Hollandaise Sauce
Shop-bought hollandaise is safe during pregnancy, but freshly made hollandaise — the kind served with eggs Benedict — is traditionally made with raw or only lightly cooked egg yolks, so it's worth asking before you order it.
Last updated: October 2026 Cross-checked against NHS guidance
Hollandaise is a trickier one than mayonnaise or aioli, because so much of it is eaten freshly made rather than from a jar. Classic hollandaise is an emulsion of egg yolks and melted butter, whisked together over gentle heat — and done the traditional way, the yolks only reach a low, barely-cooked temperature, well below what's needed to reliably kill Salmonella bacteria if present. This is different from mayonnaise, where the vast majority of what's eaten in the UK is commercial and pasteurised; hollandaise is much more commonly made fresh, particularly with eggs Benedict at cafés and brunch spots. Shop-bought or bottled hollandaise (the kind sold in supermarkets to pour over vegetables or fish) is made with pasteurised egg and is safe. Freshly made hollandaise at a restaurant carries more uncertainty, since you can't tell how thoroughly the yolks were cooked — it's reasonable to ask, or to choose a dish without it if you'd rather not take the chance. Some restaurants now make hollandaise with pasteurised egg specifically to serve it safely to pregnant customers, so asking is worthwhile rather than assuming either way.
What to be aware of
- Shop-bought, bottled hollandaise is safe — it's made with pasteurised egg.
- Freshly made restaurant hollandaise (e.g. with eggs Benedict) is traditionally made with lightly-cooked raw egg yolks — ask before ordering if you're unsure.
- A thoroughly reheated, piping hot hollandaise poured over a hot dish is a lower-risk option than a cool, freshly whisked one.
Safe substitutes for Hollandaise Sauce during pregnancy
If you're craving hollandaise sauce but it's off the menu for now, these are safe swaps that still feel like a proper meal:
- Shop-bought hollandaise — Supermarket bottled hollandaise uses pasteurised egg and is safe to pour over vegetables, fish, or eggs at home.
US guidance
The FDA's guidance is similar — commercially produced, pasteurised hollandaise is considered safe, while freshly prepared versions with undercooked eggs carry the standard raw-egg Salmonella caution.