Lactose Free Béarnaise Sauce
Béarnaise is one of those sauces that feels almost impossibly luxurious — silky, buttery, and fragrant with fresh tarragon and a whisper of chervil. The secret to making it work without any lactose is right in the technique: the butter is fully clarified during cooking, meaning the milk solids are skimmed off and discarded before a single drop hits the emulsion. What remains is pure, golden butterfat that blends seamlessly with the egg yolks and white wine reduction, giving you all the richness with none of the dairy proteins that cause problems. The reduction itself — white wine, white wine vinegar, shallots, and tarragon simmered down to a concentrated couple of tablespoons — is what separates a true béarnaise from a plain hollandaise, and it's completely dairy-free by nature. Building the emulsion slowly, drop by drop at first, is the move that makes the sauce thick, glossy, and spoonable rather than broken and greasy. Draped over a seared steak or roasted vegetables, this is the kind of sauce that makes a weeknight dinner feel like a restaurant moment.
About FigFig is a food discovery app that helps you find foods and recipes that fit your dietary needs. Whether you have food allergies, intolerances, or follow a specific diet, Fig makes it easy to eat with confidence.
Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the reduction
- 3 tbsp dry white wine
- 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 medium shallots, finely minced
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, roughly chopped (for reduction)
- ¼ tsp black pepper, coarsely cracked
For the sauce
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
- 3 pasteurized egg yolks
- 1 tbsp cold water
- ¼ tsp salt, plus more to taste
- 1 pinch cayenne pepper
- 2 tbsp fresh tarragon leaves, finely chopped (for finishing)
- 1 tsp fresh chervil, finely chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the white wine, white wine vinegar, minced shallots, roughly chopped tarragon, and cracked black pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced to about 2 tbsp, 5–7 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl, pressing on the solids to extract all the liquid; discard the solids. Let the reduction cool for 2–3 minutes until no longer steaming.
- 2
Melt the butter in the small saucepan over medium-low heat, then increase the heat slightly and cook until the foam subsides and the milk solids settle to the bottom, about 5 minutes. Skim off any foam from the surface. Carefully pour the clear golden butter into a liquid measuring cup or small pitcher, leaving the white milk solids behind in the pan; discard the solids. Keep the clarified butter warm.
Want the full recipe?
Create a Fig account for step-by-step instructions, access to our full recipe library, and more!