Brunch & Breakfast Eggs

Eggs Benedict

Name: Eggs Benedict
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 large eggs, plus 2 egg yolks for the hollandaise; 2 English muffins, split and toasted; 4 slices ham or Canadian bacon; 120 g unsalted butter, melted and hot; 1 tbsp lemon juice; 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard; Pinch of cayenne pepper; Salt and white pepper; Fresh chives, to serve

Traditional hollandaise requires careful whisking over a bain-marie.

By Dana Reyes

Tested at least twice · Updated September 2026

Eggs Benedict — Blender hollandaise, poached eggs and ham on toasted muffins.

10 min

Prep time

20 min

Cook time

Serves

4.7

1,128 RATINGS

Why blender hollandaise is the weeknight answer

Traditional hollandaise requires careful whisking over a bain-marie. A blender version uses the heat of the melted butter to cook the egg yolks as it blends, taking 30 seconds and almost no skill.

The eggs should have runny yolks that spill into the hollandaise when you cut into them. Poach them in barely simmering water with a splash of vinegar.

Ingredients

Makes 2

Instructions

About 30 min from start to finish

Blend the egg yolks, lemon juice, mustard and cayenne in a blender for 20 seconds until pale.

With the blender running, slowly pour in the hot melted butter. The sauce should thicken immediately. Season with salt and white pepper.

Fill a wide pan with water and bring to a gentle simmer. Add a splash of vinegar. Crack the eggs into separate cups and slide them into the water. Poach for 3 minutes.

While the eggs poach, warm the ham in a pan and place on the toasted muffin halves.

Top each muffin with a poached egg, spoon over the hollandaise and scatter with chives. Serve immediately.

Testing notes & substitutions

Three rounds of testing turned up three things worth knowing before you start cooking.

Hollandaise temperature

The butter needs to be hot enough to cook the yolks. If it is lukewarm, the sauce will be thin.

Poaching trick

Create a gentle whirlpool in the water before adding the egg — it helps the white wrap around the yolk.

Make it vegetarian

Replace the ham with sautéed spinach for Eggs Florentine.

Questions we get a lot

Can I make hollandaise ahead?

It is best fresh, but you can keep it warm in a thermos for up to 30 minutes.

Why did my hollandaise split?

The butter was added too fast or was not hot enough. Blend in a tablespoon of hot water to rescue it.

Can I use an immersion blender?

Yes — a stick blender in a narrow jar works even better than a countertop blender.

Dana Reyes

Dana has cooked professionally for eleven years and has been testing recipes for Hearth & Thyme since 2019. She writes about weeknight cooking, slow breads, and the small techniques that quietly change a dish. Every recipe she publishes is cooked at least twice, in an ordinary home oven.