Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe - Budget Bytes (2024)

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$0.72 recipe / $0.36 serving

by Beth - Budget Bytes

published

4.50 from 62 votes

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I recently polled my Facebook followers to see what recipes they’ve been too intimidated to try, and hollandaise sauce was a popular answer. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s a lot easier than you think! This super quick and easy hollandaise sauce recipe will get you rich, creamy, lemony hollandaise sauce in just a few minutes and with nothing more than just a sauce pot and a whisk. So you can have this dreamy sauce whenever you want and without breaking a sweat. Let me show you how it’s done.

P.S. if you’ve ever made my Luscious Homemade Lemon Curd, this hollandaise sauce is basically the same thing, but savory!

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe - Budget Bytes (2)

What is Hollandaise Sauce?

If you’ve never experienced the magic of hollandaise sauce, let me attempt to describe it to you. It’s a very simple savory sauce made with butter, egg yolk, lemon, and salt. It has a smooth, velvety texture with just the right amount of bright lemon flavor to keep it from being too heavy. If you’ve ever had Eggs Benedict, this is the dreamy yellow sauce that is drizzled over top. But it’s great on a lot more than just Eggs Benedict…

How to Use Hollandaise Sauce

As mentioned above, hollandaise sauce is often served over poached eggs, like in Eggs Benedict, but it’s also great over steamed or roasted vegetables, like asparagus, potatoes, or broccoli. The buttery lemon flavor is also great on salmon, crab, or even steak. Hollandaise sauce is practically all butter and I think we can all agree that butter tastes great on everything!

Small Batch for No Leftovers

Hollandaise sauce is very rich, so you don’t need a lot. And since reheating leftovers of emulsified sauces can be tricky, I decided to make this a small batch recipe so you can avoid the trouble of trying to use up your leftovers. The recipe below makes about ⅓ cup, or just enough for two people (about 3 Tbsp each).

If you want to make a larger batch, it’s just as easy. Simply adjust the number in the “servings” box in the recipe below and the ingredient quantities will adjust for you. The method will be exactly the same, but it may take a few minutes longer for the sauce to heat as you whisk.

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe - Budget Bytes (3)

Easy Hollandaise Sauce

4.50 from 62 votes

An easy, no-fail method for making homemade hollandaise sauce in just minutes. Anyone can make this rich and creamy lemon butter sauce!

Author: Beth – Budget Bytes

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe - Budget Bytes (4)

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe - Budget Bytes (5) Servings 2 3 Tbsp each

Prep 2 minutes mins

Cook 5 minutes mins

Total 7 minutes mins

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Ingredients

  • 1 large egg, separated ($0.23)
  • 1 Tbsp water ($0.00)
  • 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice ($0.02)
  • 4 Tbsp butter* ($0.44)
  • 1/8 tsp salt ($0.01)
  • 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper ($0.02)

Instructions

  • Separate the egg and place the egg yolk in a small saucepot. The whites can be saved for a different recipe.

  • Add the water and lemon juice to the pot with the yolk and whisk until smooth (no heat yet).

  • Cut the butter into small pieces (about ¼ Tbsp size) , then add them to the saucepot with the egg yolk, lemon, and water.

  • Place the pot over medium-low heat. Continuously whisk as the mixture heats. First the butter will melt, then the mixture will begin to get a bit frothy. Finally, as the egg yolk begins to cook, the sauce will thicken. Make sure you're whisking the entire time to achieve a light, smooth sauce. Once it thickens to the consistency of gravy, remove the pot from the heat.

  • Season the sauce with salt and cayenne, then drizzle the sauce over your favorite food!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Equipment

Notes

*I use salted butter, but if you have unsalted butter simply add a pinch more salt to your sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 3TbspCalories: 238kcalCarbohydrates: 1gProtein: 3gFat: 25gSodium: 381mgFiber: 1g

Read our full nutrition disclaimer here.

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Video

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How to Make Hollandaise Sauce – Step by Step Photos

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Separate one large egg and place the egg yolk in a small saucepot (this is a 1 qt. saucepot)

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Add 1 Tbsp water and ½ Tbsp lemon juice to the pot with the egg yolk, then whisk the yolk and lemon juice until smooth (do not heat the mixture at this point).

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Cut 4 Tbsp butter into small pieces (about ¼ Tbsp sized pieces). Add them to the pot with the yolk, water, and lemon juice.

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Place the pot over medium-low heat and continuously whisk while the butter begins to melt.

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Continue to whisk as the mixture begins to heat. You’ll notice it begin to get frothy…

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And then when the egg yolk begins to actually cook, it will thicken the sauce to a consistency similar to gravy. Make sure you’re whisking throughout this entire process. It should only take 3-5 minutes for the sauce to thicken. Remove the sauce from the heat once thickened.

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Season the sauce with about ⅛ tsp cayenne and ⅛ tsp salt (or to taste).

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And now your rich and dreamy lemony sauce is ready to eat! You did that!

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Drizzle that heavenly sauce over all your favorite foods!

Easy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe - Budget Bytes (2024)

FAQs

What is the basic formula for hollandaise? ›

In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks, lemon juice, cold water, salt and pepper. Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Gradually whisk yolk mixture into butter. Continue whisking over low heat for 8 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

What is the most common mistake in hollandaise sauce? ›

One common hollandaise mistake is overcooking the egg yolks, and there's no coming back from that. But the most common problem is that the emulsion breaks, and you see streaks of liquid butter instead of a uniformly creamy sauce.

What is the liquid base of hollandaise sauce? ›

To make hollandaise sauce, beaten egg yolks are combined with butter, lemon juice, salt, and water, and heated gently while being mixed.

What are the ingredients of hollandaise sauce? ›

Ingredients
  • 125g butter.
  • 2 egg yolks.
  • ½ tsp white wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar.
  • squeeze of lemon juice.
  • pinch of cayenne pepper.

What are the ingredients in hollandaise sauce? ›

Here's what goes in Hollandaise Sauce: egg yolks, butter, salt, lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne pepper, if you want a touch of subtle warmth. Egg yolks – from 3 large eggs (and sold labelled as “large” at grocery stores), each egg weighing 55 – 60g / 2 oz. Even larger eggs will also work just fine.

Why is hollandaise so hard to make? ›

Traditional hollandaise, made by emulsifying melted clarified butter into egg yolks and lemon juice, is notoriously difficult to make. You not only have to take the same care in its construction as you take for oil-in-egg-yolk mayonnaise, but you also have to deal with the fickle nature of hot eggs and butter.

Why do I feel sick after hollandaise sauce? ›

Raw eggs are used in homemade versions of foods such as mayonnaise and hollandaise sauce. Unpasteurized dairy products. Unpasteurized milk and milk products — sometimes called raw milk — may be contaminated with salmonella. The pasteurization process kills harmful bacteria, including salmonella.

What thickens hollandaise sauce? ›

How do you fix a runny hollandaise? Blenders tend to make runny hollandaise - it's usually because the butter was too cold and hasn't cooked the eggs enough to thicken them. To thicken a runny hollandaise, tip the mixture into a heatproof bowl set over simmering water and whisk over the heat until thickened.

What can I use instead of hollandaise sauce? ›

5 Alternative Takes on Hollandaise Sauce for Your Eggs Benedict
  • Use red wine. For a heartier sauce (that's especially good with steak and eggs), reduce dry red wine and port instead of white wine.
  • Make a cheese sauce. ...
  • Brown the butter with capers. ...
  • Add morels. ...
  • Use avocado.
Nov 15, 2022

What is broken hollandaise sauce? ›

What is Broken Hollandaise Sauce? If the sauce breaks while you're whisking or when you serve it on extremely hot food, you'll know. It'll become grainy and very thin and will actually be two separate liquids. If your sauce looks like scrambled eggs, your egg yolks are overheated. Unfortunately, you can't salvage this.

What are the sister sauces of hollandaise sauce? ›

The sister sauces include:
  1. Béarnaise = hollandaise + shallots + tarragon + chervil + peppercorns + white wine vinegar.
  2. Chantilly = hollandaise + whipped heavy cream. The tomato sauce is classically served with pasta, fish, vegetables, polenta, veal, poultry, bread, and dumplings such as gnocchi.

What are 3 derivatives of hollandaise sauce? ›

Some of the Hollandaise sauce derivatives are:
  • Maltaise – Hollandaise, juice, and zest of blood orange (late-season fruit is best).
  • Mousseline – Hollandaise, whipped cream.
  • Béarnaise – Tarragon, white wine, and vinegar reduction, fresh chervil, and tarragon.
  • Foyot – Béarnaise, reduced Espagnole, and brandy.

Why do you need clarified butter for hollandaise? ›

Clarified butter—butter that is liquefied and then strained until it's clear—helps stabilize the sauce so that it doesn't curdle. It is pure fat, whereas whole butter is 16 to 17 percent water, which can weaken the emulsion.

Does homemade hollandaise sauce keep? ›

Hollandaise sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days. To store hollandaise, place it in an airtight container and make sure that the hollandaise is cooled down before you put it away.

What are the main ingredients and thickening agent in a hollandaise sauce? ›

Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise is a tangy, buttery sauce made by slowly whisking clarified butter into warm egg yolks. So the liquid here is the clarified butter and the thickening agent is the egg yolks.

What is the base of hollandaise one of the 5 mother sauces? ›

It's worth mentioning that hollandaise is derived from mayonnaise and hasn't always been classified as a mother sauce. Hollandaise combines egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice. Both it and its derivative sauces are popularly served over eggs, vegetables, fish, or chicken.

What ingredient acts as the emulsifier in hollandaise? ›

One egg yolk will typically absorb one cup of oil. Eggs are also used as a binding emulsifier in several classic sauces. An example is hollandaise sauce, which is a rich, hot, and creamy sauce usually prepared by beating cold butter cubes into warmed egg yolks and adding lemon juice.

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