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Just 8 ingredients, a blender, and under 10 minutes make for a wonderfully creamy vegan hollandaise sauce. It’s dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, optionally gluten-free, and creamy, rich, & delicious!
What is Hollandaise Sauce?
Traditionally, Hollandaise sauce (Dutch sauce) is a classic emulsion-based sauce dating as far back as the mid-17th century. Made with ingredients like egg yolks, melted butter, and lemon juice, this sauce is super thick and creamy and has become well known for serving over eggs benedict and asparagus.
Obviously, for anyone living the vegan or dairy-free lifestyle, though, this sauce was well off-limits… until now, that is. By utilizing a few clever ingredient swaps, you can throw together a super creamy and delicious vegan hollandaise sauce recipe in just minutes in a blender.
Plus, you don’t even have to worry about broken emulsions, so it’s heaps easier to make. It’s also lighter and healthier than the classic version while maintaining a super silky, creamy, rich, full-bodied flavor. And all with just a few simple and inexpensive pantry staples. You’ll want to dip and drizzle it over everything!
The Ingredients
A pinch of onion powder and/or garlic powder will help to add even more complex flavor to the eggless Hollandaise sauce. Add a tiny pinch of black salt (kala namak) for more of an eggy flavor.
For Vegan Eggs Benedict
- English muffins: Or regular bread if preferred. Use gluten-free if necessary.
- Vegetables: For this eggless eggs benedict, we use fresh and delicious large tomatoes and avocado (check out this avocado guide) instead.
- Spices: Finally, we love to garnish this delicious vegan eggs benedict with a dash of cayenne pepper (or red pepper flakes), smoked paprika, flaky salt (optional), and black pepper.
Other Vegan Eggs Benedict Topping Ideas
You can easily mix and match several topping ideas to find your perfect combo, including:
- Tofu ‘egg’ scramble (seasoned with kala namak, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder for eggy flavor)
- Tofu (like this grilled tofu steak)/tempeh slices (grilled or pan-fried)
- Sauteed spinach (or kale)
- Sautéed mushrooms
- Steamed asparagus with lemon garlic
- Vegan bacon or ham slices (or vegan carrot bacon)
- Roasted cherry tomatoes
- Micro-greens/sprouts
- Fresh herbs (to garnish – like parsley, chives, or dill)
How to Make Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
Just two steps, a blender, and a few minutes are all you need to prepare this creamy dairy-free Hollandaise sauce alternative.
Step 1: Combine all the vegan Hollandaise sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 2: Then, to warm the sauce, transfer it to a small saucepan over low heat, stirring often.
To Make Vegan Eggs Benedict
Step 3: While the sauce heats, toast the English muffin halves and slice the tomato and avocado. Assemble it by placing a slice of tomato and 2-3 slices of avocado over each muffin and then drizzling it with the warmed egg-free hollandaise sauce. Finally, sprinkle with a little paprika, cayenne, and back pepper. Enjoy!
Pro Recipe Notes
- Use soft tofu: It’s important to use the correct kind to achieve the super creamy vegan Hollandaise sauce consistency. Check out this guide to tofu here.
- The turmeric is for color: You only need a little to provide the classic yellow color.
- Season to taste: Taste it after blending and then season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust any of the other flavors (mustard, lemon juice, etc.)
- To adjust the consistency: The amount of plant-based milk added will directly affect how thick the sauce is.
- Heat gently: Boiling/overheating the sauce may negatively affect its texture and consistency.
FAQs
Yes, traditionally, Hollandaise sauce is butter-based and contains eggs, too. For those unable to eat either, this vegan Hollandaise sauce recipe comes to the rescue!
It’s possible to make an easy vegan Hollandaise sauce recipe with soaked cashews (or sunflower seeds). Soak 1 cup of cashews either overnight in cold water or for about an hour in hot water and blend in a high-speed blender with almost equal parts water and the remaining sauce ingredients (minus the plant-based milk) until smooth. It will thicken slightly when simmering to heat it.
You can technically freeze the tofu or cashew-based vegan Hollandaise, though both may become grainy/separated upon thawing and require re-blending for several seconds.
Serving Suggestions
You can use this versatile dairy-free hollandaise in all the ways you’d enjoy the original, including:
- To make vegan eggs benedict
- Over vegetables (i.e., lemon garlic asparagus, curry roasted broccoli, artichokes, vegan Brussels sprouts etc.)
- Over breakfast potatoes, hashbrowns, potato/root vegetable hash, baked potato, etc.
- Over a tofu scramble
- As a dipping sauce for vegan patties, zucchini fritters, and other small bites (like baked falafels)
- Drizzled over this tofu breakfast burrito, sweet potato enchiladas, and breakfast tacos
- In your dinner party lineup or Holiday brunch or dinner table at Thanksgiving (check out these 45 Vegan Thanksgiving recipes) or Christmas
Storage Instructions
Only heat the amount you need. Otherwise, store the leftover vegan hollandaise sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
The sauce may slightly thicken in the fridge, so thin it with water or plant-based milk if needed.
Easy Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
- ¾ cup of soft tofu
- 2 teaspoons of mustard
- 4 tablespoons of nutritional yeast
- 1 ½ teaspoons of lemon juice
- ½ cup of plain unsweetened plant-based milk
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
- Pinch of paprika
- Pinch of turmeric
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 8 slices of bread or English muffins (whatever is available or preferred), toasted (optional)
- 1 tomato, thinly sliced (optional)
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced (optional)
- Cayenne pepper, for garnishing (optional)
- Paprika, for garnishing (optional)
- Freshly ground black pepper, for garnishing (optional)
Instructions
- Place the soft tofu, mustard, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, plant-based milk, oil, soy sauce, paprika, and turmeric in a blender. Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper, to taste.
- In a saucepan over low heat, warm the hollandaise sauce.
- Optionally, to assemble a sandwich: On each half muffin or toast, place a slice of tomato and a few slices of avocado. Drizzle the warmed hollandaise sauce on top and sprinkle the sauce with a bit of pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
Notes
- Use soft tofu: It’s important to use the correct kind to achieve the super creamy vegan Hollandaise sauce consistency.
- The turmeric is for color: You only need a little to provide the classic yellow color.
- Season to taste: Taste it after blending and then season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust any of the other flavors (mustard, lemon juice, etc.)
- To adjust the consistency: The amount of plant-based milk added will directly affect how thick the sauce is.
I’ve been looking for a good vegan hollandaise sauce recipe and this one is a winner! Thanks for the recipe.
My first time trying Hollandaise sauce and I was surprised at how much I liked it. Yum!
love it! such a tasty and delicious sauce!
I had no idea it was so easy to make Hollandaise sauce at home! Loved it!
I’m assuming its yellow mustard? Not dry mustard? Can’t wait to make this!
Yes! Hope you enjoy it 🙂
Wonderful recipes with excellent taste!!! Thank you for all the sharing !! 🙂
Right?! Such a yummy breakfast recipe!
I was a big Hollandaise fan for years, until I had to watch my cholesterol. This looks like an excellent, and healthier substitute. This looks so good that I am making it for lunch today. I just bought the Kindle version of Plant Based On A Budget, and can’t wait to dive into it this afternoon. The reviews on Amazon are outstanding. I am not a vegan per se, but because of health issues, I eat vegan much of the time. Blogs like this one, make it easy and delicious. Thank you so much for giving me back my health.
You’re going to love this vegan hollandaise 🙂 And Toni’s cookbooks are amazing! Hope you enjoy everything you make!
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What a better way of making eggs benedict.
Yesss! It’s a vegan special!
I made the sauce, and it was delicious. Thank you for sharing.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 I love to make this one on the weekends!