Hollandaise sauce substitutes
Hollandaise sauce substitutes — 6 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Blender hollandaise (the real thing, fast)
3 egg yolks, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 stick melted butter makes about ¾ cup
Hollandaise does two jobs at once, delivering rich fat and bright acid over something lean or green, so any substitute has to bring both. The fastest good swap is warm lemon butter: melt 4 tbsp butter, whisk in 1 tbsp lemon juice, a pinch of salt and a little Dijon. For eggs Benedict, where you need something thick that clings, whisk ½ cup mayonnaise with 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon and a couple of tablespoons of warm water, then warm it gently over a bowl of hot water and never boil it. Or make blender hollandaise in 90 seconds: three yolks, lemon juice, a stick of hot melted butter poured in slowly.
- Verdict —
- Works
- Best for —
- eggs Benedict
Updated 19 Aug 2026 · no sponsored swaps
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of hollandaise sauce | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blender hollandaise (the real thing, fast)eggs Benedict | 3 egg yolks, 1 tbsp lemon juice and 1 stick melted butter makes about ¾ cupWorks | Works |
| 2 | Warmed mayonnaise with lemon and Dijoneggs Benedict | ½ cup mayo, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon and 2 tbsp warm water replaces ¾ cup hollandaiseTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Lemon butter sauce (beurre citron)asparagus | 4 tbsp butter plus 1 tbsp lemon juice per 2 servingsTweak it | Tweak it |
| 4 | Bearnaise or another hollandaise siblingsteak | Same amountTweak it | Tweak it |
| 5 | Creme fraiche or sour cream with lemon and mustard, warmedsalmon | ½ cup creme fraiche, 2 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp DijonYou'll taste it | You'll taste it |
| 6 | Mornay or cheese sauceeggs Benedict-style dishes | Same amount by volumeTweak it | Tweak it |
Blender hollandaise (the real thing, fast)
similar taste and texture
Blitz the yolks, lemon juice and salt, then pour hot melted butter in a thin stream with the blender running until thick.
- Best for
- eggs Benedict, asparagus, poached salmon, new potatoes, steamed greens
This is hollandaise, not a substitute for it, and it is far harder to break than the whisked version over a bain-marie. It takes about 90 seconds of actual work. Hold it warm in a thermos or a bowl over warm water, never on direct heat, and use it within the hour.
Warmed mayonnaise with lemon and Dijon
different taste, similar texture
Mayonnaise is already an egg-and-oil emulsion, so you are borrowing its structure and adding hollandaise's acidity and warmth.
- 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.
Lemon butter sauce (beurre citron)
similar taste, different texture
Melt the butter, whisk in lemon juice, salt and a pinch of cayenne, and spoon it over while hot.
- 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.
Bearnaise or another hollandaise sibling
different taste, similar texture
The same yolk-and-butter emulsion built on a reduction of shallot, tarragon and vinegar instead of lemon juice.
- 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.
Creme fraiche or sour cream with lemon and mustard, warmed
different taste and texture
Warm gently in a small pan, stirring, until just hot and loose enough to pour.
- 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.
Mornay or cheese sauce
different taste, similar texture
A bechamel with grated cheese stirred through, used as the rich clinging element in place of hollandaise.
- 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.
Questions
5 questionsCan I just leave the hollandaise off?
Yes. Eggs Benedict without hollandaise is a poached egg on ham and a muffin, which is a good breakfast, just a plain one. Season the egg properly and add a little butter and a squeeze of lemon and you have replaced most of what the sauce was contributing.
Can I use mayonnaise instead of hollandaise?
Yes, and it is the best shortcut there is. Whisk half a cup of mayonnaise with a tablespoon of lemon juice, a teaspoon of Dijon and a couple of tablespoons of warm water, then warm it in a bowl set over hot water. It tastes slightly more vinegary and less buttery; a tablespoon of melted butter fixes that.
What is the difference between hollandaise and bearnaise?
They are the same emulsion of egg yolk and butter. Hollandaise is acidified with lemon juice; bearnaise is built on a reduction of shallots, tarragon and vinegar, so it tastes herby and faintly aniseedy. Bearnaise goes on steak, hollandaise on eggs and vegetables, and either works in a pinch.
Can I reheat hollandaise?
Only very gently, in a bowl set over warm water, whisking constantly. It will split over direct heat, and it is not a sauce to hold warm for hours. Treat hollandaise as make-and-serve; if you need something that waits, use the mayonnaise or creme fraiche version instead.
What is the easiest hollandaise substitute for asparagus?
Lemon butter. Melt 4 tablespoons of butter, whisk in a tablespoon of lemon juice, salt and a pinch of cayenne, and pour it over. It supplies the same fat and acid, takes under two minutes, and on vegetables the thinner texture is not a drawback.
Tips for substituting hollandaise sauce
5 tips- Hollandaise does two things at once: fat and acid. If you improvise a substitute, taste for both. Most homemade attempts fail because they are buttery but not sharp enough, so they taste flat over an egg.
- Nothing in the hollandaise family survives a boil. Egg yolk sets somewhere around 160 to 180F, so keep any egg-based sauce well below a simmer, and use a bowl over warm rather than boiling water to hold or reheat one.
- If real hollandaise splits, whisk a fresh yolk or a tablespoon of warm water in a clean bowl and dribble the broken sauce into it a little at a time. This rescues it almost every time and is faster than starting over.
- Hollandaise contains barely-cooked egg yolks. If you are cooking for anyone pregnant, elderly, very young or immunocompromised, use pasteurised eggs or pick a substitute with no raw yolk in it, such as the warmed mayonnaise or creme fraiche versions.
- Make it last and serve it immediately. Real hollandaise cannot wait around, so if your timing is going to be tight, choose the mayonnaise version, which reheats and holds where the classic does not.