Vegan chipotle mayo combines spicy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce with creamy vegan mayo, buttery avocado, and a pop of freshness from lime juice and cilantro. This zesty sauce is perfect to use for tacos, enchiladas, burrito bowls, or as a veggie burger sauce. It’s naturally gluten-free with an oil-free option included.
Once you taste this zesty, spicy, creamy vegan mayo, you’re going to want to put it on everything! Chipotle peppers add the perfect amount of zing and delicious flavor to any dish! From crispy (oil-free) baked tofu tacos and black bean burritos to jackfruit enchiladas and lentil crunchwraps, vegan chipotle mayo is the perfect condiment to put on everything!
Besides tasting delicious, this creamy chipotle sauce recipe is beyond simple to make in about 5 minutes and you can enjoy it in so many different ways!
What is Chipotle Mayo Made of?
This creamy chipotle mayo is made of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, vegenaise, avocado, lime juice, garlic, salt, and fresh cilantro. It’s the perfect zesty combination to create an addicting sauce that you’ll want to put on everything!
How to Make Vegan Chipotle Mayo
This vegan chipotle mayo recipe is extremely easy to make! All you have to do is put the chipotle pepper, avocado, vegan mayo, lime juice, fresh cilantro, garlic, and salt into a small blender cup and blend until smooth and creamy. That’s it!
How Long Does it Last in the Refrigerator?
Store the mayo in a small container with a lid so it’s airtight. It should last 5-7 days if stored properly in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze it?
If you make this spicy mayo with vegenaise, you can’t freeze it. Vegenaise doesn’t freeze well. Once you defrost it, the consistency and color change and it doesn’t taste the same. If you use vegan yogurt or cashews instead, you can freeze the mayo for 4-6 months. Learn more about freezing chipotle peppers, here.
Ways to Enjoy this Recipe
You can use this vegan chipotle mayo in so many delicious ways! It’s not just a sandwich spread, you can also use it to make the following recipes:
- Chipotle Taco Salad: Make a zesty taco salad filled with crisp romaine lettuce, juicy tomatoes, roasted corn, shredded vegan cheddar cheese, diced red onions, and black beans. Add 1-2 tbsp of water to the mayo to thin it out and make it more of a vegan chipotle dressing. Then you can toss the salad with the dressing so it coats every nook and cranny, and then add a scoop of guacamole on top. You could even serve it in a taco shell bowl if you have tortillas!
- Spicy Chipotle Pasta: Add 1 cup of the hot pasta water to the chipotle mayo to thin it out a little bit and then mix the creamy chipotle sauce with 8 ounces of hot cooked noodles. Add all of the pasta ingredients (black beans, corn, etc.) from this vegan taco pasta recipe (except for the sauce) for a quick and easy dinner.
- Burrito Bowl Dressing: Add 1-2 tbsp of water to the mayo to make it more of a vegan chipotle sauce and then drizzle the sauce over a burrito bowl for a spicy kick!
- French Fry Dip: Trust me on this one, this vegan spicy mayo makes a delicious dip for hot and crispy french fries and it packs a punch!
- Grilled Corn: Add 1-2 tbsp of water to the mayo to thin the sauce and then put it in a squeezy bottle so you can easily drizzle it over ears of freshly grilled corn and top it with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. It’s the perfect summer side dish!
- Veggie Burgers: Chipotle vegenaise makes the perfect spread for veggie burgers, it adds so much flavor!
Notes & Substitutions
- Chipotle Substitution: If you don’t have canned chipotles in adobo sauce on hand, you can substitute 1/2 tsp chipotle powder + 1 tsp smoked paprika + 1/4 tsp ground cumin. Learn more about chipotle pepper substitutions, here.
- Vegenaise Substitution: You can use unsweetened vegan yogurt (I like Kite Hill unsweetened plain greek yogurt) or vegan sour cream. You could also substitute 1/2 cup of soaked raw cashews + 1/2 cup of water instead of vegenaise.
- It’s Too Spicy, What do I do? If the mayo is too spicy for you, you can add 1-2 tsp of maple syrup to the sauce to balance the heat and make it taste less spicy.
- Leftover Chipotle Peppers: You can use the adobo sauce to make these delicious jackfruit tacos. To store the peppers, use an ice cube tray to portion 1-2 peppers with a little bit of sauce in each compartment and then freeze it. Then transfer the frozen chipotle pepper cubes to a reusable silicone bag so you can grab one cube at a time when you’re cooking.
- Ways to Use the Rest of the Cilantro: You only need 1/4 cup of roughly chopped cilantro, you could use the rest of the fresh cilantro to make cilantro lime salsa or watermelon fruit salsa.
Success Tips
- Chipotle peppers are very spicy, so start with one pepper and taste it before you add a second pepper. You can always add more heat but you can’t take it away.
- You can use a food processor to make the mayo, but I prefer to use a blender because it makes the texture extra smooth and creamy.
- Store the creamy chipotle mayo in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
More Vegan Sauce Recipes You’ll Love!
Vegan Avocado Chipotle Mayo
Equipment
- Blender
- Small Blender Cup
Ingredients
- 1 cup organic original vegenaise (or Kite Hill unsweetened plain greek yogurt)
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1/2 medium avocado
- 1 small garlic clove
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 1-2 tbsp water
- 1/8 tsp himalayan pink sea salt more to taste
Instructions
- Add the vegenaise, chipotle peppers, avocado, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, water, and salt to a small blender cup. Blend the mayo until it's smooth and creamy. The mixture will be thick. If it's too thick, add more water 1 tbsp at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.
- You can enjoy the chipotle mayo immediately or put it in the fridge to chill for 1 hour. Store the mayo in a small container with a lid for 1-2 weeks.
Notes
- Allergy Notes: This recipe is naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. You can make it oil-free by using oil-free vegan yogurt (I like Kite Hill unsweetened plain greek yogurt) or you can make the vegan mayo homemade.
- Chipotle peppers are very spicy, so start with one pepper and taste it before you add a second pepper. You can always add more heat but you can't take it away.
- You can use a food processor to make the mayo, but I prefer to use a blender because it makes the texture extra smooth and creamy.
- Store the mayo in an airtight container in the fridge for 5-7 days.
Nutrition
*This recipe was originally shared on 7/21/15, but I updated it with better recipe instructions on 6/11/20.
