What’s the Difference Between Mayo and Whip?
March 07, 2023
Who doesn’t love mayo? It’s a staple of American cuisine, appearing in everything from tuna and egg salad sandwiches to potato salad, casseroles, dips, and the classic BLT. Mayo can be used to add moistness to cakes, steaks, and roasted chicken, and is surprisingly delicious on grilled cheese. But mayonnaise has a sassy, sweet-spiced relative that’s been around for nearly a century: whipped dressing & spread. And its fans are very vocal about their love for mayo’s creamy cousin. Sections of the country are divided in the mayo vs. whip debate, with the South and parts of the Midwest cheering on whip, and the West and Northeast rooting for mayo.
Whipped dressing and spread isn’t the only new(ish) kid on the mayo block, either. Walk into any grocery and you’ll see shelves lined with non-traditional mayo options including light mayo, olive oil mayo, and avocado oil mayo. Add whipped dressings to that lineup and you have condiment confusion over which product to use for what. To help you sort out the differences between mayo and whip, let’s start with our Primal Kitchen Mayo.
Watch Now: Whip Dressing & Spread in Action!
What is Avocado Oil Mayo?
Traditional real mayonnaise is made from eggs, vegetable oil, vinegar, and lemon juice. To be labeled as mayonnaise, the creamy, white condiment must contain a minimum amount of vegetable oil. In most cases, the oil used is soybean oil, one of the most widely consumed oils on the market. Olive oil mayo may include pure olive oil, but in many cases the oil content is actually a mixture of olive, canola, and/or soybean oils.
Avocado oil mayo swaps the soybean or olive oil with avocado oil, a good source of monounsaturated fats. Primal Kitchen Mayo is made with avocado oil as its #1 ingredient–no other oils are used. Additional ingredients used in our Mayo with Avocado Oil include Certified-Humane, cage-free organic eggs and egg yolks, organic vinegar, sea salt, and organic rosemary extract. That’s it.
What is Whipped Dressing & Spread?
Though used similarly to mayo, “whip” is considered a dressing and spread or sauce. Whipped dressing (also called whipped mayo) originated in the early 1930s as a lower fat, calorie, and cost alternative to mayonnaise. Though whip has the same creaminess and spreadability as mayonnaise, it tends to be lighter in consistency, tangy, and a touch sweet in all the best ways.
You already know that the main components of mayonnaise are eggs, oil, vinegar, and the addition of an acidic ingredient like lemon or lime juice. Whipped dressing shares many of these same ingredients, with a few tweaks. First, there is typically a small amount of sugar (or other sweeteners) added to the formula. The flavor profile is also kicked up a notch with paprika and other savory spices.
Avocado Oil Mayo vs. Whip
Our Avocado Oil Mayo is often described as having a neutral, slightly earthy flavor, whereas whip lovers rave about the product’s sweet-spiced flavor and “zippy, zingy tang.” In short, mayo (including avocado oil mayo) is the supporting player–integral to the show, but letting the other ingredient players shine. Whipped dressing & spread, on the other hand, likes to take center stage in the flavor lineup.
Why Choose Primal Kitchen Whip?
Primal Kitchen Whip Dressing & Spread is made without cane sugar or corn syrup, deriving its subtle sweetness from other plant-based ingredients. It’s also free from eggs and dairy, making it fully vegan! This creamy spread can be used in place of mayo in any recipe, from picnic salads to sandwiches, deviled eggs, and more.
Our whipped dressing & spread is truly an original–the first of its kind to be made with no added sugar or artificial sweeteners, real ingredients, and good fats from avocado oil. Looking at the differences between Primal Kitchen Mayo with Avocado Oil and our newer Whip Dressing & Spread, the latter is the more complex character. Here’s how the ingredients of each product break out:
Mayo Ingredients
Avocado Oil, Organic Eggs, Organic Egg Yolks, Organic Vinegar, Sea Salt, Organic Rosemary Extract.
Whip Ingredients
Avocado Oil, Water, Organic Tapioca Syrup, Organic Vinegar, Jicama Juice Concentrate, Salt, Potato Protein, Tamarind Gum, Mustard Flour, Konjac Gum, Citrus Fiber, Rosemary Extract, Spices, Organic Paprika, Organic Black Pepper Extract, Mustard Oil
Why You Need Both Mayo and Whip
Because whip and mayo have overlapping uses, your best bet might be to keep both traditional mayo and whipped mayo in your condiment lineup. This way, whenever a recipe calls for neutral flavor or high heat, you can bring out the mayo. And when your palate craves the lightly sweet and spiced flavor of whipped mayo, or you need a vegan option, it’s ready to dress your best sandwiches and salads!
Mayo and Whip can also share space on the same plate; for example, a mayo BLT with a side of whip-based potato salad or a tuna salad sandwich made with whip plus fries with a side of mayo-based dipping sauce. However you choose to use Primal Kitchen Mayo and Whip, they will add flavor and variety to your weekly meal rotation.
You might also like these recipes with Whip:
