Homemade Garlic Aioli With Egg Yolk For Full GAPS

This homemade garlic aioli starts with one egg yolk and turns into a thick sauce as you whisk in olive and avocado oils. Fresh garlic and lemon finish the flavor. A little homemade alcohol-free Dijon mustard is optional if you want its extra tang.

This is the modern egg-based style of aioli, made from scratch. You build the emulsion in the bowl rather than starting with a jar of mayonnaise. Have everything measured before you begin, then give the first additions of oil time to blend into the yolk.

Jump To The Recipe

I’m a working, homeschooling mom of six, and most of my cooking happens before I leave for second shift. Our family has followed GAPS since July 2024. I want the directions for a small preparation to explain where it needs my attention, especially when the rest of a meal is waiting.

For this aioli, I would measure the oil and prepare the garlic and lemon first. Once the whisking begins, I want the little jug beside the bowl instead of searching for a measuring cup. Getting those small jobs done beforehand makes it easier to watch the sauce come together.

What You Need For Garlic Aioli

One egg yolk: Use the yolk only in this recipe. Have it at room temperature, as the method calls for. Separate it before beginning the emulsion so you are not trying to do that while holding a whisk and oil jug.

Olive oil and avocado oil: Measure one-third cup of each. Both are raw cold-pressed oils. Choose mild-tasting olive oil; its flavor is part of the finished sauce. The avocado oil makes up the other measured portion of oil in this Full GAPS version.

Garlic: Finely mince three cloves. The garlic goes in after the oil has been worked into the yolk. Fine pieces distribute through the aioli rather than leaving large pieces in individual spoonfuls.

Fresh lemon: Use the juice of half a lemon. Squeeze it and remove the seeds before you start whisking. Lemon size varies, so this is a half-lemon measurement rather than a promise of an exact tablespoon yield.

Natural salt and freshly ground black pepper: Add these to taste after the emulsion is ready. The garlic, lemon, and optional Dijon all affect the finished flavor, so taste them together before deciding the sauce needs more seasoning.

Optional homemade Dijon: One teaspoon adds mustard tang. Use the linked alcohol-free homemade Dijon after its ingredients have been introduced. It is an addition to the yolk base, not a replacement for the egg.

Optional warm water: Two tablespoons can loosen the finished aioli when you want it as a sauce. Keep it warm rather than boiling. Leave it out when you want a thicker consistency for spreading or serving by the spoonful.

This version adapts Williams Sonoma’s measured aioli recipe, using cold-pressed avocado oil for its neutral-oil portion. The Dijon is optional here. The separate traditional egg-free aioli uses a different garlic-and-olive-oil method.

Recommended Equipment

Use a medium glass mixing bowl and a metal whisk. A small jug or measuring cup with a spout helps you control the oil. You also need measuring spoons, a knife and board for the garlic, and a way to squeeze the lemon and catch its seeds.

Set the bowl on a stable surface before starting. A damp kitchen towel arranged around its base can help keep it from sliding. Give yourself room to whisk comfortably, with the oil jug close enough to reach.

Keep a small spatula nearby to collect sauce from the sides. Have a clean covered glass container ready if you are making the aioli a little ahead of the meal. This is a hand-whisked preparation, so the directions do not require a blender.

How To Make Garlic Aioli From Scratch

1. Start The Yolk Base

Put the room-temperature egg yolk in the bowl with the optional teaspoon of Dijon. Take one tablespoon from the measured olive oil and whisk it into the yolk until the mixture comes together.

That first spoonful comes from the olive oil already measured for the recipe. It is not extra oil. Look for a combined, glossy base before pouring in more. The rest of the oil should still be waiting in the measuring cup.

2. Combine The Remaining Oils

Put the remaining olive oil and the measured avocado oil together in the spouted jug. Keep the bowl steady and the whisk moving as you begin drawing this mixture into the yolk base.

The early additions need to be small. Work in the next two to three tablespoons drop by drop while whisking constantly. Watch for each addition to join the sauce, rather than collecting as clear oil around the bowl.

3. Whisk In The Rest Gradually

Once the mixture has thickened, add the remaining oil in a very fine stream while continuing to whisk. Move the whisk through the bottom and around the sides so the oil is worked through the whole bowl.

Finished aioli should be creamy and evenly combined. A separate ring of oil means there is more mixing to do before you continue pouring. Pause the additions and work through the oil already in the bowl.

4. Add The Garlic And Lemon

Stir in the finely minced garlic. Season with natural salt, black pepper, and the prepared lemon juice. Mix through the bowl and taste a small amount once everything is combined.

The sauce should taste of garlic and lemon with the richness of the oils. Dijon, when used, adds another tangy note. Fine garlic pieces can be visible; this hand-whisked recipe does not purée them into the sauce.

5. Choose A Thick Or Looser Finish

Leave the aioli thick if you want it for spreading or dipping. If you want a more fluid sauce, whisk in the optional warm water. Mix it through before deciding whether the consistency suits the meal.

The original quantity makes approximately one cup, divided into ten small servings. Allow about twenty minutes for preparation with the ingredients ready at room temperature. The mixing cues matter more than rushing to finish at a particular minute.

Where It Fits On Full GAPS

Dr. Natasha’s Gut and Physiology Syndrome includes virgin cold-pressed olive oil and avocado oil. These oils remain uncooked in the aioli. The egg yolk, raw garlic, and fresh lemon also need to be foods you have introduced.

This is a Full GAPS condiment, rather than an early Intro sauce simply because it contains a yolk. Keep the complete ingredient list in mind when choosing a meal. The GAPS food list and stage guide helps with that broader planning.

The recipe is dairy-free and nut-free as written. It contains egg and plants, so it is not an egg-free or No-Plant GAPS sauce. For an egg-free preparation, follow the separate traditional aioli instead of removing the yolk from these measurements.

The optional Dijon links to our alcohol-free homemade version. If you prefer it, the separate Dijon mustard with dry white wine is also available. Its wine remains uncooked, so keep that version for occasional Full GAPS use. You can leave the mustard out of this aioli.

Serving And Storage

Serve a small spoonful beside cooked chicken, fish, meat, or vegetables you have already introduced. Keeping it separate at the table lets each person choose how much garlic flavor they want with the meal.

Add the uncooked sauce to the ready-to-serve food instead of stirring the whole batch into a hot cooking pan. For a thicker spread, leave out the optional water. For spooning a lighter sauce over a plate, use the water addition described above.

Make this aioli fresh for the meal when possible. If you prepare it earlier that day, cover and refrigerate it promptly until serving. Use a clean spoon for portions and return the covered container to the refrigerator afterward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Have To Use Dijon?

No. It is optional in this version. Keep the egg yolk and the two measured oils. Omitting the Dijon leaves out its mustard flavor.

Is This The Same As Starting With Mayonnaise?

No. Here, the oil is gradually whisked into an egg-yolk base. A mayonnaise shortcut begins with the emulsion already made. If another recipe needs plain mayo, use the separate homemade Full GAPS mayonnaise.

How Do I Make A Double Batch?

Use the card’s 2× control. For the opening yolk base, take two tablespoons from the doubled olive-oil amount instead of the original one tablespoon. Keep the early oil additions gradual and check that they are incorporated before adding more.

Does The Warm Water Replace Any Oil?

No. It is an optional addition after the emulsion is made. Keep both oil amounts the same. The water loosens the finished texture when you want a sauce rather than a thicker spread.

Choose the consistency for the food beside it. A spoonful that stays together is useful alongside meat or vegetables, while a looser sauce is easier to spread across a plate. Whisk the water through the whole batch so the bottom of the bowl has the same texture as the top. If you leave the water out, the yield is approximate; spoon the finished aioli into its serving container rather than adding liquid simply to reach a measuring mark.

More Homemade Sauces

For another flavor, the chipotle lime mayonnaise has its own measured recipe. The traditional egg-free aioli gives you a separate hand-worked garlic option.

My planned Sauces, Dressings & Condiments Cookbook brings these preparations together with ways to use them in family meals. Follow the WFLI cookbook catalog for its release.

Garlic Aioli With Egg Yolk Recipe