How to Make an Easy, Healthy Hollandaise Sauce with Recipe
I adore having brunch with friends. Brunch means you can sleep in, enjoy a mimosa, and dine outside before the heat of the day.
When I think of brunch, Eggs Benedict always come to mind. I will never forget the first time I indulged in Eggs Benedict. To this day, the allure of a creamy Hollandaise sauce over perfectly poached eggs makes my head spin with anticipation.
Traditional Hollandaise is a rich, creamy sauce made with a load of butter. So I typically enjoy this sauce only on special occasions.
But where is the fun in that?
So, I set out to create a healthy Eggs Benedict recipe, which of course, needs a healthy Hollandaise sauce recipe to top it.
What is Eggs Benedict?
Eggs Benedict made the classic way typically includes English muffins layered with Canadian bacon and topped with a poached egg. Then you pour some Hollandaise sauce on top and serve. Simple, yet delicious!
It is one of my favorite brunch recipes. There are many variations, so you can make it every weekend without it being boring.
Get Your FREE Eggs Benedict Guide
Grab your FREE Eggs Benedict options guide below for over 100 flavorful combinations of Eggs Benedict.
What is Hollandaise Sauce?
Hollandaise sauce is one of the “mother sauces,” which are five basic French sauces. These sauces are the starting points for making many “daughter” or secondary sauces. Mother sauces include Hollandaise, Tomato, Bechamel, Espagnole, and Velouté.
You see, Hollandaise is the mother sauce of Bearnaise sauce. You make a basic Hollandaise recipe and add shallots, tarragon, and crushed black peppercorns to it. Now you have a terrific sauce for steak or grilled salmon.
The classic Hollandaise is a yellow sauce due to the egg yolks in it. This buttery sauce is typically cooked in a double boiler. You heat it slowly and gradually over low heat to allow the egg yolks to thicken into a smooth cream. Then you finish the sauce with lemon zest or lemon juice to give it a lovely acidic bite.
Hollandaise sauce is a perfect complement for poached eggs, fish such as salmon, cod, sole, halibut, and shellfish like crab and lobster. A classic vegetable pairing is with green or white asparagus. However, Hollandaise can also complement roasted or steamed broccoli, roasted potatoes, green beans, roasted cauliflower or cauliflower rice, and roasted tomatoes.
How to Make a Classic Hollandaise Sauce
I try to channel Julia Child when I make a traditional Hollandaise sauce. Her recipe is the real thing.
You can use a double boiler if you have one. If not, place a small bowl (a glass bowl is best) or an uncoated pan over simmering water. Do not let the bowl or small saucepan touch the water.
For the melted butter, use regular butter. Clarified butter is great for many things, but in this recipe, you want a delicate taste. The better butter version is regular butter, as other types can add too much flavor.
Cut up and heat the butter in a saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat and set aside.
Beat the egg yolks in a separate saucepan until thick. Add water, a little lemon juice, and salt, and beat some more.
Add one tablespoon of butter and place the saucepan over a gentle simmer. Stir with a wire whisk until the sauce becomes a smooth cream. Remove from the heat and add another tbsp of cold butter to stop the yolks from cooking.
Then, while beating the egg yolks with a whisk, pour in the melted butter by droplets or quarter-teaspoons until the sauce begins to thicken into a very heavy cream. Then pour the butter a little more rapidly. Omit the milky residue at the bottom of the butter pan.
Season the sauce to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
Serve the sauce warm, not hot.
Complete Brunch Menu For Mother’s Day or a Special Occasion
Do you need inspiration for Mother’s Day or want to pull off a spectacular brunch? Then here is a complete Eggs Benedict Menu to dazzle your company!
Healthy Hollandaise Sauce Ingredients
Here is a healthy Hollandaise sauce recipe that does not use a single tablespoon of butter.
This Hollandaise recipe uses a secret ingredient. You add olive oil instead of hot butter, which reduces saturated fat by 70%, but still makes a flavorful and silky-smooth sauce.
Olive oil does have a few more calories, however, butter is much higher in saturated fat. Additionally, olive oil is more nutritious than butter because it has the kinds of fats that are good for your heart health, your immune system, blood sugar control, and much more, according to GoodRx.
However, be sure to use a mild-tasting olive oil, like extra virgin olive oil. Bolder oils that are good to finish dishes or use in salad dressing can be a little bitter in larger amounts.
Ingredients for the Healthy Hollandaise Sauce include:
- ½ c mild extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ c pure olive oil
- 3 large egg yolks
- 5 tbsp warm water (110F to 120F), divided
- 2 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper
How to Make this Easy, Healthy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe
Combine and then heat both olive oils in a small saucepan over low heat until warm, about 120°F.
Combine yolks, 3 tablespoons warm water, lemon juice, salt, white pepper, and cayenne in a blender. Pulse until combined. Pour heated oil into a spouted measuring cup.
While the blender is running, slowly add oil in a thin, steady stream. If the sauce is too thick, add a little water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Make sure it is warm, not hot water. Process until the desired consistency is reached.
You can also use an immersion blender in a large bowl to mix to the right consistency. You want the sauce to pour in a thick stream.
The amount of lemon juice you use depends on your taste. Some like that lemon kick, and others prefer a softer acidic finish.
Substitutions
I do not recommend using coconut oil in place of olive oil. It is a healthy oil, but it has a very distinct flavor.
However, you can substitute white wine vinegar for the lemon juice. This vinegar offers the bitterness and acidity of lemon juice, as well as a bit of sourness. Also, since it is a key ingredient in many recipes, you may already have it in your pantry. If you use this substitution, replace lemon juice with white wine vinegar at a 1–1 ratio.
Light Hollandaise Sauce
To make a light Hollandaise sauce, you substitute sour cream and low-fat Greek yogurt for the butter or olive oil. You could call this a Greek yogurt Hollandaise sauce, but that just doesn’t sound right to me.
This is still a flavorful creamy sauce that mimics Hollandaise in a healthy way. You can get the recipe card on the post “How to Make Hollandaise Sauce Five Ways”.
How to Store Hollandaise Sauce
You can make a whole batch of Hollandaise sauce the night before you serve it. Let it cool to room temperature before sealing it in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator overnight.
The next day, simply reheat and serve.
How do you Reheat Hollandaise Sauce?
Here are some of the best ways to reheat this delicious sauce.
One little trick while reheating is to add a little more butter or a tsp of olive oil to the sauce while reheating. This helps with consistency.
Is Hollandaise Sauce Safe?
Yes, when made correctly, homemade Hollandaise sauce is safe.
I am not a doctor, so I am not going to offer medical advice. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does provide information when consuming raw eggs and dairy products, especially for pregnant moms.
The FDA provides safety measures when making recipes that call for raw eggs. They suggest that you add the eggs to the amount of liquid called for in the recipe and then heat the mixture thoroughly.
Also, using pasteurized eggs enhances safety. These eggs can be found in some supermarkets and are labeled “pasteurized.”
How Much is in a Serving?
This is a tough question for me to answer, as I adore Hollandaise Sauce and tend to overserve myself.
So, let’s look at a tablespoon serving of the sauce.
According to the Recipe Card Blocks recipe analyzer, one tablespoon of the Healthy Hollandaise Sauce has
- 102 calories
- 11 grams of fat
- 1 gram saturated fat
- 0.26 grams carbohydrates
- 0.42 grams protein
These are healthy fats in olive oil!
Make Brunch Delicious with a Healthy Hollandaise Sauce Recipe
I love serving Eggs Benedict for brunch. I cannot remember how many times I made this for friends and family last year.
The best part is that each meal became a celebration of life, enjoying good friends and making memories while breaking bread together.
Go ahead and invite some friends over for brunch, celebrate your time together, and don’t feel guilty about the calories in the meal. And let your friends know that you care for their health by making a heart-healthy Hollandaise Sauce recipe.
Cheers Y’all!
P.S. Share with friends on social media!
Heart Healthy Hollandaise Sauce
Equipment
- blender
Ingredients
- ½ c mild extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ c pure olive oil
- 3 large egg yolks
- 5 tbsp warm water (110F to 120F), divided
- 2 ½ tbsp fresh lemon juice
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Heat both olive oils in a small saucepan over low until warm, about 120°F.
- Combine yolks, 3 tablespoons warm water, lemon juice, salt,white pepper and cayenne in a blender. Pulse until combined. Pour heated oil into a spouted measuring cup.
- With blender running, slowly add oil in a thin, steady stream. If sauce is too thick, add up to 2 tablespoons warm water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and process until desired consistency is reached.
- Serve warm over Eggs Benedict, asparagus, fish, chicken, or vegetables.
You May Also Like
Easy Black Beans and Rice with Sausage Recipe
Homemade Recipe for the Best Salsa for Keto Diets
