Sweet Irish Soda Bread is a fun twist on classic St. Patrick’s day recipe! This easy Irish soda bread is more sweet and moist than traditional fare and is lovely served warm with butter.
Make this sweet Irish soda bread without raisins and be treated to a wonderful slightly dense and deliciously sweet bread. This sweet soda bread is a quick bread recipe, it will take no time at all before you are enjoying this amazing dish.
The BEST Sweet Irish Soda Bread Recipe
Usually, Irish soda bread is a more rustic round loaf of bread but we are changing things up just a tad. We like to make this Irish sweet bread recipe a little lighter and shaped like a loaf so it’s easier to cut and share. With this practically foolproof recipe, you are going to have a wonderful loaf of bread in no time. Serve up this delicious bread with a side of soup, stew, or corned beef and cabbage and you will have yourself an Irish-inspired meal that is sure to hit the spot. You can even add in a few drops of green food coloring to make the loaf more festive for the holiday if you want to.
Ingredients:
-Flour: You will need 3 cups of all-purpose flour for the base of this bread recipe.
-Sugar: Adding in ½ cup of granulated sugar is what makes it bread so tasty and sweet. If you want a slightly less sweet bread, you can cut this amount in half, it will still taste amazing.
-Leavening agents: You will need 1 tablespoon of baking powder and 1 teaspoon of baking soda to help this bread rise properly.
-Egg: Use 1 slightly beaten egg to help bind the dough together well and provide a lovely soft texture.
-Buttermilk: Using 2 cups of buttermilk will make the dough the perfect consistency while adding a nice richness in taste.
-Butter: You will need ¼ cup (half a stick) of melted salted butter to help give the bread needed fats to stay moist.
How to Make Sweet Irish Soda Bread
Prep
Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees F.
Then, grease the inside of a 9×5 bread loaf pan and set it aside.
Make bread dough
Next, in a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk until fully combined.
After that, combine the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the flour mixture. Stir until well mixed.
Then, add in the melted butter and stir until the mixt just combines.
Bake
Proceed to pour the bread batter into the prepared bread pan.
Bake in the oven for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and come out clean.
Serve
For maximized deliciousness, top with some butter, honey, jam, or jelly if desired.
Slice, serve and enjoy!
SWEET IRISH SODA BREAD
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 egg slightly beaten
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ¼ cup salted butter, melted ½ stick
Instructions
Prep
- Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan. Set aside.
Make bread dough
- Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl.
- In a separate small bowl, whisk together egg and buttermilk until well combined.
- Combine the wet ingredients into the large bowl with the flour mixture. Stir until well mixed.
- Then, add in the melted butter and stir until the mixt just combines.
Bake
- Pour batter into the bread pan.
- Bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Serve
- Top with butter, honey, jam, or jelly, if desired. Slice, serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
How long is Irish soda bread good for?
If stored properly it will keep for 3-5 days. Wrap in plastic wrap or store it in an airtight container or freezer bag. It can be stored at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for one week. If you want to store it for longer, keep it in the freezer and allow it to thaw at room temperature before serving.
What If I don’t have buttermilk?
If you don’t have buttermilk you can just as easily make your own. Simply substitute with milk and lemon juice. Using 1 cup of regular milk, plus 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, is the same as 1 cup of buttermilk. Voila, easy solution to that problem.
Why is my bread dense?
If you find that your bread loaf is a bit dense or tough in texture then it could very well be because you overmixed the dough. Only mix as much as you have to to get the ingredients fully incorporated and no more than that.
BEST BREAD PAN?
I bake a lot of bread and the pans I prefer are either ceramic, glass or cast iron. These pans will bake bread more evenly and release the bread more easily after baking. I don’t like using dark or nonstick pans because the bread cooks unevenly. It darkens on the outside before the bread is cooked on the inside, so the coloring is uneven. Read more about which bread pan is the best here!
Check out these other Irish inspired recipes! They are PERFECT For St Patrick’s Day!
- CHOCOLATE PISTACHIO PINWHEEL COOKIES for ST. PATRICK’S DAY
- SAUSAGE POTATO BOATS
- MINT MUDDY BUDDIES
- EASY PISTACHIO SALAD RECIPE
- FUN & FESTIVE ST. PATRICK’S DAY DESSERTS
- ST. PATRICKS DAY HOT CHOCOLATE BOMBS
- MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP CREAM PIE
- ST. PATRICKS DAY SUGAR COOKIES
- RAINBOW FROSTED GRAHAM CRACKERS
- THE BEST MINT BROWNIES
- PISTACHIO PUDDING COOKIES
- EASY PISTACHIO CREAM PIE
This sweet Irish soda bread recipe yields a deliciously sweet and very moist loaf of bread that is perfect for St Patrick’s day. While this recipe isn’t quite traditional, it is a delicious one!
Doris says
What happens if u don’t have sealed butter
Nicole says
You dont need to use salted butter if you don’t have it on hand. Just add in 1/4 teaspoon of salt if you use unsalted butter
MaryBeth says
This makes a nice, light loaf. Next time, I will add a pinch of salt as the was just a tad flat. But with a good smear of butter, it was lovely. A little like sweet cornbread.
Jessica says
Glad you liked it MaryBeth!