10 Best Vegan Mayo 2022 | UK Nutritionist Reviewed

Kate Roberts is a registered dietician who also specialises in vegan paediatrics via her Instagram page. Working with mybest UK, Kate has commented on a variety of articles to help you better understand what is best to look out for when shopping vegan!

1. Hellmann's - Vegan Mayo for £2.10
   
2. Follow Your Heart - Original Vegenaise for £2.70
3. Rubies - Plant Based Chilli Mayo for £2.50
4. Heinz - Seriously Good Vegan Mayo for £2.80
5. Hellmann's - Vegan Mayo Baconnaise for £2.66

For a more in-depth look at the comprehensive top 10 selection, make sure to read on to learn more about the different types of vegan mayo available and understand how our ranking was determined.

1. Check out some fantastic unusual flavours like garlic mayo, mustard, and more
2. Know the options for natural ingredients added in the mayo
3. Select the most convenient type of container
4. Depending on your consumption, think about the size and quantity

Deliciously rich, thick and creamy, a good vegan mayo will taste satisfyingly like traditional mayo. This is probably because the list of ingredients is pretty similar to that of the regular stuff, with a base of oil, vinegar and lemon juice.

The big difference comes down to the egg substitute. Some brands use vegetable proteins such as soy, pea or potato, which achieves a smooth, creamy texture without the added cholesterol of regular mayo.

Aquafaba is another legume-based binder that's used to create creamy vegan mayo. Otherwise known as the humble water in a tin of chickpeas, aquafaba can be whipped into a stiff, fluffy foam! Creamy, tangy, and very convincing, vegan mayos using aquafaba are totally on the money.

People often confuse garlic mayo and aioli, and things can get even trickier when it comes to vegan garlic mayo, as many products are labelled as garlic aioli. Aioli is a Mediterranean sauce, often made from just garlic and olive oil. However, some recipes use eggs as part of the emulsion, whereas some use mayonnaise as a base — and there lies the confusion.

When it comes to vegan garlic mayo, it's usually made from the same ingredients as original vegan mayo, but with the addition of garlic or garlic puree high up on the ingredients list. This is a perfect condiment for those who enjoy a classic mayo but like to add a little more pungency and bite to wraps, chips or sandwiches.

Shopping online, you'll see vegan garlic mayo and garlic aioli are used interchangeably — they are the same thing in the world of the internet so no need to worry that you've made the wrong purchase. Either one is sure to provide you with creamy, garlicky loveliness minus the yuck of regular garlic mayo!

Sriracha is a fiery chilli paste originally concocted by Vietnamese-American immigrant David Tran, which has taken the world by storm, but the original sriracha is actually from Thailand and the recipe hails from the seaside city of Si Racha. Sriracha mayo is a brilliant invention that tastes spicy, tangy and slightly sweet.

For Mexican-inspired cuisine, chipotle is the one. Chipotle is a smoke-dried jalapeno pepper that imparts a relatively mild but earthy spiciness to dishes. This works well with the creaminess of mayo and brings interest to a BBQ, salad or the usual everyday dishes.

Or, consider a peri-peri mayo to add a burst of passion to your meals and snacks. Originating in South Africa, peri-peri sauce is commonly made from chillis, lemon, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and oil, with the chief pepper being the relatively hot African birdseye. Balanced with mayo, peri-peri is a delight, giving a subtle kick without being too spicy.

Vegan mayo has come such a long way over the last few years and it's now possible to find such indulgent and unusual options that you need never seek out regular mayonnaise ever again. If you're into the crisp, tart and tangy flavours of mustard, check out the Dijon and wholegrain mustard mayo options on our list.

For those who love (or miss) the umami smokiness of bacon, you can now enjoy vegan 'baconnaise' without the guilt! This delicious flavour is created from dextrose, a naturally occurring sugar, which is then smoked for a just-griddled taste.

We've been through the many delicious ingredients you'll find in different styles of vegan mayo, but what should you avoid? Vegan mayo labels include their health benefits or suitability for certain diets such as gluten or soy-free, but products can sometimes contain hidden additives that you'd probably be better forgoing.

Vegan mayos made entirely from natural ingredients are always the best bet, and happily, they're rather easy to find too. It's usually best to avoid products that contain glucose-fructose syrup, which is highly processed and loaded with calories and sugar. 

Equally, you might want to look out for added thickeners or stabilisers such as xanthan gum which isn't great for your gut, or preservatives like potassium sorbate, a chemical additive that is pretty much unnecessary.

Following on from the last section on your preferred container type — how big do you need your container to be? If you live alone or with another person, you'll probably be happy with a container that's between 195-270 g (unless you're a total vegan mayo addict, of course).

If you have a large family, live with several housemates or just dollop the stuff onto absolutely everything, you might want to consider a jar or bottle from 270 to 450 g. Alternatively, if you have the storage space, there are lots of options on Amazon to buy vegan mayo in bulk which can often work out more economically in the long run.

Now we've thought about flavors, it's time to quickly address some practical concerns. Do you prefer your mayo in a jar or a squeezy bottle? The jury's out on which is better, mainly because it comes down to personal preference and what you find most convenient.

A jar can feel less convenient because you have to get a utensil to serve it, whereas, with a bottle, you can just squeeze it right out onto your plate. However, when your mayo is starting to run out, it's easy to get the very last drops out of a jar, as a squeezy bottle will have lots of product left that's hard to access.

Also, jars are usually made from glass which can be reused, repurposed or easily recycled, unlike squeezy bottles which are made from PET plastic (polyethylene terephthalate), which can be put in your recycling but is generally not very eco-friendly.

This ranking has been compiled by the writing team at mybest UK via careful evaluation of the points made in the buying guide and thorough research of each product and comparing multiple verified customer reviews across the EC sites used.

It would be ideal to say that vegan mayo is relatively healthy compared to the regular one. Vegan mayo is made using healthier oils like avocado, olive and it has fewer calories, is cholesterol-free. However, it should be consumed in moderation as it might contain sugar.

Yes, it's best to refrigerate vegan mayo. Try to keep it in the refrigerator's door as it shouldn't be frozen. However, you can keep it unrefrigerated for a day.

mybest UK's Homepage

• Explore our categories and 2000+ articles

mybest UK's Instagram

• Follow us to keep up to date with our product showcases!

Written and researched by Melanie McPhail