Easy No Mayo Coleslaw (Dairy Free, Egg Free & Vegan) (2024)

A lighter, fresher coleslaw…that tastes SO MUCH BETTER than the kind that’s dripping with cream and mayonnaise AND is easy peasy to make, my Easy No Mayo Coleslaw is perfect for picnics, BBQs and potlucks…and even amazing on top of a baked potato! Plus this version is dairy free and egg free and vegan, so can be enjoyed by almost everyone!

I am a big fan of coleslaw – it’s one of my favourite salads…especially at this time of year…it’s just great as a side dish at BBQs, fabulous for taking on picnics and a really lovely, easy recipe to whip up for the kind of party where you’re invited to bring a dish to share.

Buuut…I am a bit of a coleslaw snob…and just lately I have been subjected to waaaay to much bad coleslaw…at parties, BBQs and even at a well know chain restaurant (that I shan’t name, I’m much too nice, but it was horrid!).

It particularly irks me when the coleslaw is absolutely swimming in mayonnaise…especially when it’s bad, cheap mayonnaise, or when it’s kind of watery or sweet…bleeeeaaaargh!

My other coleslaw issue, is that my family hate it and so I don’t get to eat it that often (sob)…my kids especially won’t go near anything with mayonnaise in, and it’s the mayo that’s an issue for my husband too (he’s even more of a coleslaw snob than I am!).

So when the Free From Gang (a wonderful group of Free From and Allergy bloggers – for more details see below the recipe) challenged me to make a BBQ dish as part of their #FreeFromBBQ challenge…I knew exactly what I wanted to do: make a delicious, healthy, no mayo coleslaw that was completely free of dairy and egg, and therefore vegan (it’s naturally gluten free too).

And to throw in an extra personal challenge, it had to be a coleslaw that my kids and husband would eat…AND enjoy…talk about a tall order!!! 😀

Though actually creating a delicious, no mayo coleslaw was very easy in the end – I simply shredded red and white cabbage, carrots and spring onions in my food processor and then mixed in my deliciously simple version of a French vinaigrette dressing, made with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and a little salt and pepper. It took all of about 10 minutes and made loads!

The result was a tasty, simple, fresh and light coleslaw that actually tasted so much nicer than your standard dripping with mayonnaise version…but of course the big question is…Did my family like it??

And the answer is a resounding YES! I was astonished at how happily my kids spooned this coleslaw onto their plates (once I’d explained that it was special coleslaw I’d made for them without mayonnaise) and they both wolfed it down without a moan. RESULT!

As an added bonus, by losing the mayonnaise, cream and other gubbins you often get in mayonnaise (there’s all sorts of weird, unnecessary things that get chucked into mayonnaise…especially the cheap bought kind) and replacing it simply with good quality olive oil, apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard, this Easy No Mayo Coleslaw is actually much better for you AND it is, of course, suitable for those who need to avoid dairy, egg, soya, gluten etc. (Though do check the mustard you use to make sure that is suitable too – if in doubt, you can leave the mustard out – it will still work just fine), and also suitable for vegetarians and vegans too.

And with all the ingredients being fairly cheap to buy, it’s a pretty frugal recipe too!

If you are catering for people with a mix of dietary requirements, and feel that some of your guests might like mayonnaise in their coleslaw, it is the simplest thing in the world to split this coleslaw into two (or make a double batch) and keep half mayo free, whilst adding a tablespoon or two of mayonnaise to the other half, thus keeping everyone happy (just don’t go putting the wrong spoon in the wrong coleslaw, now!!)

One little note on the apple cider vinegar…if you don’t happen to have any, you can simply substitute for either white wine vinegar or lemon juice.

To shred the cabbage and carrots, I find the easiest way is to use a food processor to slice the cabbage and spring onions and then use the grater attachment to grate the carrot, but if you don’t have a food processor, you can simply slice the cabbage and spring onions finely, using a knife, and grate the carrot on a standard box grater or, if you have more patience than me (!), you could finely slice the carrot into long thin strips.

And, if you wanted a little extra crunch, you could scatter a few pumpkin seeds over the top of this Easy No Mayo Coleslaw as a garnish.