Brandy butter is a traditional accompaniment to Christmas pudding in the UK, and it’s so delicious and simple to make, you probably won’t believe it!

You may have heard it called brandy butter, or hard sauce: either one is acceptable, and they both refer to the same creation.

As a Scottish Grocer affiliate and Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. I was sent some butter from Lewis Road Creamery, but was not compensated for this post. All opinions are my own.

But have you tasted brandy butter?

What is Brandy Butter?

Just think of buttercream frosting made with BRANDY! Oh yeah, that’s essentially what brandy butter aka hard sauce is!

If you’re going to make this, there’s something that I am going to say, and if you have followed me for any amount of time, you already know what it’s going to be: use the best quality ingredients you can find/afford. Incidentally, in case you’re wondering why I’m using cognac, you can understand the difference between cognac and brandy here.

For example, the brandy you use will make a difference in the flavor, and of course the butter will, as well. In fact, I wouldn’t recommend making this if you can’t find good quality butter because you’ll be eating it straight (as in, it’s not cooked or baked.) My favorite butter is now Lewis Road Creamery butter from New Zealand. I did a side by side taste-test with Kerrygold, and I liked it better! My Irish priest friend wasn’t too pleased about this, when I told him! 🤣

What is Brandy Butter Used For?

Brandy butter is traditionally served with Christmas pudding and mince pies. When served heated, the cold butter melts onto the warm desserts, making a delicious combination of flavors and textures.

I recommend making your own homemade Christmas pudding, but you can always buy a Christmas pudding Of course, you can also buy brandy butter, but it’s actually always pretty pricy and won’t taste as good as homemade.

Can I Make Brandy Butter without Alcohol/Brandy?

You could make brandy butter (or hard sauce) with brandy flavoring, HOWEVER, I do not recommend it. The flavor will be completely off, so your best bet is to use something else like fresh cream.

Of course, you’re probably more familiar with brandy sauce. It’s the quintessential topping on a Christmas pudding, which is generally seen more often than hard sauce.

If you’re willing to try brandy butter, you’ll see just how easy it is to make using this recipe. I prefer mine with more brandy, but feel free to add more or less. Less brandy will result in a smoother sauce, however, if you happen add too much brandy, there’s an easy fix, so don’t worry, it’s foolproof!

Brandy Sauce (Foolproof Recipe)

adapted from Mrs Beeton’s cookbook serves 4

FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW

Ingredients

good quality butter, at room temperature
confectioner’s/powdered sugar
good quality brandy/cognac

Special equipment: a hand mixer (can also be done with a wooden spoon) and a serving bowl

Directions

Cream the butter in a bowl until soft. (I love my Mason Cash bowls, they’re the same ones Mrs Patmore and Daisy use in Downton Abbey.)

Begin adding in the confectioner’s sugar a little at a time, continuing to beat with the mixer.

When all of the sugar has been added and the mixture is light and pale, add in the brandy (one tablespoonful at a time, if using 2.) Mix until it is incorporated.

Use a spatula to put it into a serving bowl, cover, and chill before using,

IF THE BRANDY BUTTER SPLITS/CURDLES you have two choices to fix it:

Add more confectioner’s sugar until it’s smooth.
Take a heaping spoonful of the mixture and melt it (microwave is easiest), then add it back into the bowl and mix in, and it will be smooth again.

Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter!