Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)

Home » Homemade Ingredients » Traditional Irish Brandy Butter

Homemade Ingredients

4.59 from 17 votes

  • Jump To Recipe
  • Loading…Save Recipe

You can't havemince piesorChristmas puddingwithout a healthy dollop of my Traditional Irish Brandy Butter recipe!

By Gemma Stafford | | 12

Last updated on December 25, 2023

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (1)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure for details.

Hi Bold Bakers!

Create a Profile!

Already have an account?

It isn’t Christmas without homemade brandy butter! In Ireland, you can’t havemince piesorChristmas puddingwithout a healthy dollop of Traditional Irish Brandy Butter — and I hope it will become a holiday staple in your home too!

It’s made of just three ingredients (one being brandy, of course), and while it is a simple side, it really adds so much to a great dessert.

Use it as you would a side of whipped cream. It is the perfect light addition to a decadent dessert! (And the extra hit of booze doesn’t hurt either!)

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (2)

What is Brandy Butter?

Brandy butter is a traditional side to holiday desserts like Christmas pudding and mince pies, and can be bought from the store in Europe or homemade!

It is usually sold cold with hotter desserts and serves as an alternative to cream, custard, or ice cream.

It is made of only three ingredients: butter, powdered sugar, and brandy, and its texture feels like whipped butter.

What You Need To Make Brandy Butter

How To Make Brandy Butter

With just a few ingredients and limited equipment, you can whip up this topping in no time! Here’s how you make it (and don’t forget to get the full recipe with measurements, on the page down below):

  1. Beat the butter in a large baking bowl with an electric hand whisk until it is light and creamy.
  2. Add in the sugar and beat again until it’s incorporated.
  3. Add in the brandy to taste and stir. If you add too much brandy, or if the mixture curdles, add more powdered sugar until the mixture binds back together.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Brandy Butter

  • I love to use salted butter. It gives it a lot of extra flavor!
  • You’ll want to be sure that your butter has been out at room temperature for a few hours, so it is soft and perfect for whipping.
  • No electric mixer? No worries! You can whip this recipe up easily by hand!
  • You can make this weeks in advance, so you have it ready to go in the fridge for Christmas.

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (3)

How Do I Store Brandy Butter?

Making this sweet topping in advance for the holidays and parties is a fantastic idea because it keeps so well in the fridge! You can cover and store it in the refrigerator for up to 8 weeks.

Make More Holiday Recipes!

  • Simplified Mincemeat Christmas Pudding
  • Aunty Rosaleen’s Irish Christmas Cake
  • How to Make Traditional Mincemeat

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!

Full (and printable) recipe below!

Try These Recipes!

Irish Whiskey Caramel Sauce Recipe
Homemade Dumpling Wrappers
O’Driscolls Irish Cream Recipe (Coffee Creamer for Irish Coffee)
Sweet and Boozy Peach Whiskey Jam Recipe

Old Fashioned Brandy Butter Recipe

You can't havemince piesorChristmas puddingwithout a healthy dollop of my Old-Fashioned Brandy Butter recipe!

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings: 1 cup

  • Dessert
  • Less than 30 Minutes
  • Electric Mixer

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

You can't havemince piesorChristmas puddingwithout a healthy dollop of my Old-Fashioned Brandy Butter recipe!

Author: Gemma Stafford

Servings: 1 cup

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (4oz/115g) butter softened
  • 2 cups (8oz/225g) powdered sugar sifted
  • 4-5 tablespoons brandy

Instructions

  • Place the butter in a large baking bowl. Beat with an electric hand whisk until light and creamy.

  • Add the sugar and beat again until it's all incorporated.

  • Add the brandy to taste and stir well. If you add too much brandy. (If the mixture curdles. If it does, add more powdered sugar until the mixture binds back together).

  • Spoon the butter into a serving dish or jar, cover, and store in the fridge for up to 8 weeks. Serve with my mince pies.

Subscribe

12 Comments

most useful

newestoldest

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (10)

Christine

3 years ago

What kind off brandy?

3

Reply

View Replies (1)

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (11)

Season

2 years ago

We don’t use alcohol. Could you make this with an extract for flavor instead? If so, any idea what that measurement would be? That many tbsp of vanilla or almond would be over powering, I would think. Thank you!

1

Reply

View Replies (1)

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (12)

Audrey Isabella

2 years ago

I make it with a smoky, peaty whisky 😋

1

Reply

View Replies (1)

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (13)

Mike

2 years ago

I’m going to also try this with cognac.

1

Reply

View Replies (1)

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (14)

Wendy

3 years ago

What kinda Brandy? Brandy comes in so many different kinds. Which one do you like? Also on stand mixer would you use paddle attachment or whisk attachment!
This question is for brandy butter

1

Reply

View Replies (1)

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (15)

Brendan D

4 months ago

Not quite sure what is Irish about this recipe. Brandy butter as well as mince pies and Christmas pudding are all British?!?

Reply

View Replies (1)

About Us

Meet Gemma

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (16)

About Us

Meet Gemma

Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.

Read More

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (17)

Traditional Irish Brandy Butter - Gemma’s Bigger Bolder Baking (2024)
Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Reed Wilderman

Last Updated:

Views: 5252

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 83% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Reed Wilderman

Birthday: 1992-06-14

Address: 998 Estell Village, Lake Oscarberg, SD 48713-6877

Phone: +21813267449721

Job: Technology Engineer

Hobby: Swimming, Do it yourself, Beekeeping, Lapidary, Cosplaying, Hiking, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Reed Wilderman, I am a faithful, bright, lucky, adventurous, lively, rich, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.