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!
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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
Servings 2 3 Tbsp eachIngredients
- 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
- Whisk
Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Hollandaise Sauce – Step by Step Photos
Separate one large egg and place the egg yolk in a small saucepot (this is a 1 qt. saucepot)
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).
Cut 4 Tbsp butter into small pieces (about ¼ Tbsp sized pieces). Add them to the pot with the yolk, water, and lemon juice.
Place the pot over medium-low heat and continuously whisk while the butter begins to melt.
Continue to whisk as the mixture begins to heat. You’ll notice it begin to get frothy…
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.
Season the sauce with about ⅛ tsp cayenne and ⅛ tsp salt (or to taste).
And now your rich and dreamy lemony sauce is ready to eat! You did that!
Drizzle that heavenly sauce over all your favorite foods!
Once I figured out why my sauce broke, and I was able to save it, I was very happy with it. It was very easy to make, however too much lemon for me, but that’s easily adjusted for next time.
I’ve made this before and it turned out great, but this time my sauce broke. Any suggestions to save it? I also used a sauce whisk this time instead of regular whisk, is that possible issue??
What kind of pan does one need?
Stainless Steel!
Idk what I did wrong but mine came out tasting like iron and nearly caused me to vomit. The consistency was correct and everything but the flavor was just awful.
Did you happen to use an aluminum or unseasoned cast iron pot? When acidic ingredients (in this case, lemon) are cooked in “reactive” pans, such as those, trace amounts of molecules from the metal can loosen and leach into the food. Even an aluminum whisk or bowl could do that.
I was alternating between making this and making the poached eggs and it still turned out good! Great recipe!
Perfect! So easy and I love the smaller portion
This recipe deserves a 20 out of 10! I’ve always wanted to make Hollandaise sauce but was more than anxious about getting good results. I did a lot of homework because hubby has talked about eggs Benedict too much :) I finally decided to give it a try when I saw your recipe. I even made homemade English muffins for them the day before. We get our eggs fresh from a local Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm, so we have the best of everything. The Hollandaise turned out perfectly and his plate was nearly licked clean. I think it was a success. I’ve bookmarked Budget Bytes and it’s my favorite recipe site now. Thanks so much!
I’ve always done a double boiler approach and this is so much easier! I tend to use a small omelet pan and take it on and off the burner as I go. But I’m cooking in gas at higher elevation so adjustments are always required.
This is perfect every time.
Superb! Thankyou!
This recipe was so easy and sauce came out perfectly!!! First time I have ever made this thought it would be so difficult pleasently surprised 😋
Butter and eggs separated
Train by day, Joe Rogan podcast all day, night!
Mine too. Don’t know if I kept it on too long or used sauce whisk instead of regular whisk. I’ve made it before and turned out great but can’t remember. I am trying to save it with cornstarch or flour.
Hi Joe,
I recently replied with the same problem. I found an easy solution and it worked great. I added just a little bit of hot water (from my Keurig) to the sauce (off the heat) and it brought everything back to a nice smooth texture, but was a bit runny, so I put sauce back on medium low heat while continuously whisking until the sauce began to thicken (3-5 mins). Success!
I just made this! Absolutely delicious! I’ve never even attempted to make it before but it was quick, easy and a new favorite! Thank you!
Absolutely foolproof, great recipe 👌
Finally a recipe for holandaise that I can manage! Absolutely love this meth I d and the result. I cut back a bit on the lemon juice as I find the original recipe a bit to sour to my taste.
This was very easy! I love hollandaise sauce and it was nice to have a recipe that made a smaller portion. Super yummy!!