Tag: Healthy Snacks

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Mayo Recipe: 15+ Homemade Mayonnaise Variations

Creamy bowl of homemade mayonnaise surrounded by lemon, egg yolk, herbs, and chilli flakes with the text The Ultimate Mayo Recipe Guide and MasalaMonk.com

Mayonnaise doesn’t shout for attention the way chilli oil or hot sauce does. It waits quietly in the background, then suddenly you notice your favourite dishes are all leaning on it: that glossy potato salad, the creamy coleslaw, the egg mayo sandwich, the burger that just feels right, the sushi with a mysterious spicy drizzle. Once you understand how a simple mayo recipe works, you realise that jar in the fridge is just the most basic version of something you can customise in dozens of directions.

In this guide, we’ll start with a classic homemade mayonnaise recipe, then use one simple mayo recipe to build a whole family of sauces:

  • Classic mayo
  • Japanese mayo
  • Eggless and “veg” mayo
  • Vegan mayo made with aquafaba and other plant-based bases
  • Spicy mayo in different flavours
  • Garlic mayo and herb mayo
  • Mayo–ketchup sauce (fry sauce / burger sauce)

We’ll also look at how to use these in real meals and link out to supporting recipes on MasalaMonk so this isn’t just theory – it’s a complete playbook you can actually cook from.

What Mayonnaise Actually Is

Before diving into any particular mayonnaise recipe, it helps to know what’s going on in the bowl.

Mayonnaise is an emulsion – specifically, an oil-in-water emulsion:

  • The water phase is mostly egg plus something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar.
  • The fat phase is oil.
  • When you blend them with enough energy and the right emulsifiers (from egg yolk and mustard), you end up with millions of tiny oil droplets held in place inside the water phase instead of separating out.

Egg yolk brings lecithin and proteins that surround each droplet and stop them clumping together. Mustard quietly helps too, adding its own emulsifiers and a bit of heat. Oil provides body and richness; the acid sharpens flavour and helps keep things stable.

Homemade mayonnaise emulsion test showing glossy ribbons that hold, indicating a stable mayo texture.
Quick check: lift a spoonful—if it falls in glossy ribbons and briefly sits on the surface before melting back, your emulsion is stable. If it looks grainy or oily, slow down and rebuild the base.

When a batch “splits”, those droplets have clumped back into visible oil, and the watery part has leaked out. That usually happens if:

  • Oil is added too quickly.
  • The mixture is too cold or too hot.
  • There isn’t enough yolk or mustard for the amount of oil.
  • The emulsion is crushed with too much liquid at the wrong time.

Once you see mayonnaise as a balance between oil, water, and emulsifier, everything about it becomes easier: making it, tweaking it, and rescuing it.

Also Read: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – Easy Recipe with 7 Variations

Is Homemade Mayonnaise Safe?

Because many mayo recipes use raw egg, the obvious question is: is homemade mayonnaise safe to eat?

Food safety agencies like the USDA are very clear that raw or undercooked eggs can carry Salmonella, particularly risky for pregnant people, young children, older adults, and anyone with a weakened immune system. Their Q&A on homemade mayonnaise safety and their broader guide on egg products and food safety both stress the same basics.

In practice, that means:

  • Use fresh eggs from a trusted source.
  • Keep eggs refrigerated and discard cracked or suspicious ones.
  • Work with clean utensils and equipment.
  • Get homemade mayo into the fridge quickly and keep it cold.
  • Make sensible batch sizes and use them within a few days.
  • If it smells wrong or looks wrong, don’t argue with it – throw it out.
Homemade mayonnaise stored in a labeled jar in the refrigerator with guidance to chill quickly and use within a few days.
Label your jar the moment you make it. Store it in the coldest part of the fridge (not the door), and always use a clean spoon—cross-contamination spoils mayo faster than time.

If you’d like extra reassurance, you can:

  • Use pasteurised eggs or pasteurised liquid egg products.
  • Choose an eggless mayonnaise recipe or a vegan mayo recipe that uses no egg at all.

We’ll cover both egg-based and egg-free approaches so you can decide what fits your home and your guests. We also have seperate guides – How to Make Eggless Mayo at Home (Egg Free Mayonnaise Recipe) – along with – Vegan Mayo Recipe Guide: 5 Plant-Based Mayonnaise – which you can refer to and save, if those are your dietary preferences of needs.

Classic Mayo Recipe (Homemade Mayonnaise Base)

Everything else in this guide grows from this one base. Once you’re comfortable making this classic mayo recipe, you can branch out into all the flavoured versions with tiny adjustments.

Ingredients for Classic Mayo Recipe

  • 1 large egg, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 ml) neutral oil (sunflower, canola, grapeseed, or light vegetable oil)
  • 1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or white wine vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon or yellow mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon fine salt, plus more to taste
  • A pinch of sugar (optional, just to round the acidity)

You can make this by hand with a whisk, but an immersion blender makes it almost effortless.

Immersion Blender Mayo Recipe Method

Step 1 – Pour the egg, mustard, salt, and lemon juice or vinegar into a tall, narrow jar.

Immersion blender mayonnaise step 1 showing egg mixture at the bottom and oil layered on top in a jar before blending.
This separation is intentional: the blender needs a calm oil layer to ‘grab’ and emulsify from the bottom. Stirring too early is a common reason mayo turns runny or splits.

Step 2 – Add the oil on top in one steady pour. Don’t stir; let it sit in two distinct layers.

Immersion blender mayonnaise step 2 with the blender head placed flat at the bottom of the jar to start emulsifying the egg and oil.
Starting at the bottom creates a strong ‘anchor’ emulsion first. If you begin mid-jar or lift too early, the oil can stay loose and the mayo is more likely to split.

Step 3 – Place the blender head all the way at the bottom and switch it on.

Immersion blender mayonnaise step 3 showing a pale, creamy emulsion forming at the bottom of the jar while oil remains on top.
This pale layer is your ‘anchor’ emulsion. Don’t lift the blender until you see it clearly forming—lifting too early leaves oil un-emulsified and increases the chance of splitting.

Step 4 – Hold it there, still, for 7–10 seconds. A thick, pale emulsion will start forming at the base.

Immersion blender mayonnaise step 4 showing the creamy emulsion rising upward in the jar while a layer of oil remains on top.
When the creamy zone climbs to around halfway, the emulsion is strong enough to start moving the blender. If it hasn’t risen yet, hold steady a few seconds longer before lifting.

Step 5 – Once the bottom half looks creamy, slowly draw the blender up through the jar, tilting a little to pull more oil into the blades.

Immersion blender mayonnaise step 5 showing the blender being lifted slowly to pull the top oil into the forming emulsion.
Lift in slow motion so the blades can ‘drink’ the oil. If you rush upward, you can trap a slick of oil on top and end up with runny mayo.

Step 6 – By the time you reach the top, you should have a thick, glossy mayonnaise.

Immersion blender mayonnaise step 6 showing mostly emulsified mayo in a jar as the last oil is blended in.
At this stage, blend only until the last oily streaks disappear. Over-blending isn’t necessary—stop when the texture turns uniformly pale and glossy.

Step 7 – Taste and adjust with more salt or lemon juice if needed.

Immersion blender mayonnaise step 7 showing finished homemade mayo in a jar with thick glossy texture on a spoon.
Finished mayo should fall in slow ribbons and look evenly pale with no oily sheen. Now taste and adjust: a tiny pinch of salt sharpens flavour, and a few drops of lemon/vinegar brighten it without thinning.

Step 8 – If the mayo feels too stiff, whisk in a teaspoon or two of water until the texture matches what you want.

Immersion blender mayonnaise step 8 showing a small amount of water being added to loosen homemade mayo texture.
To loosen stiff mayo, whisk in 1 teaspoon of water at a time until it turns spoonable. To make it thicker, emulsify a little more oil (slowly) once the base is already stable.

Hand-Whisk Mayo Recipe Method

If you prefer whisking:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, mustard, salt, and acid until the mixture is completely smooth.
  2. Begin adding oil drop by drop while whisking continuously. This slow start is what builds the initial emulsion.
  3. Once it thickens and turns paler, switch to a thin, steady stream of oil, still whisking without stopping.
  4. Continue until you’ve used all the oil and the mayo stands in soft peaks.
  5. Taste and tweak the seasoning.

From here, you can spread this homemade mayonnaise on sandwiches, stir it into potato salad, or use it as the base for garlic mayo, spicy mayo, Japanese mayo, and more.

Also Read: Katsu Curry Rice (Japanese Recipe, with Chicken Cutlet)

Customising Your Mayonnaise or Mayo Recipe

Instead of treating this base as the final product, treat it as a starting point. With a few changes to the oil, the acid, and the seasoning, you can turn one mayo recipe into many.

Choosing the Oil in Mayo Recipe

Different oils shape the flavour:

  • Neutral oils (sunflower, canola, grapeseed) keep the flavour clean and versatile.
  • Light olive oil adds some fruitiness without excessive bitterness.
  • Avocado oil gives a buttery, green note that works well in bowls and salads.

You can also blend oils: for example, half sunflower oil and half light olive oil makes a well-rounded base.

Mayonnaise flavour guide comparing oils (neutral, light olive, avocado) and acids (lemon, white vinegar, rice vinegar) for homemade mayo.
Fast rule: neutral oil + lemon = classic all-purpose mayo; avocado oil = buttery for bowls; light olive oil adds gentle fruitiness. For a softer tang (especially Japanese-style), swap in rice vinegar.

Choosing the Acid in Mayo Recipe

The acid doesn’t just brighten the taste; it affects the overall character:

  • Lemon juice gives a fresh, citrusy tang.
  • White wine vinegar is gentle and soft.
  • Apple cider vinegar adds a faint apple note.
  • Rice vinegar is slightly sweet and mild, perfect for a Japanese mayo recipe.

Combining acids gives you even more control. A tablespoon of lemon juice plus a teaspoon of rice vinegar, for instance, produces a balanced, rounded tang.

Adding Character: Salt, Sweetness, Heat and Umami

Once the base tastes good, you can layer on personality:

  • A pinch of sugar or honey softens sharp acidity.
  • A few drops of soy sauce, a spoonful of miso, or a touch of fish sauce give savoury depth.
  • Crushed garlic instantly steers you towards garlic mayo.
  • Hot sauce, chilli paste, or a spoonful of chilli sauce from the pepper sauce recipe guide transforms it into a spicy mayo recipe.

When you think of mayo as a blank canvas, all these variations become tiny, deliberate tweaks instead of separate, complicated recipes.

Mayonnaise mix-in guide showing dijon mayonnaise, dill pickle mayo, sesame mayo, and honey mayo with quick ratios.
Use these as ‘base flavours’ and adjust to taste: add more Dijon for bite, more pickle brine for tang, more sesame oil for nuttiness, or a bigger chilli pinch for heat. Each works best on different foods—Dijon for sandwiches, pickle for burgers, sesame for bowls, honey for fried snacks.

Mayo Recipe Variations (Quick Mix-In Guide)

Use this cheat sheet with ½ cup mayo (classic, eggless or vegan). Stir, taste, and adjust salt/acidity.

  • Sriracha mayo: 1–2 tbsp sriracha + ½ tsp rice vinegar
  • Spicy mayo: 1–3 tsp hot sauce/chilli paste + ½ tsp lemon juice
  • Chipotle mayo: 1 tbsp chipotle in adobo + 1 tsp lime juice
  • Wasabi mayo: ½–1 tsp wasabi paste + ½ tsp lime juice
  • Mayonnaise with garlic: 1 grated garlic clove + 1 tsp lemon juice
  • Mayo and ketchup sauce: 3 tbsp ketchup + 1 tsp mustard
  • Dijon mayonnaise: 2 tsp Dijon + ½ tsp honey
  • Dill pickle mayo: 1–2 tbsp chopped pickles + 1 tsp pickle brine + black pepper
  • Sesame mayo: 1 tsp toasted sesame oil + 1 tsp soy sauce + ½ tsp rice vinegar
  • Honey mayo: 1–2 tsp honey + pinch of chilli flakes

Mayo Made With Avocado Oil

If you want a cleaner, buttery mayo, make mayo with avocado oil exactly like the classic recipe. Use 1 cup avocado oil instead of neutral oil.

Mayo made with avocado oil recipe card showing homemade avocado oil mayonnaise and a 1:1 oil swap tip.
Avocado oil makes a clean, buttery mayo that works especially well in bowls and salads. Choose a mild avocado oil—strong/bitter oils can dominate the finished sauce.

The method stays identical; the flavour turns slightly greener and richer, great in bowls and salads.

Also Read: Crispy Homemade French Fries From Fresh Potatoes (Recipe Plus Variations)

Japanese Mayo Recipe (Kewpie-Style)

Japanese mayonnaise is richer and more savoury than standard Western mayo, with a slightly looser texture and a distinctive tang. Think about the creamy lines zig-zagged over okonomiyaki or drizzled on karaage – that’s the feeling you’re aiming for.

What Makes Japanese Mayo Different

Compared with the classic base you just made, Japanese mayonnaise:

  • Uses egg yolks only instead of whole eggs.
  • Relies on rice vinegar rather than stronger vinegars.
  • Is lightly sweetened.
  • Often includes a tiny amount of MSG or dashi for umami.

That combination gives it a custardy texture and savoury punch.

Japanese style mayo recipe card showing yolk-forward mayonnaise made with rice vinegar, a touch of sweetness, and optional umami.
For the most ‘Japanese-style’ finish, use yolks only and rice vinegar, then add sweetness in tiny pinches. This mayo shines on fried foods and sandwiches because the softer tang doesn’t overpower the filling.

Homemade Japanese Mayonnaise Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 cup neutral oil
  • 1½ tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Optional: a pinch of MSG or a sprinkle of dashi powder

Method

  1. Add yolks, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt to a tall jar.
  2. Pour in the oil on top.
  3. Blend from the bottom up with your immersion blender just as you did for classic mayo.
  4. Taste, then adjust with more rice vinegar for extra tang or a touch more sugar if you prefer a softer profile.
Japanese-style mayo guide showing yolks, rice vinegar, tiny sweetness, and an optional umami pinch to build the signature flavour.
Think of this as a flavour blueprint: yolks bring richness, rice vinegar keeps tang soft, a small sweetness rounds edges, and the optional umami pinch adds the ‘canteen’ savouriness that makes Japanese-style mayo addictive on fried foods.

Use this Japanese mayo in all the usual ways: drizzle it over okonomiyaki, serve it with fried chicken, or smear it in sandwiches. It’s especially good with umami-focused fillings like the mushrooms and cheese in this mushroom cheese sandwich, where the richness of the yolk-based mayo and the savoury mushrooms amplify each other.

Also Read: How to Cook Perfect Rice Every Time (Recipe)

Eggless Mayo and Veg Mayo Variations

If you avoid eggs or just want an option you can serve to anyone without worrying about raw egg, eggless mayo and veg mayo are seriously useful.

MasalaMonk has a detailed guide on eggless mayonnaise that walks through several bases, including milk, curd, cashews and aquafaba. The core idea doesn’t change: you still need a water phase, a fat phase, and an emulsifier. The difference is simply that the emulsifier isn’t egg.

Eggless mayonnaise guide showing three veg mayo bases—milk, curd, and cashew—so you can choose the right texture.
If you want the closest ‘store-style’ texture, start with milk. For a lighter, tangier spread, use thick curd. For the richest dip-like mayo (great with herbs/garlic), go cashew.

Milk-Based Eggless Mayonnaise

This version uses cold milk as the water phase.

A typical pattern:

  • ½ cup cold milk
  • 1 cup neutral oil
  • 1–2 teaspoons vinegar or lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon mustard
  • Salt and a pinch of sugar
Eggless mayonnaise (milk mayo) method showing cold milk emulsifying with oil using an immersion blender to make thick veg mayo.
Cold milk is the difference-maker. If it doesn’t thicken within 20–30 seconds, stop and chill the jar + milk, then try again while adding oil more slowly.

Blend the milk, mustard, salt and acid first, then drizzle in the oil while blending until it thickens. The proteins in the milk help bind the oil into a creamy veg mayo that feels surprisingly close to the original.

Curd- or Yogurt-Based Veg Mayo Recipe

Here, thick yogurt or hung curd does the heavy lifting.

A basic curd-based mayo might use:

  • ½ cup thick curd (drained so it’s not watery)
  • 2–4 tablespoons oil
  • Lemon juice or vinegar
  • Mustard, salt, pepper
  • Optional garlic or herbs
Veg mayo made with thick curd (yogurt) and a little oil, a lighter eggless mayonnaise option for wraps and salads.
Use thick/hung curd so it doesn’t turn watery. If it tastes too tangy, balance with a tiny pinch of sugar or a drizzle of honey—then season with pepper and herbs.

Because curd is already thick, it needs much less oil. This style tastes tangier and lighter, which makes it ideal for salads, wraps and sandwiches when you don’t want heavy richness.

Cashew-Based Eggless Mayo Recipe

Soaked cashews can be blended with water, oil, acid, mustard and salt to make a rich, smooth veg mayo. It’s naturally slightly sweet and very creamy. Once you add garlic and herbs, you get a luxurious dip for grilled vegetables, chaats and snacks.

Those three styles – milk, curd and cashew – cover most situations where you want an eggless mayonnaise recipe that still feels indulgent. You can go deeper into the Cashew Based recipes in Vegan Mayo Recipe Guide: 5 Plant-Based Mayonnaise.

Also Read: How to Make Churros (Authentic + Easy Recipe)

Vegan Mayo Recipe (Plant-Based Mayonnaise)

A vegan mayo recipe goes a step further by skipping eggs and dairy altogether. Fortunately, plants have more than one way to pull this off.

MasalaMonk’s vegan mayo recipe collection explores five different bases: soy milk, almond milk, aquafaba, cashews and even tofu. All of them rely on the same idea: you still need water, fat and an emulsifier, just from plant sources now.

Recipe for Aquafaba Vegan Mayo

Aquafaba is the thick liquid from cooked or canned chickpeas. It happens to contain enough proteins and starches to whip and emulsify oil like a surprisingly good stand-in for egg white.

A basic aquafaba vegan mayo looks like this:

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons aquafaba
  • 1 cup neutral oil
  • 1–2 teaspoons lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • Optional: 1–2 cooked chickpeas blended in for a thicker body
Vegan mayo recipe card using aquafaba (chickpea liquid) with oil and acid to make thick plant-based mayonnaise.
Aquafaba mayo often thickens even more after chilling. If yours stays loose, reduce watery aquafaba (use thicker chickpea liquid) and blend again—texture improves fast once the emulsion grabs.

Method

  1. Combine aquafaba, mustard, salt and acid in a tall container.
  2. Pour the oil on top.
  3. Blend from the bottom up until the mixture thickens and turns creamy.
  4. Chill before using; it will firm up slightly as it cools.

This vegan mayo recipe works anywhere you’d use regular mayo: in potato salad, as a sandwich spread, in creamy coleslaw, or mixed into chickpeas and vegetables for a plant-based “tuna” salad.

For example, you can fold vegan mayo into lentils and chopped vegetables to mimic tuna salad, the way it’s done in this plant-based high protein lentil meal prep.

Cashew Cream Vegan Mayo Recipe

For a richer style:

  • Soak ½ cup cashews until soft.
  • Blend with ¼–⅓ cup water, 2–3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, mustard and salt.
Cashew mayo recipe card showing eggless mayonnaise made from soaked cashews, lemon, and salt for a rich veg mayo dip.
For the smoothest cashew mayo, soak cashews until fully soft, then blend longer than you think. If it tastes heavy, brighten it with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of salt—those two changes make it taste ‘lighter’ without thinning.

The result is a glossy cashew mayo that’s fantastic with roasted vegetables, sandwiches, grain bowls and wraps. It’s particularly good drizzled over something colourful and satisfying like the Thai-style vegan bowl with peanut butter dressing.

Also Read: How to Cook Bacon in the Oven (Crispy, No-Mess, Crowd-Ready Recipe)

Egg Mayonnaise Sandwich Filling

Sometimes, when people look for an egg mayonnaise recipe, what they really want is the filling for an egg mayo sandwich – chopped boiled eggs bound together with mayo and seasonings.

Here’s a straightforward version you can tweak endlessly:

Ingredients

  • 3 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and cooled
  • 3–4 tablespoons mayo (classic, eggless or vegan)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped onion or chives
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped celery, cucumber or bell pepper
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • Optional: paprika, chilli flakes or herbs
Egg mayonnaise sandwich filling with chopped boiled eggs mixed with mayo, showing the ideal creamy, not-watery texture.
Cool the eggs completely before mixing—warm eggs melt the mayo and turn the filling loose. For extra bite, keep some egg chunks; for a smoother spread, mash one egg and chop the rest.

Method to make Egg Mayo Sandwich Filling

  1. Chop or mash the eggs in a bowl.
  2. Stir in mayo, mustard and the chopped vegetables.
  3. Season with salt, pepper and spices.
  4. Adjust the mayo quantity until the mixture is creamy but still holds its shape.

Pile this egg mayo onto soft white bread, whole-grain slices, brioche buns or inside pita. It keeps well as a filling for lunchboxes, and it sits nicely alongside plant-forward options like the hummus veggie sandwich or the hung curd spinach cheese sandwich.

Also Read: One-Pot Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta (Easy & Creamy Recipe)

Spicy Mayo Ideas & Recipes

Once you have a jar of plain mayo – whether it’s classic, eggless or vegan – it takes almost no effort to turn it into spicy mayo. And because there are so many chilli sauces and pastes out there, you can build a whole collection of different spicy mayo recipes without ever getting bored.

Spicy mayo heat ladder showing sriracha mayo, chipotle mayo, wasabi mayo, and fermented chili mayo in ramekins.
Pick by flavour, not just heat: sriracha mayo is tangy for sushi and fries, chipotle mayo is smoky for burgers and tacos, wasabi mayo is sharp for seafood and tempura, and fermented chilli mayo brings deeper funk for bowls and grilled meats.

Basic Spicy Mayo Formula & Recipe

Start with this, then improvise:

  • ½ cup mayo
  • 1–3 teaspoons hot sauce, chilli paste or finely chopped chilli
  • ½ teaspoon lemon juice or rice vinegar
  • A pinch of salt and/or sugar, depending on your sauce

Stir it all together. Taste. Adjust the heat, acidity and salt until it feels right.

Sriracha Mayo Recipe (Sriracha Mayonnaise)

Use sriracha as your chilli element and rice vinegar as the acid. This version loves sushi rolls, poke bowls, fried tofu, tempura and loaded fries. It also works as a drizzle on top of crunchy, tangy salads like the vegan Som Tam raw papaya salad, where the creamy heat plays against the crisp vegetables.

Sriracha mayonnaise recipe card showing mayo and sriracha ratio with rice vinegar for a cleaner tang.
Start mild, then build: add sriracha in small increments so the sauce stays creamy (not watery). If it tastes ‘flat’, a few drops of rice vinegar or lime instantly brightens it.

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup mayo
  • 1–2 tbsp sriracha (start small)
  • ½ tsp rice vinegar or lemon juice
  • Pinch of salt (optional)

Method:
Stir until smooth. This is the classic ‘mayo sriracha’ combo people want when they ask for ‘sriracha and mayo’. Use it on sushi, fries, burgers, bowls, tempura.

Chipotle Mayo

Chipotle mayo is one of the best friends tacos ever had. Combine mayo with canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and lime juice. The smoke and tang make it perfect for grilled corn, quesadillas, burritos, burgers and roasted potatoes.

Chipotle mayo recipe card showing smoky chipotle mayonnaise with lime for a brighter finish.
Chipotle mayo loves anything grilled or crispy. If it tastes too smoky or heavy, add a squeeze of lime and a pinch of salt—acid + salt ‘lifts’ the flavour without thinning the sauce much.

If you feel like taking chipotle and other chillies even further, the recipes in the pepper sauce collection give you a whole menu of chilli bases to stir into mayo: jalapeño, habanero, mixed pepper sauces and more.

Peri-Peri Mayo

Peri-peri sauce plus mayo gives you a bright, lemony, garlicky burn. It’s ideal as a dip for fries and potato wedges, but also brilliant smeared on grilled chicken, paneer, and vegetable skewers.

Gochujang and Wasabi Mayo Recipe

You can easily twist spicy mayo toward different cuisines:

  • Gochujang mayo: mix gochujang with mayo and a little rice vinegar for Korean-inspired sandwiches and grain bowls.
  • Wasabi mayo: stir wasabi paste into mayo with a squeeze of lime – this is unbeatable with sushi, tempura, or seared tuna.
Wasabi mayo recipe card showing wasabi mayonnaise with lime for balance and a smooth pale-green texture.
Wasabi heat hits your nose fast, so start with ½ tsp and increase slowly. This sauce is best on sushi, tempura, and seafood—lime keeps the flavour sharp without making it feel heavy.

Because these spicy mayo recipes usually ride alongside rich or fried foods, it’s worth pairing them with something sharp and refreshing to drink. For burger nights or snack spreads, drinks from the margarita mocktail guide, the keto mocktails lineup, or the coconut water cocktails and mocktails keep things lively instead of heavy.

Garlic Mayo and Herb Mayo Recipe

If chilli isn’t your first love, garlic and herbs are another classic way to move away from plain mayo.

Garlic mayo recipe card showing mayonnaise with garlic, lemon juice, and resting tip for a smoother, mellower dip.
Pro tip: grate garlic (don’t chop) for a smoother sauce, then rest 20 minutes so the sharp bite mellows into a round, ‘restaurant’ flavour. For a lighter version, swap in 2–3 tbsp thick yogurt for part of the mayo.

How to make Garlic Mayo (Cheat’s Aioli)

Think of this as the everyday version of aioli – less traditional, but very effective.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1–2 cloves garlic, finely grated or crushed
  • 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  • Salt to taste
  • Optional: a spoonful of olive oil for flavour

Stir everything together and let it rest in the fridge for 20–30 minutes so the garlic has time to mellow and spread through the sauce.

Serve garlic mayo with roasted potatoes, sweet potato wedges, grilled vegetables, kebabs, or as a burger spread. When you’d like a lighter cousin, swap to a yogurt-based dip like the cucumber-and-garlic sauces in the Greek tzatziki recipes.

How to make Herb Mayo

Herb mayo is the green, fragrant sibling of garlic mayo.

Some combinations to play with:

  • Dill and chives with lemon for fish dishes and potato salad.
  • Coriander, mint and green chilli for tikkas, kebabs and chaats.
  • Basil and parsley for tomato-heavy sandwiches and roasted vegetables.
  • Cilantro and lime with a pinch of cumin for Mexican-leaning bowls and tacos.

A basil-forward herb mayo works particularly well in sandwiches like the avocado, basil and grilled tomato sandwich, where it echoes the fresh herbs and adds creaminess.

Also Read: 10 Best Espresso Martini Recipe Variations (Bar-Tested)

Mayo–Ketchup Sauce (Fry Sauce / Burger Sauce)

Take mayonnaise, add ketchup, and you have one of the fastest condiments on earth. In Utah and nearby regions, it’s called fry sauce. While in Argentina and Uruguay, a similar mixture goes by salsa golf. While in many burger shops, it appears as a “secret sauce” that’s secretly not that complicated.

Mayo and ketchup sauce recipe card showing a 2:1 mayo-to-ketchup fry sauce ratio with a French fry dip.
Use the 2:1 ratio as your base. Want it more ‘burger-shop’? Add ½ tsp mustard and a splash of pickle brine (or finely chopped pickles) for tang and a more complex finish.

Basic Mayo–Ketchup Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

  • ½ cup mayo
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • Optional: a spoonful of relish or finely chopped pickles
  • Optional: a dash of vinegar or pickle brine
  • Optional: a pinch of smoked paprika or chilli

Mix until smooth and taste. Adjust the mayo–ketchup ratio to suit your mood. More mayo makes it richer and creamier; more ketchup makes it sweeter and more tomato-forward.

Use this sauce:

  • As a dip for fries, wedges and tater tots
  • Inside burgers and sliders as a “house sauce”
  • As a quick dressing for shredded cabbage and carrot slaw
  • With leftover vegetable fillings like the ones in the paneer sabji sandwich

If you feel like branching out from there, it’s only a short step to Thousand Island, Russian dressing and other mayo-plus-ketchup-plus-extras sauces that show up in salads and sandwiches.

Also Read: Easy Lemon Pepper Chicken Wings (Air Fryer, Oven & Fried Recipe)

Mayo in Salads and Bowls

Because mayo is creamy, it makes salads feel like something you actually want to eat, rather than just ingredients you’re enduring. That doesn’t mean drowning everything in sauce; a few spoons often go further than you think.

Potato Salad

Potato salad is probably the most famous mayo-based salad of all. MasalaMonk’s potato salad recipes cover everything from traditional mayo-heavy versions to lighter, olive-oil-based and vegan takes.

You can:

  • Use classic mayo plus mustard, dill and gherkins for a deli-style potato salad.
  • Combine mayo and Greek yogurt for a lighter dressing.
  • Build a vegan potato salad with aquafaba mayo and beans for extra protein.

A similar approach works for pasta and grain salads: a small amount of mayo in the dressing adds body, while lemon juice and herbs keep the flavours bright.

Tuna and Legume Salads

Tuna salad is essentially a way to stretch a can of tuna into a full meal, and mayo is what helps it hold together.

MasalaMonk’s healthy tuna salad guide shows how to balance mayo with yogurt, avocado, olive oil and crunchy vegetables so the salad feels nourishing rather than heavy.

On the plant-based side, lentil and chickpea salads love a spoonful of vegan mayonnaise. Mix cooked lentils or chickpeas with chopped onion, celery, herbs, mustard, lemon juice and vegan mayo, and you get a high-protein spread that behaves a lot like tuna salad – perfect for sandwiches, wraps or lettuce cups – just like the ideas in that lentil meal prep guide.

Bowls

In bowls, mayo works best as a component, not the main event. You might:

  • Add a small dollop of spicy mayo on top of a rice and veg bowl.
  • Whisk mayo into a dressing for coleslaw that sits beside a grain bowl.
  • Stir garlic mayo through roasted vegetables and chickpeas for a warm salad.

Bowls like the Thai-style vegan peanut butter bowl already include a creamy element, but there’s nothing stopping you adding a little vegan mayo on the side for extra richness if that’s what you’re craving.

Also Read: Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice – 4 Ways Recipe (One Pot, Casserole, Crockpot & Instant Pot)

Sandwiches and Wraps with Mayo

Inside a sandwich, mayo plays three roles at once:

  • It adds flavour.
  • It protects bread from watery fillings.
  • It makes every bite feel soft and indulgent.

Spread a thin layer on both slices of bread and you immediately notice sandwiches taste more “finished”.

A few ways to plug your mayo recipes into sandwiches:

If you’re thinking about nutrition as well as indulgence, the ideas in boosting your fibre intake with sandwiches show how to build gut-friendly sandwiches that lean on whole grains, legumes and vegetables, while using just enough mayo to keep everything moist and delicious.

Also Read: French 75 Cocktail Recipe: 7 Easy Variations

No-Cook Meals Featuring Mayo

On days when standing over a stove feels like punishment, mayo quietly steps in as a no-cook hero. You can build whole plates out of fresh, cold ingredients and a jar of something creamy.

MasalaMonk’s no-cook recipes for hot summer days include wraps, salads, chaas and other ideas that sit perfectly alongside mayo-based dips and dressings.

Think:

  • Wraps with veg mayo, grated vegetables, cucumber, lettuce and leftover grilled paneer or tofu.
  • Chickpea salads bound with vegan mayo, lemon juice and herbs.
  • Vegetable sticks with three different mayo dips: garlic, spicy and herby.

Serve those with a jug of something ice-cold – maybe a sparkling drink from the apple juice mocktail recipes or one of the tangy apple cider vinegar mocktails – and you have dinner without turning on the gas.

Drinks That Pair Well with Mayo-Rich Dishes

Because mayo-based dishes are rich and fatty, the right drink can make or break the experience. You want something that refreshes and cuts through, not something that weighs the meal down further.

A few pairings that work especially well:

The richer the food, the brighter and more refreshing the glass should be – that’s the only rule that really matters.

Also Read: Peanut Butter Cookies (Classic Recipe & 3 Variations)

Troubleshooting Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe

Even with good technique, mayonnaise sometimes goes rogue. Instead of binning it straight away, it’s worth knowing how to fix the most common issues.

Mayo Too Thick

If your mayo has turned into something closer to putty:

  • Whisk in a teaspoon of water at a time until it loosens to your preferred consistency.
  • For dressing, add more acid plus water until it’s pourable.
Mayonnaise texture fixes showing how to thin mayo with water and thicken runny mayo by emulsifying in more oil.
Adjust in tiny steps: add water 1 teaspoon at a time to loosen stiff mayo. For runny mayo, add oil slowly (or start with a fresh yolk and whisk the runny batch into it) so the emulsion has something to hold onto.

Mayo Too Thin

Runny mayo usually means not enough oil or too much acid/water.

You can:

  • Slowly whisk in more oil, giving the emulsion a chance to thicken.
  • Chill it; some batches firm up once cold.
  • Repurpose very thin mayo as a salad dressing instead of fighting it.

Mayo Split or Curdled

A broken mayo looks grainy and oily, with liquid weeping out. It feels like a disaster, but it’s usually fixable.

How to fix split mayonnaise showing broken mayo vs fixed smooth mayo by whisking into a fresh egg yolk.
Rescue rule: treat the broken mayo like ‘oil’ in a new batch—start with a fresh yolk and whisk the broken mixture in teaspoon by teaspoon. Egg-free option: use 1 tbsp aquafaba instead of yolk as the reset.

To rescue it:

  1. Put one fresh egg yolk (or a tablespoon of aquafaba) in a clean bowl.
  2. Very slowly whisk in the broken mayo, a teaspoon at a time, treating it like the “oil” in a new batch.
  3. Once things turn smooth and creamy again, you can add the rest of the broken mixture in a slightly faster stream.

To avoid splitting next time, keep your ingredients at similar temperatures, go slowly when building the emulsion at the start, and add extra liquid only once the base is robust.

Also Read: Easy and Healthy Oat Cookies- No Sugar | No Butter | No Refined Flour

Final Thoughts: One Mayo Recipe, Many Directions

When you look back over everything, it all starts with one simple mayo recipe: egg, oil, acid and salt transformed into a creamy emulsion.

From there, you’ve seen how to turn that foundation into:

  • Classic homemade mayonnaise for everyday use
  • Japanese mayo with extra yolks and rice vinegar
  • Eggless mayonnaise using milk, curd or cashews
  • Full vegan mayo with aquafaba or plant milks
  • Spicy mayo in multiple personalities – sriracha, chipotle, peri-peri, gochujang, wasabi
  • Garlic mayo and herb mayo that taste like restaurant sauces
  • Mayo–ketchup sauce for fries, burgers and snack platters

And you’ve explored where those sauces go:

Once you understand that mayonnaise is just a technique for persuading oil and water to work together, it stops being a mystery and starts being a playground. From there, every new variation – whether it’s a Japanese mayo recipe, a vegan mayo recipe, a veg mayo, a garlic mayo or a spicy mayo – is just another small twist on a skill you already own.

Homemade mayonnaise base ratio card showing the classic mayo recipe ratio: 1 egg, 1 cup oil, and 1–2 teaspoons acid.
Keep everything at a similar temperature (room-temp egg is easiest). If your emulsion struggles, add ½ tsp mustard or start the blend at the very bottom until a pale core forms.

FAQs about Homemade Mayonnaise or Mayo Recipe

1. What is the simplest mayo recipe for beginners?

A very basic mayo recipe uses just egg, oil, lemon juice or vinegar, salt, and a little mustard. You blend or whisk one egg with mustard, salt, and acid, then slowly emulsify in about a cup of neutral oil until it turns thick and creamy. Once that works for you consistently, you can start adjusting the seasoning and texture to match your taste.

2. How is a mayonnaise recipe different from a regular sauce?

Unlike most sauces that are just mixed or reduced, a mayonnaise recipe creates an emulsion: tiny droplets of oil trapped inside a water phase made from egg and acid. Because of that structure, it becomes thick, glossy, and spreadable without needing flour, starch, or cooking.

3. Which oil is best for homemade mayonnaise?

For most people, a neutral oil like sunflower, canola, or grapeseed gives the most versatile homemade mayonnaise. These oils stay in the background so the flavour of lemon, vinegar, garlic, or herbs can shine. If you enjoy more personality, you can blend in some light olive oil or avocado oil, but it’s better to avoid using only very strong extra-virgin olive oil, as it often turns the mayo bitter.

4. Why does my mayo recipe sometimes split or go runny?

Usually, a broken mayo recipe comes from adding the oil too fast, working with ingredients that are too cold, or not having enough egg yolk or mustard for the amount of oil. Once the emulsion fails, the mixture looks oily and grainy instead of smooth. Fortunately, you can rescue it by starting a fresh yolk in a clean bowl and slowly whisking the broken mixture into it like new “oil.”

5. How long does homemade mayonnaise last in the fridge?

Typically, homemade mayonnaise lasts about three to five days in a well-sealed container in the coldest part of your fridge. Because it often uses raw egg, it’s safer to make small batches and finish them quickly. If the colour, smell, or texture changes in a strange way, it’s better to discard it and make a fresh mayo recipe rather than risk food poisoning.

6. Is mayonnaise healthy or unhealthy?

Mayonnaise is high in fat and calories, so it’s energy-dense. That said, it can still fit into a balanced diet if you treat it as a flavour booster instead of the main ingredient. When you choose oils rich in unsaturated fats, like sunflower or avocado, and use your mayo recipe sparingly in salads and sandwiches, it becomes more of a useful accent than a nutritional problem.

7. Can I make a mayo recipe without egg?

Yes, you can absolutely make a mayo recipe without egg. Eggless mayonnaise recipes often use milk, curd, cashews, or aquafaba (chickpea liquid) as the water phase and emulsifier. Once you blend those with oil, acid, and seasoning, you still get a thick, creamy veg mayo that behaves much like the traditional version.

8. What’s the difference between eggless mayonnaise and vegan mayo?

Eggless mayonnaise simply avoids eggs; it may still use milk, cream, or yogurt. Vegan mayo, on the other hand, is completely plant-based, so it contains no egg and no dairy at all. Because of that, a vegan mayo recipe usually relies on soy milk, aquafaba, cashews, or other plant milks to create the emulsion.

9. How do I make a vegan mayo recipe with aquafaba?

To make an aquafaba vegan mayo recipe, you start with a few tablespoons of chickpea cooking liquid in a tall jar. Then you add mustard, salt, and an acidic ingredient like lemon juice, before gradually emulsifying in a cup of neutral oil with a blender. In the end, you get a glossy, egg-free mayonnaise that works beautifully in sandwiches, salads, and bowls.

10. What makes Japanese mayo recipe versions taste different?

Japanese mayo recipes usually rely on egg yolks only, rice vinegar instead of harsh vinegars, a pinch of sugar, and sometimes a bit of MSG or dashi. Consequently, the result is richer, silkier, slightly sweeter, and more umami-packed than standard mayonnaise. That’s why it tastes so good on okonomiyaki, fried chicken, or sushi rolls.

11. Can I turn classic mayonnaise into Japanese-style mayo?

Yes, you can move your classic mayonnaise recipe in a Japanese direction by tweaking a few details. You can add extra yolk for richness, swap part of the usual acid for rice vinegar, stir in a tiny pinch of sugar, and optionally add a bit of MSG. With those changes, the flavour profile shifts noticeably closer to a Japanese mayo recipe without needing a complete overhaul.

12. How can I make a spicy mayo recipe for sushi or fries?

To create a spicy mayo recipe, you simply stir chilli into your base. Often, cooks mix mayonnaise with sriracha, gochujang, chipotle in adobo, peri-peri sauce, or finely minced fresh chillies. Then, a dash of lemon or rice vinegar brightens everything. Once you find the level of heat you like, you can spoon it over sushi, poke bowls, burgers, wraps, or loaded fries.

13. What is garlic mayo, and how is it different from aioli?

Garlic mayo is exactly what it sounds like: mayonnaise combined with fresh or roasted garlic, plus a little extra lemon juice or salt. Traditional aioli, by contrast, is made by emulsifying only garlic and olive oil with salt, often without egg. In everyday kitchens, though, people often use a garlic mayo recipe as a quick, reliable substitute for aioli because it delivers a similar flavour with much less effort.

14. Can I make a lighter or low-fat mayonnaise recipe?

You can make a lighter mayonnaise by replacing part of the oil with Greek yogurt, hung curd, or even silken tofu. Naturally, the texture and taste become tangier and less rich, but they remain creamy enough to coat salads or fill sandwiches. Another approach is to use a thinner dressing that blends a little mayo with plenty of lemon juice, vinegar, and water instead of trying to mimic full-fat mayo exactly.

15. Is mayonnaise gluten-free?

Most classic mayonnaise recipes are naturally gluten-free because they use egg, oil, acid, salt, and mustard. Even so, it’s wise to double-check labels on store-bought jars and to be careful with flavoured versions, because some brands add ingredients like malt vinegar, stabilisers, or flavourings that may contain gluten.

16. Does mayonnaise need to be refrigerated all the time?

Homemade mayo, and any mayonnaise recipe made from scratch, should always be kept in the fridge once it’s made, especially if it includes raw egg. While some commercial jars are shelf-stable until opened, even those belong in the refrigerator after you break the seal. Leaving mayo out too long at room temperature raises the risk of bacterial growth and food poisoning.

17. Can I freeze mayonnaise or a mayo-based sauce?

Freezing mayonnaise is usually not a good idea. The emulsion tends to break when it thaws, leaving you with a watery, grainy mess. Instead, it’s better to prepare small batches of homemade mayonnaise recipe as you need them and finish them within a few days, rather than trying to store a huge portion in the freezer.

18. What is mayo ketchup sauce or “fry sauce”?

Mayo ketchup sauce, often called fry sauce or burger sauce, is simply a mixture of mayonnaise and ketchup, sometimes with mustard, relish, vinegar, or spices added. This combination creates a creamy, tangy, slightly sweet dip that pairs beautifully with fries, wedges, burgers, hot dogs, and even simple veggie sticks. Because it’s so easy, many people treat it as their first “extra” mayo recipe beyond the basic.

19. How do I make a simple mayo and ketchup dip at home?

For a quick mayo and ketchup dip, you can start with about two parts mayonnaise to one part ketchup, then taste and adjust. If you like it sharper, stir in a touch of mustard or vinegar. When you prefer something more complex, mix in chopped pickles, onions, smoked paprika, or a little hot sauce. In only a minute, you’ve got a custom fry sauce made from your usual mayonnaise recipe.

20. What’s the difference between an egg mayonnaise recipe and plain mayo?

In everyday language, “egg mayonnaise recipe” often refers to a sandwich filling made from chopped boiled eggs mixed with mayonnaise, not the sauce itself. Regular mayo is the creamy emulsion of raw egg, oil, and acid; egg mayo uses that sauce to bind cooked eggs with seasonings like mustard, onion, herbs, and pepper into a spreadable mixture that goes inside bread, rolls, or wraps.

21. Can I use olive oil for a mayonez recipe?

You can use olive oil, but it’s best to choose a mild one or blend it with a neutral oil. Strong extra-virgin olive oil can make a mayonez recipe taste bitter and overly intense. Consequently, many people use half neutral oil and half light olive oil. That way, you still get some character from the olive oil without overwhelming the mayo.

22. Why does my homemade mayonnaise taste bitter?

A bitter mayonnaise recipe often comes from using an aggressive extra-virgin olive oil or over-processing the oil at high speed until it oxidises. To avoid that, you can pick a gentler oil, limit blending time, or blend only part of the oil and whisk the rest in by hand. If a batch already tastes bitter, balancing it with lemon juice and a pinch of sugar helps a little, but sometimes starting again is easier.

23. How can I make my mayonnaise thicker?

If your mayo feels too thin, you can gradually whisk in more oil, which may sound backwards but actually thickens the emulsion. Additionally, you can begin with an extra yolk at the start of your mayonnaise recipe to provide more emulsifiers. Sometimes chilling the mayo in the fridge helps firm it slightly, especially in vegan mayo recipes that use aquafaba or cashew cream.

24. How do I fix a mayo recipe that is too thick and stiff?

When a mayonnaise recipe comes out closer to putty than sauce, you can loosen it very gently with water, lemon juice, or vinegar. Add liquid just a teaspoon at a time while whisking, until it reaches a soft, spoonable consistency. From there, you can taste again and tweak the seasoning so it still matches the dish you’re serving it with.

25. Is a mayo recipe suitable for keto or low-carb diets?

Most traditional mayo recipes are naturally low in carbohydrates because they’re mainly made of fat and a small amount of egg and acid. Therefore, they usually fit well into keto or low-carb approaches, as long as you don’t use mayonnaise together with sugary sauces or carb-heavy sides. For people watching carbs closely, it’s still worth checking that any added mustard, ketchup, or flavourings aren’t loaded with hidden sugars.

26. Can I use homemade mayonnaise in hot dishes?

You can add mayonnaise to warm dishes, but it doesn’t love high, direct heat. If you boil or fry it, the emulsion may split and the sauce can look oily. Instead, it’s better to stir mayo into foods after they come off the heat, or use it under a breadcrumb topping for gentle baking. For example, you might mix a mayo recipe with cheese and herbs to top chicken, then bake until just browned.

27. What is veg mayo, and how is it used in Indian-style recipes?

Veg mayo usually means a mayo recipe without eggs, designed for vegetarian kitchens. Often, it includes milk or curd, plus oil and flavourings. It’s widely used in Indian-style sandwiches, tikkas, rolls, chaats, and fusion snacks. Because it’s mild and creamy, veg mayo blends easily with coriander chutney, green chillies, onions, and masala spices without fighting them.

28. How can I flavour a basic mayonnaise recipe for different cuisines?

Once you have a simple mayonnaise recipe, you can steer it toward many cuisines just by changing the flavourings. For a Mediterranean feel, you might use garlic, lemon, and herbs like oregano or basil. For a Japanese note, you could add rice vinegar, a pinch of sugar, and a little soy. To give it a Mexican twist, you may mix in lime, cumin, coriander, and chipotle. With each variation, the structure stays the same while the personality shifts.

29. What’s the best way to use leftover mayonnaise in meals?

Leftover mayonnaise turns into dressings, dips, and spreads very easily. You can thin it with lemon juice for a quick salad dressing, stir it into chopped herbs for a last-minute dip, or blend it with ketchup for a fast mayo ketchup sauce. Beyond that, you might fold it into egg salads, tuna salads, or roasted vegetable bowls to make them more satisfying without much extra work.

30. How do I choose between classic, eggless, and vegan mayo for a recipe?

The choice depends on who you’re serving, how you feel about raw egg, and what you want the final dish to be. Classic homemade mayonnaise gives the richest flavour and texture. Eggless mayonnaise recipes suit vegetarian households that still use dairy. Vegan mayo recipes are ideal when you need something fully plant-based or want to avoid eggs completely. Once you know how each type behaves, you can swap them into sandwiches, salads, dips, or burger sauces with confidence.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

How to Make Eggless Mayo at Home (Egg Free Mayonnaise Recipe)

Overhead view of a hand spreading thick eggless mayonnaise on toasted bread beside lettuce, tomato slices, grilled paneer, lemon wedges and a jar of mayo on a wooden board, cover image for eggless mayonnaise recipe on MasalaMonk

There’s a particular kind of satisfaction in dipping a spoon into a thick, glossy eggless mayonnaise you’ve just made yourself. When that eggless mayonnaise recipe is completely free from eggs, it suddenly becomes something you can share with almost everyone around the table – people with egg allergies, those who are pregnant and cautious about raw eggs, folks who simply don’t enjoy eggy flavours, and anyone who wants a little more control over what goes into their food.

In this guide, we’re going to explore mayonnaise without eggs from every angle. You’ll get a clear, step-by-step eggless mayonnaise recipe you can rely on every time, plus smart variations: egg free mayo, no egg mayo, and even fully vegan mayonnaise made without egg or dairy. We’ll also answer those “how to make mayonnaise without egg at home?” questions and show you how to use this eggless mayo in everyday meals without overthinking it.

As you read on, you’ll see how to put together a dependable base egg free mayo at home, how to switch between different types of mayonnaise without eggs (whether you prefer milk-based, yogurt-based or fully vegan), and how to build flavoured versions like garlic, peri-peri, herby, cheesy and more. Along the way, we’ll also look at lighter options that fit into gut-friendly, high-fibre, meal-prep-style eating, so you can figure out exactly where this simple eggless mayo belongs in your sandwiches, salads, and snack life.

What Is Eggless Mayonnaise and Why This Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe Works

If you strip mayonnaise down to its basics, it’s an emulsion: fat, water, and flavourings held together by an emulsifier (traditionally egg yolk). When you remove eggs from the equation, you still need:

  • Fat – usually a neutral oil
  • Water-based liquid – milk, curd, plant milk, aquafaba, or even a cashew base
  • Acid – lemon juice or vinegar
  • Seasoning – salt, mustard, maybe a pinch of sugar
Diagram-style photo showing a jar of eggless mayo with bowls of fat, liquid, acid and seasonings, explaining how an eggless mayonnaise recipe works without eggs.
This visual breaks down an eggless mayonnaise recipe into its four building blocks—fat, liquid, acid and seasonings—so you can see exactly what’s doing the egg’s job in a mayonnaise without egg.

So an eggless mayo or egg free mayonnaise is simply a version where the emulsifier comes from something other than egg yolk. Milk proteins, yogurt, cashew cream, soy milk, or chickpea brine can all step in to do the job.

This is why you’ll often notice people use mayo without eggs or mayonnaise without eggs interchangeably with “veg mayo” or “eggless mayo recipe”. The core idea is the same: you still get that rich, spreadable, creamy texture, but without whole eggs.

Eggless vs Vegan: Not Always the Same

It helps to clear up one common confusion early on:

  • Eggless mayonnaise – contains no egg, but might still use milk, cream, or yogurt.
  • Vegan mayonnaise – no egg and no dairy; usually built on plant milks, plant cream or aquafaba.
Side-by-side jars labelled eggless mayo and vegan mayo, showing that eggless mayonnaise is egg free but can contain milk or curd, while vegan mayo is both egg free and dairy free.
Eggless mayo simply skips eggs and can still be made with milk or curd, while vegan mayonnaise is built on soy milk, cashew or aquafaba and is completely egg free and dairy free. Use the first for vegetarian, non-veg diets that avoid eggs; save the vegan version for fully plant-based eating and dairy allergies.

A milk-based mayonnaise recipe without egg is perfect for non-veg eaters who just want to skip eggs; a cashew or soy-based version works better for vegans.

If you’re curious about nut-based versions, for instance, blogs like Veg Recipes of India share a cashew-based veg mayo that’s fully eggless. It’s a very different flavour and texture, but it proves how flexible the idea of eggless mayo can be.

Also Read: Crispy Homemade French Fries From Fresh Potatoes (Recipe Plus Variations)

Why So Many People look for Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe

When you start exploring ways to make mayo at home, it doesn’t take long before an eggless mayonnaise recipe feels essential. Maybe you want to know how to make eggless mayo for someone with an egg allergy, perhaps you’re hunting for an egg free mayo recipe that feels lighter, or you simply prefer a mayo recipe without egg because it fits your lifestyle better. Whatever the reason, the goal is the same: all the creaminess and versatility of classic mayonnaise, just without the eggs.

Glass jar labelled Eggless Mayo on a wooden surface with icons for pregnancy, allergy and lifestyle, showing why people choose egg free mayonnaise for safer, egg-free eating.
People switch to eggless mayo for more than just taste – it keeps creamy sandwiches and salads on the menu for those managing egg allergy, being careful about raw eggs in pregnancy, or simply following an egg-free, vegetarian lifestyle while still wanting that mayo texture.

1. Egg Allergies and Sensitivities

Eggs are among the most common food allergens in children, and they affect adults as well. Medical sources such as Mayo Clinic’s egg allergy overview explain that egg allergy can trigger symptoms ranging from hives and stomach upset to, in severe cases, anaphylaxis.

For families dealing with this, having a no egg mayonnaise recipe means:

  • Sandwiches and wraps stay in rotation
  • Party snacks like dips and potato salad become more inclusive
  • You’re in control of every ingredient going into the jar

2. Pregnancy and Raw Eggs

Traditional homemade mayo uses raw or barely cooked egg yolks. Food safety guidance for pregnant women consistently warns against raw-egg preparations because of the small but serious risk of salmonella. Agencies like the FDA’s “Food Safety for Moms-to-Be” specifically list homemade mayonnaise as something to avoid, while noting that commercial mayo is pasteurised and considered safe.

If that makes you nervous, using an egg free mayonnaise at home takes that particular worry off the table.

Side-by-side jars of regular mayo and eggless mayo with an infographic table comparing eggs, who each suits and texture, explaining the difference between classic mayonnaise and egg free mayonnaise.
Regular mayo relies on egg yolk as the emulsifier and works fine if you’re happy eating eggs, while an eggless mayonnaise recipe uses milk, curd or plant-based liquids instead. The texture can stay just as creamy and spreadable, but eggless mayo is a better fit for egg allergies, pregnancy precautions and egg-free vegetarian diets.

3. Taste, Texture and Convenience

There’s also the straight-up flavour and convenience factor:

  • Some people dislike the distinct taste or smell of eggs.
  • Others don’t want to crack a raw egg every time they fancy a sandwich.
  • A quick blender-based eggless mayonnaise recipe can be assembled from pantry ingredients in just a few minutes.

And because eggless mayo starts from a neutral base, it’s a gorgeous canvas for flavours like garlic, peri-peri, herbs, mustard or cheese.

Also Read: Katsu Curry Rice (Japanese Recipe, with Chicken Cutlet)

Ingredients That Make an Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe Work

You can think of eggless mayo as a simple formula:

Fat + Liquid base + Acid + Seasoning = Emulsified, creamy spread

Once that clicks, every egg free mayo recipe you see will suddenly make more sense.

The Oil: Your Main Fat

Oil is the backbone of any mayonnaise recipe without egg. Choosing the right one makes a huge difference.

  • Neutral oils like sunflower, rice bran, canola or light olive oil work best.
  • Very strong oils (unrefined mustard oil, very peppery extra-virgin olive oil) can make the mayo taste bitter or overpowering.

Nutrition-focused guides, such as Verywell Fit’s article on whether mayonnaise is healthy, point out that mayo is mostly fat and can be calorie-dense, but when it’s made with good-quality unsaturated oils, it also carries vitamin E, vitamin K and potentially some omega-3 fatty acids.

So, for a healthy eggless mayonnaise recipe, lean towards oils that are:

  • High in monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats
  • Fresh (not repeatedly heated or reused)

The Liquid Base and Emulsifier in Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe

This is where eggless recipes get interesting. Instead of egg yolk, you use:

  • Milk – full-fat or toned; common in Indian-style eggless mayo
  • Curd or yogurt – Greek yogurt or thick hung curd for a tangy, high-protein base
  • Plant milks – soy milk, almond milk or oat milk for dairy-free versions
  • Cashew cream – soaked, blended cashews plus water for a rich vegan mayonnaise without eggs
  • Aquafaba – chickpea brine that whips and emulsifies like egg white

Milk-based eggless mayonnaise recipes are popular in Indian kitchens because you often have milk on hand, and it emulsifies beautifully with oil and acid. Yogurt bases are excellent if you also want lightness and probiotics, similar in spirit to the yogurt-based spreads in MasalaMonk’s healthy hung curd spinach cheese sandwich.

Nut and plant-based versions, on the other hand, are the go-to for vegans. A cashew-based eggless veg mayo is a great example of how cashew cream can replace both egg and dairy in a single stroke.

Acid, Salt and Extras for Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe

Finally, the flavour and balance:

  • Acid – lemon juice, lime, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • Salt – brings everything to life rather than just tasting “oily”
  • Mustard – adds flavour and helps stabilise the emulsion
  • Pinch of sugar – rounds off sharpness, especially with extra lemon

You don’t have to add sugar, but a small pinch in your egg free mayonnaise recipe often makes it taste more “professional”, especially if you’re used to store-bought brands.

Also Read: Authentic Louisiana Red Beans and Rice Recipe (Best Ever)

Base Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe (Milk or Curd Based Mayo)

Let’s walk through a practical base recipe for eggless mayonnaise, using ingredients you probably already have in the fridge. This method answers questions like:

  • “How to make mayonnaise without egg at home?”
  • “How do you make mayonnaise without eggs with a blender?”
  • “How is eggless mayonnaise made in Indian-style recipes?”
Quick eggless mayonnaise recipe card showing a jar of creamy egg free mayo beside ingredients and method in ml and grams for the base milk or curd version.
This quick-reference card pulls the whole eggless mayonnaise recipe into one place—exact ml and gram measurements plus four short steps—so you can glance at it while you blend and get a perfect jar of mayonnaise without egg every time.

Ingredients You Need for an Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe

  • ½ cup chilled full-fat milk
    – or – ½ cup very thick curd / hung curd
  • 1 to 1¼ cups neutral oil (sunflower, rice bran, or light olive oil)
  • 1½–2 tablespoons lemon juice or white vinegar
  • ½–¾ teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
  • ½ teaspoon mustard (paste or powder) – optional but helpful
  • ½ teaspoon sugar – optional, but recommended
  • A pinch of black pepper

This gives you about 1½–2 cups of eggless mayo, enough for sandwiches, salads and a couple of flavour variations.

Method: Step-by-Step Recipe & How to Make Eggless Mayonnaise

This step-by-step process is the heart of any good mayonnaise recipe without egg. The quantities will vary between recipes, but the technique stays surprisingly consistent.

1. Prepare the Jar

Choose a narrow, tall jar or jug that fits your immersion blender head. The narrower the container, the easier it is for the mixture to emulsify quickly.

Tall glass jar half filled with milk or curd beside measuring spoons of salt, sugar and mustard with an immersion blender, showing step 1 of an eggless mayonnaise recipe.
Step 1 of this eggless mayonnaise recipe is all about flavour and stability: starting with chilled milk or curd plus salt, a touch of sugar and mustard means your no egg mayo emulsifies more easily and tastes balanced from the very first blend.

Add:

  • Milk (or thick curd)
  • Salt
  • Sugar
  • Mustard
  • Half of the lemon juice/vinegar

Give it a quick stir with a spoon.

2. Blend and Stream in the Oil

Place the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar. Start blending on low speed. While the blades run, slowly pour in the oil in a thin, steady stream.

Immersion blender working inside a tall jar while oil is poured in a thin stream, showing step 2 of making eggless mayonnaise by slowly emulsifying the mixture.
In Step 2, the thin stream of oil is what turns your seasoned milk or curd into a thick egg free mayonnaise. Keep the blender steady at the bottom and pour slowly—this is the difference between a silky eggless mayo and a split, oily sauce.

This is the crucial moment for any mayo recipe without egg: you’re encouraging the fat droplets to disperse and stay hanging in the water phase. Pour too fast, and it may split.

You’ll notice:

  • At first, the mixture looks thin and milky
  • Within a minute or so, it begins to thicken
  • By the time most of the oil has gone in, it should look glossy and spoon-coating

If you’re curious about other methods, you can compare your technique with the stepwise photos on Eggless Cooking’s easy homemade eggless mayonnaise, which follows a similar emulsion logic.

3. Adjust Thickness and Flavour

Now taste:

  • Add more lemon juice or vinegar if you like it sharper
  • Add a little more salt if you feel it’s flat
  • If it’s too thick, whisk in a teaspoon or two of cold water
  • If it’s too thin, blend in a bit more oil, very slowly
Spoon lifting a glossy dollop of eggless mayonnaise from a glass jar with lemon wedges and a small bowl of salt nearby, showing step 3 of adjusting flavour and thickness.
In Step 3, you tune the eggless mayonnaise recipe to your taste—more lemon for extra tang, a pinch of salt if it feels flat, or a teaspoon of cold water if your no egg mayo is a bit thicker than you like straight from the blender.

This is the part that really answers “how to make eggless mayonnaise at home”: you keep tasting and tweaking until the texture feels right to you, not just to a recipe card.

4. Chill to Set

Transfer your finished eggless mayo into a clean glass jar, cover and refrigerate. After an hour or two, it usually thickens slightly more and the flavours settle.

Glass jar of eggless mayo with a 3–5 days label sitting on a refrigerator shelf, showing step 4 of chilling egg free mayonnaise for best texture and safe storage.
Chilling your eggless mayo for a few hours lets the emulsion firm up and the flavours round out. Treat this egg free mayonnaise like any fresh dairy-based spread—keep it refrigerated, use clean spoons, and aim to finish the jar within 3–5 days.

At this point, you’ve made a simple, classic no egg mayo that can be spread, whisked into dressings, or turned into flavoured versions.

Also Read: High Protein Overnight Oats | 5 Recipes (Low Calorie, Vegan, Bulking & More)

Different Types of Eggless Mayo (By Base)

One of the joys of mastering a base egg free mayo recipe is that you can shift the base to suit your diet and mood.

Milk-Based Eggless Mayo

This version is ideal if you’re searching for a milk-based eggless mayonnaise recipe that tastes like café mayo.

  • Tastes the closest to commercial mayo
  • Has a smooth, lightly creamy flavour
  • Works brilliantly for burgers, wraps and grilled toasties

If you like the idea of multiple flavours from a single batch, it’s worth browsing Hebbars Kitchen’s eggless mayonnaise recipe – 4 flavours, which uses milk as the base and spins off different variants like garlic and herb mayo.

Curd or Yogurt-Based Eggless Mayonnaise

Curd-based no egg mayo works well for people who want a slightly lighter spread. Using hung curd or Greek yogurt gives you:

  • A thicker, tangier eggless mayo recipe
  • Bonus protein and beneficial cultures
  • A lower fat profile compared to pure oil-based versions

This style is ideal for people who already like yogurt-based spreads. It slots effortlessly into sandwiches similar to MasalaMonk’s hung curd spinach cheese sandwich, where you might blend a spoon or two of egg free mayo into the curd filling for extra creaminess without losing the protein punch.

Four small bowls of eggless mayo made with milk, curd or yogurt, cashew and soy or aquafaba, arranged in a grid to show different base options for egg free mayonnaise.
Once you understand the basic method, you can swap the base to match your diet—classic milk or curd for Indian-style veg mayo, or cashew and soy/aquafaba when you want a fully vegan eggless mayonnaise that’s both egg free and dairy free.

Cashew or Nut-Based Vegan Mayo

For vegan readers or anyone who is both egg- and dairy-free, a cashew base works beautifully:

  • Soak cashews, blend with water and oil, then season
  • The texture is rich, slightly sweet and very spreadable
  • It’s great with roasted vegetables, wraps, and grain bowls

You’ll see this approach in cashew-based veg mayonnaise recipes like those on Veg Recipes of India mentioned earlier.

Soy Milk and Aquafaba Egg Free Mayonnaise

Finally, there are the classic plant-based emulsifiers:

  • Soy milk – often used in blender mayo recipes; when combined with oil and acid, it emulsifies very much like egg yolk
  • Aquafaba – chickpea brine that whips up like egg white and can form the base for a very light, airy no egg mayonnaise

These versions are especially attractive to vegans and to those who love experimenting. They also double as a nice party trick: most people won’t guess chickpea water was involved.

Also Read: Béchamel Sauce for Lasagna: Classic, Vegan & Ricotta Sauce Recipe

Flavoured Egg Free Mayo Variations (Garlic, Peri-Peri, Herby & More)

Once you have your base egg free mayonnaise recipe, it’s time to play. Instead of making four separate batches, you can:

  1. Prepare one large jar of plain eggless mayo
  2. Divide it into smaller bowls
  3. Stir in flavourings to create several variants at once

This is exactly the approach in many “4 flavours from 1 mayo” tutorials such as Hebbars Kitchen’s recipe referred earlier.

Here are some ideas you can easily replicate at home.

Garlic Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe

For garlic lovers, this variation is a staple.

Stir into ½ cup of base eggless mayo:

  • 1–2 cloves of finely minced or roasted garlic
  • A squeeze of lemon
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Use this garlic mayo without eggs on:

  • Grilled sandwiches
  • Potato wedges
  • Veggie wraps

It pairs nicely with Mediterranean-style fillings: for example, you can drizzle a bit over a hummus veggie sandwich for an extra creamy, garlicky layer alongside the chickpea spread.

Four small bowls of flavoured eggless mayo—garlic, peri-peri, herby and smoky—arranged on a wooden board with a jar of plain eggless mayo in the background, showing how one egg free mayonnaise base creates multiple flavours.
Start with one jar of plain eggless mayo, then split it into small bowls and stir in garlic, peri-peri spice, fresh herbs, cheese or smoked chilli. In minutes you’ve got café-style flavoured no egg mayonnaise ready for burgers, wraps, wedges and party snacks—without making four separate recipes.

Recipe of Spicy or Peri-Peri Eggless Mayonnaise

For something with a kick:

  • ½ cup eggless mayo
  • ½–1 teaspoon peri-peri spice blend or chilli flakes
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • A pinch of sugar to balance the heat

Use this spicy egg free mayo with:

  • Burgers and sliders
  • Roasted potatoes
  • Grilled corn or veggie skewers

It’s also a clever way to serve mayo in places where raw-egg-based mayonnaise has been considered a high-risk food and gradually replaced with safer alternatives.

Herb and Cheese Eggless Recipe of Mayonnaise

If you love café-style sandwiches, this version is for you.

Mix into ½ cup of base mayo:

  • 1–2 tablespoons grated cheese
  • ½ teaspoon Italian mixed herbs or fresh coriander
  • A little extra pepper

Spread this herby, cheesy no egg mayo inside grilled vegetable sandwiches, baked casseroles, or as a base layer in snacky toasts.

Cheat sheet for eggless mayo flavour ideas over a bowl of mayo, listing garlic eggless mayo, peri-peri no egg mayo, herb and cheese mayo, smoky chipotle mayo and a yogurt-blend light mayo.
Keep this eggless mayo flavour cheat sheet handy whenever you have a jar of plain no egg mayonnaise in the fridge—just add garlic, peri-peri spice, herbs, cheese, smoked chilli or Greek yogurt to spin it into café-style spreads in minutes.

Smoky Mustard or Chipotle Style

If you lean towards smoky flavours:

  • ½ cup eggless mayo
  • 1 teaspoon mustard (Dijon or grainy)
  • ½ teaspoon smoked paprika or chipotle powder
  • Optional: a few drops of liquid smoke

It’s excellent with potato wedges, grilled chicken, or veggie burgers.

Also Read: Vegan French Toast: 6 Easy Recipes (Pan, Air Fryer, GF & High-Protein)

Is Eggless Mayo Actually Healthy?

Whether you’re swirling a classic egg-based mayo or an eggless mayonnaise recipe, the big picture is similar: it’s mostly oil, so it’s calorie-dense, but can still fit into a balanced way of eating.

According to nutrition analysis like Verywell Fit’s breakdown of mayonnaise, one tablespoon of mayo typically contains around 90–100 calories, most of it from fat.

On the other hand, mayo can bring some nutritional positives:

  • It often contains vitamin E, which supports heart health
  • It provides vitamin K, involved in blood clotting
  • When made with good oils, it can offer unsaturated fats that support brain and heart function

Indian-focused resources, such as Netmeds’ article on whether mayonnaise is good or bad for health, highlight many of the same themes: mayo isn’t “poison”, but it’s easy to overuse.

So how do you keep your healthy eggless mayonnaise recipe genuinely “healthy” in day-to-day life?

Spoonful of eggless mayo in sharp focus with a wholegrain sandwich and salad in the background, illustrating that egg free mayonnaise should be used in small portions alongside fibre-rich foods.
A small spoonful of eggless mayo is usually enough when the rest of the plate is doing the work—wholegrain bread, salad greens and protein. Used like this, egg free mayonnaise becomes a creamy accent instead of turning every sandwich into a calorie bomb.

Smarter Ways to Use Eggless Mayo

  1. Prioritise good oils
    Use oils that are high in unsaturated fats and avoid repeatedly reheated or rancid oils.
  2. Watch portion size
    Spread a thin layer on sandwiches rather than piling it on. A tablespoon or two can be plenty.
  3. Pair with fibre and protein
    Combine mayo-heavy spreads with high-fibre breads and fillings – an approach you can see in MasalaMonk’s high-fibre sandwich ideas for gut health, where the focus is on whole grains, legumes and vegetables.
  4. Mix with yogurt or hummus
    In fillings like tuna salad or chickpea mash, you can combine a little egg free mayo with Greek yogurt or hummus for a lighter, tangier blend. MasalaMonk’s healthy tuna salad guide leans into this kind of balance with yogurt + a spoon of mayo instead of all-mayo bowls.

Used thoughtfully, eggless mayonnaise can sit comfortably alongside salads, sandwiches and wraps instead of overwhelming them.

Also Read: Strawberry Mojito Mocktails – 10 Easy Variations

Eggless Mayonnaise in Pregnancy and for Egg Allergies

Because so many people want to know how to make mayonnaise without egg, in relation to pregnancy and allergies, it’s worth pulling those strands together clearly.

Pregnancy

Most mainstream guidance comes down to this:

An egg free mayonnaise removes eggs from the recipe entirely, which can be especially reassuring for:

  • Home cooks who make mayo in small batches regularly
  • People hosting pregnant guests and wanting a safe default
  • Those living in regions where raw-egg mayonnaise has been officially flagged as high-risk in food safety inspections

If there are any specific concerns, it’s always best to talk to a healthcare professional, but from a cooking perspective, eggless mayo gives you a comfortable, practical option.

Pregnant woman assembling a sandwich beside a jar labelled eggless mayo and a child’s lunchbox, highlighting egg free mayonnaise as a safer option for pregnancy and egg allergy households.
In homes navigating pregnancy or egg allergies, switching to a trusted eggless mayonnaise recipe removes raw eggs from the picture while keeping creamy sandwiches and lunchbox snacks on the menu. You still store it chilled and use small batches, but the “is this safe with eggs?” question disappears.

Egg Allergy

For families dealing with egg allergies, eggless mayo can be more than just a taste preference; it’s a way to make everyday food feel normal and inclusive.

Trusted sources such as Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic describe egg allergy as an immune reaction to proteins in egg white and yolk, with symptoms ranging from hives and stomach upset to, in rare cases, anaphylaxis.

In that context, having a reliable no egg mayonnaise recipe allows you to:

  • Pack egg-free sandwiches that still feel “creamy and indulgent”
  • Make potato salads, coleslaw and creamy dips without relying on eggs
  • Avoid the anxiety of wondering whether a store-bought jar is truly egg-free

Eggless mayo isn’t a substitute for medical advice, of course, but it’s a useful everyday tool for making food feel less restrictive.

Also Read: Egg Intolerance Symptoms

How to Use Eggless Mayo in Everyday Food

Once you’ve mastered a base eggless mayonnaise recipe, the big question is: what now? Luckily, eggless mayo behaves almost exactly like regular mayo in most dishes. Anywhere you’d normally use regular mayo in sandwiches, you can comfortably swap in egg free mayonnaise.

Sandwiches and Toasties

This is where eggless mayo shines.

  • Spread a thin layer inside an authentic grilled Bombay sandwich before adding chutney, vegetables and masala. The mayo cushions the fillings and adds richness under the classic green chutney.
  • Swap the burger mayo in MasalaMonk’s mushroom cheese sandwich for your egg free mayonnaise; the layers of mushroom, cheese and mayo are an ideal playground for an eggless spread.
  • Combine a spoonful of eggless mayo with the hung curd filling in the healthy spinach cheese sandwich to make the texture slightly richer without losing the high-protein yogurt base.
  • For brunch, pair a swipe of mayo with the avocado topping in MasalaMonk’s avocado, basil and grilled tomato sandwich, especially if you like a café-style breakfast toast with a bit more indulgence.
  • On leftover nights, bind the stuffing inside the paneer sabji sandwich with a spoon of no egg mayonnaise so the filling holds together when grilled.

Because your mayo is eggless, you can serve these sandwiches confidently at mixed gatherings where not everyone eats eggs. This mayonnaise without eggs behaves almost exactly like classic mayo in potato salad, coleslaw and creamy dips.

Salads and Bowls

Creamy salads get upgraded immediately with a homemade egg free mayo recipe.

Bowl of creamy eggless mayo surrounded by grilled sandwiches, a mayo-based salad and veggie sticks on a wooden board, showing different everyday ways to use egg free mayonnaise.
A single jar of eggless mayo can work hard across your day—spread inside toasted sandwiches, folded into potato or chickpea salad, or turned into a quick dip for veggie sticks. Anywhere you’d usually reach for regular mayo, this no egg mayonnaise can quietly step in.
  • Use it to dress boiled potatoes, herbs and crunchy vegetables in a potato salad inspired by MasalaMonk’s potato salad guide, which covers classic, Russian, German and vegan-leaning combinations. Just swap in your mayonnaise without eggs wherever regular mayo is called for.
  • Stir a spoon or two into one of the builds in the healthy tuna salad collection if you’re not strictly no-mayo, but still want the focus to be on lean protein and yogurt.
  • Mix eggless mayo with a splash of water or lemon juice and whisk it into shredded cabbage and carrots for a quick slaw to serve alongside grilled food.

If you’re building high-fibre, gut-friendly plates using ideas from MasalaMonk’s high-fibre sandwich article or our probiotic-rich sandwich guide, a thin layer of eggless mayo can complement the fermented and fibre-rich ingredients rather than overwhelm them.

Open school lunchbox filled with eggless mayo vegetable sandwiches, veggie sticks and a small bowl of creamy egg free mayo, with a jar labelled Eggless Mayo in the background.
For kids’ tiffins, eggless mayo sandwiches keep the creamy factor without relying on eggs, especially useful in schools where some children have egg allergies. Pack them with raw veggie sticks and a small pot of no egg mayonnaise for dipping to make the lunchbox feel fun as well as filling.

Dips and Dressings

Eggless mayo also transforms easily into dips and dressings:

  • Whisk together mayo, lemon juice, chopped herbs and a bit of garlic for a quick dip for raw vegetables or roasted potatoes.
  • Blend a spoonful of mayo into fruity dressings – for instance, you could adapt MasalaMonk’s sweet and spicy mango salad dressing by adding a little egg free mayonnaise when you want it to cling more luxuriously to salad leaves.

Because your base is neutral, you can go in whichever direction your pantry and mood suggest—Mediterranean, desi, smoky, tangy, spicy or even a mix.

Troubleshooting Recipe of Eggless Mayonnaise

Even if you follow every step, a mayonnaise recipe without egg can occasionally misbehave. Fortunately, most issues are fixable.

Why Did My Eggless Mayo Split?

A split mayo looks grainy or watery, with oil separating from the base. Common culprits:

  • Oil poured too quickly
  • Base and oil at very different temperatures
  • Not enough emulsifier (milk/curd/aquafaba) for the amount of oil

To rescue it:

  1. Start with a fresh 2–3 tablespoons of milk or curd in a clean jar.
  2. Blend on low speed, then slowly trickle in the split mayo as if it were the oil.
  3. The mixture often comes together into a smoother emulsion.
Two glass jars of eggless mayo side by side, one split with oily separation and one smooth and creamy, labelled Split and Fixed, illustrating how broken no egg mayonnaise compares to a rescued batch.
If your eggless mayonnaise looks like the jar on the left—oily and grainy—it usually means the emulsion broke. To get back to the smooth no egg mayo on the right, start with a few tablespoons of fresh milk or curd in a clean jar and slowly blend the split mayo into it until it thickens again.

My Egg Free Mayonnaise Is Too Thin

If your eggless mayo looks more like salad dressing than spread, try:

  • Blending in a little more oil, just a teaspoon at a time, until it thickens
  • Using slightly thicker curd or chilling the batch to help it firm up
  • Checking that you didn’t add too much acid or water up front

Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe is Too Thick and Won’t Spread

This one is easy to fix:

  • Whisk in a teaspoon of cold water or extra lemon juice at a time
  • Stop as soon as it becomes spreadable again

Remember, it’s perfectly normal for home-style eggless mayonnaise to be thicker when chilled and looser when left out at room temperature for a few minutes.

Also Read: Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – Easy Recipe with 7 Variations

Storage and Food Safety for Eggless Mayonnaise / Egg Free Mayo

Even though a no egg mayonnaise recipe avoids raw eggs, you still need to treat it as a fresh, perishable food.

Jar of eggless mayo on a refrigerator shelf with a label saying use within 3–5 days, next to fresh vegetables and bread, showing how to store homemade egg free mayonnaise safely.
Homemade eggless mayo still behaves like a fresh, perishable spread—keep it in the fridge door or on a cold shelf, use clean spoons every time and aim to finish it within 3–5 days rather than treating it like a long-life commercial jar of mayo.
  • Always refrigerate eggless mayo in a clean, airtight jar.
  • Use a clean spoon each time to avoid contamination.
  • As a rule of thumb, most homemade egg free mayo is best within 3–5 days, especially if it contains dairy.
  • Discard it if you notice an off smell, mould, or severe separation that doesn’t fix with whisking.

The same principles that apply to any creamy, oil-rich condiment apply here as well: keep it cold, keep it clean, and don’t stretch it for weeks “just because it looks okay”.

Pulling It All Together

Making your own eggless mayonnaise is one of those small kitchen skills that pay off in many directions at once. Once you’ve mastered a base eggless mayonnaise recipe, you can:

  • Answer those “how to make mayonnaise without egg” and “how do you make mayonnaise without eggs” questions with confidence
  • Whip up flexible, flavourful spreads and dips in minutes
  • Create lighter or dairy-free versions when you want a healthy eggless mayonnaise recipe
  • Make sandwiches, salads and snacks friendlier for people who avoid eggs because of allergies, preferences or pregnancy

From veggie-stuffed toasties to high-fibre, gut-friendly lunches and creamy picnic salads, a good egg free mayo quietly unlocks a lot of meals. Once a jar is sitting in your fridge, it becomes as natural to reach for as chutney or yogurt – and that’s exactly the kind of everyday usefulness that makes a recipe worth learning by heart.

Also Read: Peanut Butter Cookies (Classic Recipe & 3 Variations)

Eggless mayo FAQ snapshot graphic in front of a jar of creamy eggless mayonnaise, listing short answers about what eggless mayo is, whether it is vegan, its shelf life and if it is safe in pregnancy.
This eggless mayo FAQ snapshot pulls together the answers readers search for most often—what eggless mayo is, when it counts as vegan, how long homemade egg free mayonnaise lasts in the fridge and why it’s often chosen as a safer option in pregnancy.

FAQs about Eggless Mayonnaise Recipe

1. What is eggless mayonnaise and how is it different from regular mayo?

Eggless mayonnaise is a creamy spread made without eggs, usually using milk, yogurt, cashew cream or plant milk as the emulsifier instead of egg yolks. Regular mayo relies on raw or lightly cooked eggs to hold the oil and water together. As a result, an eggless mayonnaise recipe is often more inclusive for people with egg allergies, pregnancy concerns or those who simply don’t eat eggs, while still giving that familiar rich, smooth texture.

2. How do you make mayonnaise without eggs at home?

To make mayonnaise without eggs at home, you blend a liquid base like chilled milk, thick curd or soy milk with lemon juice or vinegar, salt and a bit of mustard, then slowly drizzle in neutral oil while blending until it thickens. The gradual addition of oil is crucial, because that’s what creates the emulsion in any mayonnaise recipe without egg. Once it looks glossy and spoon-coating, you can chill it to set and season it further if you like.

3. What is the basic eggless mayonnaise recipe?

A simple eggless mayonnaise recipe usually starts with about half a cup of chilled milk or thick yogurt, one to two tablespoons of lemon juice or vinegar, salt, a pinch of sugar and a teaspoon of mustard. While blending that mixture, you gradually add around one to one-and-a-quarter cups of neutral oil until the texture becomes thick and creamy. After that, you taste and adjust the seasoning, then refrigerate the eggless mayo so the flavours and consistency stabilise.

4. Can I make eggless mayo without a blender?

You can make eggless mayo without a blender, although it takes more patience. In that case, you whisk the liquid base, acid and seasoning together in a bowl, then pour in the oil drop by drop at first, whisking constantly until you see it start to thicken. Once the emulsion forms, you can add the oil a little faster; however, the result may be slightly less fluffy than a blender-based egg free mayo recipe.

5. Is eggless mayonnaise vegan?

Not always. Many eggless mayonnaise recipes still use milk, cream or yogurt, which makes them vegetarian but not vegan. If you want vegan egg free mayonnaise, choose a base like cashew cream, soy milk or aquafaba and skip any dairy, using only plant-based ingredients from start to finish.

6. What is the best oil to use for egg free mayo?

Generally, neutral-tasting oils are best for egg free mayo, because they let the tangy, savoury flavours shine without bitterness. Sunflower, rice bran, canola and light olive oil are all popular options in an egg free mayo recipe. Stronger oils like raw mustard oil or very peppery extra-virgin olive oil can overpower the taste and sometimes make the mayonnaise without eggs taste harsh.

7. Why did my eggless mayo split or become watery?

When eggless mayo splits, it usually means the emulsion didn’t form properly. This can happen if you poured the oil in too quickly, used very warm ingredients or didn’t have enough emulsifier in the base. To rescue it, start with a small amount of fresh milk or curd in a clean jar and slowly blend the broken mixture into it, essentially treating the split mayo like you would treat the oil in a new no egg mayonnaise recipe.

8. How can I thicken a runny egg free mayonnaise recipe?

If your egg free mayonnaise is too thin, there are a few things you can try. First, blend in a bit more oil, but do this gradually so the emulsion has time to strengthen. Alternatively, you can whisk in a spoonful of thick yogurt or hung curd if you’re not aiming for a vegan version; this changes the flavour slightly, yet often saves an otherwise runny eggless mayo recipe.

9. How can I make my eggless mayonnaise recipe lighter and healthier?

To create a healthier eggless mayonnaise recipe, you can use oils higher in unsaturated fats, such as sunflower or rice bran, and then replace part of the oil with Greek yogurt or hung curd. On top of that, you can keep portions modest and pair the spread with whole grains, vegetables and lean proteins. In this way, eggless mayo becomes a flavourful accent instead of the main source of calories in a meal.

10. Is it safe to eat egg free mayonnaise during pregnancy?

Yes, egg free mayonnaise is generally safe in pregnancy because it contains no raw eggs at all. That said, it still needs to be made and stored hygienically, kept chilled and consumed within a few days. Because food safety in pregnancy can be more sensitive, many people find an egg free mayo recipe reassuring compared to homemade raw-egg mayo.

11. Is eggless mayo good for people with egg allergies?

Eggless mayo is often a helpful option for people with egg allergies, since it removes egg proteins from the recipe entirely. However, someone with severe allergies should still check every ingredient on the label or recipe, as cross-contamination is always a possibility. For families dealing with allergy issues, learning a dependable eggless mayonnaise recipe can make everyday sandwiches and salads feel much more inclusive.

12. What is the difference between eggless mayo and egg free mayonnaise?

In everyday use, eggless mayo and egg free mayonnaise usually mean the same thing: mayonnaise without eggs. Some brands or recipes might use “eggless” to signal a vegetarian-friendly product, while “egg free” highlights the absence of egg due to allergies or dietary preferences. In practice, both phrases point to a mayonnaise recipe without egg yolks or whites.

13. How long does homemade mayonnaise without eggs last in the fridge?

Homemade mayonnaise without eggs generally keeps well for about three to five days in the refrigerator, assuming you store it in a clean, airtight container. Because many eggless mayo recipes still use dairy or fresh plant ingredients, they can spoil if kept too long. Therefore, it’s better to make smaller batches regularly rather than one huge jar that sits for weeks.

14. Can I freeze eggless mayonnaise?

Freezing eggless mayonnaise is not usually recommended. Once thawed, the emulsion often breaks, turning grainy or watery, and it can be difficult to bring it back to the original texture. Rather than freezing, it’s more practical to prepare a modest quantity of eggless mayo recipe that you know you’ll finish within a few days.

15. How can I make a spicy egg free mayo at home?

To make spicy egg free mayo, you start with a plain eggless mayonnaise base and stir in spices like chilli flakes, peri-peri powder, smoked paprika or finely chopped green chillies. A touch of lemon juice and a pinch of sugar help balance the heat. This approach lets you customise the spice level while still relying on the same basic egg free mayonnaise recipe.

16. Can I make garlic eggless mayo from the same base recipe?

Absolutely. Once you’ve prepared a batch of plain mayo without eggs, you can take a portion and mix in finely minced garlic or roasted garlic, plus extra lemon juice and black pepper. This turns your original eggless mayo recipe into a robust garlic spread that works beautifully in sandwiches, wraps and as a dip for fries or roasted vegetables.

17. How do I prepare mayonnaise without egg that is also dairy-free?

To prepare mayonnaise without egg that is also free from dairy, you can use a plant-based base like soy milk, almond milk or aquafaba, then blend it with oil, acid and seasoning. Cashew cream is another popular choice: you soak cashews, blend them smooth with water, and then emulsify that mixture with oil and lemon or vinegar. With these methods, your no egg mayo becomes fully vegan as well.

18. Can I use olive oil in an eggless mayo recipe?

You can use olive oil in an eggless mayo recipe, but it’s better to choose a light or refined olive oil, or mix a small amount of extra-virgin with a more neutral oil. Strong, peppery olive oil can make the flavour quite intense, which some people enjoy and others find overwhelming. Starting with a half-and-half blend is a reasonable way to gauge your own taste.

19. Why does my egg free mayonnaise taste bitter?

Bitterness in egg free mayonnaise usually comes from the oil, the mustard, or from blending too aggressively with a very strong oil. Extra-virgin olive oil and some mustard oils can turn bitter when overprocessed, even in a no egg mayonnaise recipe. Switching to a milder oil, reducing mustard, and blending only as long as necessary to emulsify often solves this problem.

20. Can I make an eggless mayo recipe with curd or yogurt?

Yes, curd or yogurt works extremely well in an eggless mayo recipe. Thick curd or hung curd acts as both the liquid base and part of the emulsifier, giving you a tangy, creamy texture. You still add oil slowly while whisking or blending, along with lemon juice, salt and other seasonings, but the result is slightly lighter and more refreshing than a purely milk-and-oil version.

21. How do I make a healthy eggless mayonnaise recipe for weight-conscious eating?

For a healthier eggless mayonnaise recipe, you can reduce the oil and mix in more Greek yogurt or hung curd, then focus on using heart-friendly oils like sunflower or rice bran. In addition, you can treat the mayo as a condiment rather than a main ingredient—so you use a thin layer on high-fibre sandwiches or dilute it into dressings for large salad bowls. This way, you still enjoy the flavour of eggless mayo without letting it dominate the calorie count.

22. Can I make eggless mayo without mustard?

Yes, you can leave out mustard in an eggless mayo recipe, although it does slightly help with emulsification and adds a subtle sharpness. If you omit it, you may need to blend a bit longer and rely more on the acid and salt to keep the flavour interesting. You might also experiment with alternatives like a pinch of hing or finely grated garlic for a different kind of kick.

23. What is the difference between eggless mayo and no egg mayo?

In practical terms, “eggless mayo” and “no egg mayo” are just two ways of saying the same thing: a mayonnaise recipe without egg. Some people lean toward “eggless” in vegetarian contexts, while “no egg mayo” often shows up in allergy or food-safety conversations. Regardless of wording, both refer to an egg free mayo recipe that uses some other emulsifier instead of egg yolk.

24. How can I use eggless mayonnaise in salads?

Eggless mayonnaise is excellent in salads because it coats ingredients smoothly and brings a creamy richness. You can toss it with boiled potatoes, peas and herbs for a potato salad, mix it into chickpeas and veggies for a protein-rich bowl, or thin it slightly with lemon juice to create a dressing for crunchy slaw. When you base your salads on whole grains and vegetables, egg free mayonnaise becomes a flavour accent rather than the main component.

25. How do I make an eggless mayo recipe suitable for kids’ lunchboxes?

To make an eggless mayo recipe child-friendly, keep the flavours mild and the texture smooth. You can skip strong garlic or very spicy ingredients, focus on gentle seasonings like a little pepper and lemon, and then combine the mayonnaise without eggs with familiar fillings such as paneer, potatoes or grated carrots. Because there are no eggs, it may also feel more comfortable for school days in warm weather, provided the lunchbox is insulated and the time gap isn’t too long.

26. Can I turn my egg free mayonnaise into a dip for snacks?

Very easily. Once you have a batch of egg free mayonnaise, you can stir in chopped herbs, garlic, spring onions, chilli flakes or even a spoon of ketchup or hot sauce to create customised dips. Adjust the thickness with a few drops of water or lemon juice so it clings nicely to chips, wedges or vegetable sticks. In doing so, one basic eggless mayo recipe becomes the base for several different party-style snacks.

27. How do I make eggless mayonnaise without vinegar?

If you don’t want to use vinegar, you can rely on lemon or lime juice as the acidic component in your eggless mayonnaise recipe. The process stays the same: blend the milk or yogurt with lemon juice, salt and other seasonings, then drizzle in oil slowly while blending. Lemon provides a fresher, more citrusy tang, which many people find especially suitable for sandwiches and salads.

28. Can I use eggless mayo in baked dishes?

Yes, eggless mayo can be used in baked dishes as a creamy layer or mix-in. You can spread a thin coat over bread before topping it with vegetables and cheese for baked open sandwiches, or combine it with boiled potatoes and veggies for a gratin-style bake. Since an eggless mayonnaise recipe doesn’t rely on egg for structure, it behaves more like a rich sauce than a binding agent in the oven.

29. How can I flavour a basic eggless mayo recipe with herbs and spices?

Once your basic eggless mayo is ready, you can divide it into smaller bowls and flavour each one differently. For instance, stir dried Italian herbs into one portion, coriander and green chilli into another, and smoked paprika into a third. By doing that, a single mayonnaise recipe without egg transforms into an assortment of herby, spicy and smoky spreads, all tailored to whatever you plan to cook that week.

30. Which is better, eggless mayo or regular mayonnaise?

Whether eggless mayo or regular mayonnaise is “better” depends entirely on what you need. If you have no issues with eggs and love the classic flavour, regular mayo is perfectly fine in moderation. On the other hand, if you’re dealing with allergies, pregnancy, or simply want a vegetarian or vegan-friendly condiment, an eggless mayonnaise recipe offers the same creamy satisfaction with ingredients that match your situation. In the end, the best choice is the one that fits your health, ethics and taste buds.

Posted on by — 14 Comments

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – Easy Recipe with 7 Variations

Hands breaking a warm double chocolate chip cookie over a tray of cookies, with text reading Double Chocolate Chip Cookies – One Dough, 7 Irresistible Recipes.

There’s something almost unfair about a good tray of double chocolate chip cookies. They’re small, they’re simple, and yet they manage to taste like the richest dessert in the room. When you add cocoa powder to a classic chocolate chip cookie and then fold in plenty of chocolate chips or chunks, you get that deep, fudgy flavor with all the comfort of a familiar cookie.

This recipe takes that idea and stretches it as far as it will go. You’ll start with one reliable base dough for Double Chocolate Chip Cookies. From there, you’ll turn it into seven different treats:

  • classic bakery-style double chocolate chocolate chip cookies
  • extra intense double dark chocolate cookies
  • vegan double chocolate chip cookies
  • gluten-free double chocolate cookies
  • almond flour double chocolate chip cookies
  • mint double chocolate chip cookies
  • a high protein double chocolate cookie variation
  • plus a double chocolate cookie cake and freezer-friendly cookie dough

Think of it as your chocolate cookie toolkit. Once you know the base recipe, it becomes very easy to tweak texture, ingredients and flavor without feeling like you’re starting from scratch every time. And if you fall in love with the “one dough, many options” mindset, you can keep playing with it in other bakes too, much like the format over at MasalaMonk’s own Peanut Butter Cookies (Classic Recipe & 3 Variations).

What makes this double chocolate chip cookie dough special

Before we get into measuring and mixing, it helps to understand what this particular dough is designed to do.

First, you’re using cocoa powder in the dry ingredients and chocolate chips in the dough itself. That’s what earns the “double” in double chocolate chip cookies. The cocoa brings an evenly distributed chocolate flavor, while the chips or chunks create pockets of melted chocolate.

Bowl of soft and chewy double chocolate cookie dough with chocolate chips, surrounded by small bowls of cocoa, sugars, oats and almond flour, with hands holding the bowl and MasalaMonk.com in the footer.
Soft and chewy double chocolate cookie dough made with cocoa, brown sugar and chocolate chips – the flexible base for all seven cookie variations in this recipe.

Second, the sugar balance leans slightly toward brown sugar. That gives you a hint of caramel, a slightly chewier center, and a more forgiving bake if your oven runs a little hot or cool. Instead of a crisp, snappy biscuit, you get cookies that stay soft and slightly fudgy in the middle.

Third, this dough is formulated to cope with variations. A touch of extra moisture here, a little more cocoa there, some almond flour in one batch and a scoop of protein powder in another—none of those things break the dough, as long as you follow the basic structure.

Finally, there’s the chilling step. Letting cookie dough rest in the fridge isn’t just fussy chef behavior. When you rest dough, the butter firms up, the flour hydrates, and the flavors have time to deepen. King Arthur’s breakdown of why chilling cookie dough makes a difference shows that even a short chill shifts both spread and flavor in a noticeable way.

This means one recipe can serve as your base for every version in this post: chewy, dark, vegan, gluten-free, almond flour heavy, minty, high-protein, or pressed into a pan for a cookie cake.

Also Read: 10 Spinach Dip Recipes: Cold, Baked, Artichoke & More

Ingredients for the base double chocolate chip cookies

For about 24 medium cookies, you’ll need:

  • 170 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 150 g (¾ cup) packed brown sugar
  • 100 g (½ cup) white sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 250 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 40 g (about ½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine salt
  • 250 g (1½–2 cups) chocolate chips or chopped chocolate

You can use either natural or Dutch-process cocoa here. Natural cocoa tastes a bit brighter and is slightly more acidic; Dutch-process will give you a darker color and a smoother, rounder chocolate flavor. For this recipe, both work because the leavening is baking soda and you’re not relying on the cocoa for the entire rise.

Flat lay of base ingredients for 24 double chocolate chip cookies on a dark wooden surface, including butter, cocoa powder, brown sugar, white sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, salt and chocolate chips, with text describing them as a pantry checklist.
All the base ingredients you need for a 24-cookie batch: butter, cocoa, brown sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla and plenty of chocolate chips, ready to become your double chocolate chip cookie dough.

Choosing your chocolate

Since the chocolate is doing so much work, it’s worth picking a decent one. When you buy chocolate for baking, don’t just look at “dark” versus “milk.” Pay attention to the ingredient list and the cacao percentage.

A good bar usually has a short ingredient list with cocoa mass, cocoa butter, sugar, and maybe a little lecithin or vanilla, but not a lot of extra fats or artificial flavors. A Food & Wine explainer on what to look for on a chocolate label suggests checking for cocoa butter as the primary fat and a clear cacao percentage, then tasting a few brands to find the flavor profile you like.

Hand holding a square of dark chocolate above several chocolate bars marked 60% and 70% cacao, with a small bowl of chocolate chips, illustrating how to choose chocolate for baking double chocolate chip cookies.
Choose chocolate with a short ingredient list and around 50–70% cacao to get deep flavor without bitterness in your double chocolate chip cookies.

If you’re curious about the difference between cacao, cocoa and dark chocolate more generally, MasalaMonk’s What is Cacao?: Cacao vs. Chocolate vs. Dark Chocolate walks through processing, nutrition and flavor in more detail.

For classic double chocolate chip cookies, something in the 50–70% range works beautifully. You’ll still get that big chocolate flavor without pushing things into bitter territory.

Also Read: Baked Jalapeño Poppers (Oven) — Time, Temp & Bacon Tips

Step-by-step: base double chocolate chip cookies

Once you’ve gathered everything, the process is straightforward and rhythmical. You can even do it by hand with a sturdy whisk and spatula if you don’t feel like hauling out a mixer.

1. Cream the butter and sugars

Beat the softened butter with the brown and white sugar until the mixture looks a little lighter and feels fluffy. This usually takes 2–3 minutes with a hand mixer on medium speed.

Creaming does a couple of things at once: it disperses the sugar, traps a bit of air in the butter, and starts building the structure that keeps the cookies from turning into thin puddles. Proper creaming is part of why these double chocolate cookies bake up with soft centers and more defined edges.

Person holding a hand mixer over a large bowl of pale, fluffy creamed butter and sugars, with small bowls of ingredients around, illustrating the first step in making soft, chewy double chocolate chip cookies.
Cream butter and both sugars until the mixture turns pale and fluffy—this first step builds the soft, chewy texture in every double chocolate chip cookie.

2. Add eggs and vanilla

Crack in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then stir in the vanilla.

At this point, the mixture should look glossy and a little thick. Scrape down the sides of the bowl so you don’t have streaks of butter hiding underneath.

Hands whisking an egg into a thick yellow batter in a ceramic bowl, with vanilla in a small dish beside it, showing the step of beating in eggs one at a time for double chocolate chip cookies.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and whisk until the batter turns thick and glossy before you add the dry ingredients.

3. Whisk the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until the cocoa looks evenly distributed and you’re not seeing clumps.

Cocoa, especially if it’s been packed tightly into a container, likes to form lumps. Whisking with flour breaks those up and means you won’t end up with bitter, dusty pockets in the finished cookies.

Hands whisking flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a ceramic bowl, breaking up cocoa lumps to prepare the dry mix for double chocolate cookies.
Whisk flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt until the color is even and there are no cocoa lumps left—this dry mix keeps every double chocolate cookie tasting smooth, not bitter.

4. Bring the dough together

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in two or three portions. Use a spatula or the mixer on low speed, and stop as soon as there are no streaks of flour left.

Over-mixing at this stage can make cookies tough, because it develops more gluten than you really need. You’re aiming for a thick, scoopable double chocolate chip cookie dough that holds its shape on a spoon.

Hands using a spatula to fold cocoa and flour into a golden batter in a ceramic bowl, with text reminding to stop when flour streaks disappear to keep double chocolate cookies tender.
Gently fold the cocoa-flour mix into the butter batter just until the flour streaks vanish so your double chocolate cookies stay soft, not tough.

5. Fold in the chocolate

Tip in the chocolate chips or chopped chocolate and fold them through gently. You want them dispersed, but you don’t need to chase perfection here. Some cookies with more chocolate than others is very much the point of double chocolate chocolate chip cookies.

If you prefer more chocolate in every bite, use a mix of chips and finely chopped chocolate. The tiny shards melt into the dough and create that slightly gooey, almost brownie-like crumb.

Hands folding a pile of chocolate chips into thick double chocolate cookie dough in a cream bowl, with extra chips scattered on the table, showing how to add chocolate to the cookie base.
Gently fold plenty of chocolate chips and chunks into the rich double chocolate cookie dough so every cookie bakes with its own melty pockets of chocolate.

6. Chill the dough

Cover the bowl and chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. An hour is even better if you can spare the time.

Bakers and food writers have been testing this for years, and the consensus is remarkably consistent: resting cookie dough helps. King Arthur’s tests, along with more recent pieces such as Simply Recipes’ article on when chilling cookie dough is actually worth it, point out that even a short chill lets the flour hydrate and the butter firm up, which means less spreading, more flavor, and better browning.

If you’re in a hurry, take the edge off at least by popping the dough in the freezer for 15–20 minutes while you preheat the oven and line your baking trays.

Hands placing a covered bowl of double chocolate cookie dough into the fridge, with baked cookies on a tray above, illustrating the chilling step before baking double chocolate chip cookies.
Chill the double chocolate cookie dough for at least 30 minutes so the butter firms up, the flour hydrates and each cookie bakes with less spread and deeper flavor.

7. Bake

When you’re ready to bake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F.
  2. Line two baking trays with parchment.
  3. Scoop about 2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, spacing them well apart.
  4. Bake for 9–12 minutes, depending on size and your oven.

You’re looking for set edges and slightly soft centers. The cookies will continue to firm up as they cool on the tray. Once they’ve sat for about 5 minutes, transfer them to a rack.

Hands in quilted oven mitts pulling a tray of freshly baked double chocolate chip cookies from the oven, with on-image text showing to bake 9–12 minutes at 175°C or 350°F and look for set edges and soft centers.
Bake the double chocolate chip cookies for 9–12 minutes at 175°C / 350°F until the edges are set and the centers still look soft, then let them finish on the tray for the perfect texture.

At this point, you’ve got a tray of rich, classic double chocolate chip cookies. You can stop here and call it a day—or you can divide the dough and explore the variations.

Also Read: Carbonara Recipe: Italian Pasta (Creamy, Veggie, Chicken, Shrimp, Tuna & Keto)

Double Dark Chocolate Cookies

When you want a cookie that tastes like the inside of a very grown-up chocolate bar, a double dark chocolate version is the way to go.

To transform a portion of the base dough into double dark chocolate cookies:

  • Replace about ¼ of the chocolate chips with chopped dark chocolate in the 70–80% range.
  • Add 1–2 tablespoons extra cocoa powder.
  • Reduce the white sugar by 1–2 tablespoons to keep the sweetness balanced.

Because darker chocolate has a higher cocoa content and less sugar, it naturally tastes more intense and slightly bitter. Cutting the sugar just a touch prevents the cookies from feeling cloying, while the extra cocoa pushes them into that deep, almost brownie-like zone.

Stack of double dark chocolate cookies topped with flaky salt, with a broken cookie oozing melted dark chocolate and 70% cacao chocolate bars beside it, showing the richer variation of the recipe.
Double dark chocolate cookies made with 70–80% cacao and extra cocoa powder for a richer, less sweet variation that’s perfect for serious chocolate lovers.

If you’ve ever wondered how to judge a bar of dark chocolate before you bake with it, chocolate makers and tasting guides suggest checking both the cacao percentage and the aroma. A recent Food & Wine piece on choosing high-quality chocolate recommends looking for a distinct cocoa smell and a clear note—fruity, nutty, or toasty—when you snap a square. That same bar will usually make a fantastic add-in for your double dark chocolate cookies.

Bake this variation exactly like the base recipe, though you may find they benefit from a minute or so longer in the oven, as the extra cocoa slightly changes how they set.

Also Read: Mimosa Recipe: 10 Easy Versions from Classic to Caramel Apple

Vegan Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Next, let’s adapt the dough into a version without eggs or dairy. Vegan double chocolate chip cookies still need structure, moisture and fat; you’re just getting those from different sources.

For a vegan batch, you’ll:

  • Swap the butter for a vegan butter block or coconut oil (use a solid-but-soft fat, not liquid oil).
  • Replace each egg with a flax “egg”: 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 2½ tablespoons water, rested until gel-like.
  • Use dairy-free chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate that’s labeled vegan.

The method stays the same: cream the vegan butter with the sugars, stir in the flax eggs and vanilla, then fold in the dry ingredients and chocolate.

Hand dipping a fudgy vegan double chocolate chip cookie into a glass of plant milk, with more cookies on a plate and bowls of dairy-free chocolate chips and flaxseed around it.
Vegan double chocolate chip cookies made with flax “eggs”, plant butter and dairy-free chocolate, served with a glass of creamy plant milk for the same rich, fudgy bite without eggs or dairy.

Flax eggs work especially well in denser, fudgier bakes like brownies and cookies. A detailed guide to egg alternatives from Rainbow Plant Life sets out the basic ratio—1 tablespoon flax meal to 2½ tablespoons water per egg—and explains that this mixture adds binding and moisture rather than lift, which is exactly what you want here.

If you’re curious about other options, vegan pastry chefs and dietitians often mention chia seeds, aquafaba, mashed banana and applesauce as workable egg substitutes, each with slightly different strengths. Articles such as Eater’s exploration of egg replacements in baking describe how bakers match the substitute to the role of the egg—binding, moisture, fat, or aeration—before they adjust the recipe.

Once baked, these vegan double chocolate chip cookies are slightly less chewy than the original, but every bit as satisfying. Let them cool fully before moving them; plant-based fats tend to feel softer while warm.

Also Read: Vegan French Toast: 6 Easy Recipes (Pan, Air Fryer, GF & High-Protein)

Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Cookies

For gluten-free readers, the goal is to keep that soft, fudgy center without the wheat. The easiest way to manage that is to lean on a good gluten-free flour blend that’s meant to be swapped 1:1 for all-purpose flour.

To make gluten-free double chocolate cookies from the base dough:

  • Replace the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free “measure for measure” blend.
  • Make sure your cocoa powder, chocolate chips and other add-ins are labeled gluten-free if you need to avoid cross-contamination.
  • Add a tablespoon or two of milk or water if the dough feels unusually stiff; gluten-free blends sometimes absorb a bit more liquid.

King Arthur’s guide to how to bake gluten-free notes that for non-yeasted recipes like cookies, brownies and many cakes, you can usually swap all-purpose flour for a well-formulated 1:1 gluten-free flour without changing anything else, as long as the blend contains a binder such as xanthan gum.

Hand picking up a gluten-free double chocolate cookie from a dark plate of cookies, with bowls of gluten-free flour and millet and a handwritten gluten-free label in the background.
Gluten-free double chocolate cookies made with a 1:1 GF blend or millets so you still get soft, fudgy cookies without any wheat.

If you prefer to lean into naturally gluten-free grains rather than blends, you can also experiment with millet and oat flour. Millets in particular are a versatile, gluten-free group of grains with a gentle flavor and good nutrition. MasalaMonk’s piece on Millets: The Gluten-Free Superfood explains how they fit into gluten-free eating and why they’re a strong alternative to wheat for people with celiac disease or intolerance.

For a partly millet-based version, try replacing ¼–⅓ of the flour with very finely ground millet flour while still using a gluten-free blend for the rest. Chill the dough well to help the structure set before it hits the oven.

Expect gluten-free double chocolate cookies to spread a little differently and to feel slightly more delicate while hot. Let them cool on the tray for a few extra minutes before transferring them.

Also Read: All About Gluten: Symptoms, Testing, Diet & 7-Day Gluten-Free Meal Plan

Almond Flour Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Almond flour double chocolate chip cookies sit somewhere between a classic cookie and a brownie. They’re tender and a little denser, with a rich, nutty aroma that works beautifully with dark chocolate.

To adapt part of the base dough:

  • Replace 1 cup (125 g) of the all-purpose flour with fine almond flour.
  • If the dough looks very loose, add an extra tablespoon or two of flour or cocoa powder.
  • Chill for at least 45–60 minutes to help the dough firm up before scooping.

Almond flour adds both fat and protein, so these cookies bake up with a slightly more cake-like crumb, but still feel fudgy because of the cocoa and chocolate. If you enjoy bakes that pull a little closer to the “better for you” side without turning into a health food project, this variation is a nice middle ground.

Hand sprinkling almond slices over a stack of almond flour double chocolate cookies on a dark plate, with a bowl of almond flour and whole almonds around it, showing the nutty gluten-free variation.
Almond flour double chocolate cookies with a nutty, tender crumb and melty chocolate chips, finished with sliced almonds for a naturally gluten-free twist on the base dough.

Because almond flour is naturally gluten-free, you can also combine this approach with the gluten-free version above: use a gluten-free blend for part of the flour and almond flour for the rest. That way you get a cookie that works for more people but doesn’t sacrifice texture.

To balance out richer desserts on other days, you might appreciate building some higher-protein breakfasts into your week. MasalaMonk’s High Protein Overnight Oats 5 Ways and the more recent Protein Oatmeal: Turn Plain Oats into a High-Protein Meal show how simple additions like yogurt, egg whites, paneer, nuts and seeds can transform oats into a very satisfying meal.

Mint Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Mint and chocolate share the kind of friendship that tends to divide people—some adore the combination, others avoid it entirely. If you’re in the first camp, mint double chocolate chip cookies will probably disappear even faster than the plain ones.

To turn a portion of dough minty:

  • Add ½ teaspoon peppermint extract to the dough along with the vanilla. If your extract is very strong, start with ¼ teaspoon.
  • Swap ¼ of the chocolate chips for chopped mint chocolate or chocolate filled with mint cream.
  • Optionally, press a few extra chips or tiny shards of mint chocolate onto the top of each cookie before baking.
Hand holding a mint double chocolate cookie from a dark plate of cookies topped with chocolate chips, crushed peppermint and fresh mint leaves, with dark chocolate pieces around the plate.
Mint double chocolate cookies made with dark chocolate, fresh mint and crushed peppermint for a festive twist on the base double chocolate chip cookie dough.

Peppermint extract is powerful, so it’s better to begin modestly and adjust next time than to overshoot and feel like you’re eating toothpaste. Once you find your sweet spot, you can use that same ratio in brownies, hot chocolate and other chocolate desserts.

These mint double chocolate chip cookies are especially lovely in colder months. They pair naturally with a hot drink, and they look beautifully festive on a dessert table next to something creamy like a trifle or a slice of Tres Leches Cake with its many variations.

High Protein Double Chocolate Cookies

Sometimes you want a cookie that leans a bit more toward snack than dessert—still indulgent, but with enough protein to keep you satisfied for a while. High protein double chocolate cookies handle that nicely.

Here’s a simple way to adjust the base dough:

  • Replace ¼–⅓ cup of the flour with a scoop of protein powder. Whey, casein or a good plant-based blend all work, though the texture will vary slightly.
  • Use chocolate or vanilla protein powder, depending on how strong you want the chocolate flavor to be.
  • Add 1–2 tablespoons extra liquid (milk, water or plant milk) if the dough seems dry or crumbly, because protein powder absorbs a lot of moisture.
  • Chill thoroughly so the dough can hydrate and so the cookies don’t spread too much.
Hand lifting a high protein double chocolate cookie from a stack on a plate, with a bowl of chocolate protein powder, scattered oats and a shaker bottle in the background.
High protein double chocolate cookies made by swapping some flour for protein powder so you get a richer, more filling chocolate snack from the same base dough.

When bakers and food technologists work on high-protein cookie recipes for commercial products, they tend to talk about the same challenges over and over: dryness, excessive spread, and a slightly chalky texture if the protein percentage is pushed too far. Research and trade articles on formulating high-protein cookies emphasize balancing protein powder with enough fat and moisture, then keeping the bake time a little on the shorter side so the cookies stay tender rather than turning tough.

In your own kitchen, the easiest way to approach this is to treat the high-protein version as one of several options rather than the only batch of cookies you bake. Mix the protein variation with some classic cookies on a platter, or serve it after a workout alongside a bowl of protein oats. The idea isn’t to turn dessert into a diet food; it’s simply to give you a slightly more substantial option when you want one.

Also Read: 10 High Calorie Protein Shakes & Smoothie Recipes for Healthy Weight Gain

Double Chocolate Cookie Cake

Once you’ve fallen in love with the flavor of this dough, it’s almost inevitable that someone will ask for a giant cookie. A double chocolate cookie cake is really just a thick cookie baked in a pan and sliced into wedges, but it feels far more celebratory.

To make one:

  1. Line or grease a 9-inch round or square pan.
  2. Press chilled dough evenly into the pan. Take a moment to smooth the surface; it makes the finished cookie cake look more polished.
  3. Bake at 175°C / 350°F for 18–24 minutes.
  4. Begin checking around the 18-minute mark. The edges should look firm and slightly crisp, while the center still looks a tiny bit soft.
  5. Cool completely in the pan before slicing.
Slice of double chocolate cookie cake with gooey chocolate drizzle on a ceramic plate, with the rest of the cookie cake blurred in the background and text explaining it is made from the same cookie dough
Turn your double chocolate chip cookie dough into a gooey, sliceable cookie cake by pressing it into a pan and baking it as a rich dessert to serve with coffee or hot chocolate.

You can leave the cookie cake plain, decorate it with swirls of buttercream, or drizzle over something glossy. MasalaMonk’s 3 Minutes Homemade Chocolate Syrup – Dairy and Gluten Free works really well as a drizzle here, especially if you want to keep the topping lactose-free or suitable for guests avoiding gluten.

For birthdays or celebrations, you can dot the top with extra chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or even a few mint pieces if you like that flavor. Once you’ve baked a cookie cake once, you’ll probably find yourself repeating the trick whenever you need something festive but don’t feel like layering and frosting a full cake.

Also Read: 10 Best Espresso Martini Recipe Variations (Bar-Tested)

Freezing and baking double chocolate chip cookie dough safely

Since this dough holds up to chilling and freezing, it makes sense to set aside at least part of each batch for later.

To freeze:

  1. Scoop the dough into balls onto a lined tray.
  2. Freeze until firm, then transfer the frozen dough balls to a container or zip bag.
  3. Label with the date and bake temperature so you don’t have to dig around for the recipe later.

When you’re craving cookies, you can bake these from frozen at the same temperature, adding a minute or two to the bake time. They’ll be slightly thicker because the centers start out colder, which works nicely for double chocolate chip cookies.

Hands sliding a tray of double chocolate cookie dough balls labeled Double Chocolate Cookie Dough into the freezer, with on-image text explaining they can be baked straight from frozen for fresh cookies anytime.
Scoop your double chocolate cookie dough into balls, freeze them on a tray and bake straight from frozen whenever a fresh batch of cookies sounds good.

One thing to keep in mind is that raw cookie dough made with untreated flour and raw eggs isn’t safe to eat. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has clear guidance on raw flour and dough, explaining that both flour and eggs can carry germs like E. coli and Salmonella and that outbreaks have been linked to raw cookie dough in recent years. The FDA echoes the same message in its update on flour as a raw food, emphasizing that flour is not treated to kill germs and should always be cooked.

If you want to make an “edible” double chocolate dough for snacking, heat-treat the flour in the oven and skip the eggs entirely, using milk, cream, or a plant-based alternative for moisture instead. Keep that version clearly labeled so you don’t accidentally bake it later.

Also Read: Homemade Hot Chocolate with Cocoa Powder Recipe

How to serve your double chocolate chip cookies

Once you have a box or tin full of cookies, it’s surprisingly fun to start thinking in pairings.

One very obvious partner is hot chocolate, and a good one makes both the drink and the cookies feel special. The Homemade Hot Chocolate with Cocoa Powder Recipe at MasalaMonk walks through a simple ratio that uses cocoa powder, sugar and milk in a way that lets you adjust how dark or sweet your mug feels, with options for dairy-free or lower-sugar tweaks. A tray of double chocolate chip cookies next to a pot of that hot chocolate is an instant winter evening.

Hands holding a mug of hot chocolate next to a stack of double chocolate cookies on a wooden tray, with a chia pudding jar dessert and a small cake slice in the background, showing how to serve the cookies.
Serve your double chocolate cookies with a steaming mug of hot chocolate, a chilled jar dessert or a mini dessert board so everyone can mix and match their favourite textures.

On days when you want something a little lighter but still comforting, you can pair a cookie or two with a small glass jar dessert such as Chia Pudding – Steel Cut Oats, Mango, Chia Seeds, Fox Nuts. That way you get both crunch and creaminess in the same snack.

If you’re hosting, it’s also fun to build a small dessert spread built around the same chocolate theme. Your double chocolate chip cookies can sit alongside a slice of Tres Leches Cake with its 10 variations, or even next to a plate of those peanut butter cookies mentioned earlier. Different textures and flavors make it more likely that everyone finds something they’re happy to reach for.

Making the recipe your own

By this point, you’ve seen just how far one simple dough can go. Out of the same bowl, you can bake:

  • a straightforward tray of double chocolate chip cookies
  • richer double dark versions
  • vegan double chocolate chip cookies with flax eggs and plant-based chocolate
  • gluten-free double chocolate cookies using blend flours or millets
  • almond flour double chocolate chip cookies with a nutty, tender crumb
  • mint double chocolate chip cookies for the holidays
  • high protein double chocolate cookie experiments
  • and even a double chocolate cookie cake for the days when only a giant cookie will do

Once you’ve tried a couple of these variations, the dough stops feeling like a fixed recipe and starts feeling more like a flexible template you can bend to your own moods and pantry.

Also Read: Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas Recipe (Easy One-Pan Oven Fajitas)

Playing with texture and spice

After you’re comfortable with the base, it becomes very easy to nudge the cookies in different textural directions.

If you like them softer and chewier, keep the centers slightly underbaked and let them finish setting on the tray. For a crisper result, flatten the scoops a little more before baking and leave the cookies in the oven for an extra minute or two. That simple change alone can push them closer to double chocolate chip biscuits, perfect for dunking into coffee or hot chocolate.

Hand dipping a double chocolate cookie into a cup of chai on a wooden board with soft and crisp cookies, cinnamon sticks, pumpkin spice and cardamom pods, showing how to change texture and add warm spices.
Go soft and chewy or bake your double chocolate cookies a little crisper, then add warm spices like cinnamon, cardamom or pumpkin spice to match your favourite cozy drink.

Beyond texture, small flavor tweaks go a long way. A pinch of cinnamon, a touch of cardamom, or a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice folded into part of the dough can shift the whole experience. Suddenly the same double chocolate cookie feels warm and autumnal, or gently spiced in a way that makes it sit neatly alongside masala chai or a spiced latte. You don’t need much—often just ½ teaspoon of spice in a half-batch is enough to give a clear personality without overpowering the chocolate.

Also Read: Katsu Curry Rice (Japanese Recipe, with Chicken Cutlet)

Exploring different chocolates

Another easy way to keep things interesting is to change the chocolate itself. Instead of using the exact same chips every time, try:

  • a swirl of milk and dark chocolate together
  • chopped bars with nuts, coffee, or dried fruit
  • single-origin dark chocolate for a more complex, grown-up flavor
Assorted milk chocolate bars, 60% and 70% dark chocolate, nut-studded chocolate pieces and double chocolate cookies on a wooden board, with a hand picking up a cookie and text reading Explore Different Chocolates – Mix milk, dark and add-ins for new double chocolate cookie moods.
Mix milk and dark chocolate, then add nuts, coffee or dried fruit to create new double chocolate cookie moods from the same base dough.

Nutrition writers and dietitians often point out that darker chocolate brings more cocoa solids and flavanols, while milk chocolate leans creamier and sweeter. A Verywell Health comparison of dark chocolate vs. milk chocolate explains that dark chocolate usually has a higher cocoa content and more of those beneficial plant compounds, whereas milk chocolate comes with more sugar and milk solids and a softer flavor profile.

In a cookie, that translates into bolder, slightly more bitter pockets when you use a high-percentage dark bar, and gentler, almost hot-chocolate-like bites when you lean on milk chocolate. Neither is wrong; they’re just different moods. One batch might suit a late-night dessert board, while the other feels perfect for a relaxed afternoon with kids.

Also Read: French 75 Cocktail Recipe: 7 Easy Variations

Conclusion

The real magic of having a reliable base recipe is that it gives you room to relax. Once you trust that the dough will behave, you no longer have to obsess over every tiny adjustment. Instead, you can focus on the fun decisions: which flour to reach for today, how dark you want the chocolate to be, whether you’re in the mood for biscuits or a cookie cake, and if this is the week for a vegan, gluten-free or high-protein twist—or for none of those at all.

Every batch becomes a small, low-stakes experiment. Sometimes you’ll discover a new favorite combination; other times you’ll simply circle back to the classic tray of double chocolate chip cookies that started it all. In both cases, the process stays comforting and familiar, which is part of why baking feels so grounding.

And as that unmistakable smell of cocoa, butter and caramelizing sugar fills your kitchen, it’s hard to imagine anyone complaining that you’ve made too many versions. If anything, the real “problem” with this dough is that once you know how easily it can turn into eight different treats, there’s always one more double chocolate cookie idea worth trying.

Also Read: What to Mix with Jim Beam: Best Mixers & Easy Cocktails

Assortment of double chocolate cookies and a cookie cake slice arranged on a wooden board and labeled classic, vegan, almond flour, high protein and frozen, with a hand reaching for one cookie and text reading One Dough, Endless Double Chocolate Cookies.
One base double chocolate cookie dough, turned into classic, vegan, almond flour, high-protein, frozen and cookie cake variations so you can keep experimenting without changing the recipe from scratch.

FAQs

1. What makes a cookie a double chocolate chip cookie?

A double chocolate chip cookie uses cocoa powder in the dough and chocolate chips or chunks mixed in. So the chocolate flavor comes from two places. That is why it is called “double chocolate.”

2. Can I use both chips and chunks in this double chocolate cookies recipe?

Yes, you can mix them. Chips hold their shape more. Chunks melt into bigger pockets of chocolate. Using both gives great texture in double chocolate chip cookies.

3. How do I stop my double chocolate chip cookies from spreading too much?

Chill the dough before baking. Make sure the butter is not melted, only softened. Do not over-grease the tray. Also, measure flour accurately so the dough is not too wet.

4. How do I make double chocolate cookies more chewy instead of cakey?

Use more brown sugar than white sugar. Do not overbake; take them out when the centers still look soft. Let them cool on the tray for a few minutes. That keeps double chocolate chip cookies chewy.

5. Can I make small batch double chocolate chip cookies with this recipe?

Yes, you can. Simply divide all ingredients by two or four. Keep the method and baking time almost the same. Watch the cookies closely near the end.

6. How do I turn this into vegan double chocolate chip cookies?

Swap butter for vegan butter or coconut oil. Replace each egg with a flax or chia “egg.” Use dairy-free chocolate chips. Follow the same mixing order as the original recipe.

7. Will vegan double chocolate chip cookies taste different?

They will taste slightly different but still rich and chocolatey. The texture may be a bit softer. Some people even prefer the gentle chew of vegan double chocolate cookies.

8. What is the best way to make gluten free double chocolate cookies?

Use a good gluten-free 1:1 baking flour blend. Chill the dough so the cookies hold shape. Avoid overbaking because gluten-free cookies dry faster. Let them cool on the tray before moving.

9. Can I mix gluten-free flour and almond flour in one batch?

Yes, you can combine them. Use a gluten-free blend as the base and replace part of it with almond flour. The double chocolate cookies will be tender and slightly nutty.

10. What does almond flour do in double chocolate chip cookies?

Almond flour adds fat, flavor, and a soft crumb. The cookies feel richer and more moist. They can spread a little more, so chilling is helpful.

11. How can I make double dark chocolate cookies from this dough?

Use darker chocolate with higher cocoa percentage. Add a spoon or two more cocoa powder. Reduce the sugar slightly if you like a deeper, less sweet flavor.

12. Can I add mint to make mint double chocolate chip cookies?

Yes, you can add peppermint extract. Start with a small amount and taste next time if you want more. You may also use chopped mint chocolate in place of part of the chips.

13. How do I make high protein double chocolate cookies?

Replace a portion of the flour with protein powder. Add a little extra liquid if the dough feels dry. Bake for slightly less time so the cookies stay soft.

14. Can I make a double chocolate cookie cake with this recipe?

Yes, press the dough into a lined pan instead of scooping. Bake longer than normal cookies, until the edges are set. Cool before slicing into wedges.

15. How long can I chill double chocolate chip cookie dough in the fridge?

You can chill it for up to three days. The flavor gets deeper as it rests. Cover the bowl or wrap the dough tightly so it does not dry out.

16. Can I freeze double chocolate chip cookie dough?

Yes, freeze scooped dough balls on a tray. Then store them in a container or bag. Bake from frozen and add a minute or two to the baking time.

17. Why do my double chocolate cookies crack on top?

Cracks can happen when the outside sets faster than the inside. This often gives a nice, bakery-style look. If you want fewer cracks, shape the dough smoothly and avoid very high heat.

18. How do I know when double chocolate cookies are done baking?

Look for set edges and a center that is just barely soft. The cookies will firm up as they cool. If they look fully firm in the oven, they may end up dry.

19. Can I make double chocolate chip biscuits instead of soft cookies?

Yes, flatten the scoops more and bake a little longer. Use slightly less brown sugar and a bit more white sugar. Let them cool fully so they crisp up.

20. Are double chocolate chip cookies better with milk chocolate or dark chocolate?

Both work well. Milk chocolate gives a sweeter, creamier taste. Dark chocolate adds stronger cocoa flavor and less sweetness. Choose based on what you and your guests enjoy most.

Posted on by — 10 Comments

Katsu Curry Rice (Japanese Recipe, with Chicken Cutlet)

Overhead shot of a plate of chicken katsu curry with sliced crispy chicken, rice, shredded cabbage and curry sauce, with hands holding the dish and spoon, for The Ultimate Chicken Katsu Curry Recipe on MasalaMonk

There are some recipes you cook because you need to eat, and then there are recipes you cook because you want a small event at the table. A good chicken katsu curry recipe always feels like the second kind. You get the sizzle of hot oil, the comfort of a thick Japanese-style curry, and a mound of rice that soaks it all up.

In this post we’ll walk through a detailed, home-cook-friendly chicken katsu curry recipe, then build out variations: pork and tofu versions, air-fryer and lighter “fakeaway” spins, plus quick cheats using curry roux. You’ll also see ideas for what to serve alongside, how to turn leftovers into entirely new meals, and a bit of backstory on how this dish went from Tokyo comfort food to global obsession.

What exactly is chicken katsu curry?

In Japan, katsu curry means curry rice served with a breaded, fried cutlet on top. The cutlet is the “katsu” (usually pork, sometimes chicken), and the curry is a thick, mellow, slightly sweet Japanese-style sauce ladled over rice. According to the entry on katsu curry, the dish is typically built as rice on one side, curry sauce on the other, and sliced cutlet laid neatly across.

Unlike many Indian curries, Japanese curry is usually based on a roux: flour and fat cooked together with curry spices, then loosened with stock to form a glossy, spoon-coating sauce. Over time, Japanese manufacturers turned that idea into the curry roux blocks you see in Asian supermarkets. Writers like Nagi from RecipeTin Japan break down how home cooks now rely on these blocks to make a quick katsu curry with chicken cutlet, using them much like we use bouillon cubes.

Chicken katsu curry recipe card with sliced panko chicken, rice and Japanese curry in a bowl.
Crispy panko chicken, glossy Japanese curry and fluffy rice – this is the finished chicken katsu curry you’re cooking towards.

Origins of Japanese chicken katsu curry and its recipe

The origin story often credited for katsu curry is surprisingly specific. One popular telling goes back to Grill Swiss, a Western-style restaurant in Tokyo’s Ginza district. A regular customer complained that ordering curry and tonkatsu separately took too much time, so the kitchen served the cutlet on top of the curry, all on one plate. That little act of laziness birthed a dish that spread across Japan, as explored in an essay on the origins of katsu curry.

Outside Japan, the story takes another turn. In the UK especially, “katsu curry” exploded on high-street menus in the 2000s; JETRO even has a piece on how katsu curry conquered the UK, tracing its rise through chains like Wagamama and Wasabi. Somewhere along the way, people started using “katsu” to mean “any Japanese curry” or even just “that brown katsu sauce,” which isn’t how the term is used in Japan at all.

Here, we’ll lean towards the Japanese understanding: crispy breaded cutlet + Japanese curry + rice. Once that foundation is clear, the rest of the variations fall into place very naturally.

Also Read: Crispy Homemade French Fries From Fresh Potatoes (Recipe Plus Variations)

Ingredients for this chicken katsu curry recipe

To make this chicken katsu curry recipe feel doable on a regular weeknight, it helps to see the dish in three parts:

  1. The chicken katsu (breaded cutlet)
  2. The Japanese curry sauce
  3. Rice and toppings

Once you get comfortable with that structure, you can mix and match ingredients, proteins and cooking methods without getting lost.

Chicken katsu (serves 4)

  • 4 small chicken breasts or 2 large, butterflied and pounded to about 1 cm thick
  • 1 teaspoon fine salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black or white pepper
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder (optional but tasty)
  • 60 g (½ cup) plain flour
  • 2 large eggs, beaten
  • 120 g (about 2 cups) panko breadcrumbs
  • Neutral oil for frying (sunflower, canola, rice bran)

Panko is key here. Regular breadcrumbs will work, but panko gives you that light, craggy crust you see on proper tonkatsu and classic chicken katsu.

Japanese curry sauce

We’ll build a hybrid sauce: part scratch, part shortcut. You can go fully homemade or lean on curry roux blocks when life gets hectic.

  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil or butter
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 medium carrots, cut into chunks
  • 2–3 small waxy potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour
  • 1–2 tablespoons mild curry powder (Japanese curry powder if available)
  • ½ teaspoon garam masala (optional)
  • 750 ml (3 cups) chicken or vegetable stock
  • 1–2 teaspoons soy sauce
  • 1–2 teaspoons honey or sugar
  • 1 tablespoon grated apple or a splash of apple juice
  • Salt to taste

If you prefer, you can replace the flour and curry powder with roughly 4 squares of Japanese curry roux from a pack, stirring them in as described later.

Rice and toppings

  • 300–400 g uncooked short-grain Japanese rice (or any medium/short-grain rice you enjoy)
  • Finely shredded cabbage
  • Sliced spring onions
  • Japanese pickles (fukujinzuke, takuan) if you can find them

The contrast of hot, savoury curry sauce with cool, crisp cabbage might seem unusual if you’re used to Indian curries, but once you try it, it makes perfect sense.

Also Read: Simple Bloody Mary Recipe – Classic, Bloody Maria, Virgin & More

Step-by-step chicken katsu curry recipe

Now let’s bring it all together. Although this plate looks impressive, the workflow is surprisingly logical: curry first, rice while it simmers, then katsu at the end so it stays crisp.

Cook the rice

Begin with the rice so it’s ready to welcome everything else. Rinse it in cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then cook in a rice cooker or in a saucepan using the absorption method. The goal is fluffy but slightly sticky grains, similar to what you see in recipes like chicken katsu curry rice from The Woks of Life.

Once it’s done, keep the lid on and the heat off. The rice will stay warm and steam gently while you handle the rest.

Hands rinsing Japanese rice in a sieve over a bowl as part of chicken katsu curry prep.
Start your chicken katsu curry with well-rinsed Japanese rice so every grain cooks up fluffy and ready to soak up the sauce.

Make the Japanese curry sauce

While the rice cooks, start the curry:

Sweat the aromatics

Set a wide saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat and add the oil or butter. Scatter in the sliced onion with a pinch of salt and cook slowly for 8–10 minutes. Stir now and again until the onion softens and turns pale gold. This patient step builds sweetness and depth into your curry.

Add garlic, ginger and vegetables

Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Immediately add the carrot and potato chunks, tossing them through the onion mixture for a couple of minutes so they start to absorb those flavours

Onions, garlic and ginger sautéing in a pan to begin the Japanese curry sauce.
Slowly sautéing onions with garlic and ginger builds the sweet, savoury base that makes the katsu curry sauce so comforting.

Create a curry roux base

Sprinkle the flour and curry powder over the vegetables. Stir well so everything gets coated and the flour begins to absorb the oil. Let it cook for 1–2 minutes; the mixture will look slightly pasty and stick to the pan. That’s the beginning of your roux.

Build the sauce

Pour in a splash of stock while stirring to release any sticky bits from the bottom, then gradually add the rest, stirring all the while to avoid lumps. Add soy sauce, honey or sugar, and the grated apple. The apple brings gentle sweetness and helps mimic the rounded flavour you get from Japanese curry blocks.

Carrots and potatoes coated with flour and curry powder in a pan for katsu curry base.
Coating the carrots and potatoes in flour and curry powder turns the vegetables into a rich roux that thickens the Japanese curry beautifully.

Simmer until tender

Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer, then lower the heat and cook for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally. The vegetables should become tender, and the sauce should thicken into a glossy, spoon-coating consistency. If it ever feels too thick, loosen it with a little extra stock or water.

Adjust the seasoning

Taste and tweak. Perhaps it needs a touch more soy for savoury depth, a pinch of salt, or a little extra honey if your curry powder is particularly sharp. For warmth, sprinkle in garam masala towards the end and simmer for another minute.

At this point, you have a solid Japanese curry base. If you’d like a smoother texture, you can mash some of the potato and carrot against the side of the pan or briefly blend a ladleful and stir it back.

Also Read: French 75 Cocktail Recipe: 7 Easy Variations

Pan of Japanese katsu curry sauce simmering with carrots and potatoes, a ladle lifting the thick glossy curry.
After adding stock, let the Japanese curry simmer gently until it turns thick and glossy and the carrots and potatoes are perfectly tender.

Preparing the chicken katsu

With the curry gently bubbling away, you can turn your attention to the cutlets. This part feels almost like making schnitzel, just with panko and Japanese flavours.

Season and pound the chicken

Lay each chicken breast between two sheets of baking paper or cling film. Gently pound with a rolling pin or meat mallet until it’s an even 1 cm thickness. Even thickness means even cooking and less chance of dry patches.

Season both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Leave the chicken to sit while you set up your breading station; the salt will start to work its way in.

Chicken breasts being pounded flat on a board and seasoned for chicken katsu.
Butterfly and gently pound the chicken so it cooks evenly, then season both sides before you start breading the katsu.

Set up the breading station

Arrange three shallow bowls:

  1. Flour in the first
  2. Beaten eggs in the second
  3. Panko breadcrumbs in the third

To keep the crumbs especially crisp, you can mix a small pinch of salt and a drizzle of oil into the panko. The oil helps them brown more evenly in the pan or air fryer.

Dip each seasoned cutlet into the flour, shaking off excess so only a thin, even layer remains. Then pass it through the beaten egg, letting any drips fall back into the bowl. Finally, press the cutlet into the panko, turning to coat all sides. Press firmly so the crumbs really hug the surface.

Hand pressing a chicken fillet into a bowl of panko breadcrumbs with bowls of flour and beaten egg beside it for chicken katsu.
Coat each seasoned fillet in flour, egg and a generous layer of panko, pressing the crumbs on firmly so the chicken katsu fries up extra crisp.

Place the breaded cutlets on a wire rack or plate and let them rest for 5–10 minutes. This pause allows the coating to hydrate slightly and stick better, reducing the risk of it sliding off in the oil.

Frying or air-frying the katsu

A hallmark of any good chicken katsu curry recipe is that contrast between a juicy centre and a shatteringly crisp crust. There are two main paths to get there: traditional frying or a lighter air-fryer version.

Shallow or deep-frying

Set a large skillet or saucepan over medium-high heat and pour in enough oil to reach 1–2 cm up the sides. Heat until a breadcrumb dropped in the oil sizzles immediately and turns golden within about 30 seconds (around 170–180°C).

Carefully lay in the cutlets, two at a time if your pan is large. Fry for roughly 3–4 minutes on the first side until deep golden, then flip and cook another 3–4 minutes. As they fry, adjust the heat to keep the colour even; if they’re browning too quickly, lower the temperature slightly.

Once they’re beautifully golden and cooked through, transfer each cutlet to a rack or paper-towel-lined tray. Sprinkle with a tiny pinch of salt while they’re still hot.

Golden panko-coated chicken katsu frying in hot oil in a skillet, being turned with tongs.
Shallow-fry the crumbed chicken katsu in hot oil until the coating is deep golden and the meat inside is just cooked through and juicy.

Air-fryer recipe for chicken katsu curry

If you’re craving something lighter without sacrificing crunch, an air fryer is extremely handy. Food bloggers like CJ Eats and Okonomi Kitchen have shown that air fryer chicken katsu and air-fried panko cutlets can emerge every bit as crisp when cooked at around 190–200°C.

To air-fry:

  1. Lightly mist both sides of each breaded cutlet with oil spray.
  2. Preheat the air fryer to 190–200°C.
  3. Arrange the cutlets in a single layer, leaving a little room around each one.
  4. Cook for 12–15 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through.

Because every air fryer model is slightly different, peek a little earlier the first time you make this. Once you’ve dialled in your perfect timing, this method becomes a reliable “fakeaway” option: all the joy, far less grease.

Also Read: Peanut Butter Cookies (Classic Recipe & 3 Variations)

Assembling your bowl of chicken katsu curry

Now comes the best part: putting it all together so every bite has crunch, sauce and rice.

  1. Slice the katsu
    Place each cutlet on a board and slice across on a slight diagonal into 1.5–2 cm strips. Keep the pieces in order so you can re-create that neat “fan” on the plate.
  2. Plate the rice and curry
    Spoon a generous mound of rice into a shallow bowl or wide plate. Ladle the hot curry sauce alongside, letting a bit of it seep into the rice but keeping some white patches for contrast.
  3. Lay the katsu on top
    Lift the sliced katsu with a wide knife and transfer it onto the plate, arranging it across the curry and rice. You want the bottom edges to catch a little sauce while the tops stay crisp, just like in that idealised katsu curry plate you see in Japanese cookbooks and in dishes like the one on The Woks of Life.
  4. Add fresh toppings
    Finish with a tumble of finely shredded cabbage, a sprinkle of sliced spring onions and, if you have them, a spoonful of pickles. The fresh crunch cuts through the richness and keeps the whole dish from feeling heavy.
Sliced chicken katsu on a board next to a bowl of rice, curry sauce and cabbage, showing the final step of serving chicken katsu curry.
Let the fried chicken katsu rest for a moment, then slice it into neat strips and lay it over rice with plenty of hot Japanese curry sauce.

At this stage, your classic chicken katsu curry recipe is complete. Nevertheless, once you’ve done it once or twice, it’s hard to resist playing with variations.

Also Read: Green Tea Shot with Jameson | Recipe & 10 Variations

Variations on the chicken katsu curry recipe

Because this dish is modular, it’s incredibly forgiving. A small swap in the sauce, a different protein, or a new cooking method can produce a meal that feels distinct without forcing you to learn an entirely new recipe.

Pork katsu curry (tonkatsu)

Strictly speaking, the original Japanese katsu curry is usually made with pork. To follow that path:

  • Use boneless pork loin or fillet sliced about 1–1.5 cm thick.
  • Pound lightly to even them out.
  • Season, bread and cook exactly as you would the chicken.
Bowl of pork katsu curry with sliced golden pork cutlet, Japanese curry sauce, rice, shredded cabbage and pickles.
Make a classic tonkatsu-style pork katsu curry by swapping the chicken for a juicy pork cutlet and serving it with the same rich Japanese curry sauce and rice.

Pork tends to cook slightly faster than chicken breast at the same thickness, so start checking for doneness after 3 minutes per side if you’re shallow-frying. Slice, serve over rice and curry, and you’ve got a comforting tonkatsu curry that leans a little richer and more savoury.

Plain Japanese chicken curry recipe (no katsu)

On evenings when frying feels like too much effort, you can turn this chicken katsu curry recipe into a simpler Japanese chicken curry.

Bowl of Japanese chicken curry with tender chicken pieces, rice, shredded cabbage and pickles in a creamy brown curry sauce.
When you don’t feel like frying, this Japanese chicken curry gives you the same cosy flavours as katsu curry with tender chicken simmered directly in the sauce.

Instead of breading the chicken:

  1. Cut the raw chicken into bite-sized pieces.
  2. After the onions, carrots and potatoes have simmered for about 5 minutes in the curry base, stir in the chicken.
  3. Simmer for another 10–15 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked and the sauce is thick.

You lose the crunch, but you gain a one-pot comfort bowl that sits somewhere between Japanese curry and Indian-inspired dishes like a lighter spinach chicken curry.

Recipe for Slimmer “fakeaway” chicken katsu curry

If you’re tracking calories or simply don’t love the idea of deep-frying on a Tuesday night, a slimmer version keeps the flavour but trims the excess.

Two golden panko-coated chicken katsu cutlets in a black air fryer basket, showing the air fryer version of chicken katsu.
Use the air fryer for chicken katsu that’s just as crisp and juicy, but made with a fraction of the oil—ideal for lighter katsu curry nights.

You can:

  • Air-fry or oven-bake the breaded cutlets on a rack, using oil spray instead of pouring centimetres of oil into a pan.
  • Drop the oil in the curry base to 1 tablespoon and rely more on stock and vegetables for body.
  • Serve with extra shredded cabbage and steamed vegetables, and slightly reduce the rice portion.

On weeks when you’re deliberately alternating richer dinners with lighter ones, you might pair this “fakeaway” with a genuinely lean meal on another night, such as a Kerala-style coconut vegetable stew or a big pot of authentic Punjabi rajma.

Vegetarian and vegan katsu curry

Katsu doesn’t have to mean meat. In fact, the structure of this dish lends itself beautifully to vegetarian and vegan cooking.

Tofu katsu

  • Press firm tofu for at least 20–30 minutes to remove excess moisture.
  • Slice into slabs about 1.5 cm thick.
  • Season lightly with salt and a splash of soy sauce.
  • Dust with flour, dip into a plant-based milk and flour mixture or aquafaba instead of egg, then coat in panko and fry or air-fry.

Serve the tofu katsu over the same curry sauce made with vegetable stock, and you have a fully meat-free plate that still delivers serious crunch.

Vegetarian katsu curry with sliced tofu katsu, rice, shredded cabbage and Japanese curry sauce in a bowl.
Swap the chicken for tofu or vegetable katsu and you still get all the crunch and rich Japanese curry flavour in this vegetarian katsu curry bowl.

Vegetable katsu

Root and starchy vegetables make wonderful katsu bases:

  • Thick slices of aubergine
  • Rounds of sweet potato or pumpkin
  • Sturdy slabs of celeriac

Par-cook them briefly in boiling water or the steamer if they’re very firm, then cool, bread and fry. The sweet, soft interior surrounded by crisp crumbs is addictive.

For readers who are exploring plant-based eating more broadly, it’s worth looking at seitan and other high-protein meat alternatives. Guides like the one on seitan as “the vegan’s chicken” show just how many curry-style dishes can be made without animal protein at all.

Also Read: ‘Tofu’ Instead of ‘Eggs’: 5 High Protein Plant-Based Breakfast Ideas

Sauce options: scratch, roux blocks and katsu dipping sauce

Many people first fall in love with this dish because of the sauce. It’s gentle, cosy and not as fiery as some Indian curries, which makes it ideal for families and spice-shy eaters.

Fully from-scratch Japanese curry sauce

The version at the start of this post is already close to a scratch sauce: you’re making a roux in the pan, then adding stock and flavourings. To lean even more into that direction, you can:

  • Toast whole spices like coriander, cumin and black pepper gently before grinding them.
  • Add a teaspoon of tomato paste with the garlic and ginger for deeper colour.
  • Stir in a little grated dark chocolate or a dab of miso at the end for extra umami.

Food writers who specialise in Japanese home cooking, like those behind RecipeTin Japan, often mention how this style of roux-based curry evolved from European-influenced cooking in the late nineteenth century. Today, it feels as firmly Japanese as miso soup or ramen.

Using Japanese curry roux blocks

On busy nights, it’s absolutely fine to lean on curry blocks. The technique is slightly different:

  1. Sauté onion, garlic, ginger and vegetables as before.
  2. Add stock and simmer until the vegetables are almost tender.
  3. Turn off the heat and stir in rough chunks of curry roux until they dissolve completely.
  4. Turn the heat back on and let the sauce bubble gently until thick and glossy.

Different brands offer varying levels of spice and sweetness, so you may find one that becomes “your” flavour. You can still customise it with a splash of soy, a little grated apple or a pinch of garam masala.

Simple katsu dipping sauce

Sometimes, when people search for a chicken katsu curry recipe, what they really want is the crispy cutlet with a thick, tangy brown sauce rather than the full curry. That sauce is tonkatsu or katsu sauce, and it’s very easy to replicate at home.

Crispy piece of katsu being dipped into a small bowl of dark katsu dipping sauce.
This quick katsu dipping sauce adds a sweet-tangy hit that’s perfect for drizzling over hot chicken or pork katsu, even when you’re not serving it with curry.

Stir together:

  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • ½–1 teaspoon sugar or honey
  • Optional: a tiny splash of rice vinegar or lemon juice

Taste and adjust until it’s sweet-tangy and savoury. This is perfect drizzled over sliced katsu, whether you’re serving it with curry or simply over a bowl of rice and shredded cabbage.

Also Read: Mustard Fish Curry Bengali Style (Shorshe Bata Rui Maach)

What to serve with chicken katsu curry

Because this dish is already a full meal in a bowl, you don’t need elaborate side dishes. That said, a few smart additions can turn dinner into more of a Japanese-inspired feast or an easy weekend gathering.

Fresh, cooling sides

Shredded cabbage and pickles are the traditional companions, but you can easily widen the spread.

A crisp salad with a yoghurt-based dressing works beautifully. For instance, you could borrow the idea of a garlicky, herb-heavy yoghurt from a mezze table and adapt it to your pantry. If that appeals, you might enjoy exploring a master recipe like the one for Greek tzatziki with ten variations, then adjust the herbs and garlic to suit your katsu night.

On evenings when you’re hosting a group and want nibbles on the table while the curry simmers, a warm bread and dip platter works nicely. Something like a spinach dip collection with cold and baked options gives guests something to scoop up with bread or veggie sticks while you focus on slicing katsu.

Drinks that pair well with katsu curry

Rich, fried food is often happiest next to drinks that are bright, slightly acidic or effervescent.

If you enjoy cocktails, a citrus-forward gin drink can cut right through the creaminess of the curry sauce. A set of creative gin cocktail recipes gives you plenty of options, from herbaceous to lightly sweet, so you can choose something that suits the mood.

For brunchy or celebratory lunches, leftover katsu can top rice bowls or even appear beside scrambled eggs. In that case, a sparkling drink like a mimosa fits the vibe. A guide to ten easy mimosa variations shows how quickly you can shift from classic orange to seasonal twists like apple or berry.

If you prefer something bolder and tomato-based, especially on a lazy weekend, a well-made Bloody Mary is another fun option. A recipe collection that covers classic, tequila-based and virgin Bloody Mary versions lets everyone at the table pick their own level of kick and alcohol.

Desserts that follow katsu curry beautifully

After a salty-sweet, savoury meal like this, a cool and milky dessert is incredibly satisfying. One excellent option is a slice of tres leches cake: soft sponge soaked in three kinds of milk, chilled and topped with whipped cream. The gentle sweetness and cold temperature balance the warmth and spice of the curry.

On cooler days, you might lean towards baking that fills the kitchen with warm spice. Having a jar of homemade pumpkin pie spice ready makes that as simple as stirring a spoonful into your batter. A guide to mixing your own pumpkin pie spice blend shows how to get the cinnamon-nutmeg-ginger balance just right.

Also Read: Baked Jalapeño Poppers (Oven) — Time, Temp & Bacon Tips

Make-ahead, freezing and leftovers

One of the biggest advantages of mastering a detailed chicken katsu curry recipe is that it’s extremely meal-prep friendly. A little planning turns a single cooking session into multiple easy meals.

Tray of uncooked breaded katsu cutlets beside labeled containers of katsu curry sauce, showing meal prep for freezer-friendly katsu curry.
Bread the chicken katsu and portion the curry sauce into containers, then freeze them so you can throw together an easy katsu curry bowl any weeknight.

Freezing katsu for later

You can freeze katsu either before or after cooking:

  • Before frying
    • Bread the chicken as usual.
    • Arrange the cutlets in a single layer on a tray and freeze until solid.
    • Transfer to freezer bags or containers with baking paper between layers.
    • Cook from frozen in the oven or air fryer, adding a few minutes to the cooking time.
  • After frying
    • Let the cooked cutlets cool completely.
    • Wrap each one tightly or place in an airtight container.
    • Reheat in the oven or air fryer until hot and crisp again.

The key is to avoid microwaving, which tends to make the crust soggy.

Storing and reheating the curry sauce

The curry sauce keeps well:

  • In the fridge: up to 3–4 days in a sealed container
  • In the freezer: up to 1–2 months, ideally in portioned tubs

When reheating, warm gently over low heat, adding a splash of water or stock if it has thickened in the fridge.

Turning leftovers into new meals

Leftover components are a gift. A few ideas:

  • Katsu rice bowls
    Warm the curry and rice, then reheat sliced katsu in the oven or air fryer. Finish with a soft-boiled or jammy egg (an air fryer makes those straightforward; recipes for air-fried hard-boiled eggs walk you through timing and peeling tricks).
  • Breakfast with a twist
    The morning after a rich dinner, you might want something lighter but still satisfying. High-protein overnight oats with multiple flavour variations are simple to prep in jars while the curry simmers; then breakfast is sorted for the next day or two.
  • Second-day curry night
    Use leftover curry sauce as a base and add new ingredients: chickpeas, roasted vegetables, or seared paneer. You can even pour it over crisp roasted potatoes for a Japanese twist on curry chips, though you may find you don’t miss the chips at all once you’ve fallen in love with katsu.

If your overall routine includes training, fasting days or careful hydration around heavier meals, there’s room to think about drinks as well as food. Homemade electrolyte mixes, such as the ones in MasalaMonk’s recipes for natural electrolyte drinks or fasting-friendly electrolyte blends, can sit in the fridge ready for gym sessions or long walks.

A brief look at katsu curry’s journey

To round things out, it’s worth taking a step back and appreciating how this humble plate of rice, curry and cutlet travelled so far.

Historically, Japanese curry itself is a product of global zigzagging. Articles like the one on how India gave Japan its beloved katsu curry describe how British naval officers introduced an Anglicised form of Indian curry to Japan in the late nineteenth century. Japanese cooks then adapted it, thickening the sauce, toning down the heat and eventually turning it into something that feels distinctly Japanese.

Katsu, on the other hand, came from Western cutlet culture. When those two strands met on a plate at places like Grill Swiss in Ginza, the result was a dish that bridged European technique and Japanese comfort. Writers at Food Sake Tokyo talk about how katsu curry became popular with students, office workers and families precisely because it was affordable, filling and easy to serve from canteens.

Later, as Japan’s food culture spread abroad, katsu curry became a kind of ambassador dish, particularly in the UK where fast-casual restaurants turned it into an icon. The story of that journey is laid out in JETRO’s piece on katsu curry taking over British menus, and you can see its influence every time a non-Japanese restaurant lists “katsu” as shorthand for “Japanese-ish curry.”

Cooking it at home, though, brings the focus back to what made the dish appealing in the first place: the tactility of breading and frying, the inhale of curry steam when you lift the lid, the first bite where crisp crumb, soft rice and velvety sauce come together.

Bringing it all together

By now, you’ve seen that a chicken katsu curry recipe is really a template:

  • A comforting Japanese curry sauce, built either from scratch or with roux blocks
  • A crisp, breaded cutlet – chicken, pork, tofu or vegetables
  • A bowl of rice and a handful of crunchy toppings to tie it all together

Once you’ve cooked it once, you can improvise almost endlessly: swap in air-fried cutlets for a lighter take, lean into vegetarian versions, or double the curry and freeze half for an easy future dinner. You can follow it with Indian favourites like creamy butter chicken on another night, or pivot into cocktails and dessert with a lemon drop martini and a tray of tres leches cake when you’re feeding friends.

Most importantly, this is the kind of dish that rewards repetition. The second or third time you make it, your hands move more confidently: you salt the rice water without thinking, you know exactly when the curry is thick enough, and you recognise the moment the katsu turns the right shade of gold. That’s when a recipe stops being just words on a screen and becomes part of your personal kitchen repertoire—ready to be pulled out whenever you want the table to go a little quiet on the first bite.

FAQs about Katsu Curry Recipe with Chicken

1. What is chicken katsu curry, exactly?

Chicken katsu curry is a Japanese-style dish made of three parts: a crispy breaded chicken cutlet (chicken katsu), a thick and mildly spiced Japanese curry sauce, and steamed rice. In a classic chicken katsu curry recipe, the cutlet is sliced and served on top of rice, with the curry ladled to one side so the crumbs stay partly crisp while still soaking up the sauce.

2. Is chicken katsu curry Japanese or Indian?

Chicken katsu curry is considered Japanese, although the curry itself was originally inspired by Indian flavours that arrived via Britain. Over time, Japan developed its own curry powder blends, curry roux blocks and a characteristic thick, mellow sauce. As a result, a chicken katsu curry recipe today tastes very different from most Indian curries, with less heat and more comforting sweetness.

3. How spicy is a typical chicken katsu curry recipe?

Generally, chicken katsu curry is mild to medium in heat. Japanese curry powders and roux mixes are often sold in mild, medium and hot versions, but even the hot styles are usually gentler than many Indian or Thai curries. If you prefer a mild chicken katsu curry, use a mild curry powder and skip extra chilli; if you enjoy more kick, add chilli flakes, fresh chillies or a hotter curry powder while still keeping the sauce thick and cosy.

4. Can I make chicken katsu curry without deep frying?

Yes, absolutely. A chicken katsu curry recipe works very well with air-fried or oven-baked cutlets instead of deep-fried ones. Coat the chicken in flour, egg and panko as usual, then bake on a rack or cook in an air fryer with a light spray of oil until golden and cooked through. This method keeps the katsu crunchy but uses far less oil, which suits anyone looking for a lighter version or a “fakeaway” style katsu curry at home.

5. How do I make katsu curry sauce from scratch?

To make katsu curry sauce from scratch, start by slowly frying sliced onions in a little oil or butter until soft and lightly golden. Next, add garlic, ginger, carrots and potatoes, then sprinkle over flour and curry powder to form a simple roux. Gradually whisk in stock, then season with soy sauce, a touch of sugar or honey and a little grated apple. Simmer until the vegetables are tender and the sauce is thick and glossy. This forms the heart of any homemade chicken katsu curry recipe.

6. Can I use curry roux blocks, powder, paste or cubes for katsu curry?

You can use any of these, as long as you adjust the liquid and seasoning. Curry roux blocks and cubes are the most traditional for Japanese curry; they already contain flour, fat and spices, so you just dissolve them into stock after sautéing your vegetables. Even curry powder works well if you cook it with flour and oil to form a roux. You can pick up curry paste as well, which is stronger, so use less and balance it with extra sweetness and stock. In every case, taste the katsu curry sauce towards the end and adjust thickness and flavour so it coats the back of a spoon.

7. How can I make a healthier or Slimming World–style chicken katsu curry?

A lighter chicken katsu curry recipe focuses on reducing oil and increasing vegetables. First, bake or air-fry the breaded chicken instead of deep frying it, using oil spray instead of submerging it in oil. Second, use a smaller amount of fat in the curry base and rely on onions, carrots and potatoes for body, boosting flavour with stock, soy and spices rather than cream. Finally, serve the curry with extra shredded cabbage or steamed vegetables and a slightly smaller portion of rice. These small shifts keep the katsu experience but bring the meal closer to Slimming World–style “fakeaway” comfort food.

8. How do I make vegetarian or vegan katsu curry?

To make vegetarian or vegan katsu curry, replace the chicken with tofu or vegetables and use vegetable stock in the curry sauce. For tofu katsu, press firm tofu, slice it into slabs, then bread and fry or air-fry it just like chicken. If you are making vegetable katsu, use slices of aubergine, sweet potato or pumpkin. And for a fully vegan version, swap the egg wash for plant milk mixed with a little flour or use aquafaba (chickpea water) to help the panko stick. As long as you check that your curry roux or powder contains no animal products, you can enjoy a plant-based katsu curry that still feels indulgent.

9. Can I use pork or other meats instead of chicken in this katsu curry?

Definitely. In fact, pork katsu curry (tonkatsu curry) is probably the most common version in Japan. Simply substitute chicken with boneless pork loin or fillet, pound it slightly, then bread and cook in the same way. You can also adapt the method for turkey, firm white fish or even prawns, although you may need to tweak cooking times. Since the curry and rice remain the same, changing the protein is a simple way to create new meals from the same basic katsu curry recipe.

10. What are the best chicken cuts and breading tips for katsu?

Chicken breast is the most popular choice for katsu because it pounds out evenly, slices neatly and cooks quickly. However, chicken thigh cutlets give a juicier result if you don’t mind trimming them a bit. For breading, start with well-dried, evenly pounded pieces, then follow a flour–egg–panko sequence. Press the crumbs on firmly and let the coated chicken rest for a few minutes before cooking so the breading adheres. This approach gives a crisp, even crust that doesn’t slide off when you slice the katsu for your curry bowl.

11. Can I freeze chicken katsu curry and how should I reheat it?

You can freeze both components, but it’s best to freeze them separately. Freeze the breaded chicken either raw (before frying) or cooked and cooled; in both cases, reheat in an oven or air fryer so the crust becomes crisp again. Freeze the curry sauce in containers, leaving a little space at the top, and defrost it gently on the stove, adding a splash of water or stock if it has thickened. When you’re ready to eat, warm fresh rice, reheat the katsu and curry, and assemble as usual. This way, a homemade chicken katsu curry recipe becomes an easy grab-from-the-freezer dinner.

12. Is chicken katsu curry halal and how can I adapt it?

Chicken katsu curry can be halal as long as all ingredients meet halal requirements. Use halal-certified chicken, ensure the stock contains no non-halal meat or alcohol, and avoid adding mirin or sake to the curry sauce. The breading ingredients (flour, eggs, panko) are usually fine, so the main considerations are the meat and any liquids used for flavour. Once those are checked, the rest of the chicken katsu curry recipe can stay the same, giving you a halal-friendly version of this Japanese comfort dish.

Posted on by — 9 Comments

Crispy Homemade French Fries From Fresh Potatoes (Recipe Plus Variations)

Woman frying crispy homemade French fries in a pan on the stove, lifting golden fries from hot oil for a MasalaMonk recipe guide.

There’s a special kind of joy in biting into crispy homemade french fries that you made yourself. The outside is shatteringly crisp, the inside is fluffy and hot, and you can taste actual potato instead of just salt and grease. Once you learn how to do diy french fries at home, it becomes hard to go back to limp, lukewarm fast-food versions.

In this guide, we’ll walk through:

  • A straightforward french fries ingredients and procedure section you can follow every time
  • The best way to cook fries using a classic double-fry method
  • Easier options like oven fries at 425°F and air fryer frozen french fries
  • Fun variations: seasoned fries, garlic parmesan french fries, chili cheese french fries, truffle fries, and more
  • Smarter choices for healthy potato fries, from oil selection to veggie alternatives

The aim is simple: by the end, you’ll be able to make perfect french fries in several styles, whether you’re cooking for movie night, a party tray of loaded fries, or just a snack for one.

Also Read: Simple Bloody Mary Recipe – Classic, Bloody Maria, Virgin & More

Why Bother Making Crispy French Fries at Home?

At first glance, buying a bag of frozen fries or grabbing a portion from a takeaway seems easier. However, at home french fries come with a few big advantages.

To begin with, you control the ingredients. You choose the potatoes, the oil, and the salt level. You can keep things minimal for a simple fries recipe, or go wild with flavors like cajun french fries or cheese french fries. When you’re in charge, “quality fries” actually means something.

Moreover, you get to decide how indulgent you want your fries to be. Potatoes themselves are not villains. According to Potatoes USA’s nutrition overview, a medium potato has around 110 calories, zero fat, and offers vitamin C, potassium, and fiber when you keep some peel on. Deep frying adds fat and energy, of course, but with homemade fries, you can:

  • Use better oils
  • Fry at the right temperatures
  • Or choose oven fries potatoes and air fryer french fries most of the time

A typical restaurant portion of fries can be high in fat and sodium. Overviews like Verywell Fit’s french fries nutrition facts break down just how quickly calories add up when fries are cooked in old oil and then heavily salted. Making real potato fries at home lets you adjust all of that.

Finally, the flavor is simply better. Fresh potato fries have a clean, sweet, potato-forward taste that frozen fries rarely match. Once you’ve had real french fried potatoes straight from your own kitchen, it’s hard not to feel a tiny bit smug.

Also Read: Homemade Hot Chocolate with Cocoa Powder Recipe

Best Potatoes for Crispy Homemade French Fries

The heart of any good potato french fries recipe is, unsurprisingly, the potato. Not all varieties behave the same in hot oil or a hot oven, so it’s worth thinking about the type you buy.

Starchy vs “gold” potatoes

For classic crispy fries with fluffy interiors, starchy potatoes are ideal:

  • Russet / Idaho potatoes: High starch and low moisture. These are perfect for french fries from russet potatoes if you want that restaurant-style contrast between crisp outside and soft inside.
  • Yukon Gold and other yellow potatoes: Slightly waxier, with more moisture, but very creamy. These are excellent for gold potato fries or yukon gold french fries when you want a rich, buttery interior and deep golden exterior.

Side-by-side comparisons, like this piece on Russet vs Yukon Gold, point out that Russets crisp up more dramatically than yellows because of their starch and lower moisture, whereas Yukon Golds keep their shape and feel denser and creamier. That matches what you’ll see in your pan: Russets are your friend for the crispiest french fries, while golds are great when you lean toward golden potato french fries that feel more substantial.

In short:

  • For extra crispy french fries or skinny fries → choose Russet/Idaho.
  • For rich, slightly softer thick cut fries or steak fries → try Yukon Gold or another yellow potato.

You can mix them too, especially if you like serving a variety of textures on one platter.

Also Read: Mimosa Recipe: 10 Easy Versions from Classic to Caramel Apple

Oils, Heat, and Tools for Homemade French Fries that are Crispy

Once you’ve got your potatoes sorted, the next question is: what do you fry them in, and how?

Oils that work well for fries

When you’re deep-frying, you want oils that can handle high temperatures and stay reasonably stable:

  • Refined peanut or sunflower oil
  • Canola or rapeseed oil
  • Rice bran oil
  • High-oleic vegetable blends
  • Light or refined olive oil (for fries in olive oil, not extra virgin)

Articles on the healthiest oils for cooking and frying highlight avocado, refined olive, peanut, and similar oils because they combine decent smoke points with more monounsaturated fats. They’re not magic health potions, but they’re a smarter choice than repeatedly overheated, low-quality oils.

For full-on indulgence, some people love beef tallow fries or duck fat french fries. Both fats give incredible flavor, but they are obviously richer and make the most sense for occasional “wow” dinners. On the other end of the spectrum, you can choose very light oil coatings in the oven or air fryer for healthier french fries.

Helpful tools (and what you can skip)

You do not need a dedicated “french fry fryer” to make excellent fries. You can absolutely make french fries at home using basic tools:

  • A heavy pot or deep frying pan
  • A thermometer (to manage that best way to fry fries temperature window)
  • A large bowl for soaking
  • A colander or sieve
  • A clean towel for drying
  • A wire rack and tray for draining cooked fries

A dedicated fryer can make things more convenient if you make home made fries often, but it’s not a requirement. A sharp knife is also plenty for cut fries, although a mandoline or fry cutter can be fun if you often crave french fries shoestring, crinkle cut french fries, or thick cut french fries.

Also Read: French 75 Cocktail Recipe: 7 Easy Variations

Ingredients for Classic French Fries

The nice part about a simple french fries recipe is how short the shopping list is. Here’s a good base for four people.

Core ingredients

  • 1 kg (about 2.2 lb) potatoes (Russet for crispiest; Yukon Gold for creamier)
  • Oil for frying (enough to fill your pot 5–7 cm / 2–3 inches deep)
  • 2–3 teaspoons fine salt

That’s your essential french fries ingredients list: nothing fancy, just the basics that define fresh french fries.

Optional extras for crunch and flavor in Crispy Homemade French Fries

If you’d like to push things toward the crunchy fries recipe end of the spectrum or turn out seasoned fries, keep these on hand:

  • Cornstarch or rice flour (for french fries with crispy coating)
  • Garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, chili powder (for seasoned french fries or cajun french fries)
  • Grated Parmesan, cheddar, or other cheese (for parmesan french fries or cheesy french fries)
  • Truffle oil and fresh parsley (for truffle french fries recipe)
  • Fresh garlic and butter or olive oil (for garlic french fries recipe)

With these extras, the same basic batch of fries can become restaurant style fries, garlic parmesan fries, or loaded french fries without much extra effort.

Also Read: Tres Leches – Mexican 3 Milk Cake Recipe

Step-by-Step Crispy Homemade French Fries (Stovetop)

Let’s start with the classic version: crispy homemade french fries cooked in oil on the stove. This method gives you extra crispy fries if you follow the temperatures and timing closely.

Recipe card showing classic crispy homemade French fries on a plate with ketchup and text for serves, prep time, and cook time.
Classic crispy homemade French fries – a MasalaMonk recipe card with serving size and cook times, perfect for pinning or saving for later.

Step 1: Cut and soak the potatoes

First, scrub your potatoes well. You can peel them if you prefer, but leaving the skins on makes more rustic real potato fries and adds a touch of fiber.

Cut the potatoes into sticks about 8–10 mm thick. For skinny french fries or french fries shoestring, go thinner; for steak fries or thick cut fries, cut chunky batons or wedges.

As soon as you cut them, drop the sticks into a big bowl of cold water. This rinses away surface starch and stops oxidation. Swish them around, then drain and refill with fresh cold water. If you like, add a spoonful of vinegar or lemon juice; it can help them hold their structure during cooking.

Soaking for 20–30 minutes helps prevent the outside from turning gummy and gives you a better chance at truly crispy french fries rather than soggy ones. Once you’re done soaking, drain the potatoes thoroughly and spread them out on a clean towel. Pat them dry until they feel matte. Water on the surface is the enemy here: it lowers oil temperature and encourages splattering.

Step 2: First fry (par-cooking)

Heat your oil to around 150–160°C (300–320°F). At this stage, the goal is to cook the potatoes through without browning them much. For deep frying, a two-stage cook—first at a lower temperature, then at a higher one—is key to combining a fluffy interior with crisp exterior.

Working in small batches, gently lower the dried potato sticks into the hot oil. Fry for about 4–6 minutes. They should turn from opaque to slightly translucent and feel tender if you poke them with a knife, but they should not yet be golden.

Lift them out with a slotted spoon and place them on a rack set over a tray. Repeat with the remaining batches. At this point, you have par-cooked fries: soft, pale, and flexible. You can pause here, cool them, and even refrigerate for several hours if you want to fry just before serving. That’s how many restaurant style french fries are prepped.

Step 3: Second fry (crisping and coloring)

For the second fry, raise the oil temperature to 185–190°C (365–375°F). That hotter environment is where you’ll develop the golden crust that makes crispiest french fries such a pleasure.

Again in small batches, slide the par-cooked fries back into the oil. Fry for 2–4 minutes, until they’re uniformly golden, with little blistered areas and crisp edges. Keep an eye on their color; you’re aiming for golden potato french fries, not dark brown or burnt ones.

There’s a health reason for that, too. When starchy foods like potatoes are fried or baked at high heat, they can form acrylamide, a compound that health agencies monitor. The US FDA’s guidance on acrylamide in foods suggests aiming for light golden colors and avoiding burnt bits whenever possible. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences also notes that french fries and similar foods can be significant acrylamide sources when heavily browned. So, aim for gold, not mahogany.

Once the fries are ready, lift them onto the rack or a paper-towel-lined tray. Immediately sprinkle them with salt while they’re still sizzling, so the crystals cling. If you like seasoned fries, this is the moment to toss with paprika, garlic powder, or any spice mix you enjoy.

And just like that, you’ve completed the core french fries procedure: cut, soak, dry, par-fry, then finish hot.

Also Read: High Protein Overnight Oats | 5 Recipes (Low Calorie, Vegan, Bulking & More)

Slightly Smarter, Still Crispy: Health Notes and Oil Choices

Even though fried fries recipes are not exactly health food, you can still make better choices without losing all pleasure.

First, use fresh or properly filtered oil and avoid letting it smoke. Overheated, repeatedly reused oil isn’t just unpleasant in flavor; it can contribute to off flavors and degraded fats. A thermometer makes it much easier to maintain that best way to fry french fries temperature range, whether you’re in a pot or a countertop fryer.

Second, consider how often you go for fully deep-fried crispy french fries versus lighter versions. You might save deep-fried extra crispy french fries for weekends, while turning to oven fries or air fryer homemade fries on busy weeknights.

Third, balance your plate. Fries alongside grilled chicken, salad, or roast vegetables feel different from fries plus more fried items. That’s where side dishes and smarter recipes around your fries come in—and we’ll circle back to those in a bit.

Also Read: 10 High Calorie Protein Shakes & Smoothie Recipes for Healthy Weight Gain

Oven Fries at 425°F: Baked, Seasoned, and Easy

When you’d rather not deal with a pot of hot oil, oven fries 425°F are a great compromise. They won’t be identical to deep-fried fries, yet you can get delicious baked seasoned fries with crisp edges and tender middles.

Recipe card showing a tray of oven-baked seasoned fries at 425 degrees, held with an oven mitt, with serving size and baking time details.
Oven-baked fries at 425°F – crispy seasoned fries with less oil, with prep and bake times highlighted so you can see the whole MasalaMonk method at a glance.

Basic oven fries method

  1. Preheat your oven to 220°C / 425°F.
  2. Cut your potatoes into wedges or sticks, just as before.
  3. In a bowl, toss them with 1–2 tablespoons of oil—this can be olive, avocado, or any neutral oil you like.
  4. Season generously with salt, pepper, and any spices you enjoy: garlic powder, smoked paprika, dried thyme, or a ready-made seasoning blend.
  5. Spread the fries out in a single layer on a baking sheet, leaving a bit of space between pieces. Crowding leads to steaming rather than crisping.
  6. Bake for about 20–25 minutes, turning once halfway through, until the edges are golden brown and the fries are tender inside.

At this point, you’ve made seasoned oven fries that work beautifully with the same sauces and toppings you’d use for deep-fried versions. They’re particularly nice as a side to oven-baked mains or as part of a lighter tray meal.

If you’re planning a party spread that doesn’t revolve solely around fries, you can point guests toward other potato-centric snacks too. A collection like MasalaMonk’s potato appetizers fits naturally alongside oven fries on a buffet table, giving people more variety while still leaning into that potato comfort.

Also Read: How to Cook Perfect Rice Every Time (Recipe)

Air Fryer Fries: Crispy Homemade French Fries With Less Oil

Next, let’s move to fries airfryer style. Air fryers circulate very hot air around food, using far less oil than deep frying. Comparative work on deep-fried vs air-fried potatoes has shown that air-fried samples can have dramatically less fat and slightly fewer calories per serving, which makes them a handy tool when you’d like healthier french fries more often.

Recipe card showing air fryer French fries made from fresh-cut potatoes, with seasoning sprinkled over the basket and serving and cook times displayed.
Air fryer French fries made from fresh-cut potatoes – a MasalaMonk recipe card that highlights how to get crispy fries with less oil, plus prep and air-fry times at a glance.

Fresh potato fries in the air fryer

For easy french fries recipe done in the air fryer:

  1. Cut your potatoes into sticks and soak them as you would for deep frying.
  2. Drain and dry thoroughly.
  3. Toss with 1–2 teaspoons of oil, salt, and seasonings.
  4. Place them in the air fryer basket in a loose, even layer.
  5. Cook at 190°C / 375°F for 15–20 minutes, shaking every 5 minutes so they brown evenly.
  6. For extra crispy french fries, finish with a final 3–5 minutes at 200°C / 400°F.

This method gives you healthy potato fries that still feel indulgent. They’re especially good as skinny fries, where the higher surface area means lots of crunchy bits.

Frozen Crispy Homemade French Fries in the air fryer

For those nights when you want the best frozen fries for air fryer with minimal fuss:

  1. Preheat the air fryer to 200°C / 400°F.
  2. Tip frozen shoestring fries, straight cut fries, frozen waffle fries, or other shapes into the basket. Try not to overstack them.
  3. Air fry for 10–18 minutes depending on thickness, shaking halfway through.
  4. Season as soon as they come out of the basket.

Most brands are already partially fried in oil, so you often don’t need extra. However, a light spray of oil can help paler brands crisp a little better. This technique works well if you want to focus your kitchen time on main dishes but still end up with crispy fries recipe results.

If you’re fond of multitasking with your air fryer, ideas like air fryer hard-boiled eggs fit nicely into the same workflow. You might prepare homemade fries for dinner and a batch of eggs for breakfast with very little extra effort.

Also Read: Béchamel Sauce for Lasagna: Classic, Vegan & Ricotta Sauce Recipe

Playing With Shapes: Shoestring, Thick Cut, Steak, and Crinkle

Once you have a reliable french fries recipe, the next step is having fun with shapes. Different cuts give you different textures and cooking times.

Skinny and shoestring fries

Thin skinny fries or french fries shoestring are all about extreme crispness:

  • Cut the potatoes into matchsticks.
  • Soak, dry, and fry exactly as for the classic recipe.
  • Shorten the par-fry to keep them from overcooking, and watch carefully during the second fry—they go from golden to too dark very quickly.

Shoestring fries are fantastic when you’re making loaded french fries recipe variations like chile-topped fries, because so many edges catch sauce and cheese.

Thick cut fries and steak fries

On the opposite end, thick cut french fries and steak fries are all about a soft, potato-y center:

  • Cut the potatoes into chunky batons or wedges.
  • Lengthen the par-fry slightly or start them in the oven with a bit of water in the pan, then finish in hot oil or under the broiler.
  • Because there’s more potato in each piece, they stay creamy inside even when the exterior is thoroughly crisp.

Thick cut fries shine alongside robust dishes: grilled steak, roasted chicken, or as part of a plate with gravy and vegetables.

Crinkle cut and waffle fries

For crinkle cut french fries, fries crinkle cut, or french fries crinkle, you’ll need a crinkle cutter or a mandoline that makes ridges. The technique stays the same—soak, dry, par-fry, then crisp—but the ridges create extra surface area. That means more crunch, and it also means they hold onto seasonings and sauces really well.

Similarly, frozen waffle fries from the store become great canvases for fancy fries toppings. Their lattice structure acts like a little basket for cheese, carne asada, or creamy sauces.

Also Read: Peanut Butter Cookies (Classic Recipe & 3 Variations)

Veggie Fries: Sweet Potato, Yuca, Jicama, and Rutabaga

While classic french fries from white potatoes are iconic, you can also explore veggie french fries when you’re craving variety or want to shift the nutrition profile a bit.

Sweet potato fries

Sweet potato french fries deserve their own shout-out. They bake and air fry beautifully, and they pair well with both sweet and savory seasonings, from cinnamon and chili to garlic and smoked paprika. You can even make crinkle cut sweet potato fries for added texture.

Sweet potatoes tend to be softer and more prone to burning at high heat, so a light coating of cornstarch and oil, plus slightly lower temperatures, often work best. For more detail on how sweet potatoes differ nutritionally from white potatoes, you might enjoy MasalaMonk’s sweet potato nutrition breakdown and their piece on the potato debate: white vs sweet. Those articles go into fiber, vitamins, and even blood sugar considerations in a way that helps you decide when to reach for which.

Recipe card showing crispy spiced sweet potato fries in a round tray with dipping sauce, lime, and sweet potato pieces, plus serving and cook time details.
Crispy, spiced sweet potato fries with a creamy dip – a MasalaMonk recipe card that highlights this naturally sweet, oven or air-fried alternative, complete with prep and cook times.

Yuca, jicama, and rutabaga fries

Beyond sweet potatoes, you can experiment with:

  • Yuca french fries: dense, starchy, and very satisfying. They need peeling and careful boiling before frying, but the final texture is almost creamy.
  • Jicama french fries: lower in carbs, with a fresh crunch and a subtle sweetness. These are typically best baked or air fried with strong seasonings.
  • Rutabaga french fries: slightly earthy and sweet, good roasted until caramelized and then tossed with spices.

These alternatives work well when you want healthy potato fries style sides on repeat without always using white potatoes. They’re also fun for guests who’ve never tried such variations.

Also Read: Chicken Alfredo Pasta, 5 Ways (Classic to Cajun, Veg, 15-Minute Jar, Healthy)

Four glasses lined up on a board, each filled with a different veggie fry—sweet potato, yuca, jicama and rutabaga—with a hand picking up one fry and dipping sauces blurred in the background.
Veggie fries medley: sweet potato, yuca, jicama and rutabaga, for nights when you want all the crunch of fries with a little extra colour and variety on the MasalaMonk table.

Seasoned, Spiced, and Coated Fries

Once you’ve mastered the basics, it’s time to play with seasoned fries, homemade seasoned french fries, and light coatings for texture.

Basic seasoned Crispy Homemade French Fries

For a straightforward seasoned fries recipe, start with fresh, hot fries and toss them with:

  • Fine salt
  • Garlic powder
  • Onion powder
  • Smoked paprika
  • A pinch of black pepper or chili powder

This base mix instantly transforms simple french fries into something closer to best seasoned fries, and you can adjust the heat level to taste.

Top-down view of a wooden board with three piles of seasoned fries labeled Cajun, Garlic Herb and Smoky Paprika, each with a matching dipping sauce and a hand picking up a fry.
Seasoned fries three ways – Cajun, garlic herb and smoky paprika – so you can turn one batch of MasalaMonk fries into a full flavour tasting board.

Cajun and herby variations

To steer your fries toward cajun french fries, blend:

  • Paprika
  • Cayenne
  • Garlic powder
  • Oregano
  • Thyme
  • A bit of brown sugar and black pepper

Toss this through hot fries and you’ll have spicy, deeply flavored seasoned homemade fries that go especially well with tangy dips like tzatziki or yogurt-based sauces.

Alternatively, if you’d rather lean into herbs, use rosemary, thyme, cracked black pepper, and flaky salt. These herby seasoned french fries feel more rustic and pair beautifully with roast meats and vegetables.

Crispy coatings for Homemade French Fries

If you want french fries with crispy coating without turning them into full battered french fries, a light dusting of starch can help. After soaking and drying, toss the raw potato sticks in a spoonful of cornstarch or rice flour, shake off the excess, and then fry as usual. The coating makes subtle bubbles and ridges on the surface, giving you extra crispy fries that stay crunchy a little longer.

Also Read: Crock Pot Lasagna Soup (Easy Base + Cozy Slow-Cooker Recipes)

Cheesy, Loaded, and Fancy Fries

Now comes the most playful part: turning a bowl of fries into a full meal or an irresistible shareable plate.

Garlic parmesan fries

To create garlic parmesan french fries, start with a batch of hot, freshly fried fries.

  1. In a small pan, gently warm a bit of butter or olive oil with minced garlic until fragrant, not browned.
  2. Toss the hot fries with this garlic mixture.
  3. Add a handful of grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
  4. Season with salt and pepper as needed.

This same approach also works for simple parmesan french fries if you skip the garlic or for sweet french fries if you play with honey and chili flakes instead.

Recipe card showing garlic parmesan fries in a bowl with cheese being sprinkled on top, surrounded by garlic cloves and a parmesan wedge, plus serving and cook time details.
Buttery, garlicky parmesan fries piled high in a bowl – a MasalaMonk recipe card that highlights this extra-crispy variation, complete with prep and cook times for easy reference.

Chili cheese and carne asada fries

For fully loaded chili cheese french fries, layer:

  • A bed of crispy fries
  • A ladle of hot chili (vegetarian or meaty)
  • Grated cheddar or Monterey Jack
  • Jalapeños, scallions, maybe a drizzle of sour cream

Slide the whole thing under the broiler for a minute until the cheese melts. Suddenly, your crispy fries have become serious comfort food.

Recipe card showing chili cheese loaded fries in a cast iron skillet, topped with chili, melted cheese, jalapeños and sour cream, with serving and bake time details
Chili cheese loaded fries served in a cast iron skillet – a MasalaMonk recipe card for the ultimate comfort fry platter, complete with prep and bake times for easy game-night planning.

Similarly, carne asada french fries combine:

  • Fries
  • Chopped grilled steak
  • Pico de gallo or salsa
  • Guacamole
  • Sour cream or crema
  • Fresh coriander

They’re messy, delicious, and perfect for sharing.

Carne asada fries on a rectangular tray topped with grilled steak strips, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and cilantro, with hands squeezing lime and reaching for a fry.
Carne asada fries loaded with steak, salsa, guacamole and sour cream – a MasalaMonk feast that turns a simple tray of fries into a full-on meal.

Truffle and “fancy” fries

When you want fancy fries without too much effort, truffle french fries recipe style toppings make a big impression.

  • Toss hot fries with a little truffle oil (a few drops go a long way).
  • Add grated Parmesan and parsley.
  • Season with salt and cracked pepper.

Because truffle oil can dominate, it’s best used with neutral, simply salted fries rather than heavily seasoned ones.

If you’d like more ideas for dips and cheesy sides that pair well with loaded fries, MasalaMonk’s spinach dip collection and their buffalo chicken dip recipes offer plenty of inspiration. Both kinds of dip are excellent alongside loaded french fries or even spooned over the top.

Tall metal cup filled with truffle fries topped with parmesan and herbs, served on a dark plate with aioli, styled like an elegant restaurant snack.
Skinny truffle fries finished with parmesan, herbs and a side of aioli – a simple MasalaMonk twist that turns fries into a wine-bar style treat.

Sauces and Dips for Crispy Homemade French Fries

Good fries deserve good sauces. Beyond ketchup, you can easily mix and match flavors for your own french fry dip recipe collection.

Creamy dips

For creamy dipping sauce for french fries, try ideas like:

  • A simple garlic mayonnaise with lemon juice
  • A smoky paprika mayo
  • A yogurt-based dip with herbs and garlic

These work especially well with seasoned fries and cajun fries, where the spices already bring a lot of personality.

If you want to branch out further, the cool, garlicky punch of tzatziki is a great contrast to hot fries. A guide like MasalaMonk’s Greek tzatziki sauce recipes shows how versatile that sauce can be across different herbs and add-ins, and every version is happy to share a plate with crispy fries.

Four quick fries dipping sauces – garlic mayo, smoky ketchup, spicy mayo and herb yogurt – so you can switch up the flavour of every MasalaMonk fries night in minutes.
Four quick fries dipping sauces – garlic mayo, smoky ketchup, spicy mayo and herb yogurt – so you can switch up the flavour of every MasalaMonk fries night in minutes.

Cheesy and baked dips for Crispy Homemade French Fries

Meanwhile, cheesy dips make perfect companions to french fries loaded with toppings. Spinach and artichoke dip, hot cheese dips, or buffalo chicken dip can all sit in the center of a platter surrounded by straight cut french fries, curly french fries, or crinkle cut fries for dipping.

Because fries and rich dips can be quite substantial, you may find it useful to round out your menu with lighter but still indulgent favorites. Dishes like classic deviled eggs with variations or high-protein snacks and breakfasts, such as overnight oats recipes, help keep things balanced over the course of a day, even if dinner is definitely in “treat” territory.

What to Serve With Crispy Homemade French Fries

Rather than thinking of fries as an afterthought, you can build entire meals around them in a way that feels intentional and satisfying.

Classic comfort plates

On one hand, there’s the timeless pairing of chicken and french fries:

  • Grilled or fried chicken
  • Homemade fries (deep-fried, oven-baked, or air fried)
  • Coleslaw or a fresh salad

You can also swap chicken pieces for sandwiches. A platter of fries next to juicy sandwiches from a range like MasalaMonk’s chicken sandwich recipe collection makes a complete, crowd-pleasing spread.

For full comfort food mode, consider serving fries alongside creamy classics:

Those casseroles and bakes give you vegetables and dairy in forms people love, while the fries bring crunch and a salty edge to balance the creaminess.

Party spreads and grazing boards

For parties or movie nights, a fries-centric board can be a huge hit. You might:

  • Offer multiple shapes: thick cut fries, skinny fries, crinkle cut fries
  • Provide several seasonings: plain salted, cajun, garlic herb
  • Add bowls of dips: tzatziki, spinach dip, buffalo chicken dip, ketchup, mustard-based sauces

Alongside that, including a few extra nibbles from potato-focused ideas like MasalaMonk’s potato appetizers roundup keeps everyone happy without making fries the sole attraction.

Leftovers, Crispy Homemade French Fries, and Casseroles

Every now and then, you might find yourself with cooked fries left over. They won’t be as crisp the next day, but they are far from useless.

Turning fries into home fries

One option is to make a sort of shortcut home fries recipe:

  1. Chop leftover fries into bite-sized pieces.
  2. Heat a skillet with a spoon of oil or butter.
  3. Add onions or peppers if you like, then the chopped fries.
  4. Cook over medium-high heat until the edges crisp and the pieces heat through.
  5. Season again and serve with eggs for breakfast.

These cooking home fries from leftover fries are especially good with runny yolks or as part of a brunch plate.

Cast iron skillet filled with breakfast home fries made from chopped leftover fries, peppers and three fried eggs, served with coffee, toast and salsa
Turn last night’s fries into this cosy breakfast home fries skillet, topped with sunny-side eggs and peppers for an easy MasalaMonk-style brunch.

Casseroles with Crispy Homemade French Fries

Another route is to layer leftover fries into a bake:

  • Assemble a cheeseburger casserole with french fries: fries on the bottom, cooked ground meat or meat alternative, cheese, and pickles or onions, then bake until bubbly.
  • Create a riff on shepherd’s pie using fries as a topping instead of mashed potatoes.

These dishes aren’t traditional, but they’re a fun way to avoid waste and to reimagine fries in a new context.

Also Read: Coconut Water Cocktails: 10 Easy, Refreshing Drinks

Bringing It All Together

To sum everything up, making french fries at home doesn’t need to be complicated. You start with good potatoes, a sensible approach to oil and heat, and a simple french fries recipe that you can repeat without thinking too hard. From there, the world opens up: you can lean toward healthy potato fries most days, then indulge in deep-fried extra crispy french fries when the mood hits.

You’ve seen how to:

  • Choose between Russet and Yukon Gold for the best french fry potato
  • Use soaking, drying, and double frying to achieve reliably crispy homemade french fries
  • Swap in oven fries, air fryer fries, or veggie french fries like sweet potato, yuca, jicama, and rutabaga
  • Turn plain fries into seasoned fries, garlic parmesan fries, chili cheese fries, carne asada fries, and truffle fries
  • Build full meals and snack boards around fries with dips, casseroles, sandwiches, and brunch ideas

Whether you keep it simple with a plate of lightly salted fresh french fries, or go all out with a giant platter of loaded french fries recipe piled high with cheese and toppings, you now have the tools to make them taste the way you want, every time you crave them.

Also Read: Cottage Cheese Lasagna Recipe | Chicken, Spinach, & Ricotta

FAQs about Crispy Homemade French Fries

1. What is the best potato for crispy homemade french fries?

For truly crispy homemade french fries, starchy potatoes work best. Russet or Idaho potatoes are usually considered the best french fry potato because they have a high starch, low moisture content that turns fluffy inside and crisp outside after frying. Yukon Gold or other “gold” potatoes also make excellent golden potato french fries, although they come out a little creamier and denser. If you prefer extra crunch and light interiors, reach for Russets; if you like a richer bite, go for Yukon Golds.

2. How do I keep fries crispy and not soggy?

To keep fries crunchy instead of limp, several small steps matter. Dry the potatoes thoroughly after soaking so you’re not dropping water into the oil. Then, cook them twice: a gentle first fry to cook the potato through, followed by a hotter second fry that creates the crisp crust. Avoid crowding the pan, since too many fries at once will cool the oil and make everything greasy. Salt and season fresh french fries right after the second fry while they are still hot, and serve them soon so the crust stays crisp.

3. Why do recipes tell me to soak potatoes before frying?

Soaking sliced potatoes in cold water helps pull out surface starch, which can otherwise form a gummy coating and prevent crispy fries from developing. A soak of 20–30 minutes is usually enough for a simple french fries recipe. After soaking, draining and drying thoroughly is just as important. When excess starch and moisture are removed, the fries brown more evenly and stay crisp longer, which is essential for the crispiest french fries.

4. Can I make crispy homemade french fries without a deep fryer?

Yes, you absolutely can make homemade fries without a dedicated fryer. A deep, heavy pot or a sturdy frying pan works fine as long as you use enough oil to submerge the potatoes and maintain consistent heat. A thermometer helps you hit the right temperature range. In addition, you can make oven fries and air fryer fries with just a thin coating of oil if you’d rather skip deep-frying altogether. The technique changes slightly, yet you still end up with easy french fries that taste fantastic.

5. What is the best way to fry french fries for perfect results?

A classic double-fry method is often considered the best way to fry french fries. First, fry the potatoes at a lower temperature so they cook through without much color. Then, after a short rest, fry them again at higher heat so the outside turns crisp and golden. During both steps, keep the oil temperature steady and avoid crowding the pan. Using this approach, even a beginner can turn out perfect french fries from a straightforward easy french fries recipe.

6. How hot should the oil be for french fries?

For the first fry, aim for oil around 150–160°C (300–320°F). This lets the interior of the potato cook gently without the outside browning too quickly. For the second fry, raise the temperature to about 185–190°C (365–375°F). At this higher heat, the surface dries out and browns into a crisp shell. Keeping the oil in this range is one of the main secrets behind extra crispy french fries and prevents the fries from soaking up too much oil.

7. Can I make french fries without oil?

You can make french fries without oil in the strict sense by baking or air frying plain potato sticks, though they will taste more like roasted potatoes than true fries. More realistically, very small amounts of oil—just enough to lightly coat the potatoes—create healthy potato fries that still feel indulgent. Oven-baked oven fries 425 and air-fried potatoes both work well with only a teaspoon or two of oil per serving, especially when you add bold seasonings.

8. Are homemade fries healthier than fast food fries?

While fries are still an occasional treat, homemade fries can be a better option than many fast-food versions. You decide the portion size, which oil to use, and how much salt to add. You can also make french fries from fresh potatoes instead of relying on heavily processed products. If you alternate deep-fried batches with oven fries or air fryer homemade fries, and you pair them with protein and vegetables, french fry meals can fit more comfortably into a balanced way of eating.

9. What’s the difference between shoestring, thick cut, steak fries, and crinkle cut?

All these names refer mainly to shape and thickness. Shoestring fries and skinny fries are very thin and cook quickly, giving you lots of crunchy texture. Thick cut fries and steak fries are chunkier sticks or wedges with a soft, fluffy center. Crinkle cut french fries have wavy ridges that increase surface area and help hold onto sauce and seasoning. You can use the same basic french fries recipe for each style; just adjust cooking time so the inside cooks before the outside browns too much.

10. How do I make seasoned fries at home?

To make a seasoned fries recipe at home, start with freshly cooked, hot fries. Immediately toss them with salt, then add your favorite flavors. A simple mix might include garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, and black pepper. For cajun french fries, you can add cayenne, oregano, and thyme. If you prefer herby seasoned homemade fries, try rosemary, thyme, or mixed Italian herbs. Because you apply the spices while the fries are hot, they cling well and create deeply flavorful seasoned french fries.

11. How can I make fries extra crispy with a coating?

For french fries with crispy coating, a light starch layer helps. After soaking and drying the potatoes, toss them in a spoonful of cornstarch or rice flour until just lightly dusted. Shake off the excess, then fry using the usual two-step method. The starch forms tiny bubbles and ridges on the surface, leading to extra crispy fries. You still get the flavor of real potato fries, but with a more pronounced crunch that holds up better under sauces and toppings.

12. Can I make french fries in the air fryer from frozen?

Yes, air fryer frozen french fries are one of the easiest weeknight options. Place frozen fries in air fryer—whether they are shoestring, waffle, or steak-cut—in a single layer, set the temperature around 200°C / 400°F, and cook until they’re crisp and hot, shaking the basket once or twice. Many people look for the best frozen fries for air fryer because par-fried frozen fries crisp quickly and take well to extra seasonings. With this method, you still get satisfying crunch without using much additional oil.

13. Can I microwave french fries?

You can microwave fries, yet they rarely come out crisp. Microwave french fries tend to steam rather than brown, so they soften instead of staying crunchy. If you want to use the microwave, you can briefly pre-cook thick wedges or steak fries, then finish them in a hot oven, pan, or air fryer to reintroduce crispness. For reheating leftovers, a skillet or air fryer generally gives better results than the microwave alone.

14. How do I reheat leftover fries so they don’t turn floppy?

To revive fries, spread them in a single layer in a hot pan with a thin film of oil, or place them in a preheated air fryer basket. Heat until the outside becomes crisp again and the centers are warmed through. This method works for frozen fried potatoes, french fries and chips, or leftover home made fries from the day before. Reheating on a baking sheet in a hot oven also helps, though it may take slightly longer to recapture the original crunch.

15. How can I make fries healthier without losing too much flavor?

If you want healthier french fries without giving them up entirely, there are several strategies. Bake or air fry potato sticks with just a small amount of oil instead of deep-frying. Switch between white potatoes and alternatives like sweet potato french fries, yuca french fries, jicama french fries, or rutabaga french fries for more variety in fiber and nutrients. Additionally, serve your crispy homemade french fries as a side with lean protein, salads, or vegetable-rich dishes rather than pairing them only with other heavy foods.

16. What sauces go well with homemade fries?

Although ketchup is classic, homemade fries welcome a wide range of sauces. Garlic mayonnaise, mustard-based dips, smoky paprika mayo, yogurt-and-herb sauces, and spicy chili dips all pair beautifully with crispy fries. Cheese-based sauces turn simple fries into french fries loaded with flavor, while lighter dips like tzatziki give a refreshing contrast. By keeping a few favorite sauces on hand, you can turn one basic easy fries recipe into many different experiences just by changing what you serve alongside.