Easy Basil Aioli

You’ll want to use this amazing basil aioli for everything! It’s quick and easy to make and showcases that fresh, peppery green herb.

Here’s a dip and spread you’ll want to use for just about anything: Basil Aioli! This rich, creamy spread is great when you have a lot of summer basil: or whenever you’re craving a nice fresh taste! This basil aioli is packed with peppery herbal flavors: the perfect dip for chips or as a spread. It’s so easy to make: it only takes a handful of ingredients and 5 minutes. Let’s make aioli!

What is aioli?

First things first: what is aioli? Aioli is a Mediterranean sauce that originated in southern France and is eaten throughout France and Spain. It’s popular all over the world now! A traditional aioli is made from garlic mixed in a mortar and pestle with egg yolk, lemon juice or vinegar and olive oil. It is very similar to mayonnaise, which is made with canola oil and no garlic.

Since the 1990s, people in the United States have called any flavored mayonnaise “aioli.” Often the aioli you find in restaurants or grocery stores is actually mayonnaise. Because of this, most aioli recipes use mayonnaise as the base, like these mayo aioli. It makes things easier and you can avoid using an egg yolk. (If you want to do it the classic way, go to this aioli recipe.)

Ingredients for basil aioli

However, we’re making these basil aioli with mayonnaise instead of the traditional way. This makes it quick and easy to whip up. You don’t even need a blender or food processor! Here are the ingredients for the basil aioli:

• basil
• Garlic
• white wine vinegar or lemon juice
• yellow mustard
• High quality mayonnaise

How to Make Basil Aioli (Whisk vs. Food Processor)

There are two methods you can use to make these basil aioli! Here’s what you need to know:

• Main method: whipped cream. All you need for these basil aioli is 5 minutes and a good, sharp knife. You will chop the garlic as finely as possible, then do the same with the basil. Then slap it all together!
• Another method: food processor. If you prefer, you can also use a food processor to prepare these aioli. It will come out with a lighter green color. If you go, well… consider making the pesto aioli (see below).

Variant: pesto aioli!

Our favorite variant of the basil aioli: Pesto aioli! The pesto aioli adds parmesan cheese and has an even grassier Italian flavor. You need these ingredients for the pesto aioli:

• Garlic
• basil
• parmesan cheese
• lemon juice
• High quality mayonnaise

You will simply puree all this in a food processor until a green sauce forms. Go to How to Make Pesto Aioli.

Make it vegan!

This basil aioli is easy to make into a vegan spread. Vegan mayonnaise is fairly easy to find at the grocery store or online. Grab a bottle of your favorite vegan mayonnaise and make a plant-based version! One brand we love is Sir Kensington’s vegan mayonnaise, made with aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas).

Aioli Storage

Store these basil aioli in a covered container in the refrigerator. It’s at its best after 1 week, but you can store it for up to 2 weeks without losing flavor. The following batch will make a small amount, so it’s likely you’ll use it up before it spoils.

Ways to use basil aioli

There are so many ways to use this creamy basil aioli! Here are some of our favorite ideas:

This basil aioli recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten free. For vegans, plant-based and dairy-free, use vegan mayonnaise.

More basil recipes

Summer is all about that peppery green weed! Basil is the herb we cook with the most during the summer. Here are our best basil recipes:

• Best Basil Pesto The best way to use up a boatload of fresh basil? The pesto of course! Here’s our best basil pesto recipe, made the classic Italian way. Also try: vegan pesto or cashew pesto.
• Basil Sauce or Fresh Basil Vinaigrette Drizzle this sauce over everything! It’s grassy, ​​garlicky, and bright green: like pesto without the cheese or nuts.
• Easy Tomato Basil Soup In under 30 minutes you’ll have a classic plant-based soup with rich basil flavor.
• Caprese Salad There’s nothing like an amazing Caprese Salad! Combine perfectly ripe, juicy tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and peppery basil.