What to use instead of mayonnaise
It depends entirely on what it's doing in the dish. Here's the job, what else does it, and what to skip.
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Creamy binder in a cold salad
It is oil suspended in egg yolk and acid, so it coats everything without adding water, and the acid keeps it tasting sharp instead of greasy.
Greek yogurtRan out
1:1
Tangier and much leaner, so the salad tastes sharper and needs more salt. It weeps liquid after a day, so drain it first.
Sour creamRan out
1:1
Milder and richer than yogurt with less tang. It splits if the dish is warmed.
Mashed avocado with lemonEgg-free
1:1, plus 1 tbsp lemon juice per cup
Rich and creamy on the day. It browns within hours and is grey by the next morning whatever you do to it.
HummusPlant-based
1:1, loosened with 1 tbsp water per 1/2 cup
Much thicker and starchier, and the chickpea and tahini lead the flavour. It holds up better than yogurt over two days.
Vegan mayonnaisePlant-based
1:1
Behaves like the real thing cold. Most are starch or aquafaba stabilised, so they split and weep oil if the dish is baked.
What doesn't work: Miracle Whip or a bottled salad dressing measured one for one. It is sweetened and thinned with starch, so a potato salad made with it comes out sugary and watery within the hour.
Fat spread on the outside of something that gets browned
It spreads thin straight from the fridge and it brings egg protein and acid with the oil, so it browns faster and more evenly than oil alone.
Softened butterRan out
1:1
Browns with a dairy sweetness and burns sooner. It tears the bread unless it is properly soft.
Olive oil, brushedPlant-based
1:1
Runs off anything vertical and browns in patches. Fine on a bun, poor on a whole roast chicken.
Vegan mayonnaisePlant-based
1:1
Spreads identically and browns a shade paler because there is no egg protein to help it along.
What doesn't work: Cooking spray on a grilled cheese or a sandwich press. It lays down a film of oil and lecithin that flashes off as soon as the pan is hot, so the bread dries out and toasts pale.
Mayonnaise is about 80 percent oil. Swap it for yogurt and you have removed most of the fat, so expect to add salt and something rich to compensate.