Foolproof Hollandaise Sauce – How To Make This Sauce, 2 Ways

You’re not alone if you’ve ever attempted to make hollandaise sauce and ended up with a curdled mess. The good news is that creating smooth hollandaise sauce does not need a culinary degree or an iron will. These two simple methods will help you make the rich, buttery hollandaise sauce needed to drizzle over eggs, vegetables, and steak.

Pin it

The blender hollandaise sauce method was one of my mother’s recipes she prepared during my childhood. She prepared the sauce without excessive whisking, opting for a blender instead. Cooking from scratch was our family’s everyday practice because she made everything seem easy, though she spent no time on it.

Now, living in the country, I get it. Cooking at home isn’t just about taste—it’s a necessity. The habit of shopping at the store for every item needed at a whim is impractical. And honestly? The process of making homemade food allows you to use available ingredients while eliminating preservatives and artificial additives.

The good news? Hollandaise sauce doesn’t need to be complicated to create. The blender and immersion blender allow you to create smooth, buttery hollandaise sauce within five minutes without experiencing stress. And using eggs from your chickens and fresh, homegrown veggies like asparagus, broccoli, or brussels sprouts makes your meal so much better.

Hollandaise sauce is one of the five basic “mother sauces” that French chef Auguste Escoffier established during the 19th century. The name “hollandaise” hints at Dutch origins. The sauce likely emerged from Dutch dairy traditions before the French adopted it into their culinary practices.

Easy Hollandaise Sauce recipe – 2 ways

Ingredients for either method:

Pin it

• Egg Yolks from Large eggs (preferably from your own chickens!), room temperature
• Lemon Juice, fresh
• Butter, unsalted, melted, and hot
• Salt
• Dijon mustard
• Cayenne or white pepper (optional)

Method 1: Blender Version Hollandaise (Classic & Foolproof)

Best for people who want a hands-free approach with minimal effort.

Instructions:

1. Blend the yolks & lemon juice – In a blender, combine egg yolks, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and salt. Blend for 10 seconds to mix.
2. Slowly add hot butter – With the blender running on low, slowly add a thin stream of the hot melted butter. The heat from the butter will gently cook the yolks, creating a thick, creamy sauce.
3. Season & serve – Add a pinch of cayenne or white pepper for a little kick. Blend for another second, then taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
4. Enjoy immediately – Drizzle over eggs, veggies, or seafood.

Pin it

Pin it

Method 2: Immersion Blender Hollandaise (Even Easier!)

Best for anyone who loves a one-container, no-mess method.

Instructions:

1. Use a tall container – Add egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard, and salt in a tall jar, such as a glass canning jar or measuring cup (just wide enough to fit your immersion blender).
2. Pour in hot butter – Melt butter until very hot, then pour it over the yolk mixture.
3. Blend from the bottom up – Place the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar and turn it on. As the sauce thickens, slowly lift the blender to emulsify everything. This takes about 20-30 seconds to blend and thicken.
4. Season & serve – Taste, adjust seasoning, and enjoy.

Pin it

Pin it

Pro Tips for the perfect hollandaise sauce:

If Your Hollandaise Is Too Thin

• Add more hot butter: Slowly drizzle in hot melted butter (1 tablespoon at a time) while blending or whisking. The heat will help thicken the sauce and stabilize the emulsion.
• Egg yolk fix: If it’s still too thin, you can whisk in another lightly beaten egg yolk and a little lemon juice. Heat it gently to thicken.

If Your Hollandaise Is Too Thick

• Add warm water: If it’s too thick, add a little warm water. One teaspoon at a time, stir or blend until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Add more melted butter: If you want to keep the rich, buttery texture, add more melted but not hot butter (1 tablespoon) at a time until it loosens up.
• Splash of lemon juice: A small splash of fresh lemon juice can also help loosen it.

If Your Sauce Breaks

• Fix with an extra yolk: Whisk in a new egg yolk in a clean bowl and slowly add the broken sauce, whisking constantly.
• Warm water trick: Alternatively, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water, a little at a time to bring everything back together.

Grainy Texture

Overheating likely caused the eggs to scramble. Keep the heat low and steady. If it has not gone too far, the following may fix the sauce:

• Whisk in Warm Water: Remove the sauce from heat immediately. Add 1-2 teaspoons of warm water and whisk vigorously for 30-60 seconds.
• Use a Fresh Egg Yolk:  In a clean bowl, whisk a fresh egg yolk with a teaspoon of warm water or lemon juice. Slowly drizzle the grainy hollandaise into the yolk mixture, whisking constantly as if starting a new emulsion.
• Strain It: If the graininess is mild, push the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve or strainer into a clean bowl. Use a spoon or spatula to press it through, leaving the larger curdled bits behind.

Pin it

How to keep the sauce warm

• Use a Double Boiler on Low Heat: Keep the sauce in a bowl over a double boiler. Once the water is hot, turn it down to the lowest setting. Don’t let the bottom of the bowl touch the water, it should be just above. Stir occasionally to heat evenly.
• Store in a Thermos: Pour the finished sauce into a preheated thermos or double-walled coffee tumbler. First heat the thermos or tumbler with hot water to warm it up. I love using my Yeti tumblers for this!  Gently stir before serving.
• Place Near a Warm Spot by the Stove: Place the sauce near but not on a warm stove or oven. Cover the sauce with a lid to help retain the heat. Stir or whisk occasionally to help prevent a skin from forming.
• Use a Warm Water Bath: Similar to the double-boiler method but even easier.  Fill a shallow pan or bowl with warm water (about 120°F or 50°C) and place the sauce container in the warm water.  Stir occasionally.
• Low Oven or Warming Drawer: If your oven has a warm setting (up to 150°F or 65°C) Heat the oven to warm setting, once it has reached temperature, turn the oven off. Place the freshly made sauce, covered with foil, inside the oven. Keep the oven warm by turning the oven light on. Stir or whisk occasionally.

Pin it

How to store leftover sauce

• Cool It Quickly since it contains eggs and needs to be refrigerated promptly.
• Use an Airtight Container. If you make the sauce with an immersion blender using a Mason jar, just add the lid and band.
• Store refrigerated sauce safely for up to 1-2 days.

Reheating homemade hollandaise sauce

This classic creamy sauce is best served freshly made. Reheating can be difficult. Definitely AVOID direct stove-top heat or microwaving on full power.

Here are a couple of methods to try:

Best Method: Double Boiler with Patience

How to Do It:

1. Set Up a Double Boiler: Fill a small saucepan with an inch of water and bring it to a very gentle simmer (barely bubbling, around 160°F or 70°C). Place a heatproof bowl over the pot, ensuring it doesn’t touch the water.
2. Add a Stabilizer (Optional): Place a teaspoon of warm water or a fresh egg yolk in the bowl first. This can help rebind the emulsion if it’s starting to separate.
3. Gradually Add the Sauce: Spoon the cold hollandaise into the bowl, whisking constantly as it warms. Add it slowly to avoid shocking the mixture.
4. Heat Slowly: Keep whisking over low heat until the sauce reaches a smooth, pourable consistency. This may take 3-5 minutes.
5. Adjust Consistency: If it’s too thick, whisk in a teaspoon of warm water at a time.

Pin it

Alternative Method: Microwave with Caution

How to Do It:

1. Use Low Power: Place the hollandaise in a microwave-safe bowl. Set your microwave to 20-30% power (low setting).
2. Heat in Short Bursts: Microwave for 10-15 seconds, then remove and whisk well. Repeat in 10-second intervals, whisking each time, until it’s just warm (not hot).
3. Monitor Closely: Stop as soon as it’s smooth and slightly warm—overheating happens fast.

Serving Ideas

Hollandaise isn’t just for Eggs Benedict with a poached egg on English muffins! Try it on:

• Roasted or steamed vegetables – Asparagus (of course!), broccoli, or brussels sprouts. The perfect sauce when you grow a garden full of vegetables.
• Seafood – A beautiful sauce spooned over salmon, crab cakes, or lobster. Oh my, just so delicious!
• Breakfast – Over scrambled eggs, breakfast casserole, or hash. If you have backyard chickens and are overrun with eggs, this heavenly sauce will make any egg breakfast special.
• Steak – Because steak and buttery sauces belong together. Béarnaise sauce is a variation of hollandaise sauce that pairs perfectly with steak.

My mom made cooking look easy, and thanks to these two foolproof methods, hollandaise sauce actually is easy. No fancy techniques, no stress—just rich, creamy, smooth sauce.  And when it’s made with eggs from your own chickens and served over vegetables from your garden, it feels even better.

Pin it

Which simple method is your favorite way to make this delicious sauce? Let me know in the comments!

More recipes you might enjoy

• How to Make Béchamel – A Mother Sauce
  
• Homemade Hot Honey – Easy Recipe Made in Minutes
  
• Make the Best-Tasting Homemade Mayonnaise
  

Pin and Save for Later!