This basil aioli is light, creamy, and packed with flavors from fresh lemon and roasted garlic. It’s my go-to summer dip for wraps, sandwiches, and more. The best part is that it’s ready in just 10 minutes!
This post contains helpful tips and tricks! If you’re in a rush, please use the “Jump to Recipe” above!
💭 Why you’ll love this recipe
- Takes no time at all. Just like my basil mayonnaise, this simple recipe only needs 5 ingredients and takes 10 minutes to make!
- Great way to use up fresh or frozen basil. I love making this when I need a nice creamy sauce and want to use up some fresh herbs.
- Perfect flavor combination. Thanks to basil, garlic, lemon juice, and zest, this condiment is super well-balanced yet indulgent!
📋 Ingredients and notes
To make this basil aioli recipe, you’ll need fresh basil leaves, mayonnaise, roasted garlic, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
Variations & Substitutions
- Fresh basil. Use fresh basil for the best flavor, but you can also use frozen basil in a pinch. You can also use this recipe for other fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley.
- Mayonnaise. I like to use vegan mayonnaise, but you can also use good old-fashioned mayo.
- Garlic. Use 2-3 fresh garlic cloves. You can use them fresh, but I like to roast them before adding them to the aioli to get a rich, garlicky flavor.
- Lemon. Use a fresh lemon since you’ll be needing both lemon juice and zest.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
📖 How to make basil aioli
Step 1:
Heat oven to 400F. Cut off the top of the garlic so the cloves are exposed. Drizzle with olive oil or avocado oil. Wrap with aluminum foil. Throw in the oven for 45 minutes.
Step 2:
Add one cup of mayonnaise and one cup of basil to a food processor and pulse until fully combined, typically 45-60 seconds.
Step 3:
Then, add three cloves of roasted garlic and pulse again until well combined, typically 30-45 seconds.
Step 4:
Finally, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest and blend until well combined, typically 30 seconds.
Step 5:
Serve with all your favorite sandwiches and wraps!
Shruthi’s Top Tip
When roasting just a few pieces of garlic, peel them first before drizzling with olive oil. Wrap them in aluminum foil to prevent them from burning. Then, you’re ready to add them to the aioli!
- For the best results, pulse the ingredients in short bursts in a food processor or blender one step at a time.
- Chop by hand. If you don’t have a food processor, rough chop the basil as small as you can, and then use a fork or a whisk to combine it with the mayonnaise. Mince the garlic separately and add it to the basil mayo. Finally, add the lemon juice and zest and whisk vigorously! You’re all done.
👩🏽🍳 Troubleshooting FAQs
I don’t recommend using dried basil for this recipe. It just doesn’t provide the same vibrant, fresh taste that fresh basil has.
If your aioli is too thin, you add a small amount of extra mayonnaise. Refrigerating the aioli for an hour will also help it thicken slightly.
No, you typically can’t freeze aioli since it’s mayo-based. The texture becomes grainy and watery when thawed.
🍴 How to serve basil aioli
If you’re wondering what tastes great with this basil aioli, the first and right answer is everything! It goes well with so many dishes—sandwiches, wraps, fries, pizza, burgers, grilled protein, and roasted veggies, to name a few. But my favorite is probably my air fryer artichoke and roasted vegetable salad.
🍴Storage and reheating suggestions
Store leftover basil garlic aioli in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. It should last for up to two weeks. But if I were to be completely honest, I put this on everything so it rarely ever lasts that long!
🍴 More delicious dip recipes
If you like this recipe, check out my other fun dip recipes:
Instant Pot Spinach Artichoke Dip
Cream Cheese Corn Dip
Jalapeño Ranch Dressing
Instant Pot Queso
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to comment and rate! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Basil Aioli
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise, I use vegan mayonnaise
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 3 garlic cloves, fresh or roasted
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
Instructions
Roast garlic (optional)
- Heat oven to 400°F
- Cut off the top of a garlic so the cloves are exposed. Drizzle with olive oil. Wrap with aluminum foil.
- Throw in the oven for 45 minutes.
Make the aioli
- Add one cup of mayonnaise and one cup of basil to a food processor and pulse until fully combined, typically 45-60 seconds.
- Then, add three cloves of garlic (ideally chopped or run through a garlic press) and then pulse again until well combined, typically 30-45 seconds.
- Finally, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest and pulse until well combined, typically 30 seconds.
- Serve with all your favorite sandwiches and wraps!
Notes
- Mayonnaise and aioli are slightly different in that the former uses eggs and canola oil, the latter uses garlic and olive oil. However, if you use vegan mayonnaise, it becomes quite easy to transform this into an aioli.
- You can totally use other herbs than basil – for instance, I’ve tried this with cilantro, parsley and oregano to name a few. You do have to use fresh herbs though!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
