I’m referring to Miracle Whip and mayonnaise. They share similar ingredients (oil, eggs, vinegar/lemon juice), but Miracle Whip has less oil and more water, sugar, and spices.

This results in a sweeter, tangier, and lighter flavor and texture than mayonnaise, so says the FDA. These ingredient differences also result in Miracle Whip being classified as a "dressing" rather than "mayonnaise."

That’s the “Cliff Notes” explanation. Here's a more detailed breakdown:

MAYONNAISE, as mentioned above, is made from simple ingredients: oil, eggs, vinegar and/or lemon juice. It’s rich, creamy, and tangy in flavor—with more salty notes than Miracle Whip. It’s thick and creamy in texture. It’s also required to contain at least 65% vegetable oil by weight to be labeled "mayonnaise." Some common mayonnaise brands are Hellmann’s (Best Foods west of the Rocky Mountains), and Duke’s.

MIRACLE WHIP uses a more involved recipe. As said above, it also contains eggs and vinegar or lemon juice, but less oil than mayonnaise. Unlike mayonnaise, it has water and sugar. Also unlike mayonnaise, it calls for mustard, paprika, and garlic. It’s these spices that give it its distinct flavor—definitely sweeter and spicier in flavor and lighter and thinner in texture than mayonnaise. Miracle Whip Original and Miracle Whip Light are their own brands—they have no brand competition.

Bottom line? Miracle Whip is made with 13 ingredients. Most mayonnaise is kept to just 3 or so natural ingredients. An exception is Hellmann’s, which contains a tiny amount of sugar in addition to the oil, eggs, and vinegar, but not enough to be noticeable. Duke’s, a Southern favorite and staple, contains no added sugar. So, you choose.

With this understanding of their differences, I wondered if there were better uses than others for Miracle Whip. Professional chefs and commercial cooks tended to agree that Miracle Whip is best for sweeter dishes, such as swirled into sweet-and-spicy sriracha, slathered over fresh tomato slices, or used in the dressing for macaroni salad. A few chefs actually cringed when asked if it could be substituted for mayonnaise on a standard BLT.

Another delicious way to use Miracle Whip is in chocolate cake. And by the way, this is one area where mayonnaise and Miracle Whip are definitely interchangeable. I’ll close with my Aunt Annie’s recipe for a family favorite cake, Miracle Whip Sunday Dinner Cake. I bet many of you have a very similar recipe!