Eggs Benedict Recipe For Two

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Need a special breakfast? Try my Eggs Benedict Recipe For Two! A classic, savory breakfast featuring poached eggs, Canadian bacon and homemade hollandaise sauce. Perfect for a special morning meal. Don’t be intimidated, with my step by step instructions, you’re on your way to a delicious and surprisingly EASY breakfast that will impress everyone. Delicious served with crispy Bacon In the oven and Pan-Fried Breakfast Potatoes.

But First, What is Eggs Benedict?

Traditional Eggs Benedict is a popular “fancy” or special occasion breakfast dish. It traditionally consists of toasted English muffins topped with Canadian bacon, a perfect poached egg, and then topped with a creamy Hollandaise sauce. While Hollandaise, a classically French sauce. It’s a very tasty dish and perfect for Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or any special occasion, really.

What is Hollandaise Sauce?

Hollandaise Sauce originates from France! Traditionally, it’s an emulsified sauce made of egg yolks, butter, warm water and lemon juice that is seasoned with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Hollandaise sauce really isn’t so scary to make, and it is the perfect accompaniment to Eggs Benedict!

Ingredients Needed For Eggs Benedict For Two

The main ingredients for a perfect Eggs Benedict are all simple items, made special by combining together to create this breakfast dish. Here’s what you need:

• Toasted English Muffins – either use whole grain or plain English muffins. Just be sure to use a brand that you like or make Homemade English Muffins!
• Eggs – these are going to be poached to create the perfect runny yolk. Be sure to use the freshest eggs you can find.
• Canadian Bacon – if you can’t find slices of Canadian bacon, swap it out for deli honey ham. They are both so good!

Main Ingredients Needed for Hollandaise Sauce Recipe

The creamy hollandaise sauce comes together over a double boiler. While lots of hollandaise sauces are made with hot, melted butter in a blender, mine is not. After doing lots of research, I found that your Hollandaise Sauce is less likely to break if you start with extremely soft butter over a double boiler with egg yolks and water. It seems strange and counter-intuitive, but it works perfectly. Here’s what you need:

• Egg Yolks – these are brought to temperature (160° F) by the hot water and being mixed in a double boiler which makes this sauce safe to eat. Egg yolks create a wonderfully rich and creamy consistency to the overall sauce.
• Salted Butter – I used salted butter so I didn’t have to add in any extra salt to the sauce. Feel free to use either and add salt later, if needed.
• Lemon Juice – this gives the mixture a slightly tangy taste.
• Pepper + Cayenne Pepper – these add the finishing touches to this savory sauce which I think compliments Eggs Benedict so perfectly.

How to Make Eggs Benedict For Two

Super simple recipe here! I know Eggs Benedict isn’t the first thing you think of when I say “easy breakfast” but I promise it’s not as bad as it seems. Toast the muffin, poach eggs, make hollandaise sauce, then assemble.

For full recipe details, including ingredient measurements, see the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. I wrote this post for 2 people because I find that most people make them for Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, but feel free to move that little bar to increase the serving size. Making them for just 2 also eliminates leftovers – eggs benedict is best served fresh.

Here are step-by-step instructions for making my easy Eggs Benedict recipe:

Step 1: Poach the Eggs

Fill a deep-sided skillet with water. Bring the water up to a simmer. Salt the water and add white vinegar.

Pro Tip: Vinegar helps the egg whites coagulate. Don’t worry! Your eggs will NOT taste like vinegar.

Crack whole eggs individually into a ladle, deep slotted spoon, or small bowl. Drop gently into the water and cook gently until the whites are set but the yolk is still soft. (Soft yolks are an eggs benedict staple!) This should take 3-4 minutes.

Pro Tip: Some people like to swirl the water to create a whirlpool to drop the eggs into. This helps with the egg “feathering”. I’ve tested it both ways and have found that this step isn’t really necessary when using vinegar, but feel free to play around with that method as well.

Drain poached eggs onto a paper towel, season with salt and black pepper if desired and set aside.

Step 2: Make Hollandaise Sauce

Over medium-low heat, bring a large saucepan of water to a low simmer. While water is coming up to a simmer, whisk egg yolks and softened butter together in a large, heat-proof bowl to break apart the butter.

Place the egg mixture bowl over simmering water and slowly whisk in hot tap water. The heat of the water and the heat from the simmering water will melt the butter. Mixture will be yellow and look liquidy. Also totally normal!

Continue to whisk until mixture thickens and reaches 160° F. This ensures your hollandaise sauce is thoroughly cooked and safe to eat. Yes I’m paranoid about raw eggs. This should take 7-10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and cayenne pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed.

Step 3: Assemble Eggs Benedict

Slice English muffins in half and toast. Butter lightly. Take one buttered English muffin half, add a slice of Canadian bacon or ham and 1 poached egg. Top with the other muffin half. Drizzle with some buttery hollandaise sauce and top with black pepper and a pinch of salt, if desired. Serve immediately.

Pro Tip: For an extra added layer of flavor, you can heat the Canadian bacon or ham in a skillet before placing on muffin.

Storing Eggs Benedict

Honestly, Eggs Benedict are best made fresh! One of the reasons I purposely made this recipe to be for 2 people is to minimize the potential of leftovers. However, if you do find that you need to save leftovers it’s best to store the eggs separately from the hollandaise sauce in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 2 days.

What to Serve with Eggs Benedict

Eggs Benedict can be eaten alone as a full breakfast or with a side dish. Here are a few ideas:

• Homemade Breakfast Sausage
• Bacon in the Oven (425°)– my favorite easy method for cooking bacon!
• Fruit Salad or just cut up fresh fruit that is in season!
• Breakfast Pigs in a Blanket
• Belgian Waffles
• Oven Roasted Asparagus Spears
• And don’t forget the Mimosas (or Bloody Mary)!

FAQ About Eggs Benedict

More Egg Recipes To Try!

• Chile Con Queso Eggs Benedict
• Hash Brown Egg Cups
• Deviled Eggs
• Corned Beef Hash Breakfast Recipe
• Sweet Potato Hash with Fried Eggs

• See my list of 80+ Mother’s Day recipe ideas

Whether you’re looking for a special brunch recipe for Sunday mornings, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or for any other special occasion, this homemade Eggs Benedict Recipe for Two is a great option! The printable recipe card is down below! Have a great day, friends! 🙂

If you make this recipe, I would really appreciate it if you would give it a star rating and leave your review in the comments! If you have a picture of your finished dish, post it on Instagram using the hashtag #laurenslatest and tagging me @laurens_latest.

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5 from 2 votes

Eggs Benedict Recipe for Two

This Eggs Benedict Recipe for Two, smothered in a creamy Hollandaise Sauce is a tasty and savory breakfast – perfect for a special morning meal.

servings 2 servings

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Ingredients

for the hollandaise sauce

• ▢ 4 egg yolks
• ▢ 3/4 cup salted butter very soft
• ▢ 1/4 cup hot tap water
• ▢ 2 tsp lemon juice
• ▢ 1 pinch cayenne pepper

for the eggs benedict-

• ▢ 2 english muffins
• ▢ 4 thin slices Canadian bacon or deli ham
• ▢ 4 eggs
• ▢ black pepper freshly cracked
• ▢ salt to taste

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

poach the eggs-

• Fill a deep sided skillet with water. Bring water up to a simmer. Salt the water and add 1 teaspoon white vinegar (this helps the whites coagulate).
  
• Crack whole eggs individually into a ladle, deep spoon or small bowl. Drop gently into the water and cook gently 3-4 minutes until the whites are set but the yolk is still soft.
• Drain poached eggs onto paper towels and set aside.
  

make the hollandaise sauce-

• Bring a medium sized pot of water to a simmer.
• While water is coming up to a simmer, whisk butter and egg yolks together in a large, heat-proof bowl to break apart the butter. It will be chunky and this is totally normal!
  
• Place bowl over simmering water and slowly whisk in hot tap water. The heat of the water and the heat from the simmering water will melt the butter. Mixture will be yellow and look liquidy. Also normal!
• Continue to whisk for 7-10 minutes or until mixture thickens and reaches 160° F.
  
• Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and cayenne. Taste and adjust seasonings as you'd like.

assemble-

• Slice english muffins in half and toast. Butter lightly. Top with ham slices and 1 poached egg each. Drizzle with hollandaise sauce and season with black pepper and more salt, if desired.
  
• Serve immediately.
  

Nutrition

Calories: 990kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 88g | Saturated Fat: 50g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 900mg | Sodium: 974mg | Potassium: 269mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3143IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 147mg | Iron: 3mg

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: eggs benedict, hollandaise sauce