The Best Olive Oil Mayonnaise, Ranked Worst to Best
The olive oil mayonnaise contenders. Photo credit Theresa Greco
A great condiment rarely asks for attention, yet it often decides whether a meal feels ordinary or memorable. Mayonnaise sits at the center of that equation, and olive oil mayonnaise raises the stakes. When a sauce spreads across sandwiches, binds potato salad, and anchors dips and dressings, every detail matters: the character of the oil, the snap of acidity, the way the emulsion glides across bread instead of leaving heavy streaks.
Open a jar of premium olive oil mayonnaise, and the promise is immediate. The aroma carries a faint fruitiness. The color looks warmer than standard mayonnaise. The flavor offers something more rounded and nuanced than the familiar squeeze bottle tucked in the refrigerator door. Shoppers reach for olive oil mayonnaise seeking a better fat, a thoughtful ingredient, and a genuine taste of Mediterranean cooking. Brands reinforce this idea, wrapping their jars in the mystique of “liquid gold” and promising a refined flavor worth the higher price.
Turn the jar around, and the ingredient list often contradicts that promise. Many brands include only a modest amount of olive oil, letting inexpensive seed oils dominate the emulsion. Some jars taste nearly identical to standard mayonnaise, showing little olive oil character. Others may push the oil flavor too aggressively, sacrificing the silky balance that makes mayonnaise versatile in everyday cooking.
A few brands get it right. They build a creamy base, layer in brightness, and deliver just enough olive oil flavor to elevate everything from a BLT to a platter of deviled eggs. To find them, we tasted and ranked the most popular olive oil mayonnaises on the shelf.
How We Tested Olive Oil Mayonnaise
The setup for the panel’s olive oil mayonnaise tasting. Photo credit Theresa Greco
Our tasting panel put each jar through a rigorous two-stage evaluation.
First came a “naked” tasting, where we judged aroma, texture, and the balance of salt and acidity. We prioritized jars that list olive oil as the primary fat and flagged those that include filler oils. We checked for a stable, creamy texture that holds its shape and feels silky on the spoon. We rewarded flavors that show clarity and brightness while bringing the olive’s natural fruitiness to a clean, balanced finish. A premium condiment should hold its own without relying on other ingredients.
Unlabeled samples of olive oil mayonnaise for tasting. Photo credit Theresa Greco
Then we put it to work, spreading the mayonnaise on a turkey sandwich to see how it performs alongside other foods. This step matters because a great mayonnaise should do more than taste good from the jar — it should spread smoothly, blend easily, and lift the flavors around it.
Read on to discover which emulsions earned a permanent spot in our kitchens and which ones failed the test of a professional palate.
6. Kraft Mayo With Olive Oil
$5.99 | 30 oz.
Kraft Mayo With Olive Oil
For a mayonnaise that claims premium quality, Kraft is surprisingly unpleasant. Our tasters found no discernible olive oil flavor. Water is the primary ingredient, and olive oil is forced to compete with a blend of canola and soybean oils, creating a thin, watery emulsion. Tasters identified a sharp, chemical aroma and a lingering metallic aftertaste that masks any potential flavor. Kraft lacks richness and savory depth, and the team unanimously ranked it at the bottom of the list, concluding that it functions more as a water-based dressing than a true oil-forward condiment.
Spectrum’s blended olive oil mayonnaise. Photo credit Theresa Greco
Tasters found Spectrum mayonnaise disappointing, especially given the staggering $15 online price. Despite the premium cost, expeller-pressed soybean oil is the primary ingredient, while olive oil sits fourth on the list after eggs. The consistency remained thick but showed signs of separation, creating an unappealing texture straight from the jar. Tasters mentioned a distinct burnt oil flavor that masks any quality ingredients. Ultimately, the high price fails to deliver a gourmet experience, making it a poor value.
4. Target Market Pantry Reduced Fat Mayo With Olive Oil
$2.65 | 20 oz.
Target Market Pantry’s lower-fat mayonnaise with olive oil. Photo credit Theresa Greco
Target’s Market Pantry mayo is edible but contains almost no olive oil flavor, our tasters observed, noting that the ingredient list showed soybean oil as the primary fat after water, which creates a relatively neutral profile. The squeeze bottle’s thin, wide opening produces a thick, flat line of mayonnaise with each squeeze, ensuring consistent spreadability across sandwiches. While the team appreciated this, as well as the economical price of less than $3 a bottle, they feel this mayonnaise ultimately sacrifices depth of taste for savings. Its lack of richness and olive oil flavor positions it as a functional pantry staple rather than a culinary highlight.
3. Best Foods (Hellmann’s) Olive Oil Mayonnaise Dressing
$5.99 | 30 oz.
The olive oil mayo squeeze bottle from Best Foods. Photo credit Theresa Greco
Our tasting team was disappointed to find that the version from Best Foods is nearly tasteless, with no noticeable olive oil flavor — a surprise considering how well-loved the brand is. Olive oil is listed as the primary fat, but the formula blends it with canola and soybean oils instead of relying on olive oil alone, which mutes genuine olive character.
The mayonnaise has an unexpectedly thick consistency, and the bottle’s stiffness hinders easy application. It performed adequately in texture and spreadability, but it fails to deliver the flavor punch that defines olive oil mayonnaise. The dressing landed squarely in the middle of the pack, offering a recognizable and functional mayonnaise but one that provides neither richness nor a distinctive oil-forward taste.
2. Duke’s Light Mayonnaise With Olive Oil
$6.38 | 48 oz.
A jar of Duke’s Light Mayonnaise with Olive Oil. Photo credit Theresa Greco
Amidst the tasting, a philosophical question emerged: Do condiment lovers want their olive oil mayonnaise to taste like olive oil, or just a better version of mayonnaise? For those who prefer the latter, Duke’s hits the mark perfectly. It tastes like a traditional, high-quality spread, delivering the creamy richness expected from a classic condiment.
Olive oil purists, however, may note that this “olive oil” version is actually a blend of soybean and olive oils, as seed oils provide familiar structure and body without adding bitterness or heaviness.
The Duke’s version contains no added sugar, which tasters found to be a major plus. The team unanimously agreed that this jar works well as a substitute fat while retaining great flavor in dishes like creamy potato salad.
1. The Winner: Graza “Original” Mayo
$8.99 | 17 oz.
Graza’s “Original” Mayo. Photo credit Theresa Greco
Graza earned the clear win in our tasting, as the brand delivered a bold, chef-grade mayonnaise that redefines the category.
Graza’s “Original” mayo combines olive pomace oil (a refined oil made from the leftover pulp and pits after pressing, with a small amount of virgin olive oil added back for flavor), extra virgin olive oil, and cage-free eggs to create a rich base with a tangier profile and less sweetness than conventional mayonnaise. Although the “Original” initially appeared slightly separated and had a somewhat fluid texture, tasters quickly focused on its balanced flavor and subtle olive character.
The tasting team gave Graza unanimous praise for creating a distinctive, oil-forward mayonnaise that elevates the entire category. While impressive, the result didn’t surprise anyone on the panel, as Graza has built its reputation as an olive oil-first brand, and the company clearly has managed to bring that expertise to mayonnaise.
Note that Graza also produces a “Fancy” version that relies on 100 percent extra virgin olive oil as its only fat. Tasters also tried this premium version and found it delivered a punchy, unmistakably olive-forward flavor that’s vibrant, peppery, and complex, transforming a simple spread into something closer to a finishing ingredient.