Easy 5-minute Blender Hollandaise
Hollandaise sauce is a delicious way to elevate a simple dish into an elegant brunch or side dish. It’s essential for eggs benedict, of course, but it’ll also liven up asparagus, broccoli, and many a fish dish. Hollandaise is made from basic ingredients: just egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice. But since it’s an emulsified sauce, it can be devilishly tricky to get right–requiring double boilers, endless whisking, and constant attention. None of that is ideal when you’re looking to serve a crowd or wow guests.
Instead, this recipe uses a blender to do the hard work for you. Make sure you trickle the butter in slowly with the blender running, and the emulsification will be a snap!
Ingredients
3 large egg yolks
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1-2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch of pepper (can use white, black, cayenne or paprika pepper. You can also substitute a dash of hot sauce if you prefer)
Instructions
- Place eggs yolks, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp lemon juice in a blender.
- Melt butter in a small saucepan until it foams. You can skim off the milk solids that sink to the bottom of the pan and either discard them, or use them in another recipe.
- Put the lid on the blender and blend the egg yolk mixture on high for 2 seconds. Remove the lid (or open the lid flap) and continue blending at top speed as you pour the melted butter into the blender in a thin, continuous stream.
- The sauce will begin to emulsify and turn into a thick creamy sauce. Taste it and adjust the level of salt, pepper, and lemon juice as needed.
- Use immediately–hollandaise does not reheat well. If you need just a few minutes you can set the blender jar in lukewarm water (not hot–or the egg will cook).
How to fix a broken hollandaise sauce
Still having trouble? If your emulsification broke (separated), don’t panic–it happens to everyone from time to time and the sauce can still be saved! Just remove it from any heat source, and vigorously whisk in a tablespoon of hot water. If that doesn’t work, beat an egg yolk in a new bowl and slowly add the broken sauce to the new yolk while whisking continuously. Your sauce should re-emulsify and be ready to go!
*This recipe contains raw egg yolks. As a reminder, consuming raw or undercooked eggs, meat, seafood, or poultry may increase your risk of foodborne illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions. If you prefer a cooked hollandaise, see our recipe for eggs benedict.