Classic Hollandaise Sauce

This is the perffect hollandaise. You will notice that the only people that have complained about it are the people that used the actual amount of salt or pepper. It's either 5 stars or 1 star. People, all cooks know that you salt and pepper to taste, always take that measure with, well, a grain of salt.

Salt and pepper to taste, people, salt and pepper to taste. Have any of you cooked anything before? What makes this a good recipe is the process, a lot faster than the traditional methods with the same result. Also, the proportions are right for the other ingredients except the lemon, I would use slightly less lemon, however if it’s a small lemon, half is right, but the egg to butter is the right amount. The cold water trick is also very useful for saving a broken sauce.

Thanks for the template :>For those of you having trouble with this recipe, start with *unsalted* butter in the pan. Then, beat the yolks in a separate bowl, and start adding lemon juice sparingly, until you like how the yolks & lemon juice taste together. A tip: the uncooked combo of the eggs & lemon will be just *slightly* more acidic than the combo will taste when it's cooked. So add lemon juice until you like the raw taste, then add just a tiny bit more juice, because the eggs will then cook up and add a creamy flavor, which will just slightly tone down the lemon (adding just a touch more juice than you think you need will keep your finished sauce from tasting too bland).THEN add only as much salt & pepper as you like. The amounts listed for this recipe are far too overwhelming. I didn't add any salt. It only took about three minutes for my sauce to thicken and become creamy, but you must add the yolk mixture only drops at a time, and you really have to whisk the sauce fast.I was very pleased with my sauce & will certainly be using this "template" again, probably as my staple recipe for hollandaise. But make sure you make the changes to suit your own flavor.Thanks!

I never in my entire life gave anybody 0ne Star only. It is the first time. The proportion at the beginning looked very odd: 1 teaspoon of salt and juice of ½ lemon for 3 egg yolks and ½ cup of butter! So, I put just the half of salt. The souse came salty like a sea salt and sour like a lemon itself. It is bad, really bad recipe.

Perfect Sauce! And YES, season to taste is always essential to being a great cook. For those of you new to cooking, please disregard the insulting comments from Locklandworth and BoJacks. Sometimes it takes following a recipe or making mistakes to create the great cook you will eventually become. I honestly think the person that posted the recipe meant a pinch of salt and pepper not a teaspoon of salt and pepper. lol Just a little hint with this recipe: if using salted butter you may want to eliminate salt altogether. But taste your product to ensure it's tasty for you and your family before adjusting. Happy Cooking!!!

I used lemon juice from a bottle instead of from a lemon and it was still great, but be careful not to put to much lemon in from the bottle.

"Egg"cellent recipe!!(LOL) Used it this morning and it was fabulous--I've never had Hollandaise Sauce but I'm glad I finally tried it! Mmmucho Bueno!! =D Also...I found the tip about adding the cold water very helpful! Saved MY hollandaise!

I made this exactly as instructed (except of course for the amt of salt and pepper) and it broke apart immediately in the saucepan. I added a shock of cold water and whisked it but it only helped temporarily--when I put it on the plate it turned into dry, gritty foam within seconds and was inedible. The lemon juice, perhaps.

Fantastic! I just made this for brunch. I have never been a sauce making person. I tend to destroy them. but this was wonderful.

Made this tonight to top fresh steamed asparagus. Family loved it. I liked that you can make it in a saucepan rather than the trouble of a double boiler or the less-than-cooked blender version. It took me only 10 min and was creamy and smooth with just the right thickness. I'm sure my sub will put some cooks off - but - in this house I cook with smart balance spread for health reasons - no butter here. So I used 1/2 C smart balance melted in a small sauce pan. In a bowl I whisked 3 egg yolks, 1 1/2 TBSP lemon juice (bottled), 1 tsp cold water and a shake of salt and pepper to our tastes. Whisked it in to the melted smart balance and continued whisking on low heat for about 5 min. It was perfect!

1 tsp salt,1 tsp pepper mistake.

I have cooked all my life and never made hollandaise sauce. This was very easy for my first time. I did have a problem getting all the butter to mix in after the 8 min. so I added one more yolk and it was perfect.I did cut down on the lemon juice because I dont like it too tart. Thanks for sharing

So many other recipes available, why use this one? A "classic" Hollandaise sauce is will not break if you follow two simple rules: 1. use a double boiler! The water just below a simmer, and not touching the top half of the double boiler. 2. add melted butter in a slow steady stream while whisking (use a french whip)the egg yolks, then slowly add boiling hot water, continue whisking until thickened. Lemon juice, salt & pepper (to taste!) are whisked-in after removing the top pot from the double boiler. I've never had a Hollandaise break on me yet... but find another recipe first. This isn't it.

WAY too much salt, pepper and lemon. I would cut the salt and pepper in half. Need a more accurate measurment for lemon.

I love Hollandaise sauce served over almost anything and this was quick, easy and very flavorful. Thanks!

Very, very disappointing. Too much salt. Don't follow this recipe. If anything, follow the reviews of other people, or a different recipe.

This recipe was terrible. It calls for a TEASPOON of salt and a TEASPOON of pepper. You end up making a gritty, salty, peppery mess! I would just add a pinch of each and there you have it. Thoroughly disappointed.

Too much lemon, butter was strong. Suggest just going to the store and picking up some dry Hollandaise mix.

This recipe needs to be changed or removed due to incorrect seasoning.If I had not read the reviews first, I may have tried it as written.

Way too much salt pepper and lemon. I'm pretty new to cooking so I follow recipes strictly and the proportions were all wrong.

It did not turn out right.

I love hollandaise sauce and this was yucky. It was grainy, and WAY too salty to use. And I LOVE salt! Also if you plan on actually serving this, you better double or triple the recipe.

I like this recipe for the simplicity. Hollandaise Sauce recipes are usually more complicated. This is simple and works. However, I would agree about the salt. . . at most I think 1/4 tsp is all you need. If you were to give this recipe to a beginner cook, they would be confused about how salty it turns out. I think you also have to take into account whether you are using salted butter, and what type of meat you are putting it with (i.e bacon, ham, etc.). The general contruct the recipe is great though. . . I will definitely use it again.

This recipe was extremely salty and peppery. I thought it looked like too much of each, but the previous reviewers made no mention of it being salty or peppery. I would cut both down to 1/4 tsp.

I use this recipe every time and it always comes out great

there may be something wrong with this recipe - i followed it to the letter and it was too salty to use.

This was not good. I read all the reviews and followed everything. I did not add salt or pepper, warmed the butter very slowly and added the eggs very slowly using a whisk. Immediatly is started to seperate, so I removed from heat and added a splash of water and whisked vigorously. In the end I dumped it out and sent DH to the store for a packet of mix. Waste of 3 eggs and 1 stick of butter.

this was perfect!! I have never attempted a hollandaise before and was always afraid to try it. I made a chicken breast wrapped around fresh asparagus and drizzled with sauce....my whole fmaily said "fantastic". Thank you

This was awful. I should have trusted my gut on the amount of salt and pepper. It also curdled up on me... I have made this sauce several times a year and have never had this experience before. I just came online to get some quick measurements. It would have been a better experience iff I just eye-balled it. Those that had a good experience, hey glad to hear it, but I just can't see how it was possible.

This recipe was pretty good. I didn't add any salt, it was salty enough with the butter. And I added just a little black pepper. I also added about 1/8 tsp of worcestershire sauce and about 2 T of water instead of just the 1 tsp that was recommended. I will definitly make this again.

This recipe is a favorite in our household now. It's very simple to make and the family says it tastes better than what you get in a restaurant. I now have to make it on a weekly basis.

This was not the perfect hollandaise sauce. If I have to scale back measurements, it's not a recipe. This sauce has too much salt and lemon. There are better recipes on this site with more accurate measurements.

This should be called "Salt Lick" sauce. A teaspoon of salt and pepper make this a bad college prank for a Mother's Day breakfast. I was only able to salvage the recipe by cutting it with a cup of plain yoghurt.

I've cooked all my life, I consider myself to be a pretty good cook. I can even make a souffle, but I can't make this!

Excellent and simple! Thanks!

i made it in my cooking class it was awesome but i lost the recipe so i found this one figured hey why not and it did not work for me.

I love love love Hollandaise sauce on Aspargus but never attemped to make it because of the difficulity.... Until now, this recipe was fantastic! My sauce did break but the cold water trick worked like a charm! I will use this recipe alot.. Thanks

We did not care for this recipe.

Hollandaise is always a little trickey...if the temperature isnt right it will seperate..which happened to me. Taking it off the stove and a couple drops of water brought it back to life.

Awful, awful recipe. I used it to make Eggs Benedict and the only reason I finished eating it was because I scraped the sauce off. Way too much salt, too much pepper. The consistency of the sauce was right, but you certainly didn't need to whisk it for 8 minutes, 3 minutes was sufficient. I actually registered this account just to say how awful the recipe is.

Too much lemon and the 8 mintues seemed like eternity. Will not make again

This recipe is superb. I found the sauce easy to prepare and tangy as I wanted it to be. In addition it's easy to memorize as well.

The ingredient amounts noted in this recipe are incorrect. Change to 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper at most, add by taste is best. Depending on lemon size - use juice of one small lemon or 1/2 of very large lemon. Better yet view the other recipes on allrecipes.com for correct ingredients and measurements.

I followed the directions exactly as instructed. The mixture broke apart as soon as it hit the melted butter. Whisked it for 8 min as instructed on low heat. Was getting worse. And the black pepper...come on. Looks and taste nothing like hollandaise sauce. Couldn't save it with the splash water..Would not recommend..sorry :(

Way too much salt and pepper.

Okay, so this was my first time making Hollandaise sauce.. I followed the recipe exactly except for the salt and pepper amounts as per reviews. The sauce broke appox. three mins into my constant whisking despite the addition of cold water I had on hand just in case.. not sure where I went wrong, I think I'll cheat next time with a blender recipe.

The best recipe, so easy and it tastes so good! My boyfriend doesn't usually like hollandaise sauce but loved this one! Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Don't listen to negative reviews. It is a great recipe!!

this was my first time making Hollandaise and it came out perfectly, thanks! Tasted exactly how Hollandaise should; creamy and a little tart. I always make adjustments to the pepper and salt in pretty much all recipes I try, so I don't think I used the exact amount called for. But I followed the clear directions about whisking it for 8 min. until it thickens, paid attention to the heat of the pan, and it went flawlessly. Was expecting a lot more trouble from a sauce that has a reputation for being a little high maintenance. Probably helped to have very fresh eggs from our 2 backyard hens.

I followed the recipe to the letter, but it never got "thick" like I would have expected. After it sat off the heat, it thickened somewhat. Next time, I will remove from heat and allow to stand a few minutes, but too long as it might seperate. :)

i love this sauce and make it often,i gave it only 4 stars b/c if you follow the recipe (salt & pepper) it would be unedable...HOWEVER the method is much easier than the traditional way. this makes the recipe worth adjusting.

my first time making this but the butter and lemon ratio to eggs seems off..I would use a double boiler or a bowl over boiling water.. which was my first instinct.. sauce did separate but added water as it said and whisked it in...I'm gonna try it again cutting the butter and lemon in half and salt and pepper to taste at the end...Trial and error...

this was simple and delicious. i omitted the listed amounts of salt and pepper and just added it to taste. it turned out perfect. make sure you whisk continuously over low heat, mine only took about three minutes to thicken, not eight.

WAY TOO MUCH SALT, PEPPER, and LEMON. Mine did not thicken, it seperated. Instructions need to be more clear about how slowly to add the yolks, and what to look for when the sauce gels.

I had to add a little flour to thicken it up and I added the salt and pepper to taste. Otherwise, this was great over top of my steamed asparagus!

This sauce was fast and easy! Got great reviews when served over steamed asparagas. Thickened up nice - wasn't runny or broken. It is important to serve it immediately so budget your time to make this the last item you prepare. I'll make this again when I entertain.

Used farm fresh eggs (from the neighbors chickens!) and extra butter (hubby's idea) and this was fantastic. Did start to separate, but followed the suggestion to add a little cold water and rapid whisk, and it worked. Even my kids, who don't like asparagus, ate their veggies!

Way too much salt!

This is a bad recipe. Find a different recipe, one that doesnt need to be completely modified in order for it to be good.

Yuck! This was waaaay too salty and not thick and creamy like Hollandaise sauce is supposed to be.

Yes, too salty. Also broke apart. Not good at all.

It broke. I followed the recipe, including the commenters' tips about seasoning to taste and the author's tip to add water and stir if it breaks. I had poured the mealy mess into a bowl, not sure what I was going to do with it. I added a third teaspoon of cold water and whisked (off the heat) and it still wouldn't come together. After a while I gave it one last vigorous whisk and it went from being tiny egg particles floating in butter to being a semi-emulsion- looking a bit like a thick, grainy gravy. I used it anyway, but I wouldn't try this again.

This is a much easier recipe than the one I usually use and has great flavor!!!

The Directions on how to make this recipie were nice and simple, however the ingredients are not very correct. The recipie ingredients need to be tweaked for it to turn out nicely. If not it tends to be either to salty or lemony.

I have had several people comment on this being the best hollandaise sauce they've ever had. As far as it having too much salt/pepper - we add more than the recipe calls for, we like it salty, peppery and with lots of lemon. To all the reviewers who said theirs separated immediately, turn the stove down to avoid this.

Excellent, fool-proof recipe. As another reviewer said, good cooks know to season with salt and pepper to taste. So to all the complainers, I ask you to re-try this recipe with that in mind next time and see if your rating doesn't change. Very good recipe. Thanks for posting!!!

I should have read the review by 'Eostar' before preparing this recipe. The salt and pepper should definitely be added after cooking. This is a great starting recipe for Hollandaise. I ended up whipping up a few more yolks and adding them to the mixture to cool down the salt. A few more drops of lemon juice and 1/2 tsp water and I had Hollandaise... still a little salty, but tasty enough to pull off on my fiance. We had it over Eggs Sardou and enjoyed it very much. Next time I will use unsalted butter and hold off on the salt and pepper. Perhaps I'll use white pepper... Thank you!

First batch broke beyond repair when I stopped whisking to set a timer. It was way too salty with 1/3 tsp salt. Second batch with no salt was better...rescued twice with cold water...but not as or thick as I'd like. I took it off the double boiler frequently when it started to separate. Still a little salty. I'll try one more time, but with unsalted butter and salt to taste. And I'll whisk some of the butter into the eggs to temper them before I add the eggs to the pan.

I used to make hollandaise sauce all the time. It had been several years so I looked up this recipe. It was the worst hollandaise sauce ever! So super salty!!! I suggest NOT to put salt in hollandaise sauce!

The recipe is good, but the salt and the pepper I put in the end in quantity on taste.

This sauce turned out GREAT. The time was perfect--if it's not quite thick at the end of 8 minutes, take it off the heat, it will finish thickening while it cools. I would use unsalted butter for this recipe, but if you use salted butter, omit the salt. The sauce wasn't tangy at all, but I used a small, dry lemon. It was probably about 1 Tb. Sauces are notoriously hard, so it might take a few attempts and adjustments!!! Good luck :)

This tasted like lemon/butter sauce. Did not go well with egss

Decent recipe but way too much salt. 1tsp is overkill.

Easy and yummy! I poach my egg whites and use the yolks for the Hollandaise. Yum Yum Yum.

I always read the reviews before trying a recipe. But was in too much of a hurry tonight. It seized up immediately. I added 4 more egg yolks, more water and a tad more lemon. But it DID come back to life, just not like I'm used to. My other recipe requires you to mix the yolks and water, whisk until frothy, then add the salt, lemon juice and cayanne. Once that's done, add butter a tablespoon at a time. Even with the low stars, I was able to recoup it and save it, it just wasn't as light as I'm used to.

very easy to make and tastes great

salt and pepper proportions are WAY off, try 1/4 teaspoon each MAX!!! Otherwise it was decent--make sure to read the tip about what to do if this separates!

I thought a full teaspoon of salt sounded like a lot. It was WAY too much. If you are using normal, salted butter, skip it altogether.

Great recipe!! Turned out EXACTLY the same as the Hollandaise I had on my Florentine Benedict at a restaurant last week!! Now I can make it at home :)

Stick with a true classic Hollandaise - this is NOT the one!

Made this and it was DELISH!! I did modify a bit to my liking and based on other reviews. I cut down on the salt and pepper. My three kids ages 7, 5, 3 devoured it and dipped everything on their plate in the sauce. Definately a keeper in my recipe box.

Difficult to cut size and still pull it off. Came out gritty at half.

the family loved the recipe....i should have followed my gut like i usually do and not trust the amount of salt and pepper. i know for next time to cut back on the lemon juice and just salt and pepper to taste. i also use unsalted clarified butter to prevent the sauce from breaking.

The recipe came out really good for me. I love Hollandaise sauce and never knew how to make it, and it ofcourse goes with my Atkins diet!! Yes, the person made a mistake in typing the salt-pepper amounts....but it is common sense...all of us make mistakes in typing. That should not be a criteria for rating the recipe. On the other hand, I am glad the person took the time and effort to share this recipe with all of us. Thanks!!!

Very easy!!! **have the cold water close by to save your sauce. I added a pinch of chicken boullion-to try to make it taste like Perkins'. I was impressed...my egs on the other hand...lol

not a good recipe at all. would not thicken. very disappointed

If you're using salted butter DON'T add the 1 teaspoon of salt! WAAAAYYYY to salty this way.

My husband adored this Hollandaise, and I eve screwed it up! Creamy, lemony, mmm, divine.

Not great. Consistency and flavor are off.

I followed the recipe exactly as written, and the hollandaise broke on me. WAY too much salt and pepper, probably too much lemon.

I have made this many times and it turns out perfectly every time! I didn't have unsalted butter so did not add salt to the recipe. Other than that, I don't know what the complaints are about. I find this recipe much easier and faster than others recipes and no double boiler! My daughter even said I didn't make a big deal out of it while cooking it; I knew it would turn out perfectly!

Quick and easy. I would add more spice, like paprika, heavy ground black pepper.

Sorry to give this 1 star, but this is the lazy man's way to make hollandaise. I needed something quick for hubby's breakfast and wasted 5 eggs on this recipe, thought I'd try the easy way out. UGH! All who says it's perfect have not had really amazing hollandaise from scratch, it takes time and it's worth the effort. I attached a pic, it broke apart, even with the added "secret to save it", and the recipe should have indicated salt & pepper to taste. It also never thickened up and the color was a spicy mustard color rather than the creamy lemon yellow it should be. Note: There are going to be people searching for recipes who have NEVER made the sauce before so the salt & pepper amounts should be changed. Easy edit. Save yourself the disappointment from your family and choose another recipe, any *classic* recipe that takes 10 minutes to cook, skip it.

This was good, I didn't use as much lemon but I think it was qujck easy guide lines to follow and I was able to get away with using country crock low cal butter spread. It still had thr right consistancy all in all pretty tasty

Brutally salty, even after I cut the salt down by half, and also only did several grinds of pepper, certainly not even a whole teaspoon. Maybe they meant to use unsalted butter, but still, this much added salt is way too much. I like a lot of lemon, but this also might be adjusted down by half. My sauce did break, but came back quickly with a little more cold water and fast whisking.

I made this last night and it started breaking on me, I added a dash of cold icy water and whisked away. It turned into a creamy delectable sauce. Kudos to this recipe and its author.

Nice easy version when one is used to the typical way of doing it.

Very nice. I treated my wife to eggs benedict this morning. The sauce was creamy with a hint of lemon. I garnished with parsley. The sauce emoulsified to about 2-3 times its original mass. I also used Smart Balance butter to ease the fat content. The sauce came out great !

I used Earth Balance spread and added tarragon. It was super easy. Ignore the salt amount.

In the end, it turned out great! Started to seperate almost immediately. I'm thinking my pot was too hot. To save my sauce, I added 1-2 tsp BOILING water, as I needed, almost immediately it began to get creamy. KEEP stirring cause as it cools, it will seperate!