Easy Vegan Hollandaise Sauce

Why We Love This Recipe

• Quick and easy: You just need 8 basic ingredients and a blender to make this egg-free hollandaise sauce. It's super simple and ready in under 5 minutes once you've soaked the cashews. It's definitely easier to make than a traditional hollandaise, which is a tricky-to-get-right emulsion.
• Perfect substitute to the original: Sometimes, it's super hard to find substitutes for our favorite non-vegan egg and dairy-based dishes. This vegan hollandaise sauce perfectly replicates that rich eggy flavor, and we don't even feel like we're missing the dairy. It's absolutely delicious!
• No cook: Many hollandaise sauce recipes require cooking time, but this recipe doesn't need any time on the stovetop and comes together immediately in a blender.
• Versatile: This vegan hollandaise sauce isn't just for eggs benedict – it's also delicious with vegetables like asparagus and broccoli, on sandwiches, breakfast pizza, breakfast casseroles and more.

Ingredients

Here's what you'll need to make this vegan hollandaise sauce:

Ingredient Notes

• Cashews: It's important to soak the cashews in water before blending to make them soft enough to blend into a creamy, rich sauce. We typically soak them for about 2 hours in room temperature water, but they can soak for as long as 6 hours. If you need to speed up the soaking time, then just soak them for 30 minutes in hot water. If you're really short on time, you can try boiling them for 5-7 minutes. Be sure to use raw, unsalted cashews, as roasted cashews will change the flavor and texture of this vegan hollandaise sauce.
• Dijon mustard: We recommend using Dijon specifically, since it provides that creamy texture and slightly tanginess that boosts the flavor of this vegan hollandaise.
• Turmeric: Just a small pinch of turmeric turns the sauce that classic pale yellow color that you won't otherwise achieve since this recipe doesn't use eggs. More turmeric = a bolder yellow color. It doesn't add much flavor, but we like the color that it adds! If you don't have any, you can certainly leave it out.
• Nutritional yeast: This vegan pantry staple adds additional nutty and cheesy flavor to the hollandaise and a little more yellow color.
• Optional addition: Kala namak: Otherwise known as black salt, it has a sulfurous "eggy" smell and flavor. It's not an ingredient we typically have on hand, so we left it out of this recipe. If you have it, you can add a pinch or two to this recipe for an eggier flavor.
• Lemon juice: Lemon is a classic ingredient in traditional hollandaise, and it's best to use freshly squeezed for maximum flavor.
• Cayenne: This is optional, but we like the very, very subtle kick it adds to this vegan hollandaise sauce.

Instructions

(PREP) Soak cashews in room temperature water for 2-6 hours. If you're short on time, you can soak in super hot water for 30 minutes.

(1) Drain the cashews and add to a blender with water, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, salt, turmeric, and a pinch of cayenne.

(2) Blend until smooth and creamy. You may have to scrape down the sides once or twice to make sure all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. If the sauce is too thick and won't blend, add in an extra 1-2 tablespoon of water.

(3) Before serving: Heat up in a saucepan over low heat until warmed through. Stir often.

Tips and FAQs

• Warm it up: You don't need a saucepan to make this vegan hollandaise, but we do like to heat it up before serving! Low heat is best – stir often until it's warmed through.
• Nut free option: For a nut-free version of this recipe, feel free to swap out the cashews for silken tofu. While we prefer the cashews in this recipe, the tofu will provide that same creamy texture while keeping the recipe vegan!
• How to serve: We love serving this vegan hollandaise sauce on tons of breakfast dishes including our Polenta Eggs Benedict (a classic), our Vegetable Frittata or our Vegan Breakfast Casserole. Trust us, you will want to be dipping almost everything in this sauce!
• Add a small pinch of kala namak (black salt) for a little more eggy flavor. We didn't include it in this recipe since it's not a common ingredient, but if you happen to have some, it's a great addition!
• Storage: Stored in an airtight container, it will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator.
• Freezing: You can freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months, and leave in the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then warm it up in a saucepan. You may need to stir it thoroughly or blend it to revive its creamy texture. If it appears too thick, just add a bit of water.

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