What Is Sir Kensington's Fabanaise?
Fabanaise was Sir Kensington's original name for its egg-free mayonnaise, built around aquafaba — the starchy liquid left over from cooking chickpeas — as the emulsifier that normally comes from egg yolks in traditional mayo. The brand has since folded the product into its broader lineup under the name "Classic Vegan Mayo," but you'll still see "Fabanaise" on older jars, in recipe blogs, and in grocery databases, so the two names refer to the same product family rather than two different mayos.
The pitch is straightforward: a mayo that spreads, dresses, and tastes close enough to the real thing that you'd use it the exact same way, minus the egg. It's sold in shelf-stable jars (not refrigerated at purchase, though it should be refrigerated after opening) at a premium price point compared to bargain mayo, positioning it closer to Vegenaise than to a mass-market brand.
Ingredients
The current Classic Vegan Mayo / Fabanaise ingredient list reads:
Sunflower Oil, Aquafaba (Water, Chickpeas), Lemon Juice, Salt, Distilled Vinegar, Acacia Gum, Xanthan Gum, Rosemary Extract, Black Pepper, Citric Acid, Mustard Extract, Lemon Oil.
Older Fabanaise jars used a slightly different formula (organic aquafaba, organic lemon juice, and kombu seaweed instead of gums and rosemary extract), so if you're comparing an old ingredient panel to a new one, don't panic — the brand reformulated rather than swapped in an animal-derived ingredient. A few notes on what's here now:
- Aquafaba is doing the job eggs usually do. It has proteins and starches similar enough to egg whites that it whips and emulsifies in a comparable way, which is why aquafaba shows up across a lot of vegan baking and mayo recipes, not just this product.
- Acacia gum and xanthan gum are stabilizers, not thickeners with any animal origin — both are plant/microbial-derived and common in gluten-free and vegan product formulations.
- No soy, no dairy, no eggs anywhere in the current formula, and the brand markets it as Non-GMO Project Verified, Certified Vegan, gluten-free, and keto-certified.
If you ever want to sanity-check a condiment label yourself rather than trust marketing copy, running it past the spvegan.com ingredient checker is a quick way to flag anything that sounds plant-based but isn't.
Is Sir Kensington's Fabanaise Vegan?
Yes — Sir Kensington's Fabanaise (Classic Vegan Mayo) is vegan. It's Certified Vegan on the label, contains zero animal-derived ingredients, and was purpose-built as an egg-free mayo rather than a repurposed regular mayo. This is worth stating plainly because Sir Kensington's also sells a separate, traditional egg-based mayo line, so — much like the Country Crock situation with dairy tubs — not every Sir Kensington's jar on the shelf is vegan. Check that the jar specifically says "Vegan" or "Fabanaise" before buying; the classic yellow-lidded Sir Kensington's mayo next to it on the shelf contains real eggs.
Nutrition Facts: How It Stacks Up
Per 1 tablespoon serving, here's how it compares to two other well-known vegan mayo brands and to standard egg-based mayo:
| Product | Calories | Total Fat | Saturated Fat | Sodium |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Kensington's Fabanaise | 90 | 10g | 1g | 95mg |
| Follow Your Heart Vegenaise (Original) | 90 | 9g | 0.5g | 70mg |
| Hellmann's Vegan (Plant-Based) | 70 | 8g | 0.5g | 100mg |
| Regular egg-based mayo (typical) | ~90–100 | ~10g | ~1.5g | ~85–90mg |
Fabanaise runs almost identical to regular mayo on calories and fat — this isn't a "lighter" mayo, it's a like-for-like swap. Hellmann's Vegan comes in noticeably lower on calories, largely because it uses a bit less oil per serving, while Vegenaise sits in between with the lowest saturated fat of the three vegan options. None of the vegan versions carry any cholesterol, which is the one nutritional edge they all share over the egg-based original regardless of brand.
Taste and Texture
Straight out of the jar, Fabanaise is noticeably tangier and more acidic than Vegenaise, which leans a little sweeter and milder by comparison — that extra tang comes from the lemon juice and vinegar combination and reads as closer to a classic deli mayo. Texture-wise, it's thick and glossy rather than runny, holding its shape well in a spoon, and it emulsifies smoothly into dressings and dips without breaking or separating, which is the main risk with aquafaba-based mayos if they're poorly stabilized.
Where it slightly underperforms is in very high-heat applications — like using it as the base of a baked sauce — where the aquafaba emulsion is a touch less heat-stable than an egg yolk emulsion and can thin out faster. For anything cold — sandwiches, potato salad, a dip base, coleslaw dressing — it performs essentially indistinguishably from a quality egg mayo in blind taste tests reported by several reviewers.
It also holds up well as a base for flavored dips and dressings: whisked with hot sauce it makes a passable vegan comeback sauce, and it takes garlic, herbs, or mustard without breaking the emulsion, which isn't a given with every plant-based mayo on the market. If you cook a lot of aquafaba-based recipes at home — meringues, whipped "cream," or homemade mayo from scratch — this is a reasonable commercial benchmark for what a well-stabilized aquafaba emulsion should taste and feel like.
Sir Kensington's Fabanaise vs. Vegenaise vs. Hellmann's Vegan
| Product | Typical Price | Base Oil | Egg Replacer | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sir Kensington's Fabanaise | ~$6–7 for 12 oz | Sunflower oil | Aquafaba | Tangy, deli-style flavor |
| Follow Your Heart Vegenaise | ~$7–8 for 16 oz | Canola oil (or grapeseed/soy variants) | Soy protein / pea protein blends | Mild, all-purpose everyday mayo |
| Hellmann's Vegan | ~$5–6 for 20 oz | Soybean/canola oil blend | Modified food starch | Budget-friendly, widest availability |
Hellmann's Vegan wins on price and shelf availability since it rides on Hellmann's existing distribution into nearly every major grocery chain. Vegenaise has the longest track record in the vegan world and the broadest range of variants (soy-free, grapeseed oil, reduced fat). Fabanaise sits as the flavor-forward, slightly more expensive option aimed at people who want their mayo to taste distinctly tangy rather than neutral.
Who Should Buy Sir Kensington's Fabanaise
It's a strong pick if you specifically want mayo with a noticeable tang — think classic potato salad, deviled "egg" filling, or a remoulade — rather than a neutral binder. It's also a reasonable choice if you're avoiding soy, since the current formula doesn't rely on soy protein the way some competitors do, though always double-check the specific jar and variant since Sir Kensington's makes multiple mayo styles.
It's a weaker fit if you're mayo-ing on a budget — Hellmann's Vegan will save you real money per ounce with a comparable everyday result — or if you need a mayo that holds up in baked, high-heat sauces, where a more heat-stable option may perform more consistently.
Final Verdict
Sir Kensington's Fabanaise (now sold as Classic Vegan Mayo) delivers on its core promise: a genuinely egg-free mayo with a distinct tangy, deli-style flavor and a texture close enough to traditional mayo that most people won't clock the difference in a sandwich. The rebrand from "Fabanaise" to "Classic Vegan Mayo" is a marketing shift, not a formula downgrade, and the aquafaba-based approach still holds up against newer competitors.
Rating: 8/10 — one of the better-tasting vegan mayos on the market, just not the cheapest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Fabanaise the same as Sir Kensington's Classic Vegan Mayo?
Yes. Fabanaise was the original product name; Sir Kensington's now markets the same aquafaba-based mayo as "Classic Vegan Mayo." The ingredient list has been updated slightly over time, but it remains egg-free and Certified Vegan.
What is aquafaba and why is it in mayo?
Aquafaba is the liquid left over from cooking chickpeas. Its proteins and starches mimic the emulsifying properties of egg whites, which is why it's used as an egg replacer in mayo, meringues, and other whipped or emulsified vegan recipes.
Does Sir Kensington's make a non-vegan mayo too?
Yes — Sir Kensington's core mayo line uses real eggs. Only the jars labeled "Fabanaise" or "Vegan"/"Classic Vegan Mayo" are egg-free, so check the label before buying if you're shopping the same shelf.
Is Sir Kensington's Fabanaise soy-free?
Yes, the current formula doesn't use soy-based ingredients, unlike some other vegan mayos that rely on soy protein for emulsification.
How does Fabanaise taste compared to regular mayo?
It's tangier and more acidic than most standard mayos, with a texture close to traditional mayo. It's better suited to recipes where you want a pronounced tang, like potato salad or remoulade, than to dishes wanting a neutral binder.
Is Sir Kensington's Fabanaise keto-friendly?
It's marketed as keto-certified, with zero carbs, sugar, and fiber per serving, and its calorie and fat profile are close to standard mayo.
Where can I buy Sir Kensington's Fabanaise?
It's sold at most major grocery chains, natural food stores, and online retailers, typically shelved with condiments rather than refrigerated (refrigerate after opening).
Is Sir Kensington's Fabanaise cheaper than Vegenaise?
It's usually priced similarly to Vegenaise, both sitting above budget mass-market vegan mayos like Hellmann's Vegan on a per-ounce basis.
Can I use Fabanaise in place of eggs in other recipes?
Fabanaise itself is a finished mayo, not a raw egg replacer for baking — for that, use plain aquafaba (the chickpea liquid) on its own. But because Fabanaise is aquafaba-based, it's a reliable stand-in anywhere a recipe calls for regular mayo as an ingredient, such as in dips, dressings, or as a moisture-adding binder in vegan baking.
