Elevated Eggs Benedict Rolls Recipe

Making eggs Benedict for a crowd can be a real challenge, which often means they're a hard pass for group brunches. Unless, of course, they take the form of these elevated eggs Benedict rolls. These have all the same components of a traditional eggs Benedict, from the soft eggs to the smoky Canadian bacon, but everything is rolled into all-butter puff pastry and baked until golden and flaky. The rolls then get topped with a flavorful, piquant hollandaise sauce, which sinks into all the nooks and crannies for a perfectly satisfying bite.

What comes out of the oven looks like something from a fancy bakery case. Crisp and browned around the edges, with soft scrambled egg, meaty bacon, aged cheddar, and chives layered through every bite. Even the all-important hollandaise here is elevated, with a shallot white wine reduction that rounds up the rolls with a slight touch of acidity.

As a recipe developer and blogger, I love making these for weekend brunches when I want to impress my guests without relegating myself to hours of prep in the kitchen while everyone is out there drinking mimosas. These can be assembled ahead and baked to order, leaving you with plenty of time to socialize with your friends.

For the elevated eggs Benedict rolls themselves, you'll need unsalted butter, Canadian bacon, large eggs, kosher salt, black pepper, crème fraîche, all-purpose flour, for dusting, all-butter puff pastry, Dijon mustard, aged cheddar cheese, and fresh chives. If you are unfamiliar with Canadian bacon, it's a cut that is much different than American bacon as it's taken from the loin of the pig, and is also known as back bacon. 

For the shallot reduction hollandaise that goes on top of these egg benedict rolls, gather a shallot, dry white wine, white wine vinegar, egg yolks, fresh lemon juice, unsalted butter, chives, cayenne pepper, and kosher salt. And for garnish, save some more chives.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.

Sear the Canadian bacon until the edges crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Whisk 6 eggs with the ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in the skillet over low heat.

Add the eggs and stir slowly with a spatula until barely set and still very soft, about 2 minutes.

Remove from the heat, stir in the crème fraîche, and spread onto a plate to cool completely. The eggs finish cooking in the oven, so they should look underdone.

Dust a work surface with the 1 tablespoon of flour. Roll the puff pastry into a 10-by-14-inch rectangle.

Spread with the Dijon mustard, leaving a ½-inch border.

Scatter the cooled eggs over the pastry, then top with the Canadian bacon, aged cheddar, and the 2 tablespoons of chives.

Starting from a long edge, roll the pastry tightly into a log.

Chill the log for 10 minutes so it slices cleanly, then cut it into 6 equal rounds with a sharp knife.

Arrange the rounds cut-side up on the prepared baking sheet, spacing them at least 2 inches apart.

Beat the remaining egg and brush the tops and sides of the rolls.

Bake for 22 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown and puffed.

For the hollandaise, combine the shallot, white wine, and white wine vinegar in a small saucepan.

Simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 1 tablespoon, about 3 minutes.

Strain, discarding the shallot, and let cool slightly.

Whisk the egg yolks, lemon juice, and the shallot reduction in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water until pale and thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Slowly drizzle in the warm melted butter, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy.

Whisk in the 1 tablespoon chives, cayenne, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Keep warm, loosely covered, for up to 20 minutes, whisking in a teaspoon of warm water if it tightens.

Spoon the hollandaise over the warm rolls.

Finish with the remaining 1 tablespoon chives and serve immediately.

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If you're not a fan of some of the components of these eggs Benedict rolls, then there are a few swaps you can try to make them your own while still keeping their essence as intended. To begin with, swapping the protein is the easiest way to change your eggs Benedict.

To make these vegetarian, you can omit the Canadian bacon and substitute it with wilted spinach, which would turn these into an eggs Florentine. I also love adding mushrooms if I'm omitting the meat — a grilled or roasted portobello would be delicious here. For a pescatarian spin, change the bacon up for smoked salmon. If you want to make this recipe closer to the American classic, you can use regular American bacon. 

For the cheese, try switching the cheddar for melty Gruyère, which also works really well in this recipe. Monterey Jack or pepper Jack will give the dish a more Tex-Mex feel. For the hollandaise, I also love adding a teaspoon of whole-grain mustard for a version with a sharper bite.

I think that all-butter puff is truly the best dough for this dish, and it's worth seeking it out for the best results. The layers puff up and crisp during baking, providing a soft bed for the filling, but a crisp outer layer that shatters when you bite into it. It's the perfect combination of textures, and part of what makes this dish work. But if you want an alternative, there are a couple of things you can try that are simpler but still worthwhile.

Crescent roll dough is probably the easiest swap. It rolls out similarly, comes out fully formed, and bakes up golden, but the texture will be softer and more akin to bread. The rolls will also require more chilling to slice cleanly.

Tortillas will work in a pinch if you want to make these on a weeknight. The result will be closer to a breakfast pinwheel, which works for young kids or if you like a softer and simpler texture. If going this route, use large flour tortillas, warm them up slightly so they don't crack, fill them, and bake at 375 F for around 15 minutes. They won't puff up, but will still get crispy and hold the filling well.

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