Vegan Sriracha Mayo
Vegan sriracha mayo is thick, creamy, spicy and a bit tangy and the perfect condiment or sauce to change up your usual meals! This healthy sriracha mayo is egg free, oil free and very easy to make! The best way to take your sandwiches, burgers or even fries to the next level!
Making your own vegan mayo at home helps you control the spice levels and control the quality of the ingredients!
Why you will love this recipe
Easy to make – this recipe comes together in just a few minutes in the blender. All you need is a little patience to soak the cashews and the rest is so simple!
Simple, healthy ingredients – this vegan sriracha mayo is made with a base of cashews instead of vegan mayo. I don’t keep vegan mayo on hand but always have cashews in the freezer, so this is my go-to method when I’m craving something thick, creamy and spicy! You probably have everything you need to make this spicy vegan mayo in your pantry/fridge right now!
Fun way to change up your usual meals – add some spice to your favorite meals to change the entire vibe. Perfect on sandwiches, burgers, wraps, as a dip for raw or roasted veggies or even as a spicy sauce for tacos or sushi! If you love this spicy vegan mayo, check out my vegan chipotle mayo recipe too!
Great for meal prep – this vegan sriracha mayonnaise lasts about a week in the fridge and has so many uses! You can use it in lots of ways throughout the week including making chickpea salads, tuna salads, egg salads or chicken salads with a spicy twist!
Ingredients
Cashews + water – raw cashews work best for this recipe, but you can also use roasted if that is all you have on hand. The cashews soak in hot water and soften, making them the perfect base for this spicy vegan sriracha mayo recipe. If you need tips on how to soak cashews, check out the 4 best ways below! You can also make this without cashews if you need this recipe to be nut free. Hemp hearts and sunflower seeds will also work great in this recipe.
Sriracha sauce – sriracha sauce is a spicy condiment made from ground red chili peppers, sugar, garlic, salt, and vinegar. You can find sriracha in most stores and it’s a great way to add spice to any meal. You can even find Whole30 compliant sriracha that is sweetened with dates, so there is no reason not to love this spicy sriracha mayo recipe!
Lime juice – lime juice adds that tangy punch that you are looking for in mayonnaise. It also pairs well with the sriracha. You could also use lemon juice or even rice wine vinegar if you don’t have lime juice on hand.
Spices: Salt and garlic powder – these help to the vegan sriracha mayo pop in flavor. The salt enhances the flavors, and the garlic powder provides some umami. You could also use fresh garlic but it can be very harsh when it’s raw, so I prefer garlic powder.
How to make vegan sriracha mayo
Start by soaking the cashews. My go-to method for soaking cashews is to bring water to a boil in the electric kettle then pour it over the cashews. Let the cashews sit for 5-10 minutes then drain the cashews. Discard the water.
Once cashews have soaked and the water has been discarded, add the cashews, fresh water, sriracha, lime juice, salt and garlic powder to the blender.
Blend on high for at least 1 minute. I use a bullet style blender for this. You may need to double the recipe for a Vitamix or larger blender to ensure that there is enough volume to mix properly.
Store the leftover vegan sriracha mayonnaise in a well-sealed jar for up to a week. Stir before using.
Top tips
- Be sure to soak the cashews so they blend easily (check out the tips on how to soak cashews below). Even if you are using a high speed blender, I always recommend soaking the cashews to get the creamiest mayo in the least time.
- If you want to make this with store bought mayo, simply omit the cashews and the water, and combine the ingredients in a jar.
- This creamy spicy mayo will thicken as it sits in the fridge, because it is made with cashews. If it gets too thick, you can thin it out by adding water 1-2 teaspoons at a time.
- If you are using a large blender like Vitamix, you may need to double the recipe to ensure that there is enough volume to mix properly (as I use a high speed bullet style blender to make my sauces).
Modifications to this spicy mayo
Make it spicier: Add more sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes
Make it tangier: Add more lime juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar
Make it sweeter: Add 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup or a teaspoon of coconut sugar
Ways to use vegan sriracha mayonnaise
- As a dip for fries, sweet potato tots, butternut squash cubes, roasted brussels sprouts or roasted radishes
- On sandwiches, wraps, burgers or falafel
- In chickpea salad, egg salad, chicken salad, tuna salad
- As dressing for coleslaw (add the juice of another lime and a pinch of salt)
- On tacos, fajitas or burrito bowls to add a creamy spicy sauce
- As spicy mayo for homemade sushi or sushi bowls
Common questions
Is mayonnaise vegan?
Most mayonnaise is made with egg yolks as the base, so most store-bought recipes are not vegan.
You can find vegan mayo at the grocery store but many of the brands available use canola oil (which I avoid as it can cause inflammation) or are filled with gums for thickening the mayo.
If you have a vegan, egg free mayo that you love, you can simply omit the cashews and the water and follow the rest of the instructions, using about ½ cup of vegan mayo.
Is all sriracha vegan?
The base ingredients to sriracha (ground red chili peppers, sugar, garlic, salt, vinegar, xanthan gum) are vegan. Some brands add things like fish sauce or even shrimp, so it’s important to check the ingredient list.
It’s important to note that in my research I found that not all sugar used in making sriracha is considered vegan. Many times, sugar is processed using bone char, which makes the sugar technically not vegan. To avoid this, find a brand of sriracha that uses organic sugar, as organic sugar cannot be processed this way, and is vegan.
You can also find sriracha brands that use other natural sweeteners like agave, dates or even raisins that would be vegan as well.
One of my go-to brands of sriracha is Yellowbird that uses dates to sweeten the sriracha. It’s also Whole30 friendly, which would make this recipe Whole30 compliant as well.
What if you don’t have sriracha on hand?
You can also make this recipe with your favorite hot sauce in place of the sriracha.
Can you use cashew butter instead?
Yes 1 cup of cashews = about 1/2 cup of cashew butter so you would need about 1/4 cup cashew butter with 1/4 cup water to make this recipe.
Is this the same as yum yum sauce?
No. Yum yum sauce is less spicy and is slightly sweeter than sriracha mayo. Both sauces are traditionally made with a mayonnaise base though.
To make this more like yum yum sauce, reduce the sriracha to 1 tablespoon and add 1 tablespoon of maple syrup.
How to soak cashews
This recipe calls for you to soak the cashews before blending them. This helps to ensure the cashews are softened and will help to create the creamiest sauce when blended. Here are my top 4 ways to soak cashews:
- Pour boiling water over top – this is my go-to method, as it’s easy to do with an electric kettle. Once the water has come up to a boil, pour it over the cashews and let them soak at least 5 minutes.
- Add to pot with water, bring to a boil – If you don’t have an electric kettle, you can add the cashews and water to a pot and bring it to a boil. Boil 2-3 minutes then allow to cool at least 5 minutes before using the cashews.
- Microwave – Add the cashews to a large cup or bowl. Add just enough water to cover the cashews. Microwave for 1:30-2 minutes. Allow the cashews to rest in the microwave at least 5 minutes. Remove carefully with oven mitts (this can get really hot).
- Countertop – add water to a bowl or glass with cashews. Leave out on the counter for 8 hours to soften the cashews. If you plan on leaving them out longer to soak, put them in the fridge.
Storing vegan sriracha mayo
Fridge: Store the creamy spicy vegan sriracha mayo in the fridge for up to a week in a well-sealed container.
Freezer: Freeze leftover mayo in the freezer for up to 3 months. I would encourage you to use a silicone ice tray to portion out 1-2 tablespoon servings when freezing. This way you only have to defrost what you need. Be sure to store in a freezer safe bag with a label on the bag indicating the name, date and use by date.
Substitutions
- Cashews – raw cashews are best, as they blend up very easily and don’t have a strong flavor. You can also use roasted cashews (be sure to soak these). To make this nut free (or if you don’t have cashews), you can also use hemp hearts (no need to soak) or raw sunflower seeds (these do need to soak). Both hemp hearts and sunflower seeds can be slightly bitter when blended, so you may need to add 1-2 teaspoons of maple syrup to offset that bitter taste.
- Sriracha – you can find sriracha at most grocery stores or online. If you don’t have sriracha on hand, you can use your favorite hot sauce in place of the sriracha.
- Lime juice – lime juice helps to elevate the flavor of the mayo and make the chili flavor even more prominent. You can also use lemon juice or even rice wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar (1-2 tablespoons).
- Spices: Salt and garlic powder – if you are sensitive to salt, you can omit it, but it really does help to elevate the flavors. You can use fresh garlic (1-2 cloves) finely minced in place of the garlic powder, however the flavor will be more garlic forward, as the fresh garlic can easily overpower the sauce. You could also use onion powder or dried chives (1/2 tablespoon) in place of the garlic powder.
If you love this recipe, you should try
Vegan Sriracha Mayo
$1.51 Recipe/$0.25 ServingIngredients
- 1/2 cup cashews - $0.93
- 1/4 cup water - $0.00
- 2 tbsp sriracha - $0.18
- 1 medium lime, juiced - $0.33
- 1/2 tsp sea salt - $0.02
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder - $0.05
Instructions
- Soak the cashews. Pour hot water (boiling water) over the cashews. Soak 5 minutes, then drain the water and discard it.
- Add soaked, drained cashews, water, sriracha, lime juice, salt, garlic powder to a high speed blender.
- Blend on high for 1 minute until creamy.
Equipment
Notes
- Be sure to soak the cashews so they blend easily (check out the tips on how to soak cashews in the post). Even if you are using a high speed blender, I always recommend soaking the cashews to get the creamiest mayo in the least time.
- If you want to make this with store bought mayo, simply omit the cashews and the water, and combine the ingredients in a jar.
- This creamy spicy mayo will thicken as it sits in the fridge, because it is made with cashews. If it gets too thick, you can thin it out by adding water 1-2 teaspoons at a time.
- If you are using a large blender like Vitamix, you may need to double the recipe to ensure that there is enough volume to mix properly (as I use a high speed bullet style blender to make my sauces).
- Make it spicier: Add more sriracha or crushed red pepper flakes
- Make it tangier: Add more lime juice or a splash of apple cider vinegar
- Make it sweeter: Add 1-2 teaspoons maple syrup or a teaspoon of coconut sugar
