Brandy Butter Recipe (2024)

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Have you ever had brandy butter--also called hard sauce? It's a delightful combination of flavors and is served on top of a warm slice of plum pudding.

You'll want to serve this homemade dessert topping with plum pudding or homemade mincemeat tarts this Christmas. Be sure to try our 9 British Christmas recipes as well.

Brandy Butter Recipe (1)
Jump to:
  • Ingredients
  • How to Make Brandy Butter
  • Recipe FAQs
  • Store
  • Serve
  • Expert Tips
  • More Christmas Recipes
  • Recipe
  • Comments

Ingredients

Brandy Butter Recipe (2)

Curious what you need to make brandy butter? Let's discuss the key ingredients in this simple recipe.

  • Butter: We use a combination of salted and unsalted but feel free to use either one. The salted helps cut some of the sweetness, while unsalted is typically fresher.
  • Brandy: Adding a small amount of this liquor gives this topping its signature flavor. Only add enough to taste, or the mixture will be too bitter.
  • Icing Sugar: This sweetens the mixture and holds it together.
  • Orange Zest: This brightens up the flavors, but be careful not to add too much, or it will be bitter.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Brandy Butter

Grab some icing sugar, butter, vanilla extract, orange zest, and brandy.

Brandy Butter Recipe (3)
  1. Put the butter in a bowl and sift the icing sugar on top. (image 1)
  2. Beat together until lightened in color and fluffy. (image 2)
Brandy Butter Recipe (4)
  1. Add the vanilla, orange zest, and brandy a little at a time until you like the flavor.(image 3)
  2. Serve immediately or refrigerate for later. (image 4)

Recipe FAQs

How do you eat brandy butter?

This British dessert topping is often served with desserts such as Christmas pudding and mince pies. When spooned onto a warm pudding, the butter melts into it to add extra flavor, or is spread on top of a mince pie before eating.

What does brandy butter taste like?

It has a sweet, buttery taste with hints of vanilla, and a slight bitterness from the orange zest and oak from the alcohol.

What is brandy butter made from?

It's made by whipping powdered sugar and butter together with vanilla, brandy, and orange zest. I like to use a mixture of salted and unsalted butter to help balance the sweetness.

Is there alcohol in brandy butter?

Yes, there is alcohol in it. We used 5 to 7 tablespoons in a batch that makes 3 cups. You can substitute this with fruit juice, such as apple juice, or omit it entirely if you prefer.

Store

  • Leftovers: Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.
  • Freeze: Store it in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Eat within 1 week of thawing.

Serve

Any warm, heavy dessert goes well with it. Here are some ideas to get you started, although feel free to experiment!

  • Plum pudding or figgy pudding
  • Mince pies
  • Bread pudding
  • Toasted sweet bread (try cinnamon swirl bread, stollen, plum bread)
  • Cinnamon rolls

If you are looking for another British dessert, make sure to try our recipe for Lincolnshire plum bread.

Expert Tips

  • Use both salted and unsalted butter. The salt helps cut the sweetness, while the unsalted adds a fresher flavor.
  • Add the brandy slowly. It's easy to add too much, and then the flavor is overpowering. If you accidentally add too much, simply add more icing sugar and vanilla to balance it out.
  • Tweak the flavorings to your taste.
  • Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, then serve it cold with Christmas desserts like plum pudding.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and use within 1 week of thawing.

More Christmas Recipes

  • Traditional Figgy Pudding Recipe
  • Candied Lemon Slices
  • Julekake: Norwegian Christmas Bread
  • Roscón de Reyes (Spanish Kings' Cake)

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Recipe

Brandy Butter Recipe (9)

Brandy Butter Recipe

Brandy butter, a sweet and fluffy blend of butter, sugar, brandy, orange zest, and vanilla, is the traditional accompaniment to plum pudding at Christmas. Just mix together the ingredients in one bowl to make this delicious gluten free brandy butter. Everyone will love this classic sauce with plum pudding, bread pudding, or mince pies during the holidays!

5 from 1 vote

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 cups

Calories: 122kcal

Author:

Ingredients

  • ½ cup salted butter, softened
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 ¾ cups icing sugar
  • 5-7 tablespoons brandy
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest

Instructions

  • Place the softened butter in a mixing bowl. Sift the icing sugar on top, then beat with an electric mixer until fluffy and lightened in color.

  • Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a flexible spatula, then mix in the vanilla extract and orange zest. Mix in the brandy one tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired taste. Taste and add additional sugar, vanilla, or orange zest as desired.

  • Serve with hot plum pudding, bread pudding, mince pies, or Christmas cookies. If making ahead, store in the fridge until needed.

Video

Notes

  • Use both salted and unsalted butter. The salt helps cut the sweetness, while the unsalted adds a fresher flavor.
  • Add the brandy slowly. It's easy to add too much, and then the flavor is overpowering. If you accidentally add too much, simply add more icing sugar and vanilla to balance it out.
  • Tweak the flavorings to your taste.
  • Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks, then serve it cold with Christmas desserts like plum pudding.
  • Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the fridge, and use within 1 week of thawing.

Nutrition

Serving: 2TablespoonsCalories: 122kcal (6%)Carbohydrates: 11g (4%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 8g (12%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 21mg (7%)Sodium: 41mg (2%)Potassium: 4mgFiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 10g (11%)Vitamin A: 249IU (5%)Vitamin C: 1mg (1%)Calcium: 3mgIron: 1mg (6%)

Serving sizes and nutritional information are only an estimate and may vary from your results.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Beth

    Brandy Butter Recipe (10)
    This is great with plum pudding. Nice and fluffy. It's soft and creamy, making it the perfect addition to figgy pudding as well. The orange zest adds a nice touch.

    Reply

    • Emma

      Thanks!

      Reply

      • Georgia

        This was an amazing Perfect
        The zest did add a little something to it
        Thank you. I will make it again
        Georgia

        Reply

        • Emma

          Glad that you enjoyed it, Georgia, and I'm happy to hear that you want to make it again! 🙂

          Reply

Leave a Reply

Brandy Butter Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is brandy butter made of? ›

Method. Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together until pale, then whisk in the brandy, one tbsp at a time, until you are pleased with the taste. Scrape into a serving bowl and chill for 1 hr or for up to 3 days, before serving.

How long does brandy butter last in the fridge? ›

In the Refrigerator- Brandy butter will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for two to three weeks. In the Freezer- You can also freeze this butter for up to three months for later use. Just make sure it's in a well-sealed container.

What do you do with brandy butter? ›

A traditional accompaniment to Christmas pudding and mince pies, brandy butter is made with unsalted butter, sugar and brandy. It can be bought ready-made in pots and jars or made at home. Try this easy recipe for traditional brandy butter; perfect for slathering over mince pies or Christmas pudding.

Is there alcohol in brandy butter? ›

Ingredients. INGREDIENTS: Butter (Milk) (51%), Icing Sugar, French Brandy (6%).

What is another name for brandy butter? ›

The name of hard sauce (aliases: brandy butter, rum butter, Senior Wrangler sauce) is a bit misleading, as the dish has more in common with a melt-in-your-mouth butter mint than a drizzly glaze.

What is the shelf life of brandy butter? ›

Nutritional Information per 100g
Alcohol Content8%
Shelf Life24 Months from production
Shelf Life Once Opened1 month (Refrigerate after opening and use within one month)
Storage Temp - UnopenedAmbient (1°C-30°C)
Storage Temp - Opened1 - 5°C
7 more rows

Is brandy cream the same as brandy butter? ›

Brandy butter uses caster sugar, giving the whipped unguent a pleasing graininess that dissolves on the tongue, part of the charm and a foil to the sticky pudding. There's an argument that brandy cream does a slightly better job though, as cream is much higher in milk sugar - lactose - than butter.

What can you eat brandy butter with? ›

' Here are our favourite three ways to enjoy our boozy butter.
  • Mince Pies. Mince pies taste absolutely gorgeous heated up in the oven with a big dollop of brandy butter on top. ...
  • Christmas pudding. ...
  • Crumpets. ...
  • Get on our nice list by reducing naughty waste. ...
  • Join our milkround.

Why has my brandy butter split? ›

If you are over generous with the brandy it will curdle so just beat in more sieved icing sugar and it will come smooth again.

When to use brandy butter? ›

Brandy Butter is a traditional British sweet brandy flavoured butter to serve with desserts. It's simple to make and delicious with mince pies, Christmas pudding or mincemeat scones.

How many units of alcohol are in brandy butter? ›

The drink-drive limit is 80 milligrams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood - which as a rough guide means men should have no more than four units of alcohol and women no more than three before driving. 0.7 per serving), brandy butter (0.3 units) and Irish coffee (1.4 units).

Can you buy brandy butter? ›

Tesco Finest Brandy Butter 200G.

What is the difference between cognac and brandy? ›

Examples of brandy include pisco, armagnac or Obstler (a brandy produced in Austria and Switzerland). Cognac, however, is always made with grapes and has a very specific distillation and blending process located in a small, protected area in the southwest of France. considered as brandy, but not all brandy is cognac.”

Do you have to be 18 to buy brandy butter? ›

Are you over 18? This is an age restricted product.

Can you freeze shop bought brandy butter? ›

Make sure that the butter is tightly covered. The butter can also be frozen for up to 3 months and if frozen should be thawed overnight in the fridge and consumed within a week.

What kind of alcohol is brandy? ›

Brandy is a spirit made from distilled wine or other fermented fruit juices. Although most Brandy is made from distilled wine, other styles from all over the world use fruits such as pears, cherries, apples, etc.

What is the difference between brandy butter and brandy cream? ›

Brandy butter uses caster sugar, giving the whipped unguent a pleasing graininess that dissolves on the tongue, part of the charm and a foil to the sticky pudding. There's an argument that brandy cream does a slightly better job though, as cream is much higher in milk sugar - lactose - than butter.

Why is brandy butter called hard sauce? ›

In England, brandy butter that's made with rum is specific to the Cumbria region of northern England where it is known as Cumberland Rum Butter. To call it hard “sauce” is something of a misnomer as the consistency is fairly firm and spreadable.

What is brandy cream made of? ›

Ingredients. INGREDIENTS: Whipping Cream (Milk) (83%), Sugar, French Brandy (6%), Milk Proteins, Stabiliser (Pectin).

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