Reese Witherspoon's grandmother had a clever shortcut for hollandaise, and it genuinely surprised me.
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
Hollandaise was the first thing I learned to make that demanded a little respect. When I moved out of my parents’ house at 19 and into my first apartment, I started inviting friends and family over for “eggs Benedict dinner,” which was exactly what it sounds like. I’d whisk butter into glossy submission while everyone looked on in awe, then plate up English muffins, ham and poached eggs before drowning them in the decadent sauce. Looking back, that might have been the moment I realized food was going to be a big part of my life.
I’m not particularly precious about most foods, but I’ll gladly admit that I’m a hollandaise snob. When done right, there’s nothing better. It’s rich and velvety, bright with lemon, and just decadent enough to make Sunday brunch feel luxurious. Of course, it’s also notoriously finicky. Traditional hollandaise demands constant whisking while you slowly drizzle in melted butter. If the heat gets too high, the eggs scramble. If the butter goes in too quickly, the sauce splits.
So when I came across Reese Witherspoon’s shortcut hollandaise recipe in her cookbook, Whiskey in a Teacup, I’ll admit I approached it with some skepticism.
What is Reese Witherspoon’s mock hollandaise sauce?
Reese Witherspoon may be best known as Hollywood’s rom-com queen, but she’s also spent years celebrating Southern cooking and family traditions. In Whiskey in a Teacup, she shares a number of recipes from her childhood—including this easy hollandaise that was passed down by her grandmother, Dorthea. Reese describes it as a “mock hollandaise” that skips the usual fuss.
“It might be cheating a bit,” she writes, “but it’s so tasty I doubt you’ll hear any complaints.”
The shortcut comes from store-bought mayonnaise, which already contains the emulsified eggs and oil that give hollandaise its creamy texture. From there, the sauce comes together with a handful of familiar ingredients. The quick result captures the same buttery, tangy notes that make hollandaise so popular.
How to Make Reese Witherspoon’s Mock Hollandaise Sauce
In the book, Reese serves the sauce with blanched asparagus. I followed her lead, but roasted mine instead.
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons butter
- Freshly grated zest of 1 lemon
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
Directions
Step 1: Melt the butter
Melt the butter in a small bowl. Stir in the lemon zest and set it aside.
Step 2: Blend the base
In a food processor, blend the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt and cayenne pepper until they’re smooth
Step 3: Add the butter
With the processor running, slowly drizzle in the melted butter and lemon zest through the feed tube a little at a time, allowing the sauce to emulsify.
Step 4: Serve the mock hollandaise
Serve the sauce immediately over asparagus, eggs Benedict or roasted vegetables.
Would I make Reese’s mock hollandaise again?
I expected this sauce to be … fine. But it’s genuinely delicious.
The texture is creamy and smooth, with bright lemon flavor and plenty of buttery richness. It’s wonderful on asparagus, but I could also imagine spooning it over roasted red potatoes, grilled salmon or just about anything else that needs a little encouragement.
I roasted half a bunch of asparagus, spooned the sauce generously over the top, snapped a few photos, then promptly ate every single bite. Since there was still sauce left on the plate, I poached an egg and slid it right on top so I could finish the rest of it.
Is it a complex, utterly decadent, authentic French hollandaise? No. But when you’re short on time—and especially if you don’t feel like standing over a bowl nervously whisking egg yolks and butter—it’s a fantastic substitute. And it’s about a thousand times better than anything you’ll shake out of a packet of powdered sauce mix.
Related:
