The Ultimate Brandy Sauce Recipe: Easy Steps to a Great Tasting Sauce! (2024)

We're spotlighting a festive favourite - Our Easy Brandy Sauce Recipe. This sauce recipe is like liquid gold during Christmas, adding that extra 'oomph' to just about any dessert.

Its luxurious creamy texture and rich flavour profile make it the perfect companion for your Christmas pudding or any sweet treat that could use a little extra flair. And the best part? It's surprisingly easy to make brandy sauce in your kitchen!

Finish your christmas dinner in style, serve Christmas pudding with brandy sauce.

How to make Brandy Sauce

Here is a short step-by-step video to show you how to make Brandy Sauce.

So, let's roll up our sleeves and get saucy, shall we?

Jump to Recipe Card to get started or read on for more advice.

What is Brandy Sauce?

Wondering what the white sauce poured over the top of Christmas Pudding is? That is Brandy Sauce.

A creamy, rich sauce that is often drizzled over desserts to enhance their flavour. It's particularly popular during Christmas as an accompaniment to steamed Christmas pudding (aka plum pudding or figgy pudding.)

Despite their similar names and uses, Brandy Sauce and Brandy Butter differ.

Also often seen on Christmas Day is Brandy Butter seen in image above, it is a type of hard sauce made from butter, sugar, and brandy, while Brandy Sauce is a creamy sauce made with flour, butter, milk, sugar, and brandy.

Ingredients

Let's take a look at the food ingredients you'll need for this recipe.

Here is more on what each ingredient brings to this delicious sauce recipe.

Unsalted Butter

This forms the base of the roux, providing richness and depth. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it, but be mindful of the overall saltiness of your sauce.

Plain Flour

Flour is added to the melted butter to make a roux which thickens the sauce. If necessary, you could substitute with cornflour, you won't need as much, and it will alter the texture.

Caster Sugar

This adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the flavours. If you don't have caster sugar, granulated sugar will work just fine, it may take longer to dissolve.

Milk

We use whole milk to add creaminess to the rich brandy sauce. Any kind of dairy or dairy free milk will work in this recipe.

Or you could make a brandy cream sauce using single cream or double as a direct replacement to milk.

Brandy

Brandy is what gives the this rich brandy sauce its distinctive flavor. Feel free to adjust the amount to taste.

Or if brandy is not your thing you can add other spirts instead. Rum sauce can be made instead just substitute the Brandy with Rum! (I suggest a spiced rum for Christmas!)

Vanilla Extract

This is optional but adds an extra layer of flavor to the sauce. You can also use a vanilla pod if you prefer.

A sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg can be nice too!

Equipment

Let's gather our tools and get started!

You'll need a whisk to blend your ingredients smoothly, a medium-sized saucepan for cooking up that luscious sauce.

A measuring jug to keep those ingredient quantities on point, and last but not least, a serving jug to pour your warm homemade brandy sauce over your mouthwatering desserts. It's as simple as that!

Instructions

Alright, let's get down to the fun part - making our Traditional Brandy Sauce!

Get the butter melting in a saucepan over a medium heat.

Once it's all melted, sprinkle in your flour and give it a good mix.

You're looking to form what we call a 'roux'.

Next up, start adding your milk. Pour it in slowly, while giving it a good whisk until it's smooth.

Keep adding milk bit by bit, giving it a minutes each time to heat up and thicken whilst stirring. Patience is key here! Do not allow it to boil.

Now, it's time for the sugar. Sprinkle it in to the saucepan while you continue to whisk, making sure it's fully dissolved.

Add the brandy to the mixture, adjust the amount to your liking.

Want to amp up the flavor? Why not stir in a dash of vanilla essence?

Keep the sauce on the heat and continue whisking until it thickens up and sticks to your whisk.

Finally, pour your piping hot masterpiece into a serving jug and serve it warm.

You've just made your very own Easy Brandy Sauce.

Serving Suggestions

This Brandy Sauce pairs wonderfully with our British Bread Pudding, Puff Pastry Mince Pies, and of course Christmas pudding, our Traditional Steamed Christmas Pudding. The possibilities are endless, so feel free to get creative as serve with other desserts!

We have poured it over our Christmas Pudding, this one in the picture is our Slow Cooker Xmas Pudding recipe. It pours and sets perfectly over the top of the pudding.

You can also pour it directly over a slice of christmas pudding instead of custard or double cream. It adds a deicious creaminess to the rich dried fruit dessert.

📖 Step by Step Recipe

Brandy Sauce Storage

You have had enough Christmas Pudding and wondering what to do with left over brandy sauce? Store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the fridge.

Can I freeze Brandy Sauce?

I won't recommend freezing this recipe purely because I have not tried it yet! There is some advice on white sauce freezing here but not sure how the added Brandy will affect the freezing. Please let us know if you have tried to freeze it with success.

Reheat

Once cold, the sauce will turn thick and gloopy, but don't worry! To return it back to a liquid state, simply reheat it in a pan or microwave.

FAQs

More Sauce Recipes

If you enjoyed this recipe, we have plenty of other sweet sauce recipes you may like to try. Explore our collection and discover your next favourite dessert companion.