Mayonnaise vs. Miracle Whip: What’s the Difference? (2024)

FAQs

Mayonnaise vs. Miracle Whip: What’s the Difference? ›

Mayonnaise is made of oil, eggs, and vinegar (or lemon juice). Miracle Whip has the same basic ingredients but with less oil, and the addition of water, sugar, and spices like mustard, paprika, and garlic. Even with these additions, Miracle Whip has almost half the calories of mayo and half the fat.

Mayo Versus Miracle Whip

Miracle Whip is a mayonnaise-like product first created in 1933 as a cheaper option than mayo. It has the same ingredients as mayonnaise, but it adds a number of others, including sugar, mustard and spices. Miracle Whip is noticeably sweeter and some say tangier than traditional mayonnaise.

Which one is healthier? Although Miracle Whip is lower in fat and calories, mayonnaise is less highly refined and may be the healthier choice. However, you should seek out mayo that's made with healthy oils, such as olive or avocado oil, instead of inflammatory seed oils like soybean, canola, or corn oil.

Edwards notes that while you can "almost always" use mayonnaise and Miracle Whip interchangeably, you might notice a difference in flavor of the finished product. “Baking is the one exception where you should opt for mayonnaise rather than Miracle Whip, as the full-fat content is needed there,” Edwards says.

The sugar used to make Miracle Whip accounts for why it tastes noticeably sweeter than regular mayonnaise. Some store-bought mayonnaise, such as Hellmann's, contains sugar in its ingredient list, but not enough to detect a sweet taste like Miracle Whip. Other brands like Duke's do not have any added sugar.

Products referred to as "salad dressings" like Miracle Whip, or other specialty versions like the Japanese Kewpie brand, all say to store in the fridge after opening. Always follow package directions when it comes to food storage.

When looking for a healthy version of mayo, you want to find one that has a cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oil, such as expeller-pressed safflower oil or cold-pressed avocado oil. Cold-pressed or expeller-pressed oils were made with the least amount of processing, meaning the oil was pressed out of the plant.

Occasionally, you may see small red flecks in your Miracle Whip. These flecks are paprika.

Miracle Whip was developed in 1933 as a cheaper alternative to mayonnaise. It has the same basic ingredients—eggs, oil and vinegar—but it also contains water, sugar and spices.

Mayonnaise consumption has been found to be associated with an increase in serum β-carotene concentration when consumed with carrots rich in β-carotene ². However, there is no direct evidence in the provided abstracts to suggest a direct association between mayonnaise consumption and fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Is Miracle Whip better than mayo for tuna? ›

More viscous or fluid products may cause a more 'wet' tuna salad.” Less popular for tuna salad among our experts but still mayo MVPs, Kewpie and Miracle Whip both have distinct flavors that don't work as well with tuna, one more savory (Kewpie) and one sweeter (Miracle Whip).

Hellmann's and Best Foods are American brand names that are used for the same line of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, sauce, salad dressing, condiments and other food products. They have been owned by the British multinational company Unilever since 2000.

The Best Mayonnaise According to Chefs

As expected, there was some division among the chefs I spoke to, but most of them called out one brand as the top dog: Duke's Mayonnaise. Having lived most of my life in Virginia, I'm well familiar with the winner.

Miracle Whip does have a sweeter flavor due to the added processed sugar, so substituting it for traditional mayonnaise often comes down to personal preference more than anything else.

Duke's is tarter, with a more distinctive, almost vinegary, smell. Hellmann's is more neutral. That said, though, someone will immediately claim to prefer the “saltier, more citric” taste of Hellmann's. Or point out that Duke's contains no sugar.

"The Miracle Whip adds a little zip to a golden sandwich. It replaces the butter of the usual grilled cheese. Recipe is from Kraft."