This rich and creamy 5-minute black garlic aioli is a great way to enhance a wide variety of dishes. It’s garlicky, salty, and umami flavored with a touch of sweetness. Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.
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I re-upped on black garlic which means I’m going to inundate you with black garlic recipes. You can thank me later.
The first recipe featuring this uniquely amazing ingredient is this aioli. It’s a quick and fairly easy way to incorporate black garlic into a dish.
And when I say quick I mean only five minutes. Yep, that’s all it takes to make this amazing sauce that has the power to take something plain and make it extraordinary. Ok, that might be a stretch, but it definitely takes your food up a notch. Just like a good sauce should.
The first time I made this aioli I did not include fresh garlic. It turned out far too sweet for my taste, so the next time I added some. BINGO. It turns out the bite of the fresh garlic balances superbly with the sweetness of the black garlic.
Ingredients (+ notes & substitutions)
- Fresh garlic: Two medium-sized cloves should do.
- Salt
- Egg yolks: Two yolks from room-temperature eggs. If you’re like me and never prepared, you can place the eggs in a bowl of hot tap water for 10 minutes to warm them up.
- White vinegar: Or white wine vinegar. The use of vinegar really helps balance the other complex flavors.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: EVOO is a must for homemade aioli and I highly recommend using the highest quality oil you can. The flavor of the oil shines through, so it’s really important it tastes good.
- Black garlic: I’m lucky that I am able to pick it up black garlic at our local farmer’s market (thanks Running Waters Homestead). Personally, I’ve never seen it at a grocery store, however, I’ve heard that it is available at Trader Joes. If you are not able to find any locally, it is available for purchase through Amazon. I have included a link below.
- Black pepper
How to make black garlic aioli ( + tips)
Begin by using a mortar and pestle to crush the garlic together with the salt. Transfer the paste to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade or a blender. *If you don’t have a mortar and pestle you can skip this step and just throw it in your food processor.
Next, add the egg yolks and white wine vinegar and pulse until combined.
Continue blending while slowly adding extra-virgin olive oil one teaspoon at a time or slowly drizzling it. Adding the oil slowly is ESSENTIAL for the emulsification process. Simply put, emulsification is the process of combining (by force) two liquids that don’t want to mix (such as oil and water). If this step is not performed properly the sauce will not come together and you’ll have to begin again, so be patient!! It is not possible to add the oil too slowly, so take your time.
Blend until all the oil has been incorporated and the desired consistency is produced. The final product should be quite thick. You should be able to turn it upside down and it should stay in place. Add the black garlic and black pepper and pulse until smooth. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
Storage
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to three days.
FAQ
Black garlic is essentially just aged garlic. It is slowly heated in a humidity-controlled environment over the course of several weeks to several months. As the enzymes in the garlic break down a Maillard reaction is produced. This chemical reaction is responsible for giving browned food its unique (and delicious) flavor.
If you’ve never had black garlic you should know that it is quite sweet. In fact, it’s molasses-like. Believe it or not, it’s so sweet it’s actually used in desserts like cookies and ice cream. I have yet to try it but plan to.
Aside from sweetness, black garlic adds some umami or a “pleasant savory taste”. If you’re not familiar with the flavor profile, think brothy or meaty. Foods rich in umami include ham, mushrooms (especially shitakes), anchovies, soy sauce, Parmesan cheese, kimchi, and even tomatoes.
You may have heard that it is just fancy mayonnaise, but that is incorrect.
Aioli is a sauce made from garlic, salt, and extra-virgin olive oil using the process of emulsification, whereas mayonnaise is typically an emulsion of canola oil and egg yolks with the addition of lemon juice/vinegar and other flavor-enhancing ingredients such as mustard powder. As you can see aioli obviously wins because of GARLIC!!!
Originating in the Mediterranean region it is traditionally prepared using only a mortar and pestle. For simplicities sake, my recipe is prepared largely using a food processor or a blender, although it does require grinding the garlic and salt into a paste with a mortar and pestle.
Another key difference between a traditionally prepared aioli and my version is the addition of egg yolks. The lecithin in the egg yolks acts as an emulsifier aiding the process. Their use results in a creamier sauce.
Recommended Products
How to use this aioli:
- Atop a steak or pork chop.
- On a sandwich or burger, like this mushroom and Swiss burger.
- As a dip for chips or fries like these truffle sweet potato fries with Parmesan.
- With raw or roasted vegetables like this truffle roasted asparagus.
- Slathered on bread or crackers.
If you make this black garlic aioli I’d love your feedback. Please leave a comment and/or a rating below as I greatly value your opinion. Or snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @taoofspiceblog. Love, light and happy cooking ya’ll ♥
Black Garlic Aioli
This rich and creamy 5-minute black garlic aioli is a great way to enhance a wide variety of dishes. It's garlicky, salty, and umami flavored with a touch of sweetness. Naturally gluten-free and vegetarian.
Ingredients
- 2 cloves fresh garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons white vinegar
- 1/2 cup high quality extra-virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves black garlic
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- With a mortar and pestle crush the garlic together with the salt. Transfer to bowl of food processor fitted with a steel blade or blender. *If you don't have a mortar and pestle you can skip this step and just throw it in your food processor. (See notes)
- Add the egg yolks and white wine vinegar and pulse until combined.
- Continue blending while slowly adding extra-virgin olive oil one teaspoon at a time.
- Blend until all the oil has been incorporated and desired consistency is produced.
- Add the black garlic and black pepper and pulse until combined. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later.
Notes
- Adding the oil slowly is ESSENTIAL for the emulsification process. Simply put, emulsification is the process of combining (by force) two liquids that don’t want to mix (such as oil and water). If this step is not performed properly the sauce will not come together and you’ll have to begin again, so be patient!! It is not possible to add the oil too slowly, so take your time.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1 tablespoonAmount Per Serving: Calories: 121Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 56mgSodium: 73mgCarbohydrates: 1gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g
The nutritional information provided is computer generated. It is only an estimate and intended for informational purposes only. Nutrition details may vary depending on various factors such as origin, freshness of ingredients, etc
Robert Sudar
Saturday 18th of January 2025
We had it at a local restaurant, too, and so I looked for a recipe to try it. The black garlic isn't available in our town but got some from a larger city. This recipe is very good. Wondering if 4-5 clothes were ease back the strong flavor just a bit but not complaing - my wife and I thought this was still excellent and looking forward to testing it with the rest of the family. Thanks so much for sharing!
WhoCaresWhoIAm
Thursday 27th of June 2024
First time I had black garlic purée was at a local restaurant. Chef served it with Beef Tartare. So good. Finally found it at Whole Foods. Thanks for all these recipe ideas.
George Sevelle
Sunday 9th of April 2023
This is a great sauce. I've been making my own Black Garlic and this was one of the first recipes that I tried. We are using it as an artichoke dip.
WhoCaresWhoIAm
Thursday 27th of June 2024
@George Sevelle, OMG artichoke dip, thank you thank you thank you 😋
Jill
Wednesday 1st of June 2022
My daughter bought me black garlic at our local farmers market. I was roasting some chicken hindquarters and a bunch of leftover grilled veggies. Wanted a sauce or dip for the veggies. It turned out to be the star of the show. We were dipping everything in it. Will make again! Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
amy liu dong
Tuesday 8th of February 2022
Wow! This looks so delicious and perfect for any dish we want to pair. These flavoring spices will definitely make any dish absolutely a masterpiece.
Jessica Halverstadt
Wednesday 9th of February 2022
It definitely takes things to the next level!