Even with fluctuating egg prices, classic dairy-free hollandaise sauce can be well worth it. This rich condiment is typically off limits to dairy-free diners in restaurants, and it really is easy to make at home. In minutes, you can have a smooth, silky sauce that takes your dairy-free eggs benedict, asparagus, fish, or other brunch dishes to the next level.
Dairy-Free Hollandaise Sauce without the Fuss
Classic hollandaise sauce, sometimes called Dutch sauce, is actually correlated with French cuisine. It’s an emulsion of egg yolks, butter, and lemon juice that’s very rich in both taste and consistency. Some dairy-free hollandaise sauce recipes simply swap in vegan butter alternative. But in my opinion, pure coconut oil produces a far superior result. Nevertheless, I have options for other oils and butter alternatives in my FAQs below.
What Can I Serve Dairy-Free Hollandaise Sauce with?
Of course, it shines on Dairy-Free Eggs Benedict. Be we also like dairy-free hollandaise sauce over simple baked salmon, trout, or white fish. It’s also delicious on roasted asparagus or other roasted vegetables (like broccoli and cauliflower). It makes grain bowls into rich, brunch-worthy eats. And you can drizzle dairy-free hollandaise sauce over salmon cakes, fish cakes, crab cakes, mushroom patties, or frittata wedges.
Does it Taste Like Coconut?
I use virgin coconut oil, and none of my tasters have mentioned any notes of coconut in the flavor. But if you are worried, you can use refined coconut oil. The refining process is typically chemical-free (a steaming process is used) and neutralizes the coconut taste and scent.
Can I Use Another Oil?
Technically, yes, but it won’t have the same richness. Coconut oil is higher in saturated fat, which lends that buttery mouthfeel. If you want to reduce the saturated fat, you can use half coconut oil, half another oil, like non-GMO canola, avocado, or olive oil. As noted above, if the taste of coconut oil is your issue, you can use refined coconut oil.
Can I Use Plant Butter Instead of Oil?
You can, but this will change the flavor, and you might want to reduce the salt and vinegar. Most dairy-free butter alternatives are already quite salty, and have more flavor than oil. I would add the salt and vinegar to taste, since the amount you need will vary based on the taste of the butter alternative you use. For the richest taste and easy measuring, use plant butter sticks, not spread. One stick typically equals 1/2 cup.
Is It Safe to Use Raw Egg Yolks?
Heating the oil tempers the raw eggs, cooking them ever so slightly. The water and lemon juice help to prevent the hot oil from curdling or scrambling the egg. But there is always a risk of foodborne illness from undercooked ingredients. To further mitigate that risk, you can use the yolks from pasteurized eggs (often sold next to the regular eggs at grocery stores) or you can pasteurize the egg yolks yourself. To do this, prepare this pasteurized egg yolk recipe with the suggested three eggs instead of two. It uses the exact amount of water and lemon juice in this recipe, so you don’t need to add anymore.
What Can I Do with the Leftover Egg Whites?
Eggs aren’t always cheap, and we all hate waste. Fortunately, there are several ways to enjoy those egg whites. My favorite is our Dairy-Free Meringues Recipe, which uses exactly three egg whites! Our 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies and Homemade Marshmallows also use egg whites. You can also use egg whites as a dip for chicken tenders. Dust the chicken breast pieces with flour and salt, dip in the egg whites, then roll in seasoned breadcrumbs. Egg whites are also good for doing an egg wash on homemade buns. Or you can simply scramble the egg whites. Add on whole egg when scrambling if you want a little more richness.
Special Diet Notes: Hollandaise Sauce
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, gluten-free, grain-free, nut-free, peanut-free, soy-free, added sugar-free, paleo, keto, and vegetarian. If you confuse eggs with dairy, you’re not alone! See this post: Are Eggs Dairy?
For egg-free and vegan hollandaise sauce, see our cashew hollandaise sauceor tofu hollandaise sauce.
- ½ cup coconut oil
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika (for mild) or cayenne (for spicy)
- Put the oil in a glass measuring cup and heat it in your microwave on high until melted and quite hot, about 1 minute.
- Put the 3 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons water, and lemon juice in your blender. Blend until emulsified and pale yellow in color, about 1 minute.
- With the blender motor running on low speed, very slowly drizzle in the hot oil to temper the eggs. The sauce should thicken to a very rich, yet still pourable consistency. If the sauce fails to thicken, the base of your blender jar may be too big. Pour the emulsified mixture into a smaller blender attachment and blend until it reaches your desired thickness. If the sauce becomes too thick, whisk in 1 teaspoon of water at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Add the salt and paprika or cayenne to the sauce in your blender. Blend until just combined.
- Drizzle the dairy-free hollandaise sauce over eggs benedict, asparagus, other cooked vegetables, or brunch bowls.
- If the hollandaise sauce breaks while you are preparing other food, simply blend it briefly to emulsify.
For More Dairy-Free Recipes, Get Go Dairy Free!
4 Comments
I have tried this recipe quite a few times now and the sauce never thickens up… I’m using an emulsifier so the base of my container is quite small and I have left the oil in the microwave longer each time to see if I need to just heat it up more but still it is drizzly!!! Helpp
I’m so sorry this is happening to you Alyssa. The oil needs to be hot enough to “cook” the yolks. If this isn’t working for you, then once it is emulsified in the blender, pour it into a double boiler or a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Whisk – it should thicken as it cooks. It will also thicken more once the sauce cools, as the coconut oil will set up more.
When do you add the vinegar
Sorry Stephanie! That was a rogue ingredient. This hollandaise sauce is from my full dairy-free eggs benedict recipe in which the vinegar is used for poaching the eggs. I forgot to remove that ingredient along with the rest of the benedict recipe. So there is no vinegar!