If there is one culinary masterpiece that defines a luxurious weekend brunch, it is a beautifully emulsified Hollandaise sauce. Rich, buttery, and velvety smooth, it acts as the crowning glory for a traditional Eggs Benedict. However, for those of us navigating a gluten free journey, ordering this specialty at a local restaurant can often bring unwanted anxiety. While authentic French Hollandaise is inherently free from gluten, many commercial kitchens and store-bought packets rely on wheat flour or modified food starches as a quick and cheap thickening agent.
By preparing this elegant sauce in your own kitchen, you completely eliminate the risk of cross-contamination while mastering a classic technique. The wonderful secret is that you do not need to spend years in culinary school or exhaust your arms whisking over a delicate double boiler. With our modern approach, you can achieve a flawless, smooth texture safely and consistently, transforming your home breakfast into an exceptional dining experience.
Gluten Free Hollandaise Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp lemon juice - fresh
- ½ cup butter
- 1 pinch salt & pepper
- (optional) chopped paprika/parsley/dill to serve
Instructions
- Melt butter until frothy and hot – do NOT brown1/2 cup butter
- Remove foam from butter
- Add egg yolks and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice to heat resistant bowl and blend for 5-10 seconds3 large egg yolks, 2 tbsp lemon juice
- Pour the hot butter in a slow, thin, steady stream into butter while continuously blending1/2 cup butter
- Blend until smooth consistency achieved
- Add salt & pepper to taste1 pinch salt & pepper, (optional) chopped paprika/parsley/dill to serve
Recipe Video
Notes
Nutrition
What is Hollandaise Sauce?
Hollandaise is known as one of the five French “Mother Sauces” in culinary arts. Traditionally, it is an emulsion of egg yolks, melted butter, and an acid (usually lemon juice). Unlike gravy or béchamel, which rely on a roux (flour and fat) to thicken, Hollandaise relies on the magical power of emulsification.
Because the thickening power comes from the egg yolks rather than flour, an authentic Hollandaise recipe is naturally gluten free. This recipe returns to those traditional roots, ensuring that those with Celiac Disease and those with gluten sensitivities can enjoy every bite without worry.
The Ingredients: Simplicity is Key
Since this recipe only uses five ingredients, quality matters. Here is what you need to know about your shopping list:
- Butter: This is the absolute foundation of your sauce, providing that signature silkiness. For the best control over your seasoning, it is highly recommended to use unsalted butter. This allows you to add fine sea salt to your personal preference later on. When heating the butter, ensure it melts completely until it is hot and frothy, but watch the pan carefully to guarantee it does not begin to brown. Browned butter will alter the flavour profile from a bright, clean tang to a nutty, toasted note.
- Egg Yolks: Large, fresh eggs are ideal for this preparation. The yolks provide both the structure and the rich golden colour. Carefully separate your eggs while they are cold, as the yolks are firmer and less likely to break. You can save your leftover egg whites in a sealed container in the refrigerator to make a healthy egg-white omelette or a delicate meringue later in the week.
- Lemon Juice: Freshly squeezed lemon juice is vastly superior to the bottled variety. The natural acidity of fresh citrus cuts directly through the heavy fat of the melted butter, bringing a bright, essential balance to the palate.
- Seasonings: A simple pinch of salt and finely ground pepper is the traditional starting point. To elevate the appearance and add a gentle warmth, you can introduce a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, ground paprika, or a sprinkle of fresh garden herbs like dill or parsley just before serving.
The Modern Advantage: The Blender Method
While classical chefs traditionally spent ten to fifteen minutes vigorously whisking egg yolks and butter over a steaming pot of water, that manual method leaves a lot of room for error. If the double boiler gets a fraction too hot, the egg proteins coagulate instantly, leaving you with a bowl of scrambled eggs rather than a silky sauce.
To make this recipe entirely accessible and stress-free, we utilise the modern blender method. Using a high-speed blender or an immersion blender provides incredible mechanical force, which breaks the melted butter down into microscopic droplets instantly. Furthermore, you do not need to worry about consuming raw eggs. The thermal energy held within the freshly melted, hot butter gently cooks and pasteurises the egg yolks as it is slowly drizzled into the spinning blades. This ensures a safe, thick, and perfectly stable consistency without ever needing to turn on a stovetop element for the eggs.
Keeping Your Sauce Stable
The primary challenge home cooks face when preparing Hollandaise is preventing the mixture from “breaking” or separating into a layer of clear yellow oil sitting on top of grainy eggs. This separation happens if the fat is introduced too rapidly for the lecithin to encapsulate it.
To guarantee success, practice patience during the pouring stage. When the recipe states a “slow, thin, steady stream,” it means the butter should be added at a slow drizzle, almost drop by drop at the very beginning. As you hear the pitch of your blender deepen from a high whine to a thick, heavy rumble, you will know the emulsion has successfully formed, and you can slightly increase the speed of your pour.
The Golden Rule: Pour the butter slowly. When the instructions say “thin, steady stream,” we mean it! If you dump all the butter in at once, the eggs cannot absorb the fat fast enough. Keep the blender running and drizzle the hot butter in slowly. You will hear the sound of the blender change from a high-pitched whine to a lower, guttural growl as the sauce thickens. That is the sound of success!
Troubleshooting: Can I Fix Broken Sauce?
If your sauce does separate, don’t throw it out! You can save it.
- Pour the broken sauce into a measuring cup.
- Add 1 teaspoon of boiling water (or a fresh egg yolk) into the empty blender bowl.
- Turn the blender on and slowly drizzle the broken sauce back into the water/yolk. The emulsion should re-form, leaving you with a creamy sauce once again.
Serving Suggestions Beyond Eggs Benedict
While we all love a classic Benny on a gluten free English muffin with Canadian bacon, this sauce is incredibly versatile. Try these delicious gluten free pairings:
- Vegetables: Drizzle generously over steamed asparagus spears, roasted broccoli florets, or grilled artichoke hearts.
- Seafood: Hollandaise pairs beautifully with poached Atlantic salmon fillets, pan-seared scallops, or gluten free crab cakes.
- Steak: Swap the lemon juice for a tarragon vinegar reduction to turn this into a Béarnaise-style sauce for your grilled beef tenderloin or New York strip loin steak dinner.
- Keto Breakfast: skip the bread entirely and serve this over poached eggs and sautéed spinach (Eggs Florentine) for a high-protein, low-carb meal.
Enjoy the confidence of knowing exactly what is in your sauce. Happy cooking!
Frequently Asked Questions & Answers
Authentic, traditional Hollandaise sauce is naturally gluten free as it is thickened by the emulsion of egg yolks and butter, not flour. However, many store-bought powdered mixes or restaurant versions may contain wheat flour or modified food starch as a cheap thickener. Always ask or check the label.
There are options that are gluten free, including the Mayacamas Hollandaise Sauce Mix, which features a gluten free sauce mix recipe that both chefs and patrons can trust.
This packaged sauce mix is gluten free and features ingredients including Potato Starch, Whey, Natural Lemon Flavor, Salt, Egg Yolk, Organic Sugar, Paprika, Citric Acid, Spices, Guar Gum.
Hollandaise is best served immediately. It relies on raw egg yolks and warm butter, it cannot be kept at room temperature for long (due to food safety) and will harden if refrigerated. If you need to hold it for 30–60 minutes, keep the jar in a bowl of warm (not hot) water.
If your sauce is runny, the emulsion likely didn’t form. This usually happens if the butter was added too quickly. To fix it, blend the sauce for another 30 seconds. If it’s still thin, stick it in the fridge for 10 minutes to cool the butter slightly, then blend again.
Reheating Hollandaise is tricky because high heat will scramble the eggs and separate the butter. The best way to reheat it is to microwave it in 5-10 second bursts at 50% power, whisking in between, or by placing the container in a bowl of hot water until warm.
Yes, you can use salted butter. However, traditional French recipes call for unsalted butter so you can control the seasoning. If you use salted butter, omit the extra pinch of salt in the recipe and taste before adding more.
Learning how to poach an egg for eggs benedict is easy. Being that hollandaise sauce and eggs benedict commonly go hand in hand, we thought we’d take this gluten free recipe one step further providing a how to video on poaching eggs for your eggs benedict.
Click to watch tutorial on Poaching Eggs on YouTube!
Excellent recipe. I was checking everywhere for an easy hollandaise sauce that was GF and I’m impressed! Thank you and best of luck.
Really forgiving hollandaise and delicious. I’ve made h-sauce before but it always separates on me. Maybe just lucky today but I’m keeping this recipe. BTW, served over roasted vegetables for dinner – crowd pleaser!
Love this recipe…but if you want to experiment, try fresh lime. Makes it a bit sharper and tarter but still delicious!
I was craving eggs benedict but was saddened when I realized I didn’t have any hollandaise! I’d never made my own sauce before so I was a little nervous but I did a quick google search and this was the first recipe to pop up. Well, let me just say it was perfect! Super easy as well! I adjusted the recipe for the sauce since I was only making it for myself. I used two egg yolks and honestly eyeballed the rest. I would say I did a tablespoon of both lemon juice and butter and a few dashes of salt and paprika instead of cayenne (I didn’t have any on hand). Used the same cooking instructions and turned out great!
Happy New Years! Made this today, I used smoked salmon, cream cheese and capers instead Canadian bacon, tasted amazing! Thank you
Used this for the sauce and poached eggs. We had 4 left over salmon cakes from the night before, so we used that in placed of the meat and english muffin and it came out delicious. Sauce was relatively easy to make came out smooth and creamy and just the right consistency, but did take A LOT of whisking. Will definitely make again.
Just pull it right before it feels thick, but this was the perfect amount of eggs to butter.
I’ll be honest, I’ve never tried to make Hollandaise from scratch, but this makes it so easy!
This worked out perfect, saved for using again and again!
This was my first try making hollandaise sauce. I forgot to buy lemons but bottled juice worked out ok. It was much easier than I thought and turned out amazing. I’m still awful at poaching eggs as they aren’t pretty but they tasted good. Thanks Christine! Stay well!
Will never use packaged hollandaise again. Who knew it was that easy and WAY better tasting!
Turns out perfect every time!!
Second time I have made this recipe. It’s was a perfect Sunday morning football breakfast with Mimosas!
It’s how we roll during #covid!
This was such a win! So nice being able to enjoy eggs benedict again <3
1st time making this food at all and it turned out great! I used a pot atop of a boiling pot of water and it worked surprisingly well, just had to lift it off a couple of times to prevent egg scrambling.
We made the whole eggs Benedict part of this recipe this morning and it was so good! It made it seem like we were having breakfast in a nice restaurant while we’re sheltering in place. We did add way more cayenne than the recipe recommends but that’s just a taste thing. Also be patient with the whisking. It takes a while and you have to whisk VIGOROUSLY
I used this recipe in my second attempt to make Hollandaise sauce from scratch. It was ai good and so easy to make. I used a glass bowl(a Pampered Chef one), instead of a stainless steel one. It still came out amazing. Will definitely be using this one again.
Amazing… Not sure why it took me so long to make eggs benedict at home. Hollandaise sauce required a little thinning… but used the water and it was near perfect. Maybe.. perfect. Restaurant quality meal all around.
This is such a super easy to make Gluten Free Hollandaise Sauce!!!
Something so simple, yet so easy to screw up! It took quite a few tries before I finally got the perfect consistency for our hollandaise sauce, but it worked.
Fantastic.
Just a fantastic recipe.
As if I never thought to enjoy this. So easy and naturally gluten free.
Yummy
Gave this recipe a try for Christmas, my daughter has celiac disease. It worked perfect for eggs benedict!! Smooth, creamy, yum. I know, naturally gluten free, but when you’ve only made from packets, it was a surprise!
Thank you, printing for future use 🙂
It was easier than I thought it would be!
I have lost count the number of times I’ve made this recipe now. It’s delicious! Of course it is easy to make gluten free when you stick to easy ingredients. Why didn’t I think of this sooner. Thank you!
Excellent and relatively easy recipe. The hardest part for me was not having a double boiler, but I used a stainless steel bowl on top of a saucepan with water in it and it worked well. I added bacon bits on the English muffins, under the eggs and it was delicious. My family loved it.
Thank you so much for this! Had a hankerin for a GF eggs benedict this morning and you made it possible for me!
So good. Easy and delicious. Thanks!
Finally a Holandaise sauce that is easy to make and turns out perfect and delicious. Thank you!
My secret is that I use a hand mixer rather than whisking it by hand! It works wonders and saves a whole lot of energy! I’ve always wondered why its not recommended to begin with – but this recipe is definitely the way to go!
This worked out great during the Christmas holidays! Will become apart of our annual Christmas breakfast.
Delicious!
This was the best hollandaise sauce I’ve ever had. Instead of putting it on the low burner, I use a double broiler you don’t have any chance of it burning or sticking that way!
This was my first time making any kind of true sauce. Directions were easy to follow and it was very tasty. It took longer than I thought it would but, that was due to reading directions. I definitely will make this again!
Was delicious.
This was my first attempt at hollandaise and it came out perfectly. I would reduce the lemon juice for personal taste, but it came out great otherwise. Excellent and easy recipe!
I have NEVER had success making hollandaise sauce. I have tried every method from blender to double broiler. This recipe is just WOW! Incredibly easy and came out PERFECT. This recipe saved my sanity.
I’m not usually one to comment on recipes, but this was perfect! I’ve only ever tried to make this sauce once before, using the drizzle hot butter method, and, it inevitably split. I really fancied eggs royale for my birthday brekki today, so found this, and have it a go. On licking the spoon at the adjust seasoning to taste, I was blown away! It’s delicious! It didn’t split, and kept warm enough while I poached the eggs. The only adjustment I made was using hot paprika and black pepper. Definitely a recipe I’ll do again. Thank you!
So simple and delicious. This will be the recipe I will use going forward.
This is my favourite hollandaise recipe! Perfect every time and always delicious. I had some sauce leftover and used on an open face roast pork sandwich, it was delicious
Finally a Holandaise sauce that is easy to make and turns out perfect and delicious. Thank you GFJ!
The kids got together and decided to do a big brunch for Mother’s Day years ago for our mom, and I was responsible for the hollandaise. I found this recipe and couldn’t believe how good it came out. I actually was never a big fan of hollandaise before this because it was always kinda bland and I never understood the appeal. This one comes out with so much flavor, I get it now. This is what hollandaise SHOULD taste like.
My go to recipe for hollandaise! Easy and always delicious!
The BEST hollandaise sauce I have EVER TASTED!!!!
Delicious every time!
Love this sauce!
So easy and so delicious. Perfect amount of lemon juice. We could taste every flavor. I will definitely make again.
I made this and it was fabulous. You do need to be coordinated so it doesn’t get cold. I WILL be making this again.
My wife loves eggs Benedict, so while we were RV’ing in Indiana it seemed a good time to try your recipe. She said it was the best she ever had, so I thank you for getting me a gold star! Such an easy recipe to follow and your guidance hints were awesome.
This is the second time we’ve used the recipe. I had to scour the internet to find it again because I forgot to save it after the first time we made them. This is a very easy to follow recipe and each time the results have been great! I had never eaten eggs Benedict before this. It’s a new family favorite for special occasions!
Wish I could post with photo because it’s absolutely delicious and restaurant quality.
A keeper!
I have made this sauce multiple times now. The family loves it and it’s probably the most simple hollandaise recipe that I found so far. I have stuck to the directions without modifications.
Wonderful, I made Hollandaise Sauce with my mother as a teenager but I was always afraid to try to make it alone as an adult and now I can.
Delicious and easy!
Always delicious. Always simple! Thanks 🙂
Easy & tasty hollandaise
Continues to be my go to recipe!
One of the better ones I’ve tried!
Wow amazing!
I’ve tried other blender recipes where the sauce ended up way too thin, but the ratios here are absolutely perfect. It was thick enough to coat the back of a spoon beautifully and stayed emulsified until the very last bite.
Tried this for our Sunday brunch and so good
Easier than I Thought! Thanks
Works every time
Had with vegetables during dinner. Great sauce idea!
I appreciate the recipe!
Thanks for the poached eggs preview, it was particularly useful!
Wow! This was perfect, delicious and the easiest hollandaise sauce I’ve ever made! Thanks!
Turns out every time
This has quickly become a family favorite in our house. We love it with a little paprika garnish on top for extra color. The bright flavor cuts right through the richness—it’s the best gluten-free hollandaise I’ve ever tasted!
I’ve struggled with broken sauces in the past, but the tips on this page helped me achieve a perfect emulsion on the first try. It’s velvety and holds its shape beautifully on the plate. A must-try for anyone who loves a classic hollandaise.
This sauce is incredibly decadent and has the perfect amount of ‘zing’ from the fresh lemon juice. I added a pinch of cayenne pepper for a little heat, and it was incredible. It’s definitely a 5-minute sauce that tastes like it took an hour.
I love that this uses simple staples like eggs and butter. It’s a quick recipe that I can whip up in minutes while my eggs are poaching. The rich flavor is so much better than anything you can get from a packet or a jar.
The emulsification was spot on! I followed the tip to keep the butter hot but not browned, and it resulted in a silky smooth sauce that didn’t break. This is a very easy to follow recipe for anyone looking to master a classic sauce at home.
I made this for an Eggs Benedict party and my guests couldn’t believe it was homemade. It truly tastes like restaurant quality hollandaise. The instructions to use a steady stream of butter were very helpful for getting that perfect, thick consistency.
It’s refreshing to find a recipe that is naturally gluten-free without needing expensive substitutes. The zesty lemon flavor perfectly balances the richness of the butter. This has become my go-to smooth texture sauce for drizzling over steamed asparagus.
I love that this recipe relies on pantry staples I always have on hand. If you have eggs, butter, and a lemon, you can have a gourmet brunch ready in under ten minutes.
I’ve always been intimidated by French mother sauces, but this blender method makes it absolutely foolproof. The texture came out so creamy and rich without the arm workout of traditional whisking. It’s a total game-changer for my weekend brunch!
Made this for a Mother’s Day brunch and it was a massive hit. It takes less than 20 minutes from prep to table, which is exactly what you need when hosting hungry guests.
I love that the prep time is only 5 minutes. When you’re managing multiple pans on the stove, having a reliable sauce you can whip up in the blender is a lifesaver.
Perfect Sunday morning football breakfast recipe! Paired it with mimosas and eggs benedict. It’s smooth, fast, and feels incredibly luxurious.
This recipe makes the perfect amount for two generous servings. No wasted food, no messy cleanup, just pure restaurant-quality sauce in minutes.
This was my very first time making hollandaise from scratch for a family brunch. It turned out so smooth and creamy that nobody even guessed it was a gluten-free recipe. Saved to my favorites!
I swapped out the lemon juice for a bit of tarragon vinegar reduction to lean into a Béarnaise style for steak night. The base recipe is so stable it handled the twist beautifully.
The recipe notes suggested keeping the bowl over warm water to hold the temperature while finishing the rest of brunch, which was an amazing tip. Served it over roasted veggies and everyone loved it.
Absolutely delicious combination of ingredients. It’s rich, buttery, and has just the right amount of zing. My family polished off the entire batch.
I didn’t have a fresh lemon on hand so I used fresh lime juice instead like one of the comments suggested—it gave it a beautifully sharp, tart flavor that paired amazingly with smoked salmon!
We have a mix of Celiac and non-Celiac family members, and finding one meal everyone can eat without complaining is a miracle. Everyone loved this sauce, nobody could tell it was a specialized gluten free recipe.
Brunch at restaurants gives me so much anxiety because of hidden gluten in packaged thickeners. Finding this naturally gluten-free recipe means I can finally enjoy Eggs Benedict again without worrying about getting sick!
The troubleshooting section gave me so much confidence, but I didn’t even need it. The blender did all the heavy lifting and the emulsion was flawless. Will definitely make this again!
My wife has Celiac disease and misses luxury weekend brunches so much. Made this for her over GF English muffins today and she was thrilled. Thank you for making a safe, traditional recipe so accessible.
I used unsalted butter like the recipe suggested and the flavor balance was spot on. It was the crowning glory of our weekend breakfast.
As someone who isn’t a master chef, I appreciated how straightforward this was. 5 ingredients, a blender, and 10 minutes. My Sunday morning just got a major upgrade.
Shockingly easy! I was nervous about the sauce ‘breaking,’ but the golden rule to pour the butter in a slow, thin stream worked perfectly. I could literally hear the blender tone change when it thickened up.
This sauce is incredibly versatile. We used the leftovers to top some homemade gluten-free crab cakes and it completely elevated the dish.
I’ve scrambled my fair share of eggs trying to make traditional French sauces. Drizzling the hot butter into the blender completely solved that problem for me. Perfect, velvet consistency on the first try.
I used to avoid making hollandaise because my arm would ache from whisking over a double boiler, but the blender method in this recipe is an absolute game-changer! It came together in less than 10 minutes and was completely fool-proof.
The brightness of the fresh lemon juice is absolutely perfect here. It cuts right through the richness of the butter. I added a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper at the end for that classic kick!
Perfect keto-friendly breakfast option! I poured this over poached eggs and sautéed spinach for a gluten-free, low-carb Eggs Florentine. Insanely good.
I will never go back to store-bought gluten-free packets again. This tastes a million times better and I love knowing exactly every ingredient that went into it
Pure liquid gold! I love that this relies on the traditional emulsion of yolks and butter instead of flour roux shortcuts. It’s 100% safe for my gluten sensitivity and tastes incredibly rich.
Finding a truly safe, fool-proof gluten-free sauce recipe can be tough. This one nailed it. Velvety, rich, and completely worry-free for our celiac household.
Simple, clean ingredients that result in a high-end restaurant quality taste. It makes a regular home-cooked breakfast feel like a high-end hotel brunch.
The instruction to let the melted butter cool slightly before blending was the golden tip for me. It kept the eggs from scrambling and gave me the smoothest, most luxurious texture I’ve ever made at home.
We actually skipped the Eggs Benedict and drizzled this generously over grilled asparagus and roasted salmon for dinner. Absolute crowd-pleaser!
I made a double batch of this for a birthday brunch crowd, and using the blender saved my life. It was so fast to scale up and turned out perfectly silky despite the larger volume.
Absolutely idiot-proof. I am a novice in the kitchen, but the step-by-step breakdown made it impossible to mess up. It tasted like I spent an hour tempering eggs over the stove.
I was hesitant about how the leftovers would hold up, but I gently reheated a small ramekin of it in a warm water bath the next morning and it brought the sauce right back to its original creamy glory!
The freshness of this sauce blows any jarred or powdered version completely out of the water. You just can’t beat real egg yolks, fresh lemon, and pure butter. A total weekend staple now.
I served this over a homemade gluten-free breakfast pizza with bacon and poached eggs. The rich flavor tied the whole dish together. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis.