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.
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How to make Brandy Sauce
Here is the brandy sauce recipe card to get started or read on for more advice. there is also 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?
📖 Step by Step Recipe
Brandy Sauce
Ingredients
- 50 g Unsalted Butter
- 50 g Plain Flour
- 50 g Caster Sugar
- 400 ml Milk
- 3 tablespoon Brandy
- ¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Begin by melting 50 g Unsalted Butter in a saucepan over medium heat
- Next, add 50 g Plain Flour to the melted butter.
- Mixing it well to form a roux.
- Slowly pour in some of the 400 ml Milk.
- Whisk in for a minute until it thickens.
- Continue to add the milk a bit at a time and whisk for a minute and allow it to thicken between additions until all the milk is added.
- Add 50 g Caster Sugar and continue whisking until it's fully dissolved.
- Whisk in brandy start with 3 tablespoon Brandy, and try the sauce Add extra if you prefer a stronger taste.
- Optional* Add ¼ teaspoon Vanilla Extract essence for extra flavour.
- Keep your sauce over the heat and whisk until it thickens and sticks to the whisk. If too thick add extra dashes of milk until right.
- Pour into a serving jug.
- Serve your brandy sauce warm.
- Can be reheated on the hob or in microwave
Video
Nutrition
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
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.
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
Yes you can use gluten free flour to make this suitable for people with a gluten free diet.
Yes, you can make brandy sauce alcohol free for children. To do this, I suggest making the white sauce as normal, then seperate it into two batches. For one batch, you can add Brandy to the sauce. For the other batch, skip the brandy and just add vanilla extract instead for children to enjoy.
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.
Jamie says
So nice! Very easy to make and it taste soooo good! It’s just perfect!
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for trying out our Easy Brandy Sauce, Jamie! We are delighted to hear that you found it straightforward to make and were pleased with the results. It's wonderful to know that it tasted perfect in your opinion and we are so happy that you enjoyed it! 🙂
DK Park says
This is one of the best Brandy sauce recipe that i've made and it is the perfect accompaniment to all of our festive favorites!
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for taking the time to write a review! We are delighted to hear that you enjoyed our Easy Brandy Sauce – it’s always a favourite around the holidays.:)
Savita says
This Easy Brandy Sauce is a game-changer for any dessert! With a simple preparation, it transforms ordinary treats into luxurious delights.
Luke and Kay says
Thank you for your review, Savita! We are delighted that you have found our Easy Brandy Sauce to be such a game-changer. Our goal is always to bring comfort and luxury into the kitchen, so we are thrilled that you have been able to enjoy it on any dessert. 🙂