Hollandaise sauce
Contains egg (no meat or fish)
Sauce hollandaise
A warm, buttery emulsion of egg yolks and melted butter sharpened with lemon — the sauce for eggs Benedict, asparagus and poached fish.
Hollandaise sauce is a French sauce from France, ready in about 15 minutes and made with unsalted butter and egg yolk. It serves 6 and is rated advanced to cook.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 15 min
- Serves
- 6
- Level
- Advanced
- Calories
- 237
Method
Step 1
Melt the butter in a small pan and keep it warm (about 60 °C); skim off the foam if you like a purer flavour.
- 3 min
- low heat
- Saucepan (opens in a new tab)
Step 2
Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, not touching the water. Whisk (opens in a new tab) the yolks and cold water in the bowl until pale, foamy and thick enough to leave a trail (ribbon stage) — lift the bowl off whenever the edges start to set.
- 4 min
- 65°C · Yolk mixture should feel hot to the touch but never scramble.
- low heat
- Double boiler / bain-marie (opens in a new tab)
- Whisk (opens in a new tab)
How it looks · Photo: Kampus Production on Pexels Step 3
Off the heat, whisk (opens in a new tab) in the warm butter a few drops at a time at first, then in a thin, steady stream once the sauce thickens, leaving the milky solids in the pan.
If it gets too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water.
Step 4
Whisk (opens in a new tab) in the lemon juice (opens in a new tab), salt and cayenne until smooth and glossy. Serve at once, or keep warm over the hot (off-heat) water for up to an hour, whisking occasionally.
- 1 min
Food safety: Egg-butter sauces sit at temperatures bacteria like. Make them close to serving, keep warm (not hot) for no more than about an hour, and discard leftovers rather than reheating.
About this dish
- Origin
- France · Commonly attributedA classic of French cuisine despite the name; why it is called 'Dutch' is unclear.Also popular in United States, United KingdomMore food from France
- Dish
- Breakfast · Brunch · Dinner · Sauces
- Cooking method
- Whipped
- Taste
- buttery, rich, tangy, mild
- Diet
- Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carbWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb - Cook more with
- Unsalted butter · Egg yolk · Lemon juice
- Techniques
- Simmering · Emulsification · Stock making
Allergens
- Contains: Milkfrom unsalted butter
- Contains: Eggsfrom egg yolk
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
237 kcal per serving
Calculated1 serving ≈ 42 g · recipe makes 6
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 3%
- Carbohydrate 1%
- Fat 97%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 237 kcal | 569 kcal |
| Protein | 1.6 g | 3.9 g |
| Carbohydrate | 0.5 g | 1.2 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 0.5 g | 1.2 g |
| Sugars | 0.1 g | 0.3 g |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fat | 25.9 g | 62.2 g |
| Saturated fat | 15.5 g | 37.3 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 155 mg | 372 mg |
| Sodium | 105 mg | 251 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0.3 g | 0.6 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 19 mg
- Calcium
- 19 mg
- Iron
- 0.2 mg
- Magnesium
- 1 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 232 µg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.5 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 14 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- Optional ingredients are not included: cayenne / chilli powder.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- If the sauce splits, whisk a fresh yolk with a spoonful of warm water in a clean bowl and gradually whisk the broken sauce into it.
- Blender method: blitz yolks, lemon and salt, then pour in very hot melted butter with the motor running.
Common mistakes
- Overheating the yolks scrambles them; butter that is too hot or added too fast splits the sauce.
Serve with
- Eggs Benedict
- Steamed white or green asparagus
- Poached salmon or broccoli
Food safety
- Contains raw or lightly cooked egg yolk. Use pasteurised eggs for pregnant people, babies, young children, older adults and anyone with a weakened immune system; keep refrigerated and use within the stated time.
- Egg-butter sauces sit at temperatures bacteria like. Make them close to serving, keep warm (not hot) for no more than about an hour, and discard leftovers rather than reheating.
Storage
- Not suitable for storing; make fresh.
Variations
- Sauce maltaise (France): Finish with blood-orange juice and zest; classic with asparagus.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
Goes with
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Unsalted butter, melted and kept warm175 g
- Egg yolk3 piece · 51 g
Make it milder, swap ingredients for your diet, change the batch size or thickness — the original stays as it is.
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