Hollandaise sauce is one of those recipes that seems to be way more effort than most people - including me - want to take.
I've read that it can be finicky as well, sometimes curdling or separating. But honestly, I wouldn't know because I've always made this super easy hollandaise sauce that my sweet stepmom introduced our family to many years ago.
Since then we've all been ruined and now prefer this recipe to what is served at restaurants. We find the "other" sauce to be greasy, flavorless and sometimes oddly sweet. In fact, my whole extended family so loves this sauce that our favorite way to eat it - as Eggs Benedict - has been our traditional Christmas breakfast for years.
If you, too, have never cared for traditional hollandaise or you'd just like a tasty, easy sauce to dress up garden vegetables in addition to Eggs Benedict, try this and I bet you'll like this as much as we do.
Easy Hollandaise Sauce
This sauce is made quickly in the microwave and has a couple of ingredients not found in traditional Hollandaise sauce recipes, milk and dry mustard, in addition to eggs, butter, lemon juice, and salt.
You basically throw all the ingredients in a quart measuring except for the eggs, which need to be separated first.
Simply use the shell to separate the yolk from the whites and separate the white right into a container to hold them for another use, like adding to future scrambled eggs.
Tip: If making Eggs Benedict, add some of the whites to each egg before poaching.
After microwaving on Roast (usually power level 6) for 2 minutes it will look like this.
Stir it well, and put it back into the microwave for another 2 minutes on the Roast level.
Now it may look like this when you take it out and you think, "darn...what happened?
Don't panic, just stir it well and it will smooth right out and you have a lovely sauce. See? E.A.S.Y. All that's left is to pour it over the top of whatever you'd like.
Like I mentioned, we usually make Eggs Benedict (which is so popular my daughter requested for her birthday dinner and explains why it's on a "you are special" red plate in the first photo), but it's equally good over roasted asparagus or broccoli.
Though I won't hold my breath waiting for my daughter to request that for her birthday.
Easy Hollandaise Sauce
- 1/2 c. butter
- 1/2 c. milk
- 4 eggs - yolks only (reserve whites for another use)
- 2 Tb. lemon juice
- 1 t. dry mustard
- 1/2 t. salt
- Place the butter in a 1-quart glass measuring cup and microwave on HIGH for 1 minute or until melted.
- After separating the eggs, add the yolks and the remaining ingredients to the measuring cup. Stir until smooth.
- Set microwave to "roast" (usually power level 6) and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and stir well.
- Cook for another 2 minutes on "roast" or level 6.
- Stir until smooth and serve.
Makes 4-6 servings (and is easy to cut in half for 2-4 servings)
Linda Hanson says
Yum! So easy, reheats (gently, low microwave power), can thus be made ahead. Didn’t use the mustard, personal preference. Wonderfully light and silky texture.
Jami says
I'm so glad you liked this, Linda! We make it the day before all the time for our holiday traditional Eggs Benedict - it's great for that as you discovered. 🙂
Goldnrod says
I have a feeling that the 'quick & easy' has to do with it being made in the microwave, but I'm wondering if there's some quick & easy way to make it on the stove top. I do have a double boiler.
Jami says
I haven't tried it on the stove top, but I would probably do the same steps, just using the double broiler and cooking until it thickens.
Holly Masri says
Hi Jami-
You mentioned that this works well as a half-recipe also... did you adjust the cooking time, when you did that? I tried cutting this recipe down to a quarter-size (because it's just my husband and me), and it didn't work for me-- ended up impossibly curdled, and not able to be smoothed out. I'm pretty sure that was because I didn't also shorten the cooking time.... but how to do that? Just cut all the times down to a quarter as long?
Any suggestions?
Jami says
Hmmm, I haven't tried anything less than 1/2, Holly. I do usually don't need to cook it as long, though, you're right. I do the first 2 minute cook, and then stir to see how thick it is. Sometimes I don't need to cook anymore, but usually I do another minute on roast. For a quarter recipe, I'd do a minute for the first round, whisk to see what it's like and put in for another 30 sec to 1 min if needed. Hope that works for you!
Sherry says
I made this last week! It was great and super easy! I posted info on my blog about it on Monday.
Jackie says
Looks easy enough...thanks for sharing! 🙂
[email protected] An Oregon Cottage says
Wow, I'm glad you all are wanting to try it...I wasn't sure because it's not "pure" but we do all love it, so I decided to post. Thanks for the feedback!
[email protected] says
I have never made it before. Now, with your great step by step instructions, I can be a success. Thanks for linking to Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.
Rachel says
This is MUCH easier than the recipe we used in the restaurant and probably tastes better, too!
YUM!!! xoxo
Kathleen says
This recipe looks like an absolute gem!!!
April says
I've never tried Hollandaise Sauce before, but it sounds yummy. I'll have to give this a try soon.
Jenelle says
Ah we are huge fans of Hollendase sauce at my house and yes we make the real/ regular thing.
I have some asparaagus at home. maybe i'll try this and see if anyone notices...... 🙂
Sherry says
Ooohh, I'm going to have to try this as I love Eggs Benedict, but I never make it myself. I wait until we go out. I'm putting it on my menu!!
Thank you!!!
Sherry
Morgan Koji says
I am out of the woodwork on this one! My dad's favorite is Eggs Benedict and I hate making it 'cause I can never get the Hollandaise Sauce to work. I am so going to try this when he is out in a few weeks!