Brandy Butter
Brandy Butter is a traditional sweet hard sauce flavoured with brandy. It is usually served melting over warm Christmas Pudding and Mince Pies. It’s really easy to make and adds something really special to your holiday bakes and desserts.
What is Brandy Butter?
Brandy Butter is a very simple combination of creamed butter, sugar and brandy. It’s a sauce that usually only appears for Christmas dinner, which is a shame because it’s delicious and very easy to make.
Why should I make Brandy Butter?
If you haven’t tried Brandy Butter before then it can seem like an unusual type of sauce. It doesn’t pour but it does melt and ooze deliciously when you put it on any warm dessert or bake. I really recommend that you try it because the finished sauce is so much more than the sum of its parts.
Some people like to serve it because it’s part of their holiday tradition and it is available to buy in the UK. However, this really is a recipe that’s worth making at home yourself. It’s so simple to make and so much better than anything you can buy.
Give as a gift
Brandy Butter makes a lovely homemade gift. Spoon the finished butter into a small clean jar and seal with a lid. You will need to store it in your fridge and make sure that the gift recipient knows to store it in the fridge too. Add a nice label and maybe even cover the lid with a paper cap of festive wrapping paper to make it look even better.
Is Brandy Butter the same as Brandy Sauce?
It can be quite confusing because you can serve Christmas Pudding with both Brandy Butter and/or Brandy Sauce. Brandy sauce is a pouring sauce, a bit like custard (creme anglaise). It’s made as a bechamel sauce with added sugar and brandy. The two sauces are quite different although both are delicious.
What ingredients do I need to make Brandy Butter?
You only need four ingredients and they are all everyday things you can find in your fridge or larder. Here is what you need:
- butter
- icing sugar
- brandy
- vanilla paste
A full list of the ingredients and the required quantities is found in the recipe card at the end of this article.
What kind of butter should I use?
Use good quality unsalted butter if you can. I do sometimes make Brandy Butter with salted butter and I quite like the little tang the salt gives this sweet sauce. It’s a matter of personal taste.
Can I use a non-dairy spread?
I really don’t recommend using anything other than dairy butter. Butter is the main ingredient in the sauce so its flavour and texture are key to the recipe.
I don’t have any icing sugar, what can I substitute?
For this recipe, I use icing (confectioners or powdered) sugar. I like it because the powder becomes totally absorbed and creates a smooth butter sauce. Some recipes use caster sugar and TV cook Delia Smith even has a recipe that uses brown sugar.
If you don’t have icing sugar then you can make your own with granulated sugar. Put a quantity of granulated sugar in a blender or food processor and process until the sugar becomes a powder.
Can I use vanilla extract instead of vanilla paste?
I use vanilla paste because I like to see the vanilla seeds in the butter. But if you only have vanilla extract then it will provide the same flavour. Make sure that you use good quality vanilla extract and not vanilla essence which doesn’t taste the same.
What is Brandy?
Brandy is an alcoholic drink that is made by distilling wine made from grapes. The spirit is then aged in wooden barrels to give colour and for the spirit to mellow. You can also get fruit brandy which is made from a fermented fruit mash and the spirit is usually known by the fruit it is made from, for example, Apple Brandy or Plum Brandy.
Which other spirits can I use instead of Brandy?
You can add many other spirits and liqueurs to sweetened butter. The most popular alternative butter to serve at Christmas is Rum Butter made with dark rum. The flavour of the rum goes well with the dried fruits in mince pies and Christmas Pudding.
What equipment do I need to make Brandy Butter?
You don’t need any special equipment, you should have everything that you need in your kitchen cupboards.
- electric mixer or wooden spoon
- weighing scales or cup measures
- medium bowl
- measuring spoons
- spatula
- small jar or pot
Can I make a larger quantity?
Make as much as you need to serve your family and guests, but remember that it is very rich so a little goes a long way.
Can I make Brandy Butter ahead of time?
This recipe is ideal to make ahead of time. If you use butter with a long use by date then you can store the brandy butter in your refrigerator in a container with a lid for up to a month.
Will it freeze?
Yes, you can freeze Brandy Butter. Instead of putting it into pots, wrap the butter in parchment paper or foil and roll it into a tube shape, twist the ends and then freeze. Store the frozen butter in a freezer bag or lidded container. It’s easy to cut off slices from this shape so you can use as little or as much as you need.
Vegetarian
This recipe is suitable for vegetarians.
Gluten Free
There are no ingredients in brandy butter that contain gluten. Check any pre packaged ingredients, such as the vanilla paste, to ensure they are suitable for your diet.
For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.
How should I serve Brandy Butter?
- It’s traditional to serve Brandy Butter with Christmas Pudding. The chilled butter melts deliciously down and around the warm rich fruit pudding.
- I also love Brandy Butter with mince pies, just pop a spoonful under the lid of a warmed mince pie for a very special treat.
- For something a little different serve this luscious spread with warm fruit scones or mincemeat scones.
- Try it melting over pancakes with a side of Dried Fruit Compote with Clementines.
Recipes to serve with Brandy Butter
Brandy Butter Recipe
Equipment
- electric mixer or wooden spoon
- weighing scales or cup measures
- medium bowl
- Measuring spoons
- spatula
- small jar or pot
Ingredients
- 125 grams (½ cups) soft butter 1 stick
- 60 grams (⅓ cups) icing sugar
- 1 tbsp brandy or more to taste
- ¼ tsp vanilla paste
Instructions
- Weigh the 125 g (½ cup) softened butter and 60g (⅓ cup) icing sugar into a bowl.
- Beat the butter and sugar with an electric whisk for about 7 minutes until pale and light. If you are using a wooden spoon you may need to beat the butter for longer.
- When you have a smooth mixture, add ¼ tsp vanilla paste.
- Gradually add 1 tbsp brandy, beating until it has all been incorporated.
- Taste the brandy butter and if necessary add more brandy one teaspoon at a time until it tastes as you wish.
- Fill a small container (I used a ramekin) with the brandy butter and chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Serve chilled Brandy Butter with warm Christmas Pudding, Mince Pies and Mincemeat Scones.
Definitely going to try this shortly, i love brandy butter spread on gingerbread!
Oh that does sound delicious.
I didn’t realise how easy it is to make brandy butter, I’ll be keeping this recipe to make this for Christmas dinner as I love it with Christmas pudding.
Thanks, Lesley. I’m sure you will enjoy it.
Well this was a bit special! I’m getting prepared for the festive season early this year and I couldn’t resist trying it before I froze it. I’ll be slathering it on everything!
It is very difficult to resist!
Knowing about this recipe is so dangerous I want to eat it all when I make it.
I totally agree! It’s just too good to resist.