If you’ve ever swooned over the creamy, dreamy yellow sauce at your favorite brunch spot, this is for you! With this Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce recipe, you’ll recreate that irresistibly silky finish at home in under ten minutes. Trust me—once you master this classic, you’ll want to drizzle it over everything.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Real Restaurant Results: Achieve that perfectly velvety, cloud-like texture and nuanced lemony flavor you find at the best brunch spots.
- Foolproof Blender Method: No double boilers, no frantic whisking—just your immersion blender and a steady pour for consistent, glorious sauce every time.
- Ready in Minutes: You’ll pour, blend, and serve in less than 10 minutes. It’s the definition of fancy-without-the-fuss.
- Customizable for Any Meal: From eggs to steak to roasted veggies, this base makes every dish company-worthy or just elevates your solo breakfast into a celebration.
Ingredients You’ll Need
You truly don’t need a world of ingredients for Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce—just a few pantry staples that, when combined, create something spectacular. Every element here plays a crucial role in building the sauce’s color, viscosity, and that signature decadent flavor.
- Egg Yolks: The creamy heart of your Hollandaise—separate your eggs while cold for easiest yolk extraction, then let them warm up for the smoothest blend.
- Unsalted Butter: Choose good-quality butter, and for an extra luxe finish, clarify it or use ghee. The butter gives hollandaise its signature richness and shine.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh is always best! The lemon brightens and balances out all that buttery goodness, giving the sauce its addictive tang.
- Water: A small amount improves the sauce’s texture and helps it blend to that restaurant-smooth consistency.
- Cayenne Pepper or White Pepper: Adds just a gentle kick and depth—cayenne is classic, but white pepper makes the sauce look extra elegant.
- Salt: Rounds out all the flavors and gives the sauce its savory backbone. Adjust to taste, especially depending on what you’re serving alongside.
Variations
The beauty of Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce is just how effortlessly it can be tailored to your tastes or dietary needs. With a few minor tweaks, you can make this sauce uniquely yours—so don’t be afraid to get creative!
- Clarified Butter or Ghee: Replace regular butter with ghee or clarified butter for a super-luxe, ultra-smooth “cheffy” taste and a perfect glossy finish.
- Herb-Infused: Whisk in a little chopped tarragon, chives, or dill at the end to create a French “béarnaise” twist or just an herby, garden touch.
- Citrusy Zing: Swap some lemon juice for a bright splash of orange or grapefruit juice for a subtle, unexpected depth of flavor.
- Spicy Kick: Amp up the cayenne or stir in a dash of your favorite hot sauce for a bold, brunch-reviving jolt.
- Dairy-Free: Try a vegan butter substitute that melts well and has a high fat content—it won’t be exactly traditional, but it still hits the creamy, dreamy mark.
How to Make Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce
Step 1: Prepare Your Yolks
Start by separating your eggs—this is easiest when they’re cold from the fridge. Place the yolks in a tall, narrow container that fits your immersion blender snugly; this helps the sauce emulsify in seconds. Let the yolks come to room temperature while you prep the other ingredients—the warmer they are, the easier your Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce will blend.
Step 2: Add Flavor & Blitz
Pour in the lemon juice, water, your chosen pepper, and a pinch of salt over the yolks. Briefly blend everything to combine. This creates a perfectly seasoned, liquid base—setting you up for that signature silky, tangy sauce every time.
Step 3: Melt & Clarify Your Butter
Melt your butter in a heatproof jug or small saucepan until it’s bubbling hot (but not brown). Wait about 15 seconds for the milky solids to settle at the bottom—leave most of these behind when adding the butter to your sauce for a pure, golden result worthy of any restaurant.
Step 4: Blend Slowly for Perfection
With the immersion blender running on high in your yolk mixture, slowly pour the hot butter in a thin, steady stream. This step should take around 45 seconds. The sauce will magically thicken and pale—just like true Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce! Finish with an up-and-down blitz for extra creaminess.
Step 5: Adjust & Serve
Check your hollandaise: If it’s too thick, loosen with a teaspoon of warm tap water. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon juice depending on what you’re serving. Use right away, or keep warm (covered in a tea towel) for up to 15 minutes—then let the magical drizzling begin!
Pro Tips for Making Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce
- Warm Yolks, Happy Sauce: Letting your egg yolks lose their chill helps everything emulsify more easily, resulting in the smoothest texture imaginable.
- Steady Butter Stream: Slowly pouring the melted butter is what creates that restaurant-worthy silk—too fast and the sauce may split, so take your time!
- Leaf Behind the Milky Solids: Leaving most of those milk solids in the jug gives a cleaner flavor and gorgeous clarity to your hollandaise (but it’s still forgiving if a little gets in).
- Rescue Trick: Sauce too thick? A few drops of warm water stirred in will save the day—just add gradually for total control!
How to Serve Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce
Garnishes
For a classic touch, a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives, dill, or tarragon looks beautiful and adds a layer of flavor. If you love a pop of color, a pinch of additional cayenne or finely grated lemon zest adds just the right finishing sparkle to your Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce.
Side Dishes
This sauce is the secret star of Eggs Benedict, but don’t stop there! It’s out-of-this-world over roasted asparagus, delicate salmon fillets, seared steaks, or even drizzled atop crispy hash browns. Hollandaise truly elevates both brunch classics and your favorite dinner mains.
Creative Ways to Present
Try serving your Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce in a warmed gravy boat so guests can pour their own, or swirl it artfully onto plates underneath vegetables or proteins for a restaurant-chef finish. For a brunch board, offer it as a “drizzle dip” alongside roasted potatoes, bacon, or grilled bread.
Make Ahead and Storage
Storing Leftovers
Store any leftover Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. It helps to press a layer of plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Give it a good stir before reusing to revive its creamy texture.
Freezing
Unfortunately, classic hollandaise doesn’t freeze well—the emulsion can break and turn greasy when thawed. For the best flavor and texture, make fresh or simply store in the fridge for short-term enjoyment.
Reheating
To gently reheat Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce, submerge your airtight container in very warm (not boiling) tap water for about 20 minutes, stirring every so often for even warmth. Avoid microwaving unless you use very short, low-power bursts, stirring between each; this helps prevent curdling.
FAQs
-
Can I make Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce without an immersion blender?
Yes, you can! The immersion blender method is quick and foolproof, but you can also make this sauce using a regular blender or by hand with a whisk over a double boiler. Just pour your melted butter into the yolks slowly as you whisk constantly to achieve the same creamy emulsion.
-
Why did my Hollandaise sauce split or turn grainy?
This usually happens if the butter is added too quickly or is too hot, or if the yolks are too cold. For best results, allow yolks to come to room temperature, keep the pour slow and steady, and keep your blender running the whole time.
-
How can I fix Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce that’s too thick?
If your sauce becomes too thick, simply blend or whisk in warm tap water, a teaspoon at a time, until you reach your ideal consistency. Add it slowly—over-thinning is much harder to fix than thick sauce!
-
What’s the difference between clarified butter and regular butter in this recipe?
Clarified butter (or ghee) is pure butterfat without any milk solids, giving your Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce a brighter color, silkier mouthfeel, and slightly nuttier flavor. It’s a restaurant secret for maximum gloss and flavor, but regular unsalted butter works beautifully, too.
Final Thoughts
If you’ve never made Restaurant-Style Hollandaise Sauce at home, prepare to be dazzled by your own culinary skills! This sauce is every bit as luscious and spoon-licking as what you’d get at a fancy brunch—and now you can make it in minutes. I can’t wait for you to treat yourself, friends, and family to a little touch of restaurant magic, right from your own kitchen.
Print
Homemade Hollandaise Sauce Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 3 minutes
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: 1 1/4 cups 1x
- Category: Blending
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: French
Description
Learn how to make a rich and creamy Hollandaise sauce at home with this easy recipe. Perfect for Eggs Benedict or as a sauce for vegetables, this classic French sauce is a must-have in your culinary repertoire.
Ingredients
Egg Yolks:
- 3 large egg yolks (55-60g / 2 oz each)
Seasoning:
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or white pepper
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice, plus more to taste
- 1 1/2 tbsp water
Butter:
- 175g/ 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1.5 cm / 1/2″ cubes
Instructions
- Prepare Egg Yolks: Place egg yolks in a tall narrow container.
- Blend Ingredients: Add water, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and salt. Blitz briefly to combine.
- Melt Butter: Melt butter until hot.
- Emulsify Sauce: Slowly pour the hot butter into the egg mixture while blending.
- Adjust Consistency: If too thick, add warm water gradually.
- Season to Taste: Adjust salt and lemon juice according to your preference.
- Finalize Sauce: Blend for additional 10 seconds for a smooth texture.
- Serve: Use immediately or keep warm until ready to serve.
Notes
- Egg yolks should be at room temperature for easier separation.
- For a richer flavor, consider using ghee or clarified butter.
- Leftover sauce can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in warm water.
- Avoid freezing Hollandaise sauce as it may separate upon thawing.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 179 cal
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 79mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 1g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 120mg
