The Hungry Canary

Ingredient reference · Substitutions

Mayonnaise & Its Substitutes

Choose a replacement for the job mayonnaise is doing in your recipe.

The Hungry Canary · Reference prepared September 7, 2026

Find a Substitute

What It Does

Mayonnaise brings richness, tang and a creamy coating to food. It is an emulsion: tiny droplets of oil held in a water-based mixture, traditionally with egg helping keep the mixture together. That is why plain oil alone does not give the same result.

In a sandwich it spreads; in a cold salad it coats and binds the ingredients; in a baked topping it contributes richness and helps carry seasonings. A replacement that works in one setting may behave differently in another.

From our kitchen

The Chicken That Started This

Our Melt in Your Mouth Chicken uses 1 cup sour cream (about 240 mL) in the topping, mixed with Parmesan, sea salt and black pepper. This is the household’s recorded adaptation after mayonnaise and garlic were removed.

Use that complete recipe for its amounts and cooking method. The successful swap belongs to that particular topping; it is not proof that sour cream replaces mayonnaise in every recipe.

Read why the recipe changed →

What · How much · How to use it

Choose by Use

Amounts below are by volume. The chicken example is documented in our recipe; the cold-food amounts are starting points to adjust for texture and taste.

Sour cream

For our Parmesan chicken topping

Amount
1 cup / about 240 mL, as written in our chicken recipe.
Method
Mix with the recipe’s Parmesan and seasonings, spread over the chicken, and follow that recipe’s baking instructions.
What changes
The topping uses cultured dairy for creaminess and tang. It will not have the same fat-and-water balance as mayonnaise.
Check
Contains milk. The Parmesan also contains milk.

Plain Greek yogurt

For a cold salad or creamy dip

Starting amount
Try the same volume: 1 tablespoon yogurt for 1 tablespoon mayonnaise, or ½ cup for ½ cup.
Method
Use plain, unsweetened yogurt. Fold it in gradually and check the coating before adding all of it. Taste before adding extra lemon juice or vinegar.
What changes
Expect a tangier result; thickness varies by product. This is a practical starting point, not a tested ratio for every salad or a recommendation for cakes and hot sauces.
Check
Contains milk. Changing the dressing does not remove allergens elsewhere in the dish.

Chobani demonstrates Greek yogurt as a mayonnaise alternative in a cold egg salad. The starting ratio above is editorial guidance, not a quoted manufacturer formula.

Egg-free mayonnaise-style spread

For sandwiches and cold dressings

Starting amount
Start with the same volume as the mayonnaise in the recipe.
Method
Spread or mix in gradually, then adjust seasoning and consistency. For baked dishes, use a recipe or product guidance that supports heating that particular spread.
What changes
Flavor, thickness and behavior depend on the formulation. Check the actual product rather than assuming every plant-based spread is the same.
Check
Read the full label for your allergens and any cross-contact information.

When a Simple Swap Is Not Enough

For mayonnaise cakes, cooked sauces and other recipes where the balance of fat, water and egg matters, choose a recipe developed for the replacement. Do not carry the cold-salad ratios into those recipes unchanged.

If the mixture is too loose, stop adding the substitute. If it is too tangy, hold back additional acid. Adjust a small portion first so you can judge the result before changing the whole batch.

Allergens & Labels

Traditional mayonnaise contains egg. Sour cream and dairy Greek yogurt contain milk. Removing mayonnaise does not make an entire recipe egg-free or safe for another allergy.

Read the ingredient list each time you buy a product. A “Contains” statement is useful, but it is not a list of every possible allergen; for an allium allergy, check ingredients such as garlic and onion too, and ask the manufacturer when wording is unclear. Consider cross-contact as well. FDA: Food Allergies.

Choosing & Storing

Choose plain, unflavored products when you want control over seasonings. Check ingredients and package instructions before buying, especially when switching brands.

Follow the storage and use-after-opening directions on the product you actually use. Refrigerate dairy substitutes as directed. A finished chicken dish or salad does not inherit the shelf life of an unopened mayonnaise jar.

Compare the actual serving

Nutrition Changes Too

As one product example, Hellmann’s U.S. Real Mayonnaise lists 90 calories, 10 g fat and 90 mg sodium per tablespoon (13 g). These numbers are not a universal mayonnaise value. Manufacturer nutrition information.

Compare the same amount of your replacement on its own label, including calories, fat, protein, carbohydrate and sodium. Recalculate the finished recipe when you change an ingredient; the original nutrition figures no longer describe the new version exactly.

Before You Substitute