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

How long does brandy butter last once opened? ›

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

Why has my brandy butter curdled? ›

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. Serve with the Christmas pudding or even as a cheeky addition to a mince pie.

What is brandy butter made of? ›

Cream together 150g of icing sugar and 150g of room temperature butter. Add 2 tbsp of brandy, to taste, and serve.

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

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.

How many units of alcohol are in brandy butter? ›

A small glass of wine counts as one unit, as does a half pint of ordinary strength lager, while a bottle of alcopop counts as 1.5 units. 0.7 per serving), brandy butter (0.3 units) and Irish coffee (1.4 units).

Can homemade brandy go bad? ›

Most primary (also called "base") liquors like whiskey, brandy, rum, gin, tequila, and vodka, have an almost infinite shelf life if left unopened. That's because they don't have much sugar and, unopened, aren't at risk of any oxidation.

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 else does brandy butter go 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 is my butter bubbling instead of browning? ›

Butter contains a good 13 to 17% water, which has to go before the fat's temperature can rise enough to brown the milk proteins. Once the butter reaches a temperature of 212°F, the water in the butter starts to evaporate much more quickly. As a result the butter will start to bubble and splatter dramatically.

What is Amish butter called? ›

Also known as roll butter for its log-shaped packaging, Amish butter is a slow-churned butter that is typically richer and creamier than regular stick butter. This flavorful butter has been produced for generations by family-owned and operated farms, but we're just beginning to see it pop up in local grocery stores.

Does Aldi sell brandy butter? ›

Specially Selected Brandy Butter 200g | ALDI.

What makes brandy taste better? ›

If you have a good-quality brandy on hand, you might like to keep it simple and add a small splash of lemon or lime juice, and a splash of soda – to make the brandy the star of the show. Citrus is a great pairing for brandy – simply adjust to your taste preferences.

What are the 4 types of brandy? ›

Seven types of Brandy
  • Cognac. The most famous brandy in the world. ...
  • Armagnac. France's other great brandy. ...
  • Calvados. Calvados is made from apples and pears, not grapes, grown in the Calvados region in Normandy in the north east corner of France.
  • Brandy de Jerez. ...
  • Metaxa. ...
  • Pisco. ...
  • Grappa.

Can I use whiskey instead of brandy in a sauce? ›

Most times the alcohol is helpful but not critical. If you are skipping the brandy because you don't have any - try a rum or whisky instead. They have a slightly different flavour profile, but not hugely different.

How long is brandy good for after opening? ›

Open brandy won't go bad but it will lose its potency and flavor complexity within 6 months to 2 years of the seal being broken. Because brandy aficionados look to experience the full spectrum of the liquor's aroma and flavor, you'll want to serve newly opened brandy bottles when performing a brandy tasting.

How long does opened butter last in fridge? ›

How long does butter last in the refrigerator? Of course, if it's the height of summer or your kitchen is particularly warm, that butter is best moved to the refrigerator. In the fridge, it will last about a month past the package date if unopened and about two weeks past the package date once opened.

How long does canned butter last once opened? ›

After opening you must put into another container with a tight sealing lid and store in the fridge. Use with in 5 to 10 days after opening and no problem. Very good to have on hand for an emergency situation where you can't get to the store."

What is the shelf life of brandy sauce? ›

Product Brandy Sauce

Shelf life once opened: Once opened, keep refrigerated and consume within 7 days.

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