Hollandaise Sauce substitute

Substitutes for Hollandaise Sauce with ratios

1. 2Warmed mayonnaise with lemon and Dijon

   Different taste

   ½ cup mayo, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon and 2 tbsp warm water replaces ¾ cup hollandaise

   Mayonnaise is already an egg-and-oil emulsion, so you are borrowing its structure and adding hollandaise's acidity and warmth.

   What changes

   Best for

   eggs Benedict, asparagus, broccoli, fish, brunch bakes

   The most reliable shortcut, and convincing enough that most people will not ask. It tastes cleaner and more vinegary than hollandaise and less deeply buttery; whisking in a tablespoon of melted butter closes most of that gap. Warm it in a bowl over hot water, because direct heat splits it immediately.

2. 3Lemon butter sauce (beurre citron)

   Different texture

   Use 4 tbsp butter plus 1 tbsp lemon juice for every 2 servings

   Melt the butter, whisk in lemon juice, salt and a pinch of cayenne, and spoon it over while hot.

   What changes

   Best for

   asparagus, green beans, white fish, new potatoes, artichokes

   Delivers exactly the fat-and-acid combination hollandaise was there for, in about 90 seconds, with no eggs. It is thin and pourable rather than thick and clinging, so it runs straight off a poached egg, but on vegetables and fish it is genuinely excellent and arguably brighter.

3. 4Bearnaise or another hollandaise sibling

   Different taste

   Use the same amount

   The same yolk-and-butter emulsion built on a reduction of shallot, tarragon and vinegar instead of lemon juice.

   What changes

   Best for

   steak, eggs, roast beef, grilled fish, chips

   Same technique, same texture, different aroma: herby and faintly aniseedy rather than clean and lemony. Superb on steak and eggs, slightly odd with salmon or asparagus where the lemon was doing the work. If you can make one, you can make the other.

4. 5Creme fraiche or sour cream with lemon and mustard, warmed

   Taste and texture differ

   ½ cup creme fraiche, 2 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp Dijon

   Warm gently in a small pan, stirring, until just hot and loose enough to pour.

   What changes

   Best for

   salmon, potatoes, asparagus, baked eggs, smoked fish

   Tangy and creamy, and it holds heat far better than any egg emulsion, so it will not split and can wait on the stove. It reads clearly as a cream sauce, noticeably more sour and less rich than hollandaise. Very good on salmon and potatoes, less convincing on eggs Benedict.

5. 6Mornay or cheese sauce

   Different taste

   Use the same amount by volume

   A bechamel with grated cheese stirred through, used as the rich clinging element in place of hollandaise.

   What changes

   Best for

   eggs Benedict-style dishes, baked eggs, cauliflower, gratins, croque madame

   Gets you the richness and the clinging texture, and it is stable, make-ahead and egg-free, which matters if you are avoiding raw yolks. What it loses is all of the acidity, so the plate tastes heavy and one-note. Fix that with a squeeze of lemon, a dab of Dijon and plenty of black pepper.