Miracle Whip or Mayonnaise that is today’s question.
I recently saw a recipe that contained Miracle Whip and it got me thinking about the Miracle Whip/mayonnaise debate. That is an important debate right? 🙂
I will admit this is certainly far from an important topic, but it is one of those things that people seem to have a definite opinion on. If you love one you seem to hate the other. So it got me got curious which one you prefer.
I grew up eating Miracle Whip. It was what my parents liked, so that is what we ate. I remember as a teenager eating a sandwiches at a friend’s house and thinking how good they always were. Over time I asked all kinds of questions about the sandwiches and finally realized what I liked was the mayonnaise on the sandwich instead of Miracle Whip. I have never looked back. I have been a mayonnaise girl every since.
And I will admit I am a mayonnaise snob. Yes, I am. I am loyal to Best Foods/Hellmann’s. I can’t remember the last time I have bought a different or off brand of mayonnaise. Mayonnaise is one of the things where I can tell a difference in the name brand.
And a little fact on mayonnaise for you. Did you know that it is Best Foods west of the Rockies and Hellmann’s east of the Rockies. I had no idea they were the same until I moved to Oklahoma and could not find Best Foods. I quickly learned that Hellmann’s was the same product just packaged under a different name.
Now I would love to hear which one you prefer. Do you like Miracle Whip or mayonnaise best? And are you a brand snob like I am when it comes to your choice?
I can’t wait to see what you all have to say!
I prefer mayo made with olive oil. However, I am my mom’s caregiver and @ 89, she prefers MW. I will not have 2 jars in the fridge, so she wins!
Hi, how about treating yourself to the small sized jar of mayo…you deserve it, treat yourself! Kudos on being a caregiver, very hard, much-needed “job”!
This is such a good question!
My absolute favourite is homemade mayonnaise. But, since I’m basically pretty lazy, I buy factory processed most of the time. When I do, I look at the ingredient labels. None of them are perfect, but some contain a lot of (questionable?) chemicals. From my experience, Hellman’s seems to be one of the better brands.
I am like you. I know homemade is better for us, but am too lazy and don’t take the time to make it.
Miracle Whip!!!!
I grew up with mayo and my husband grew up with Miracle Whip. Neither of us likes the other. Miracle Whip is gross! The only time I’ll eat it is on a BLT sandwich – it’s alright that way. Hellmann’s is the best. I bought Kraft once and couldn’t figure out why I suddenly did not like mayo anymore.
We are a dual household, with both mayo and Miracle Whip in the fridge. Hubby is the MW freak, and I stick to mayo – Hellman’s only, please! I remember tasting MW for the first time at a friend’s house. I told her I thought their mayo had gone bad. I had never even heard of MW as I came from from a mayo family!
I like mayo but I prefer miracle whip.
I totally agree with you!!! I have a similar childhood story with Miraclewhip. My kids laugh at me and try to trick me by changing labels and taste tests…but I am totally a Hellmans snob too!! It is quite a story in our household. It was super fun to see I am not alone with my “Hellmans only” household! 🙂
Glad to know I am not the only one that is a Hellmans snob! 🙂
It use to be Miracle Whip growing up, it is mayo now.
Mayo! But since I cannot have Soy products, it’s hard to find a ready made that I’m comfortable with so I make my own. I use the 30 second immersion blender method and it is so very good it puts even Helman’s to shame. Olive oil is expensive, but I find if you are using an extra virgin oil, you can mix it with another oil with good results. https://www.crunchybetty.com/foolproof-homemade-mayonnaise-full-of-super-secrets
I grew up a miracle whip girl. As I became a young adult I switched to miracle whip lite – because I was watching my girlish figure! My children love it too. My husband dislikes both – he’s a mustard man!. I can eat mayonnaise if there isn’t miracle whip but at my house we far prefer miracle whip lite!
My husband is a mustard man as well. He hates mayo and miracle whip. It is mustard only on his sandwiches and lots of it. Glad to know he is not the only one!
My husband also hates Miracle Whip and mayo but likes mustard. I like all of them. I grew up eating Miracle Whip but usually buy mayo now. I’m not too particular about the brand, though.
I hate mayo, but I will cook with it to make biscuit, but I don’t like it in salads nor on sandwiches, I love Miracle Whip
I ate Miracle Whip for years and then i switched over to Mayo and then i found Hellmans, no going back. However if i cant’s find it for some reason i will go to Mayo like Kraft’s. Now i am so into Mayo i will eat any brand, doesn’t matter.
I use to use Miracle Whip for many things in salads for instance. Some recipes ask you to use Miracle Whip. However one day i noticed that there was more liquid then usual after sitting in the refrigerator and i got out the miracle whip and read the ingredients and it seems that they have modified the original recipe. It use to start with oil and now it starts as the main ingredient as Water. So there is a jar in the back refrigerator and i should check it to make sure it has not molded as i quit using it. Now it’s Mayo forever and if them change that recipe i will make my own. Easy to do.
Thanks for listening.
Mayo. I’m partial to Best Foods/Hellmans as well. I noticed yesterday that the bottle says “does not need refrigeration”. It’s on the front and again on the back. How is this possible? I even checked the ingredients to make sure it’s eggs & oil.
I am with you. I don’t think I would care what the jar said I would keep it in the fridge. And now I will have to check my jar because I have never noticed that.
BOTH!!!! Miracle whip for sandwiches, but mayo for everything else. And totally agree with you – ONLY Hellmann’s. One time the store was out, and I bought Kraft thinking it won’t be different. It was. Thank goodness I bought only a small one because I took it to work and gave it to someone that liked it!
Miracle whip is my favorite, but I have a fab pasta salad that needs mayo so I buy a small Hellman’s jar to keep my friends recipe with the same taste.
I grew up on Miracle Whip, and find mayo quite distasteful. There is definitely a difference in flavor between the two, but to me there is also a texture difference. Salads, like tuna or potato, wouldn’t be nearly as good without Miracle Whip and a huge dollop of mustard. And, a braunschweiger sandwich just wouldn’t be the same without some Miracle Whip and onions! For most sandwiches, however, I prefer mustard — spicy brown if it’s available.
My house is Hellman’s Mayo only – I would never buy anything different – no one would eat it. However, I had to switch to light Hellman’s a couple of years ago because of diabetes and I recently discovered that Aldi’s brand of light Mayo is exactly like Hellman’s. I don’t know if that is true for their regular mayo. I’m tempted to buy it and transfer it to a Hellman’s jar and see if the family recognizes any difference!!
I have never tried Aldi’s mayo, but thanks for letting us know. I might have to give it a try.
When I was a child, my mother bought MW. As an adult I prefer mayonnaise. The brand we like is Best Foods/Hellmans. My objection to MW is the sweetness (to sweet). Although I have noticed they now add sugar to the mayonnaise too. Searching for a mayonnaise without sugar.
Miracle Whip, grew up on both. I like the tanginess but sometimes Mayo works well on a big ol’ sub sandwich 🙂 To me Mayo is sweet.
Here is a blog post talking about my un-healthy relationship wih my mayo! Mmmmm
https://www.nickalli.blogspot.com/2011/07/me-and-my-mayo.html?m=1
I use Hellman’s Light Mayonnaise. Miracle Whip is too sweet for my taste.
Almost all my friends/family here in the deep south low country insist that the only “real-tasting” store bought mayo to use is Duke’s. They even include it by name in recipes. If I admitted that I like plain old Kraft Mayo best, I’m sure I would have to turn in my “GRITS” (Girl Raised In The South) card.
I have a friend that grew up in the south that loves Duke’s.
Miracle Whip is my preference – but I can eat either. People brag on my potato salad and I use Miracle Whip in it.
I grew up on mayo, not sure which brand, but when I had my own household to buy for, it was Dukes’ mayonnaise and only Duke’s. And it still is Duke’s to this day – ” NO sugar, never had it, never will” (written on the label). Product of the C.F. Sauer company, still made in Greenville, SC almost a century after Eugenia Duke created the mayonnaise in her kitchen. Amazon does carry Duke’s for those folks who can’t find it in their area.
Recently I made a sandwich while on vacation and had to use Miracle Whip, because that was all that was available. It was o.k., I used it sparingly because I find it sort of “sharp” tasting of vinegar. But I was a good guest and did not comment on the lack of mayo. I’m glad that I am so satisfied with my Duke’s and don’t feel the need to mess around sampling other brands. ;o)
Don’t care for Miracle Whip at all. It’s mayo for us. Duke’s mayo. (Don’t know if you can get that where you are. ?) I do wish it didn’t contain soy, but all ready-made mayo seems to have a soy component.
Shirley
I may be one of the oddities in that I like both. I use mayonnaise, always Best Foods, for most things. I have certain things like tuna salad, that I use only Miracle Whip. Weird huh?
Miracle Whip !
I grew up thinking I hated mayo, only to find out that I hated Miracle Whip/salad dressing and certain brands of mayo. We also prefer Hellmann’s, but recently tried Wegmans store brand and find we like it just as much. That has not been the case with every store brand of mayo, and we had not tried a “new” one in a while, but I am glad we did.
MW for taste
Mayo for health
As you know, we have switched to Mayo, preferably homemade (primarily Olive Oil) or Best Foods Real. I would say…….read the ingredient lists & it is pretty obvious which one is better for you. MW has way too many ingredients you cannot pronounce! (And, yes, mustard is a good addition on most any sandwich).
My family grew up with Miracle Whip and it is what my 2 brothers still prefer. However, my husband grew up with mayo and that is his favorite – he forbid me to buy Miracle Whip! Though my husband likes name brand, he’s okay with generic. We usually buy Aldi’s. I don’t eat mayo or Miracle Whip unless it is well hidden in a recipe! 🙂
I know I’m probably the odd ball here, but I think they are both gross. My husband chased me around the house with a spoonful of mayo once because I didn’t even want to touch it. 🙂
My story is like yours….I grew up on Miracle Whip. I’m sure it was because it was cheaper than mayo, and my Mom had to really stretch the pennies being a single Mom. After I married my hubby I starting using Mayo because that is what he was raised on. I realized that Mayo tasted so much better…especially in Tuna Salad! I was a Mayo girl from then on. Funny thing is that my hubby started to prefer Miracle Whip!! Maybe that was because it was different than what he was raised on…I don’t know. So I have a jar of both in my refrigerator….and my mayo is ALWAYS Best Foods. I guess I am a mayo snob, too!
I like Mayo, and I love Hellmann’s. My husband likes miracle whip. My beef is when people/restaurants use the word mayo but you actually are getting miracle whip!
My husband hates mayo in any form (although he tolerates it in salads etc.). I keep a small jar of both MW and mayo in my fridge because each has it’s own taste that I prefer in different food.
I recently learned how to make my own mayo (it was a paleo version while I was on the Whole30). It was so easy and tasted so good! I also like reconnecting with my roots – my great-grandmother always made her own mayo so in a way I felt like I was honoring her. I also like knowing exactly what is in my food.
Funny how my story is like yours. Grew up on miracle whip and switched to mayo (specifically best foods/hellmans)
BEST FOODS/ HELLMANS is the best. YES i’m a snob!
Can’t stand MW it is to sweet. Blue Plate mayo is what I grew up on. I think you can only find it in the south.
I agree, Best Foods is the best brand of mayo. I’m not usually picky about brand name vs. store brand but mayo is one thing where the brand name is much better. This is a little off topic but it relates to mayonnaise. I just got a 1985 church cookbook from a garage sale. Inside there were several fruit salad type recipes that called for mayonnaise. Mayonnaise in sweet/fruit recipes seems strange. Do you know if that was popular at one time?
Yes I have seen quite a few recipes from the 60’s and 70’s that had jello and/or fruit type salads with mayonnaise. And I am you it is a strange combination.
I use both mayo & miracle whip (the light versions). Over the years, my tastes have changed and now use mostly mayo. The one exception is tuna salad which has to be prepared with miracle whip. I guess I am brand loyal to both Kraft & Hellmans. I buy them when they are BOGO so I don’t think they cost anymore than the store brand.
Mayo!! Preferably Hellmans.
I was raised on MW and can’t stand it now
I have an exact same childhood story and it’s mayo (Hellman’s) for me!
Miracle Whip may be good on tomato sandwiches but do not use it for anything else! Duke’s Mayo is the choice of most Southerners. Hellman’s is just okay but depending on what it is used for a bit of lemon juice would need to be added. This is just a Southern “thing” since I know many fine cooks who would use nothing but Hellman’s
i grew eating miracle whip and then as an adult i switched to whatever mayo was cheapest. Then somewhere along the way i tried hellmans and i have never bought the cheap brand again. but for pasta salads or egg or tuna salad i use a 50/50 mix of miracle whip and hellmans. i find that miracle whip tones down the richness of hellmans in recipes where the mayo is a prominent part of the recipe. i still usually buy the light versions of each and light hellmans is still better than full fat cheap mayo.
I live in Louisiana and the only mayonnaise that we use is called blue plate we wouldn’t use anything other than that.
Growing up we were a 100% Miracle Whip household, I always thought Mayo tasted a bit sour. However, as I’ve gotten older and my taste buds have changed I find that I enjoy Mayo better.
Miracle Whip! I love the sweet tangy taste. Mayo just seems bland to me.
Miracle Whip for me. My husband loves mayo (especially all the different flavored ones). However, I will use mayo in some recipes that call for it. I usually end up looking for an alternative way to make those things. I found the best potato salad recipe that does not include mayo. Everyone raves about it.
growing up my mom would buy mayo (always hellman’s) or miracle whip. so both are okay…but i only buy hellman’s mayo. i live in nashville now, and have noticed a lot of small southern brands (or bigger brands like duke’s or blue plate) in the grocery stores. so i think i might try one of those brands next and see what i think!
I grew up on mayo (my Dad hated MW). Now my husband is a MW fan only, and like other posters, I will not have 2 jars in the fridge since I don’t use mayo that often, so he wins. MW in our fridge, though I don’t eat it very often at all. Poor mayo, I miss you most when summer is here and a tomato sandwich has your name written all over it. Sigh.
Mayo! And I am a mayonnaise snob. I always stock up on Blue Plate when I travel to the south because you cannot get this brand in OK
I like both. I grew up on Miracle Whip. A friend turned me on to mayo. I use both depending on what I’m using it for. A BLT has to have MW, any other meat sandwich depends on my taste preference at that time. Salads could be either or, depending on if I want a little sweetness in it or not. As far as brands of mayo, I use either Hellman’s or Kraft, depending on price and if I have a coupon.
I’m a mayonnaise woman. I grew up with both Miracle Whip and mayo, knew early on that I preferred mayonnaise. I buy Hellman’s on sale with coupons, make do with store brands in between.
I don’t understand everyone who prefers mayo! Mayo has more fat than miracle whip, but miracle whip somehow has twice as much flavor as mayo. Mayo is tasteless imo.