Healthy Hollandaise Sauce

This healthy hollandaise sauce is much lower in fat and calories than a regular hollandaise. It is also very quick and simple to make. It's the perfect accompaniment to eggs Benedict, salmon, and asparagus and other veggies. It also makes a great dipping sauce for these baked chicken goujons.

What is hollandaise sauce?

A classic hollandaise sauce is basically melted butter which is thickened with egg yolk and seasoned with lemon juice. It's a bit like warm mayonnaise, only made with butter rather than oil. And whilst it's important to include some fat in your diet, traditional hollandaise sauce contains over 30% saturated fats. And there's a lot of calories in melted butter!

This recipe is an ideal healthy substitute.

Traditional hollandaise sauce can also be a little tricky to make. In order to blend the butter and egg yolk, you need to use a double boiler. And even then it can sometimes split, or refuse to thicken.

Why is this recipe different?

Low fat

This healthy hollandaise sauce is made with yogurt rather than melted butter. It's much lower in fat, especially saturated fat. If you like, you can use low fat yogurt and cut the fat right down to a minimum. And whilst I've added a tablespoon of melted butter to the recipe for flavour, that is also optional.

The tangy flavour of yogurt works perfectly in this light hollandaise sauce recipe. The sauce is still thick and creamy, and it's the perfect complement to eggs, fish and fresh green veggies.

Easy to make

This healthy hollandaise is so easy to make. There's no special equipment required, you simply add the ingredients to a pan and whisk over a gentle heat. There's no need for a double boiler, and the sauce is quite stable so it won't split.

Ingredients

Yogurt. Provided that you use a natural unsweetened yogurt, you can choose whatever kind you prefer. You can make Greek yogurt hollandaise which will be slightly richer, or you can use low fat yogurt. I used a simple plain yogurt with about 3% fat.

Egg. I prefer to use a whole egg as I find it more convenient. It's a bit of a pain to have leftover egg whites, and they can end up getting wasted. Although I do love these egg white coconut macaroons, I don't want to have to make them every time I make hollandaise or custard.

But if you prefer, you can use two egg yolks rather than one whole egg. You'll end up with a richer, more yellow sauce.

Cornflour. This is a magic ingredient in this healthy hollandaise, as the sauce is much less prone to splitting, and thickens easily. A teaspoon of cornflour means that you can use whole egg, and you don't need a double boiler. It also means that a low fat yogurt won't curdle when you heat it.

Note: in some countries cornflour is known as cornstarch. It's a fine white powder, quite different to cornmeal.

Cornflour is also gluten-free.

Butter. A tablespoon of butter adds a little extra flavour and richness to the sauce. But it's quite possible to make this hollandaise without butter, so if you prefer, you can omit it.

Seasoning. A traditional hollandaise sauce includes lemon juice to cut through the richness. I've added just a tiny bit to this recipe, as yogurt has a naturally tangy flavour, but adjust this to suit your own taste.

Of course, salt and pepper are essential (use white pepper if you are concerned about little dark flecks of pepper in the sauce.)

I've also added a pinch of mustard powder - you could also use Dijon mustard if you prefer, or add a pinch of cayenne or paprika for extra seasoning.

How to make healthy hollandaise sauce

Add the yogurt, egg, cornflour, lemon juice and seasoning to a pan, and whisk the ingredients together.

Place over a very gentle heat, and bring up to a simmer, whisking constantly.

As soon as the sauce starts to simmer, remove it from the heat and add the butter.

Stir until the butter is melted and the sauce is silky and smooth.

Serving suggestions

This hollandaise sauce can be used to make healthy eggs Benedict. Lightly toast a wholemeal muffin, add a slice of smoked salmon, and top with a poached egg. Drizzle with healthy hollandaise. You could also add a layer of spinach leaves or avocado.

The tangy flavour of hollandaise also works really well with poached salmon and oven baked fish. And it's a great accompaniment to green veggies such as broccoli or asparagus.

Frequently asked questions

Other healthy sauces you might like

You might also enjoy these other healthy sauces. They are all lower in fat and easy to make.

• Homemade custard without cream (all in one easy method)
• Low fat gluten free white sauce (no lumps!)
• Healthy lower fat cheese sauce
• Creamy broccoli sauce (without cream!)

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Recipe

Please note nutritional information is per serving and is provided for guidance only.