What Is Mayonnaise, fat free and How Can I Use It?

If mayonnaise, fat free has turned up in a recipe or caught your eye at the store, here's what you need to use it with confidence and how to choose it, cook it, store it, what to substitute, and 71 recipes to try it in.

What is mayonnaise, fat free?

Fat-free mayonnaise contains no oil at all. Its body comes from water bound with starches and gums like modified food starch and xanthan, so it is technically not a true emulsion, just a thickened gel made to look and spread like mayonnaise.

That swap drops it to a few calories per tablespoon, far below either regular or light mayonnaise. For what mayonnaise actually is and why the oil matters, see mayonnaise.

How It Behaves

Texture is the giveaway. Fat-free mayo is gel-like and a little slick rather than rich, and the flavor leans tart and faintly sweet because there is no oil to soften it.

Use it cold and use it lightly, as a thin binder in dishes like Curry Chicken Spread or a low-calorie dressing in Apple Celery & Walnut Salad.

Do not cook with it. With no oil and a starch-and-gum base, it weeps and turns watery under heat, so keep it out of casseroles and hot sauces.

Buying and Storing

Refrigerate after opening and use within about two months, always with a clean spoon.

Check the label too. Some brands still rely on the same pasteurized egg and acid as regular mayonnaise for safety and flavor, despite carrying no oil.

Nutrition

Quick facts

Food group: Mayonnaise, fat free is a member of the Fats and Oils US Department of Agriculture nutritional food group.

In Chinese

蛋黄酱，不含脂肪

British (UK) term

Mayonnaise, fat free

en français

mayonnaise, sans gras

en español

mayonesa, sin grasa

How much does mayonnaise, fat free weigh?

Related

Fats and Oils

Recipes using mayonnaise, fat free

There are 71 recipes that contain this ingredient.

Tuna Salad Sandwiches for Kids

Learn how to make tuna salad sandwiches for kids with canned tuna, celery, and mayonnaise. This recipe is super quick, easy, and kid-friendly.

Curried Tofu Salad

This tasty curried tofu salad can be used in many ways, as a filling of whole wheat pita, or you can just spread them on top of the toasted bread.

Curry Chicken Spread

This simple and quick spread is perfect to serve at any upcoming holiday party! It's chunk chicken, chopped apple, chutney and peanuts are bound with a curry-laced mayonnaise.

Creamy Caesar Salad with Spicy Croutons

Just delicious. Love the health factor considered in developing this recipe, especially since I'm watching my saturated fat and cholesterol intake. I'd never have made caesar salad for a party recently if not for this one. There was not a romaine left on anyone's plate. Thanks!

Asian Coleslaw

Looking for a coleslaw recipe that's different and refreshing. Why not try this Asian twist on the classic dish. With its crispy Napa cabbage, Chinese icicle radish, and a touch of sesame seeds, it's a perfect blend of flavors and textures that will make your taste buds sing.

Dijon Mustard Potato Salad

Tangy Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar wake up tender new potatoes in this make-ahead potato salad loaded with colorful bell peppers and a hint of heat from red pepper flakes.

Artichoke Eggs Benedict

This much quicker and easier to prepare version of the classic Eggs Benedict. Reduced fat but equally as decadent as the original. This is a variation of a vegetarian version of the same recipe, see links below.

Hungry Girl Crab Cakes

Serving Size: 1 (very large!) crab cake Calories: 117 Fat: 2g Sodium: 799mg Carbs: 11.5g Fiber: 2.25g Sugars: 2.5g Protein: 14g

Hungry Girl Crab Cakes

Serving Size: 1 (very large!) crab cake Calories: 117 Fat: 2g Sodium: 799mg Carbs: 11.5g Fiber: 2.25g Sugars: 2.5g Protein: 14g

Hungry Girl Crab Cakes

Serving Size: 1 (very large!) crab cake Calories: 117 Fat: 2g Sodium: 799mg Carbs: 11.5g Fiber: 2.25g Sugars: 2.5g Protein: 14g

Tuna Croquettes

Quick, easy, frugal and kids love them. Tune and mushroom soup turns into crispy on the outside and moist on the inside covered with a quick and easy sauce.

Apple Celery & Walnut Salad

A crunchy combination of apples and celery with bits of toasted walnut in a creamy dressing. Perfect along side of pork or any other main dish.

Black Pepper Crusted Steak Sandwiches

Grilled beef tenderloin coated in cracked black pepper, stacked on toasted croissants with aged cheddar, peppery watercress, and a punchy horseradish mayo. From grill to plate in 25 minutes.

Breakfast Loaf

A hollowed-out French bread loaf stuffed with layers of scrambled eggs, deli ham, Monterey Jack, cheddar, red peppers, and tomato slices, then baked until melty. A showstopping brunch centerpiece.

Breakfast Omwich

A loaded omelet folded between crispy toast with bacon, ham, cheddar, mushrooms, peppers, and a kick of jalapeno. Half omelet, half sandwich, all breakfast glory.

Monte Cubano

Monte Cubano is the Monte Cristo meets Cuban sandwich mashup: ham, smoked turkey, Swiss, mustard, pickles, and garlic mayo soaked in egg and pan-fried until golden.

Mexican Brunch Tortillas

Mexican brunch tortillas folded around soft-scrambled eggs, soy patty crumbles, melty pepper jack, and topped with chopped avocado and salsa. A vegetarian handheld brunch ready in 20 minutes.

Spicy Turkey Burgers with Pickled Onions

Grilled turkey burgers seasoned with chipotle, cumin, cilantro, and allspice, topped with tangy quick-pickled red onions on whole wheat buns. Lean, bold, and ready in 30 minutes.

Salpacio Salad

Brazilian-style grilled chicken salpicão with charred red onion, carrots, parsley, and a Spanish paprika mayo dressing. Finished with crunchy potato straws on top. Ready in 30 minutes for a bright weeknight chicken salad.

Smoked Salmon with Apple-Horseradish Cream & Black Bread

Smoked salmon platter with a tangy apple-horseradish cream, sliced black bread, steamed broccoli, capers, and lemon wedges. A light, elegant spread ready in just 15 minutes.

Old-Fashioned Potato Salad

Low-fat old-fashioned potato salad with red-skinned potatoes, hard-boiled eggs, celery, onion, and pickle relish in a nonfat sour cream and fat-free mayonnaise dressing with dry mustard.

Spinach Dip With Mushrooms

Lightened-up spinach dip with fresh mushrooms, scallions, fat-free mayonnaise, and nonfat sour cream. A five-ingredient party dip that comes together in five minutes and keeps things low-calorie.

Chicken Salad with Rosemary & Mayonnaise

Rosemary chicken salad with fat-free mayo, nonfat sour cream, and celery. A lighter take on classic chicken salad with herby, aromatic flavor in 20 minutes.

Hot Ham & Cheese Sandwiches With Mushrooms

Open-faced hot ham and Swiss sandwiches on rye bread with Dijon mayo, red onion, and sliced mushrooms, broiled until the cheese melts and browns. A 10-minute upgrade to the basic deli sandwich.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken Salad

Creamy tarragon chicken salad with red grapes, celery, and toasted walnuts in a sour cream-mayo dressing. Elegant lunch salad for sandwiches, lettuce cups, or a scoop on greens.

Turkey Red Grape Salad

Turkey pasta salad with red grapes, celery, and creamy mayo-sour cream dressing over mostaccioli. An easy cold lunch or potluck side that turns leftover holiday turkey into something genuinely crave-worthy.

Curried Waldorf Salad

Curried Waldorf salad reworks the classic with yogurt, a whisper of curry powder, orange segments, crunchy toasted walnuts, and golden raisins. A lighter take on the retro lunch staple.

Paella Burgers

Paella burgers: ground chicken, chopped chorizo, and shrimp patties flavored with saffron, garlic, and pinot noir, grilled and stacked on sourdough rolls with charred onion, red pepper, and a saffron aioli.

Curried Egg & Potato Salad

A lighter take on potato salad with hard-boiled eggs, crisp apple, and a creamy curry dressing made with yogurt and fat-free mayo. Quick to prep, easy to transport, and ready in under 20 minutes.

Artichoke Baskets With Caper Dip

Impress your favorite valentine with these lovely artichoke baskets filled with a creamy fat free dip.

Grilled Tenderloin Salad with Honey-Mustard Dressing

Grilled pork tenderloin salad with cantaloupe, fresh pineapple, Belgian endive, and toasted almonds tossed in a honey-mustard ginger dressing. A light, fruity summer main course salad.

Grilled Tenderloin Salad with Honey-Mustard Dressing

Grilled pork tenderloin salad with cantaloupe, fresh pineapple, Belgian endive, and toasted almonds tossed in a honey-mustard ginger dressing. A light, fruity summer main course salad.

Portobello Cheeseburgers

Portobello cheeseburgers with seared mushroom caps, gorgonzola-mayo spread, peppery arugula, and roasted red peppers. A 15-minute meatless burger with steakhouse flavor and zero grill required.

Easy BLT

Easy BLT piles crisp bacon, a runny fried egg, ripe tomato, and peppery arugula between slices of toasted rye smeared with chili-spiked mayo. Brunch sandwich with a yolk moment.

Hearty Tuna Melts

Open-faced tuna melts on dark rye bread with celery, green pepper, black olives, and thyme topped with melted cheese. A lighter tuna melt using fat-free mayo and cheese.

Spicy Chicken Sandwiches with Cilantro-Lime Mayo

This is absolutely fantastic, delicious and yummy.

Potato Salad Dressing

Fat-free potato salad dressing with ranch, light mayo, celery seeds, mustard, and vinegar. Creamy, tangy, and guilt-free. A quick dressing for potato salad, rice salad, or coleslaws.

Tuna Pita Sandwiches

Low-calorie tuna pita sandwiches made with fat-free mayo and yogurt, celery, and red onion. A lighter tuna salad stuffed into pita pockets, ready in 10 minutes.

Chilled Zucchini-Basil Soup

Chilled zucchini basil soup pureed smooth with lemon juice and a touch of hot sauce. A light, creamy cold soup for summer that uses up garden zucchini.

Sauteed Shrimp Cocktail

Sautéed shrimp cocktail with herbes de Provence, served with a golden turmeric yogurt-mustard dipping sauce. An upgraded party appetizer that ditches boiled shrimp and red sauce for something brighter.

Epona's Chicken Casserole

Chicken casserole with tarragon, slivered almonds, and a golden parmesan breadcrumb top. Poached chicken breast gets folded with sautéed celery, carrots, and onion in a tangy sour cream and white wine sauce, then baked until bubbly.

Tofu, Lettuce & Tomato Sandwich

Very different sandwich, we use tofu, lettuce and tomato, so healthy and savory, if you have got tired of meat, try this vegetarian sandwich, big hit.

Spam Western Pasta

Cold pasta salad with cubed Spam, cheddar cheese, crunchy veggies, and a smoky BBQ-mustard-mayo dressing. No cooking required beyond boiling the pasta!

Sour Orange BBQ'd Salmon Taco with Red Cabbage Slaw & Smoked Chile Sauce

We love this recipe, very delicious, and all the ingredients are healthy.Worthy to try it.

Artichoke Bruschetta

Artichoke bruschetta with marinated artichoke hearts, Romano cheese, red onion and mayo on baguette slices. Easy broiled appetizer ready in 12 minutes.

Chicken Tarragon Salad

Chicken tarragon salad tosses shredded chicken with halved red grapes, celery, walnuts, and a tarragon-poppy seed yogurt dressing over spring greens. Light lunch in 10 minutes.

Heavenly Veggie Dip

Classic creamy veggie dip with sour cream, mayonnaise, dill, parsley, dried onion and seasoned salt. Five-minute make-ahead party dip for crudités platters.

Blueberry Oatmeal Cake

A lighter blueberry upside-down cake made with egg whites, oatmeal, and a whisper of cardamom. The berries bake on the bottom and become a glossy topping when you flip it out.

Pan Fried Fish with Dill Rice

Pan-fried fish with dill rice plates golden butter-crisped fillets over dill-scented basmati, finished with a tangy lime, caper, and yogurt dill sauce. A light, fast weeknight fish dinner.

Vegetarian Artichoke Eggs Benedict

Found this recipe in one of my favorite magazines, Eating Well. Loved it so much that I've tweaked it a bit to make it more vegetarian.

All 71 recipes