When I was a kid, we always, always, always used Miracle Whip for everything–mayonnaise was something like Crest toothpaste or Pepsi that I had some vague notion of, but we were a strict, by-the-book Miracle Whip, Colgate, Coca-Cola family and I just figured mayonnaise and Miracle Whip were two different names for the same thing.
Well, one day when I was about 12, I was making a recipe that called for mayonnaise and we were out of Miracle Whip. I ran down to our neighbors’ house to borrow some some mayonnaise and it was like a light bulb went on, like the heavens opened, like a revelation. A salad dressing revelation. If I had to mark a moment when I realized that there were culinary worlds beyond what I grew up eating, that was it (and it happened with mayonnaise).
I’ve wanted to make homemade mayonnaise for a long time, but I am terrified of raw eggs (not in a The Ring kind of way, which made me sleep with the lights on for two weeks when I was 22), but salmonella has always just freaked me out. I’ve always wanted to try pasteurized eggs, but we’ve never lived in a place where they’re sold. 
I finally got a chance to try them (I tried Safest Choice) and I literally whipped up my own mayo in about 3 minutes. It was awesome.
I totally, totally know that not everyone has access to pasteurized eggs, so go check out this very thoughtful and thorough tutorial on Baking Bites. She makes a lot of well-reasoned arguments regarding this method of making raw and undercooked eggs safe and once I’m out of pasteurized eggs, I’m definitely going to try it.
For the homemade mayonnaise, you’ll need an egg yolk (check out this tutorial to see how to separate eggs), a little of your favorite mustard (unless it’s yellow mustard…if that’s the case, I recommend finding a new favorite mustard!), olive oil, canola oil, and some lemon juice. That’s going to form the mayonnaise base, and then I’m going to throw in some garlic and rosemary at the end for an unbelievable sandwich spread.
Place the egg yolk, mustard, and lemon juice in a medium bowl
and whisk until just combined. Combine the oils and arm yourself with a whisk (I actually tried this with a blender, and immersion blender, and by hand, just for the heck of it, and I actually think that aside from the semi-strenuous arm workout, by hand is the easiest and least messy). Whisk the egg yolk mixture and add a few drips of the oil mixture until combined, whisking vigorously the whole time. Add a few more drips, whisking until combined. Repeat, adding a little more oil each time. As it starts to thicken and come together, you can add the oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking vigorously the whole time. After you’ve added all the oil, continue whisking for about 30-60 more seconds or until the mayonnaise is thickened. It won’t be as thick as commercial mayonnaise yet because a) it will continue to thicken with time and b) it’s a little warmer than room temperature.
Whisk in the salt and pepper and then add a little more seasoning to taste. This is your mayonnaise base and you can refrigerate it at this point and use it. However, IÂ recommend whisking in 2 small cloves of pressed garlic (about 1 1/2 teaspoons) and 1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary. 
Let it hang out for about an hour in the fridge and then you have seriously one of the most incredible sandwich spreads ever.
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Homemade Garlic-Rosemary Mayonnaise
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Cooking Light
1 egg yolk (see tutorial here)
2 tsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tsp. coarse-ground or Dijon mustard
1/4 heaping tsp. kosher salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. canola oil (make sure it’s fresh–if it has any hint of being rancid, use a different bottle because it really impacts the flavor of your mayonnaise)
1/4 c. olive oil
2 small cloves garlic, pressed
1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, lemon juice, and mustard. Combine the oils in a separate container and, while whisking the egg yolk mixture vigorously, add a few drips of the oil mixture. When the mixture is completely combined, add a little more oil, repeating with larger amounts of oil each time until you’re adding it in a steady stream. After all the oil has been added, continue whisking vigorously for 30-60 seconds or until the mixture is thickened. It won’t be as thick as commercial mayonnaise because it will continue to set and because it’s slightly warmer than room temperature.
Add the pressed garlic, chopped rosemary, and additional salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. This will keep for about 3-5 days.
Questions & Reviews
Looks yummy! Is it wrong that I actually prefer Miracle Whip to mayo?
Thanks so much for sharing!!! I can’t wait to try it.
Lizeth
This recipe looks really good, will definitely be trying it. But with regular eggs as the raw egg part doesn’t bother me…I buy good free range eggs and don’t see the problem in raw egg if you trust the eggs you buy. Obviously if you buy eggs from caged hens or the like…I wouldn’t really want to eat them raw. But really, here in France its not uncommon to eat things with uncooked eggs. From homemade mayonnaise to chocolate mousse and they’re all great. I have eaten these things numerous times and have never ever been sick or known anyone here who has. Perhaps in America, it is looked upon differently or there is more fear of things like this. I’d urge you to buy good eggs and try it, you’d never know the difference and it’d be a lot easier for you!
I was just telling my husband the other day that I want to try making mayonnaise, how funny! Oh and I think The Ring is hands down, the scariest movie ever made! Whenever I see horses being pulled in trailers I always think about that scene when the horses bust out and trample all the cars on the ferry. FREAKS ME OUT!
I too grew up with Miracle Whip, can no longer stand it and will only eat Best Foods Mayo. Never thought to use the new pasteurized eggs for cooking with raw eggs, duh! Will be trying this great sounding mayo!
thank you thank you thank you for doing a homemade mayo recipe. I’ve been wanting to try making some forever, but it’s so intimidating.
also, thanks for the info about pasteurizing your own eggs. I might have to try that too. honestly, and I speak as a microbiologist, I’ve never been particularly concerned about raw eggs. the chances of illness are so small, but I’m also not pregnant or otherwise immunocompromised.
of course, I’ve also been licking the beaters after brownie/cookie/cake batter was made since I was like 5 and I’ve yet to pay for it :p
Oh wow! I’ll be trying this without the garlic and rosemary as the base of white Barbecue Sauce the next time I make this recipe. http://www.southernliving.com/food/whats-for-supper/grilled-chicken-white-barbecue-sauce-recipe-00417000068022/
This sounds super yummy! I am a sucker for garlic and rosemary. Also I just wanted to tell you that I have tried several of your recipes from your cookbook…I have not been disappointed yet! Thanks for sharing your yummy recipes. Can’t wait for another cookbook from you guys! 😉
Pasteurized eggs. Those would be perfect for the chocolate mousse recipe I have.
That is too funny about the Ring because I watched it while my mom was asleep on the couch next to me and I seriously wanted to wake her up just so I didn’t feel so alone lol. I had to have been out of high school and probably in my 20s!! Glad I’m not the only one. 😉 This looks delish. And btw I grew up in a Miracle Whip house too. Now I like to have both around because I just like mayo better on some things. I heart flavored mayos too so will definitely be trying this sooner than later.