This easy Vegan Hollandaise Sauce is so creamy and delicious! It can be prepared in minutes, and is a perfect alternative to the traditional egg based sauce. Serve it over steamed or roasted veggies, or over your vegan eggs Benedict or vegan frittata.
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This vegan hollandaise sauce recipe is not at all traditional. In fact, I had never had classic hollandaise sauce before going vegan. Then I had a tofu Benedict at a vegan restaurant, and I fell in love with this delicious sauce.
I can’t guarantee that this vegan version tastes like the authentic counterpart. But I can say that it’s damn good! You’re going to want to drizzle it on everything!
What is Hollandaise sauce?
You’re probably most familiar with it as the sauce that is poured over eggs Benedict. It’s also served over vegetables such as asparagus.
Hollandaise is one of the five mother sauces in French cuisine. Traditional hollandaise is an emulsion of egg yolks, melted butter, and lemon juice. It has a reputation of being a difficult sauce to make. If it is heat is too high, the egg yolks will scramble. If the butter is added too quickly, the sauce will break.
Fortunately, you won’t have any of these issues with this plant based sauce. There are no eggs to worry about curdling, and no butter to add at the right temperature and speed. This recipe is super easy and can be made in minutes!
What is the difference between hollandaise sauce and Bearnaise sauce?
The main difference is the flavor. Both are made with the same method, but Bearnaise sauce is flavored with white wine, tarragon, and shallots.
Ingredients for this easy Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
Specific measurements for the ingredients can found in the recipe card below.
- Raw cashews – give the sauce the creamy consistency
- Nutritional Yeast – for umami flavor
- Lemon juice – fresh squeezed lemon juice is best, but bottled will also work.
- Dijon mustard – for a little more tang and zest
- Turmeric – gives the sauce its yellow color
- Garlic Powder – for flavor
- Black salt (kala namak) – this Himalayan salt has a high sulfur content which gives this sauce an “eggy” flavor
- Salt – to round out the flavor
- Cayenne pepper – just a pinch
How to make vegan Hollandaise sauce
If you don’t have a high speed blender like a Vitamix or a Blendtec, then begin by soaking your cashews. This can be done by soaking them in water overnight. Then rinse and drain them.
For a quicker method, place the cashews in a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Continue boiling for 10 to 15 minutes, then drain and rinse them.
Place the soaked cashews, the nutritional yeast, lemon juice, dijon mustard, turmeric, garlic powder, black salt, cayenne pepper, and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste to make sure the flavor is to your preference. Add more lemon juice or salt, if desired.
Pour the contents of the blender into a small pot. Cook the sauce over medium heat. Stir constantly until it begins to thicken. You do not need to bring the sauce to a boil, just cook long enough to thicken.
Serving suggestions:
- Serve this creamy sauce over steamed or roasted vegetables.
- Top your tofu scramble or hash browns with this sauce.
- Make a vegan eggs Benedict with some tofu scramble and a slice of my vegan ham on an English muffin.
- Drizzle some over my Vegan Frittata.
- Use as a substitute for mayonnaise on your sandwiches.
You’ll love this recipe because its:
- Egg free
- Dairy free
- Gluten free
- Oil free
- Soy free
- Plant based
- Smooth and creamy
- Easy to make
- A perfect sauce for brunch or dinner
- A tasty topping for vegan eggs benedict or veggies
- Delicious!
Explore our Plant-Based Staples Cookbook
Frequently Asked Questions
This sauce is best right after it is cooked, but can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. It can be reheated in the microwave in 30 second intervals until it is hot. The sauce will get thicker when it cools. It can be thinned out be adding a little water.
Yes. This sauce can be frozen for up to 3 months. If the sauce separates from freezing, place it in the blender to mix it back together. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator, and reheat in a saucepan over medium low heat, or in the microwave in 30 second intervals.
More vegan sauce recipes:
- BBQ Sauce
- Cashew Cheese Sauce
- Easy Berry Sauce
- Chipotle Mayo
- Vegan Pesto
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Pizza Sauce
- Spinach Pesto
- Tahini Sauce
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Vegan Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ⅛ teaspoon black salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Instructions
- If you don't have a high speed blender like a Vitamix or Blendtec, soak the raw cashews overnight or for 5 to 8 hours. For quicker soaking, you can bring the cashews and water to a boil, then continue boiling for 5 to 10 minutes. Drain and rinse the cashews.
- Place the cashews and all the remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour the sauce into a small sauce pan and heat at a medium temperature. Stir the sauce continually while heating to avoid scalding or lumpy sauce. Heat until thickened; you do not have to bring it to a boil.
- Use the sauce while hot. It will thicken more as it cools, but can be thinned with a little bit of water.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition calculations are approximate.
