Vegan Chipotle Mayo
Chipotle mayo sauce is the perfect spicy sauce to add flavor and excitement to any meal!
This creamy, smoky, spicy sauce is so easy to make and will add a fun Mexican flair to any dish! Use this vegan chipotle mayo on tacos, sandwiches, pitas, or salads to take them to the next level!
Why you will love this recipe
This creamy vegan chipotle mayonnaise is made with just 5 ingredients and goes with just about anything savory! Once you make this you are going to want to always have a jar of it in the fridge.
Vegan cashew mayo is thick, creamy and a bit tangy. The spicy kick comes from canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. These are easy to find in almost any grocery store and take this vegan mayo to the next level!
This chipotle mayo sauce is egg free and dairy free and is made with cashews! This means that it’s vegan friendly but also Whole30 and keto friendly as well!
Make this chipotle vegan mayo to dip your French fries, to add heat to your favorite veggie burger, burger, sandwich or wrap or take your Mexican food up a notch!
Ingredients
- Raw Cashews – raw cashews are best for this recipe because they get smooth and creamy after soaking them. If you cannot find raw cashews, you can use roasted, just know they might need some extra time in the blender to get smooth.
- Chipotle in adobo sauce – these chipotles are spicy! Chipotle peppers are jalapenos that are smoked and packed in a zesty adobo sauce to preserve the peppers. These peppers can vary in size and are spicy! If you don’t love spice, you may want to cut down the peppers (you can always add more).
- Lime juice – the lime juice helps to heighten the flavor and cut through some of the spice from the peppers. You could also use lemon juice or apple cider vinegar in place of lime juice.
- Spices: Salt, garlic powder – These help to elevate the flavors and add some umami.
Step by step instructions
Start by soaking the cashews. I typically just pour boiling water from the kettle over them and soak for 5 minutes.
Once the cashews have been soaking long enough, drain the water and discard the soaking water.
Add all the ingredients to the blender and blend on high at least 1 minute. I use a bullet blender to ensure the cashews can get pulverized.
Once smooth, you can use the mayo immediately or store it in the fridge for up to a week.
Top tips
- I find that using a bullet style blender is best for making sauces with soaked cashews (unless you are making a huge batch). This is because larger blenders need more volume to really be effective. If you are blending more than 1 cup of cashews, a regular blender could be great. Anything under 1 cup of cashews, I would recommend a bullet blender.
- Be sure to soak the cashews before blending. Soaking cashews is important to get the texture you are looking for with mayo.
- Freeze leftover chipotle in adobo in 1 or 2 pepper ice cubes. Never waste a can again! Once frozen, you can transfer the cubes to a freezer safe bag and add them 1-2 at a time to future recipes.
Vegan Chipotle Mayo
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- 2 chipotle in adobo, no sauce
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions
- Soak cashews in fresh water (see notes below on tips on how to soak cashews).1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked
- Drain the water from the cashews after soaking.
- Add the soaked cashews, water, chipotle peppers, lime juice, salt and garlic powder to a high speed blender. I like to use a bullet style blender.1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked, 1/4 cup water, 1 medium lime, juiced, 2 chipotle in adobo, no sauce, 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- Blend on high 1 minute until smooth.
Equipment
Recipe Notes
- Countertop: Soak on the counter 8-12 hours.
- Boil: Boil on the stove 2-3 minutes.
- Microwave: 2-3 minutes in a large container.
- Soak in boiling water: 5-10 minutes.
Nutrition Information
What to serve this with
Once you try this vegan chipotle mayo, you are going to want to serve it with everything. Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:
- As a dip for fries, sweet potato fries, delicata squash fries or carrot fries.
- Drizzled over tacos, fish tacos, burritos and taco salads.
- As a sauce for burgers, veggie burgers, sandwiches and wraps.
- Over grain bowls, rice bowls, buddha bowls to add a ton of flavor.
- As a dip for roasted veggies (cauliflower, brussel sprouts, broccoli, green beans) or for fresh veggies (bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, broccoli).
FAQ’s
What kind of cashews to use
The recipe calls for raw cashews (whole or in pieces). These have a neutral (almost sweet flavor) and have not been roasted or salted.
If you only have roasted cashews, soak them longer, as they are tougher than raw cashews.
Note: if you use roasted and salted cashews, you will likely want to reduce the amount of salt in the recipe since the salted cashews will add salt to the recipe even after you discard the water.
Storage
The chipotle vegan mayonnaise can be store in the fridge for up to a week in an airtight container.
This sauce can also be frozen for up to 3 months, however the texture may not be the same after freezing. I would recommend that you freeze in 2 tablespoon servings so you could grab a serving or 2 at a time.
Substitutions
- Cashews: If you cannot tolerate cashews, you could also use raw shelled sunflower seeds (soaked) or hemp hearts (no soaking needed). You could also opt to use a prepared mayonnaise in place of the cashews and most of the water. You will want about ½ cup of mayo.
- Chipotle in adobo: You could also use chipotle powder in place of the canned chipotle in adobo sauce. You will need about ½ teaspoon for every ½ cup of cashews you use.
