Vegan Spicy Mayo
This vegan cashew spicy mayo is easy to make and amazing with sushi, fries, burgers, wraps, rice bowls and more.

Recipe Features
- contains no oil or mayo – instead it’s made with cashews!
- vegan and can be gluten-free – works for those with dietary restrictions
- versatile – use as a dip, spread or sauce
What You’ll Need

- cashews – use plain, raw cashews with no added oil or salt
- lime or rice wine vinegar – both work well for the acidity
- maple syrup – a touch of natural sweetness to balance the acid, you can also use agave
- soy sauce – use light soy sauce or if needed, gluten-free tamari
- sriracha – easy to find in well-stocked grocery stores or Asian grocery stores, look for the red sauce with the green tip lid
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1. Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with a couple inches of water. Soak for at least 8 hours up to overnight then drain and rinse well.


Step 2. Add the soaked and drained cashews and the rest of the ingredients to a blender. Start blending on low and then slowly increase speed until the mixture is smooth and creamy. You may need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides.


Transfer the mixture to a bowl or container and serve right away or store for later!

Notes and Tips
- Soaking: If you’re in a pinch and have a high-speed blender, you can skip the soaking for the smoothest result, I still recommend soaking at least 4 hours for a high-speed blended and 8 hours for a regular blender.
- Quick Soak: If you’re short on time you can boil the cashews for 10 minutes rather than soaking.
- Serving: Serve as a dip for sushi, sweet potato or regular fries, a spread for sandwiches, burgers, buns and wraps or sauce for rice and noodle bowls.

How to Store
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
- Freezer: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Quick Tip: Freeze any leftovers in an ice cube tray then transfered to a freezer-safe bag or container for up to 3 months. Perfect if you just want to thaw a couple tablespoons at at time!
Related Recipes
- Vegan Sushi Bowls
- Oil-Free Baked Fries
- Vegan Caesar Dressing
- Almond Satay Sauce
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Burgers
Did you try this recipe?
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I’d love to hear about it! Click here to leave a review and be sure to tag me @runningonrealfood if you post it on social media.

Vegan Spicy Mayo
- Prep Time: 8 hours
- Total Time: 8 hours
- Yield: 3/4 cup
- Category: Sauce
- Method: Blender
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan spicy mayo contains no mayo, it’s made with cashews instead! You’ll love this spicy dip with sushi, rice, burgers, wraps, bowls and more.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup raw cashews
- 5 tbsp water, plus more as needed to adjust consistency
- 1 tbsp lime juice or rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
- 1 tbsp + 1 tsp sriracha sauce
Instructions
- Place the cashews in a bowl and cover with water. Soak for at least 8 hours up to overnight. When ready to make the mayo, drain and rinse well
- Add the drained, soaked cashews to a blender with the rest of the ingredients. Start blending on low then slowly increase speed and blend on high until smooth and creamy. You may need to stop a few times to scrape down the sides.
- Transfer the mayo to a container and serve right away or store for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Notes
Soaking: If you’re in a pinch and have a high-speed blender, you can skip the soaking for the smoothest result, I still recommend soaking at least 4 hours for a high-speed blended and 8 hours for a regular blender.
Quick Soak: If you’re short on time you can boil the cashews for 10 minutes rather than soaking.
Serving: Serve as a dip for sushi, sweet potato or regular fries, a spread for sandwiches, burgers, buns and wraps or sauce for rice and noodle bowls.
Storage: Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 months. For single-servings, try freezing in an ice cube tray then transferring to a bag or container so you can small servings from the freezer as needed.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 116
- Sugar: 3.6 g
- Sodium: 364 mg
- Fat: 8.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.6 g
- Fiber: 0.7 g
- Protein: 3.5 g
Keywords: vegan spicy mayo, spicy mayo recipe, vegan sriracha mayo
Do you have any suggestions of another sauce to add if you want flavor but not spicy? I have a vegan daughter who usually doesn’t like sauces and doesn’t even like a mild kick to things. Thanks!
You can just leave out the Sriracha if you don’t want it spicy. Otherwise, maybe some
sweet chili sauce or ketchup.
I was soaking cashews to make some cheese. When Deryn posted this on instagram this afternoon I knew I had to make it. So glad I did! I ended up doubling the recipe since I had that amount of cashews soaking and used coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. It’s awesome!! You could use this magic sauce on anything. Thank you for another super simple, great tasting recipe!
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Made this as part of the sushi bowl recipe and it is SO yummy!
★★★★★
Im obsessed with this sauce! I didn’t know cashews could taste like this! I love putting this on my “sushi” bowls and I always make double because my husband also loves it. Personally, I think it’s better than actual spicy mayo. I’ve made it multiple times and am never disappointed 🙂
★★★★★
I’ve now made this three times in one month. I look for any excuse to put it on something. Delicious and easy to make.
★★★★★
Made this on recommendation from your sushi bowls. It is sooo good. I’m obsessed haha. I didn’t even soak the cashews, just added everything to Vitamix and it worked great. Can’t wait to try this with baked fries!!
★★★★★