolks though are you? You have to follow the instructions above. But to answer your question, yes, I’ve had to do it twice before to save it. Keep in mind, once in a great while, I just can’t save it, and I have no idea why, but *usually* this method works!

      Kelly

      Reply

  19. Leah Rich says

    Thank you so much for writing this! I learned 2 things: How to fix the mayo and not to put more than the amount of mustard indicated in the recipe. Much thanks Kelly!

    Reply

    • Mary Shrader says

      So true – and sometimes that stick blender just doesn’t do the trick. A regular blender always works better – even Julia Child agreed.

      Reply

  21. Annabelle says

    I wonder what seasonings are in traditional mayonnaise, for example, Best Foods, that make it taste so amazing? I bet one of them is garlic powder.

    Reply

          • Annabelle says

            I actually made a batch of my homemade mayo with Whole Milk Greek Yogurt, and it seems to be nice and thick. I did a little experimenting, and found out that garlic powder is a bit spicy, and since this is a mild version, I put garlic salt instead. I wonder, why is it that someone, presumably my sister, once told me that garlic powder and garlic salt were essentially the same thing? Is she right, I wonder?

            Reply

            • KitchenKop says

              I guess I’ve never thought about it much but I’ve always assumed going by taste that the only difference is one has salt and one doesn’t.
              Kelly

              Reply

              • Annabelle says

                The way I know that garlic powder is spicy is because I actually put a tiny bit on my tongue when I wanted to see what it tastes like, compared to garlic salt. Oooooh sweet Canada it burned like a hot bean dip! I almost choked a little, that’s how much it burns! Thankfully, that’s when I said while making my homemade mayo, “Aaahhh! Definitely not that one! How ’bout garlic salt instead! Garlic powder is a bit much for a mild version!”

                Reply

                  • Annabelle says

                    I got my garlic powder from Safeway. Next time I go to Winco, I might buy it from the bulk section. Although I’m sure it’ll still be spicy. Especially since all their buy-in-bulk spices are always fresh.

                    Reply

            • KitchenKop says

              Wow, you’re right, I didn’t know that. A quick search said this: “Aioli or aïoli is a Mediterranean sauce made of garlic and olive oil; some regions use other emulsifiers such as egg.”

              Mine has egg, and comes out like mayo. 🙂

              Kelly

              Reply

  22. Annabelle says

    The reason I especially make my mayonnaise egg-free is because my partner can’t have too much of anything with egg, since it causes him to have gassy burps, and if and when we live together, I don’t want to cause him to suffer in that way. The Greek Yogurt I buy is Zoi. Have you heard of that brand? Where I live, it’s available at Albertson’s in Eugene, Oregon.

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      Nope, I haven’t heard of that brand, but I live in Michigan. As long as it’s a whole milk yogurt, that’s a good one, especially if it’s organic. 🙂

      Kelly

      Reply

  23. Annabelle says

    Hi, Kelly, my name is Annabelle.
    I’m a woman who’s sight impaired, totally blind to be exact, and I absolutely love mayonnaise! The only problem is, my general practitioner says it’s too fattening for me! So, my solution is, I make a homemade version, but here’s the catch, it’s both oil-free and egg-free. And, on top of that, it’s free from all of those preservatives and chemicals that one can’t pronounce. The main ingredient? Plain Greek yogurt! Here’s the recipe I make.

    Magnificent Mayonnaise

    You’ll Need:
    3 tablespoons white vinegar
    2 stevia
    2 Tablespoons Yellow Mustard
    32 Ounces Plain Greek Yogurt
    1-½ teaspoon salt
    ⅛ Teaspoon (1 Dash) pepper
    Salt Grinds (Optional)
    Pepper Grinds (Optional)

    You Do:
    1. Make sure yellow mustard and Greek yogurt are chilled, as they may not set right if warm.
    2. Combine white vinegar, Stevia, and yellow mustard and whisk until evenly mixed.
    3. Chill in refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes, allowing the mustard to thicken the mix.
    4. Slowly add Greek yogurt, one scoop at a time, and whisk until well mixed. The mix will start to emulcify as you whisk.
    5. Salt and pepper to taste and mix well.
    6. Let set in refrigerator uncovered, for 30 minutes, allowing the mix to fully emulcify.
    7. Cover the mayonnaise mix and store in the refrigerator, letting it set for up to 4 hours.
    8. Spread on a sandwich and enjoy!

    Now here’s the problem. I follow the instructions clearly, adding the yogurt one scoop at a time, but it seems that almost every time, even when I’ve left it in the fridge for a couple days, the result is mayo that’s still runny! I tried freezing it, but even that didn’t work. Is there a way to thicken it without losing my mind? For example, is there an ingredient that can thicken it, that won’t be a preservative? Maybe I should put less of one thing and more of another? Please help!

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      Annabelle,
      Yes, the oils used in my mayo could cause weight gain, but you’d have to eat SO much of it for that to happen! If you use mayo just as a condiment as most people do, it really shouldn’t contribute to weight gain, and the eggs (especially if they’re pastured eggs from a local farmer who has his hens outside, pecking around and eating bugs) are really good for you!
      I think yours isn’t getting thicken because it’s not really mayo, although the taste may be similar. The thing with mayo is that it emulsifies to thicken, and that happens from the oil and eggs mostly.
      Hope that helps!
      Kelly

      Reply

      • Annabelle says

        How can you say that what I make isn’t mayonnaise? Can’t mayonnaise be oil-free and egg-free? My beautician, Cassie, tells me that to thicken it, I should use a fuller fat Greek yogurt, since I’ve been trying Greek yogurt that’s fat free. Cassie says that Greek yogurt with fat is thicker. I usually use mayonnaise in a lot of what I call “pasta delights”, dishes where I experiment with different types of fillings, such as tuna, chicken, and even ground up chicken patties, combined into pasta.

        Reply

        • KitchenKop says

          I just meant it’s not a traditional mayo, but trying full fat yogurt might work for you, and full fat/whole milk yogurts are the only kind I ever buy anyway.
          Kelly

          Reply

  26. Rebecca says

    thank you for your tip, i have made the same recipe many times, this time flopped. it was sad lol. your tip saved my mayo 🙂

    Reply

  27. Mary Jo Seguin Chartrand says

    Thank you. I saved this for future reference. Have not tried to make my own yet since I still have some I got at a health food store. I cannot purchase the avocado one you recommend in Canada, even from Amazon,ca. I am ready to make my own — always have lots of free range eggs on hand and recently purchased some good avocado oil which I plan to use half that and half a light olive oil. Hope it works for me.

    Reply

  28. Danielle Levins says

    Thank you! Thank you!! We’re a single income family, and while having chickens makes the eggs easy, those oils are super expensive and require months of planning and budgeting to acquire, so when I get brave and try to make mayo and its flopped every time, I do a lot of that crying and swearing you’ve mentioned. I’ll read through your homemade mayo post and try again. Thanks so much!

    Reply

  29. Franchesca says

    Thank you!!! I almost kicked myself for wasting so much avocado oil and organic free range egg yolks, and then I cleverly found your post and you SAVED it all!!! Yay!!!

    Reply

  31. Irene smith says

    My first attempt at whole30 mayo resulted in a separated mess ? I used your method above to rescue it beautifully- thank you so much. Very helpful ??

    Reply

  35. Terri C says

    I think maybe the eggs should be left out to get room temperature, maybe. I am so glad I found this because just two days ago, I wasted 2 c. of olive oil! I was furious.

    Reply

  36. Doug says

    Can you just put the runny “mayo” in the fridge overnight? I did this last night, and it’s thick and creamy today. Just stirred it, and it looks good. A little help?!

    Reply

    • Nikkian says

      Thank you. I tried making mayo for the first time last night, using an immersion blender, and though it seemed like I had an emulsion after I added all the oil it liquified.

      Today I started again with another egg, and a squeeze bottle, adding the original mess one drop at a time. It took about 75 minutes but it didn’t liquify so I’m going to count this as a success.

      Reply

  40. memo3x3 says

    3 hours, 8 egg yolks and 2 cups of expensive oilve oil and no mayo. My first attempt is now my last attempt. So upset!

    Reply

      • memo3x3 says

        Hi Kelly, I just wanted to stop by and give you an update on my mayo disaster. Yes, as I told you by email, I did add the squirt of mustard and followed your instructions to the letter but this didn’t work for me. Luckily, my husband refused to let me throw out the 8 egg concoction and we just put the whole mess back in the blender jar, put the lid on and left it there for a day while we were out of town. This morning, he put the blender back together and ran it. Magically, we have MAYO! Perhaps it’s less about room temp eggs and more about COLD OLIVE OIL??!! The only problem is that I now have only five days left to use up and entire cottage cheese container full of the stuff since it has a seven day shelf life. LOL…how many MAYO SALADS can two people eat in five days? We are going to find out!

        Reply

        • KitchenKop says

          That’s great news that you saved it after all! About the shelf life, I think it would be just fine for at least a couple weeks! Maybe others could jump in here & share their thoughts too.
          Kelly

          Reply

  43. Shawna says

    Thank you so much! I’ve only made mayonnaise once before and it was so easy I was shocked when this batch failed. Your method saved it! Thanks 🙂

    Reply

  46. shabeer says

    Problem 3
    Curdles or breaks
    cause
    Oil too cold when added
    Oil added too quickly
    Too much oil added
    Solution
    Adjust formula using additional egg yolks or less oil;
    Use room temperature oil

    Reply

  48. shabeer says

    PROBLEM 1
    Too thin
    CAUSE
    Not enough oil added
    Too much lemon juice or vinegar added
    SOLUTION
    Continue adding oil until mixture thickens
    Adjust formula

    Reply

  49. Diana says

    THANK YOU! After wasting one batch, I found this blog & I’m so thankful I did. Your tip was just what I needed. 🙂

    Reply

  50. Adrianne says

    Thank you for this! Just saved my mayo! Can’t wait to try your recipe – we love the taste of hellman’s, just not the ingredient list!!

    Reply

  51. Emily says

    Another dinner (salmon salad) saved! Thank you! This was my first batch that didn’t work out and I’ve made may MANY times before so I was perplexed – I think my egg/lemon juice mixture wasn’t warm enough originally???

    Reply

  54. Lisal says

    Thank you so much for this tip. Just made some homemade mayo and it would not thicken up at all (think I added too much oil at once). This trick of yours worked like a charm.

    Reply

  55. Keran says

    Thank you so much for the tip about when mayonaise will not set . It is a bad moment when you realise all those eggs and oil have potentially been wasted. The moment was redeemed with joy when your solution worked perfectly.

    Reply

  57. meenakshi says

    hi ! if your mayo is vegan/veg then you can try dissolving some agar-agar in boiling water and adding it to the mayo.just leave it to set . it worked for me!!!!!

    Reply

  59. Luke says

    Yes, i just rescued a floped mayo batch, and had ran out of oil…

    I wish i knew this last week, when the same thing happened.

    Thanks. 😀

    Reply

  60. Barbara Moras says

    Thank-you, Thank you, Kelly! You saved my mayo, I never had it thinner than soup and sooo separated. Like you I thought about the wasted money. Now it’s on to make my ranch dressing Thank-you again.

    Reply

  61. cindy l. says

    I tried your fix-it. and Mine STILL flopped. I think it’s too humid here and maybe our chickens are off. I don’t know. The last time I made it, it turned out A-MA-ZING. Just like the Hains Safflower only not that icky ‘old’ taste. Soooooo frstrated. I now have 4 egg yolks wasted. and with vinegar and dry mustard, not a chance of using in anything else besides salad dressing…

    Should I try cold oil next time? Have you attempted that?

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      Gosh, don’t you hate that?! Sometimes it’s just so fussy for who knows what reason!

      Usually I can finally get it after at least a couple tries, but not *always*.

      If you don’t want to keep going, try mixing some sour cream into it and herbs for a ranch dip. (I should add that advice to the post…)

      Kel

      Reply

      • Cindy l. says

        OK, SO I tried it again about a week later. I just said, oh what the heck. it still didn’t do anything. I am really cheapo so I didn’t throw it out. Used a bit as salad dressing. Then a week later, tried it AGAIN. This time it worked, creamy and luxuriously rich. Except for the extra saltiness from having tried to get it going 3 different times! But I was determined to make it work. I do think it was the heat actually. It was about 10 degrees cooler in the house the next time I tried it. .

        Reply

  62. Tina T. says

    Thank you so much for posting this fix! It worked, and you saved me the $10 I spent on macadamia nut oil. Yay!!!!!! 🙂

    Reply

  64. Diane says

    This is going to sound crazy but many years ago I tried to make mayonnaise and it was horrible. Runny, you know? I beat it unmercifully, but still nothing. Added more oil just in case. Nada. I was so bummed. I re-read the recipe (it was in The Joy of Cooking) and at the very end it said something like “don’t make mayonnaise on a cloudy or rainy day. It simply will not bind”. I thought, “yeah, right”. But I decided to test it out. So one bright, sunny day, I decided to try again. As soon as I started drizzling the oil it it thickened up IMMEDIATELY! So I am a believer in watching the weather. But it’s also good to have this fix if I run into problems again.

    Reply

  65. susan says

    I just saved mine by adding silken tofu with a little extra lemon/vin and salt, tastes just like mayo and way less calories.

    Reply

  68. Natural girl says

    Make mayo fine, by hand using whisk. Use olive oil, some garlic and lemon, salt at end for flavor. It is creamy and nice. After a few days in fridge, it seems to solidify in a sort of “peanut butter” texture. I notice as it hits a cracker or something, it gets melty fast. I think it is breaking in the fridge. is this common? not sure what to do. It’s so yummy I sneak a spoonful now and then…but don’t want it to turn oily and curdle as spread or dip. What gives?

    Reply

  69. Ceej says

    Fixed! I Found your page a while back and I’m hugging myself for bookmarking it! I used 4 eggs in my broken mayo and kept thinking “OKAY… okay… I’ll go check out that bookmark.” Lo and behold now I’m here thanking you! Thanks a bunch, now i have to figure out what to do with all this mayo.

    Reply

  70. Stefn2boys says

    I’ve added three eggs now, tried both the immersion blender and hand whisk and its a bit thicker but nothing close to a spreadable mayo! The yolks were warm, I slowly added the failed batch…nothing is working! Will it thicken if I let it sit on the counter or is it a lost cause since it didn’t hit a mayo consistency already? I really don’t want to trash it ($$$) any ideas for other uses now? It’s a 1/2 quart of yellow gook 🙂

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      Once I went through a dozen eggs and still never got the stupid stuff to work!!!! But *usually* you can get it to work if you keep trying with the above method. You’ll have to decide if you want to keep going or not…

      Kel

      Reply

  73. Jan Foster says

    Hi Kelly,

    I just made my first recipe of your homemade mayo. It was too thin, but your tip for fixing it worked perfectly.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  74. Mary Haman says

    Kelly thank you for the mayo fix. It worked great on my failure. I was making egg salad and realized I was out of manonise. I got my Mom’s recispie out and it didn’t thicken. So my hubby said to look on the internet for a fix and yours worked great.

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      I’m glad it helped you, because it didn’t work for me the other day! It’s hit or miss, grrrrrr

      (And no, it wasn’t that time of the month, either, ha!)

      Reply

  76. Marylynn says

    My mom and her mother and sisters all made their own mayonnaise in Europe. They swore up and down that women who were having their “time of the month” could not make mayonnaise. They never even bothered trying anymore because it always flopped. It’s an old wives’ tail in our country, but it seemed to be quite accurate, at least in their case.

    Reply

    • Melissa says

      Ok, how very eerie.. I found this site/page on a google search because just last week, for the first time EVER my mayo flopped. I’ve been making it 3 yrs and never had a problem. And guess what, it was my time of the month. How WEIRD is that!?

      Anyway, this suggestion totally worked and I was able to save it today! Thanks!

      Reply

  77. Mary Abbott says

    I tried to find the link for the Mayo also and only get a blank page that says it’s saved this spot for your ad. In fact all the resource links go to this page, so there aren’t any effective links at this point, and won’t be until they get people to advertise there. I’ll try back in a month and see if they’ve gotten their business up and running, but for now it’s useless and frustrating to think you’ve got a resource, and then find out you don’t.

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      It’s because it’s out of stock!!! I’ll make note of that in this post. I made note in today’s post that linked to here, you must not have seen it.

      Kelly

      Reply

  78. Natural girl says

    “Pride goeth before a fall”. Feeling proud of my past success I decided to make a batch of mayo today, again by hand. All went perfectly and it was getting so thick I decided to use my immersion blender for addition of last ounce of oil. Just to take a break. Almost INSTANTLY the gorgeous thick golden mayo separated and became a bowl of de-emulsified mayo! I could not believe it happened so quickly and just when it was almost complete. I quickly began the save process…using a clean bowl and whisk I added another egg yolk and a touch of oil which emulsified immediately. I slowly added the separated “failed” batch into the new batch and it all went beautifully. It was beautiful mayo again. (At this point I added seasonings.) Not sure why the separation at such a late stage but the save-the-mayo technique I learned here worked great! This is my last comment, I promise.

    Reply

  79. Sam says

    Thank you so much! This let me save my partner from immense frustration! Thanks again from two very happy people with lovely home-made mayonnaise 😀

    Reply

  80. Natural girl says

    Nicholas: Make it by hand. It’s really easy and you know right away if it is emulsifying or not. Put one or two room temp egg yolks in bowl. Use a wire whisk and beat them a little. Pour a little oil into the yolks while beating/whisking….if another person can pour fine, if not, solo ok too. The yolks will accept the oil or not right away. If so, it’s smooth sailing ahead. ( If not, save what you have and begin again…adding original “failed” batch to a successful one.). Anyway, Finish adding the oil slowly and any seasonings along the way or at end. I add salt, pepper, some lemon juice, garlic, etc. you should have a batch of golden mayonnaise, hopefully.
    What is Toom?

    Reply

    • Nicholas G. says

      Toom, is an Arabian garlic ‘mayonnaise’ that does not contain eggs. I was cheating by trying to add egg yolks to it as a last ditch emulsifying agent-sadly it didn’t work. One of these days I will make mayo, I’m sure, but l wanted some Toom because l was feeling sick and it’s basically blended garlic cloves, lemon juice and canola oil (why it isn’t olive oil is beyond me), but that is Toom and l urge you to try it one of these days if you are adventurous! Thank you for replying. I’ll figure it out somehow l guess. Take care.

      Reply

  81. Nicholas G. says

    I was employing your advice for Toom and sadly it ‘kinda’ failed. This was my first attempt at an emulsion. You aren’t even supposed to use egg yolks in Toom, but I figured ‘what the hell?’ since, i’m not blowing my time and money on a failed recipe. I used a food processor and I am thinking THAT is perhaps where I made my mistake. I DID drizzle the oil very finely, but I don’t think that food processors have the oomph that a blender does. (And to think that I reached for the blender first, only to FOLLOW these directions and use a food processor instead.) What appliance do you use to make mayonnaise and how important is it that ingredients are ‘warm’ or cold? Thanks.

    Reply

  82. Joyce Young says

    I have made mayo many times and never have had it flop like today. Thank you so much for you post! You saved my mayo!!! Will always remember this tip 🙂

    Reply

  84. vukialau says

    thankyou..thankyou..thankyou very much..

    i was so devastated when my mayo didn’t thicken when i made it today.i’ve been making my own mayonnaise for 2 years now and today was the first time it just didn’t come out right..i quickly googled for a solution and came to this site..oh my..what a life saver..

    when i tried again using this solution, i just had to shout for joy with the results..

    i can’t thankyou enough..you have saved me a lot of trouble and money..im nener going to worry about a failed mayo now.

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      I’m so glad it helped you!!! I’ve had to go through this process three times before but it finally thickened! Mayo sure can be crazy. 🙂

      Kelly

      Reply

  85. Amy says

    Hi! So, I have only made your recipe twice now (counting today). I actually seem to skip around here and there, with different recipes, so I think I need to make up my own.

    Anyway, my attempt tonight started at 6:30, using my small food processor with a hole, like normal. It flopped:o/

    2 hours, 3 “flop- fix its,” and 8 total eggs later, we finally had success!! yay!!

    My back, arms, and shoulders hurt. Along with my head. (the 1st 3 are probably a result of me tripping and taking a tumble down 3 stairs earlier….but still….).

    But it is the best darn mayo I have ever made!!;oP

    Anyway…thank you!!

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      I’m glad you finally were able to show that mayo who’s boss, LOL! 🙂

      It’s crazy how unpredictable it can be!

      Kel

      Reply

  86. Natural girl says

    Thanks to many. Mayo was failing in metal bowl with hand mixer. Per advice started new egg yolk in quart mason-type jar using immersion mixer. Slowly added oil. It thickened easily despite strange guttural drowning noises from mixer. As advised also, after that slowly added the failed mixture successfully. Fiinally had to scrape it into mixing bowl for better access. Added some cooked smashed garlic and bit of lemon juice…salt and pepper to taste. Gorgeous deep yellow due to extra yolk. Yum. Many thanks. Ps. Rainy here….a factor?

    Reply

  87. Erica says

    I had a mayo disaster and googled how to fix it and found your site.
    I have tried it and it worked absolutely great ! THANK YOU !
    I had made a double batch of mayo but only needed the 2 egg yolks to fix the double batch !

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      I’m so glad it worked for you! Yesterday I failed a batch, tried to fix it and failed again, SOOOO I tried AGAIN and that time saved the whole batch and just had a lot of mayo! 🙂 (Which was fine since I needed it for a big batch of broccoli salad.)

      It’s weird how fussy mayo can be, but not always. My eggs were almost 3 weeks old, maybe how fresh they are makes a difference…?

      Kelly

      Reply

  90. Jenny says

    Hi Kelly,
    Has anyone had this happen, mayo comes out perfect, ferments, and when u go to use it or when it warms up ( hot this summer) it MELTS. I mean just melts, still creamy just a liquid creamy. I use coconut oil, sesame oil and olive oil mixed together. I know its bad, but I bought Hellmans the other day out of desperation.
    Thanks for any suggestion. I will try it.

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      The only thing I can think of is that the coconut oil part liquified more since it does that naturally in heat.

      If you know you’ll have it setting out where it’s warmer, maybe only use the other oils in that batch…?

      Kelly

      Reply

  92. Nancy says

    Thank you so much for this, I’m glad I found your site. My first attempt at mayonnaise refused to emulsify and looked a mess. This method worked, I couldn’t believe it! Thank you so much.

    Reply

  93. Karen B says

    This worked perfectly. I was into my 3rd batch and ready to throw it at the wall. Thank you so much.

    Reply

  94. Chelsea W says

    This worked for me!! My initial problem was that my blender is lame-o and won’t spin something thick. But I kept adding oil, and the mayo broke. Second time around I stopped adding oil when my blender stopped making a vortex. So happy!

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      Oh no! I’m so sorry it’s not working for you! Were your eggs warmed a bit? I’ve got eggs on the counter now to make some in a while.

      I don’t blame you for being DONE. It can get frustrating! Just go buy the mayo I linked to in the post above!!!

      Kel

      Reply

  98. Amy says

    Please help someone! I have many more failures than success. I have gotten to where I make sure everything is put in a bowl of warm water hoping and wishing it will work this time. I put the yolks, ACV and salt in first and mix with my stick blender. Then I slowly add my mixture of 3/4C sunflower oil and 1/4C olive oil. It seems like it starts to emulsify but then just flops and becomes a curdled looking yellow liquid. I am on my 4th batch today and am almost in tears because I am wasting expensive organic oil. I have tried Kelly’s suggestions above to save it and it never works for me. I’ve tried saving it with an immersion blender and a food processor. My house is normally very cool which is why I started warming everything inclulding the bowl I was mixing it in. What am I doing wrong?????

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      I have one suggestion you could try, but I don’t know if it REALLY makes a difference or if there’s something weird about me, but…

      I had flops more often when I was making the mayo in a BOWL vs. a container with a mouth just big enough for the stick blender to fit into. For some crazy reason, I have more successes that way. Weird I know, but just telling you what works for me!

      If all else fails, buy this kind that I like to have on hand.

      Kelly

      Reply

      • Amy says

        Thanks for your response. I actually make it in the tall plastic measuring cup that came with my stick blender. I rescued a batch that I had stuck in the refrig by warming it in a bowl of warm water, shaking it vigoroursly and adding it slowly to two room temp egg yolks as you suggested after posting my first comment and it actually worked this time! A friend had suggested that since I couldn’t remember how long ago I had bought my ACV maybe it was old. So I used plain organic distilled white vinegar that I normally use for laundry. Other than that I am out of ideas other than maybe I need to blend my yolks a little longer before adding the oil, however, when I try putting everything in the jar including the oil and allow the egg yolks to settle to the bottom before blending that still doesn’t work. If you have any other suggestions I’d love to hear them because homemade mayo allows me to eat a condiment I love guilt free.

        Reply

        • manderee says

          I know this is a REALLY late reply but I had two of my first batches fail on me but now I’ve finally found a system that works do I thought I’d share.

          First, I add juice from 1/2 lemon instead of ACV but I always mix this in last. I find that it softens the mayo so I think it affects how it emulsifies if you’re including it prior to emulsifying.

          Second, I use a narrow bottle often used for condiments at the diner to drizzle in my oil. The slower the drizzle, the thicker the mayo.

          Finally, I now use a food processor. Worth every penny. The last time I used my stick blender, I ended up with mayo all around the kitchen -walls, floors, countertops- my dog & cat loved it but I was tired of the physical work it took for me. I’m only 5′ tall so I had to use a stool while using my stick blender so my arm didn’t fall asleep from holding it up too long.

          Reply

  99. Carolyn@RealFoodHouston says

    I made your homemade mayonnaise yesterday, and it failed the second time in a row. This time I looked up your site–you have so much good food info–and immediately found a cure for my mayo. I used your method and saved the mayo. Today the saved mayo was used for Avocado Egg Salad which I just posted on RealFoodHouston.com.

    Reply

    • KitchenKop says

      Hi Carolyn,

      It was good to meet you the other day! Sorry about the first two times, but I’m so glad you could bring it back. Sometimes you just never know with mayo!

      Kelly

      Reply

  100. Jeanmarie says

    Great tips, Kelly. But, nothing is ever wasted if you have dogs! Between the dogs, goats and chickens and compost piles, no food goes to waste around here, ever.

    Reply

  101. WordVixen says

    Peggy- Oh my goodness, I haven’t heard “I blame it on El Nino” in YEARS! *lol* Love it!

    Kelly- I’ve only made mayo once so far (good oil is soooo expensive, and even fermented it goes bad before I can use all of it), and that time it separated. I just stuck my stick blender in and whipped it for a few seconds, and it set right up. It didn’t go runny, but I’d used a mix of oils including coconut and bacon grease which of course makes it a bit stiffer.

    Reply

  103. Rebecca says

    YES! Why does this phenomenon happen?? So maddening! I end up using the failed batch for something else. If it’s just runny but mixed I chop up herbs & add to it & drizzle it over rare roast beef like a sauce. If it’s separated & won’t set I do as you do, swear & throw it away! ;0) so much money wasted makes me crazy.

    Reply

  104. Peggy says

    Oh my, yes. It’s crazy-making stuff. My mayo is picture perfect for months, then there’s one day…fail, second batch fail, THIRD batch fail…I blame it on El Niño. Can’t wait to try this trick! Thanks!

    Reply

  105. Betsy says

    OMG, you’re not alone! I use the same recipe all the time and will go on streaks where it’s perfect every time – followed by multiple failures. I will definitely try this trick the next time it fails.

    Reply

  106. Kelleigh says

    Hi Kelly!

    Yeah, mayo can be really weird. You can make it dozens of times perfectly and then one day it just flops! In the past I’ve grudgingly thrown a failed batch out – but next time I’ll try your tip!

    It’s the luck of the draw I guess?

    Actually, maybe not. Having one’s mother in law over for dinner has been known to turn mayo to liquid too! He he!

    Reply

    • Cheryl Goodell says

      Thank you, thank you, thank you! I am a fairly accomplished Paleo chef, but I’ve tried avocado oil mayo twice with poor results using a couple different recipes and methods. The second time, I used fresh pastured eggs that had never been in the fridge, and it still was totally liquid. Your method saved the day (and gave me the mayo I needed for tonight’s special dinner). I just hope I can find a way to make it turn out right the first time (without the rescue).

      Reply

      • KitchenKop says

        Cheryl, I’m so glad this helped you! Mayo is just weird though, for whatever reason! I can make it 15 times in a row and have it be perfect, and then maybe 2 times in a row I might have to “rescue” it.

        By the way, my most consistent success is with my blender (and I like that it’s hands-free), but many people do it with a stick blender and have no problem.

        Kelly

        Reply

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