Creamy, buttery, and as thick as mayonnaise, Hollandaise is a much-loved, classic French sauce. It’s wonderful to top Eggs Benedict or spring asparagus. But the classic version is made with all butter. Lots of melted butter. A good substitute? Try this Healthy Yogurt Hollandaise instead. It's easy to make too.
Healthy Yogurt Hollandaise
While the real deal might be a rare splurge, here is a modern version of a classic sauce based on yogurt. It has a creamy consistency and terrific flavor. This version you can enjoy more often! This hollandaise works great over roast asparagus. For how to roast asparagus, see my recipe at the link and replace all of the toppings with the sauce.
Helpful links
Chobani Greek yogurt is a great choice when choosing yogurt because of the creamy texture. If you haven’t tried it, I suggest you do. For an organic option, try Stonyfield, or Strauss.
📖 Recipe
Healthy Yogurt Hollandaise
Ingredients
- ¾ cup plain unsweetened Greek yogurt about 7 ounces
- 3 large fresh egg yolks
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice adjust to your taste preference
- 1 teaspoon smooth Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt or more to your taste
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 2-3 dashes hot sauce Sriracha or Tabasco
- 1 pinch turmeric optional, if you want a more yellow sauce
- Warm water as needed to achieve consistency preferred
Instructions
- Fill a medium (about 4 quart) saucepan with a few inches of water. Choose a stainless steel bowl that will sit partially inside of the saucepan without touching the water to create a double boiler. Fill the pan without about two inches of water and bring to a boil, then turn down to a simmer.
- In the bowl, whisk the yogurt and egg yolks together until smooth. Whisk in lemon juice, mustard, melted butter, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Place the bowl over the simmering water and cook the Hollandaise until thick and creamy, about 6-8 minutes. When it is ready, it will coat the back of a spoon. To test, dip the back of a spoon into the sauce and draw your finger across it. If the line holds its ready.
- You may want to whisk in a teaspoon or two of warm water to achieve the consistency you prefer. Without water the sauce will be quite creamy and thick. Water will thin the sauce and make it more pourable.
- To serve, pour a tablespoon or two over Eggs Benedict. This sauce is also great over asparagus and other dishes suggesting Hollandaise.
Lindy McGuinness says
Do you know of any vegan substitute that would work for the egg yolk? Thanks.
Sally Cameron says
Hi Lindy. Standard egg substitutions are as follow, but the reference is usually for baking. I've not tried them with this recipe. If you do will you please report back? Thanks.
1 T flax seeds + 3 T water blend in blender 1-2 minutes per egg
1 T chia + 1/3 cup water, let stand 15 minutes
1/2 banana mashed
2 T arrowroot + 3 T water
3 T nut butter
2 T cornstarch + 3 T water combined
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup silken tofu
3 T chickpea flour + 3 T water
But yogurt is not vegan, so are you dealing with an egg allergy or sensitivity? This recipe is not vegan.
Debbie says
Thanks Sally!!! I can totally see the benefit now after you explained it. I had no idea there would be such a huge difference in the amount of fat/saturated fat. WOW!!!!!! Thank you so much for taking the time to write the details!!!!! I am very grateful!!!!! Blessings on you Sally!!!!!
Debbie says
Hi Sally, I made this recipe yesterday and it is so very good!!!!!
But... I have a question.... since the recipe uses full fat Greek yogurt (which I also prefer), how is it healthier than traditional hollandaise?? Thank you!!
Sally Cameron says
Hi Debbie. Glad the recipe worked for you. I too like Greek yogurt for the thicker texture and almost twice the protein levels vs regular yogurt.Traditional Hollandaise is made with lots of melted butter (which tastes fantastic, right?). Many people are concerned with fat and especially saturated fat. Seven ounces of butter would have 98 grams saturated fat and 161 grams of total fat. Seven ounces of plain whole milk Greek yogurt (the nutrition site I used measured in 8 ounces, not 7) would have 7 grams saturated fat and 11 grams total fat. Big difference. Now you're likely going to eat just a couple of tablespoons of Hollandaise, but you could certainly enjoy more of the yogurt-based recipe without concern.
On some occasions there is nothing like real Hollandaise but the yogurt version has a nice tang and is a great option. One more note - many studies are now not as concerned with saturated fat as we once were. It's not the evil once thought...but that depends on who you ask! Just like everything in nutrition. Whew. Sorry for a long answer! Hope that helps, and thanks for asking.
Yvette Strom says
The directions say to add the sugar, but there is no sugar listed in the ingredients. Sugar yes or no, how much?
Sally Cameron says
Hi Yvette. There is no sugar in this recipe. I removed that typo. When I moved to using Ziplist for my recipe format some strange things happened to a few recipes which I am still finding. That's for commenting and allowing me to fix it.