The BEST Irish Soda Bread
I have been making this recipe almost three-quarters of my life. My Irish Soda Bread is a recipe that I am known for and make all-year-round. Wait until you taste how much better this is that what you are most likley accustomed to. THIS is the BEST Irish Soda Bread recipe!
I have been making (and eating) Irish Soda Bread for as long as I can recall. I remember it being available from time to time in my house growing up. I remember my Grammy, mom and aunts making it often.
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My Irish Soda Bread Recipe has so many accolades. My readers just love it! It's gone viral over the years on TikTok. It has been featured in a number of publications as well, including TODAY. And, Joe Yonan, the Food Editor of The Washington Post, once told me that it was "amazing" and "the prettiest Irish Soda Bread he had ever seen" as he enjoyed a big slice.
If that doesn't make a girl feel great, well then I don't know what does!
However, its all the comments here and on other social media from everyday people over the last 16 years saying THIS soda bread recipe is their go to, their favorite, reminds them of their Irish granny's, is a family tradition now, etc. Those testimonies make me feel amazing.
It seems like everyone has some version of Irish Soda Bread floating from either a relative or friend. I am ½ Irish, so at family gatherings, I ate the obligatory slice. To my developing palate, the bread was dry and not that flavorful. So, I would pile on the butter - after all butter like bacon, makes everything better lol!
It wasn't until my 2nd cousin, Rosanne, came for a visit to my Grammy's (after she had married and moved to Boston) that I tasted something different in a soda bread.
But THAT bread was one to remember! It was almost cake-like. Sweet and light and all I knew was that "I" wanted more...I needed more!! So, after I polished off about 4 slices I knew it would stay in my life. I tinkered and tinkered until I replicated it and have been making it ever since. This Sweet Irish Soda Bread is moist and cake-like, its wonderful!
Years ago I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon in New York City with the incredible Darina Allen (a visionary top chef and cookbook author from Ireland and owner of the world-renowned Ballymaloe Cookery School). As she made her Irish Brown Bread next to me, she said "in the US (as compared to Ireland) our milk/buttermilk does not have enough fat in it to replicate Irish baking correctly. She said to "always add cream to any type of soda bread". As well as brown bread, scones etc. I made that adjustment to my Sweet Irish Soda Bread recipe after that and never looked back!
I tried it, loved it and updated my recipe. Another thing Darina said was to "always let the faeries out" by making a cross or an "x" over top your dough before it heads into the oven. Just so happens, I have always done that, however hearing someone else say it, especially someone from Ireland, makes my Irish heart sing!
After all, when I spent a summer in Ireland as a teen, they did put little dishes of milk on the step at night "for the fae".
Ingredients needed
- Flour (AP)
- Sugar
- Baking soda, baking powder & salt
- Butter
- Buttermilk & heavy cream
- An egg
- Raisins
How to make the BEST Irish Soda Bread
- The beauty of this recipe is that all ingredients are tossed into a bowl and combined. That's it! It's easy and forgiving.
- Live a cast iron pan or other oven safe pan with parchment paper, plop your dough into it, sprinkle the decorators sugar or sugar in the raw overtop and then mark a cross to let the faeries out.
- Pop it in a 350 degree preheated oven on the middle rack and bake for 60-90 minutes (depends on circumference of your pan).
- It makes a BIG loaf. (See photo above, that is a loaf cut in half).
- You can choose to bake it in two smaller loaves.
Can you see in the above photo, how much more moist the actual bread looks than what you might typically come across?? And the sugar on the top? Oh yeah, THAT right there is my Sweet Irish Soda Bread!
This sweet Irish Soda Bread recipe is so close to how my relatives over in Donegal have made it for decades. This Irish soda bread recipe uses raisins, which I recommend for both flavor and texture.
I love the history of this Irish Soda Bread bread in my family. Knowing that my siblings, children, friends and even family over in Donegal make it. I make mine in my cast iron skilled brought over by my great grandmother that's well over 100 years old.
Let me tell you, there is almost nothing on this earth as good as a slice of this Irish Soda Bread warm from the oven, almost too hot to handle, smeared with butter (Especially Kerrygold Butter). Pour yourself a "cuppa tae" as my relatives in Ireland would say and enjoy a moment or two of pure bliss!
Tips
- Do not overmix the dough, stir until just incorporated.
- If you have a cast iron pan, use it for making this Irish Soda Bread. However if you do not, its a-ok! Just use any oven safe pan with sides or even a cake pan.
- Do not use a loaf pan, it just will not come out right, its too deep.
- If you have a scone pan, you can use that as well, see my Raisin Scones recipe here.
- Do line with parchment paper. This is a heavy loaf, so having the ability to lift it out it the way to go. Plus, it makes cleanup easier.
- Do follow the recipe exactly if you can, adding the heavy cream really does make a difference.
- If sugar is a concern, you can cut it down by ¼ to ½ cup. It will still bake up fine.
- If you can do add the sugar on top before baking. It's looks lovely, sparkling after bakes and it gives the crust a wonderful crunch a tickle of sweetness.
Variations
- Swap raisins for the traditional currants or caraway seeds (I prefer raisins for this specific soda bread).
- If you dislike raisins (gasp!!) You can use dried cherries, or cranberries or even dried blueberries for this. Check out my popular fresh Cranberry Soda Bread recipe.
Storage
- This holds up well. Wrap leftovers in parchment paper and then again in foil or plastic wrap. It will last at least a week stored in a cool dry place. When ready to enjoy a slice, warm it up just a bit in the microwave or in toaster oven.
I hope you LOVE this soda bread as much as my family and friends do! This recipe is a little piece of my heart. Taithneamh a bhaint! XO Colleen
Recipe originally published in 2009. Updated in 2025.
Irish Recipes to try
Sweet Irish Soda Bread
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups of flour
- 1 ¼ cup sugar
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- dash of salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup butter melted
- 2 ½ cups raisins
- 2 cups buttermilk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- To make 1 large loaf, use a 10-12 inch cast iron pan or ovenproof skillet with 2-inch or better sides or to make 2 loaves use 2 smaller cast iron skillets, oven proof pans or 2 cake pans.
- Cut a big enough circle of parchment paper out to line both the bottom and the sides of your pan(s).
- Whisk the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl until blended, add the butter and raisins and stir well.
- Add buttermilk, heavy cream and egg to the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated - do not over mix.
- Pour mixture into pan(s) and cook for one hour or until toothpick or skewer inserted comes out dry. For smaller loaves, check after 45 minutes, however, most likely it will take an hour to bake. Once a wooden skewer inserted comes out not "wet" it is done. Cool a bit then flip out of the pan(s), peel off parchment paper and allow the bead to cool on a cooling rack, that is if you don't just dig right in like my family and I do!
This sounds delicious, and it does look SO moist!
I made this twice. Second time cut back on sugar by half and added 2tbs caraway seeds to counter the sweetness. Lovely texture. Even better toasted with some homemade blood orange marmalade. Yum
Ohhh, love the sound of that marmalade! Thanks for the comment!
In the video you sprinkled something… flake salt or course sugar?
Coarse sugar often called decorator sugar. Gives it a beautiful sparkle and crunch. You can find in Craft stores made by Wilton's or even at farmers markets or Amazon. I use white which is clear.
I was thinking that it was awfully sweet. Think Diabetes. I will try it with half of the sugar also. Orange marmalade would be a nice addition when serving. Thanks, Brenda and Colleen.
I never liked soda bread never made it always bought it at the stores and always blah no taste and so dry but WOW just made this yesterday it’s delicious!! Best I ever had this is a winner recipe! Thank You!
Yay! So great to hear. It is special 🙂
Yes please! I am going to have to make this! Stat!
It looks like you add large grain sugar to the top, do you? Also, can I spray the pan with Pam, instead of using parchment paper?
I used bakers joy spray on mine. Hope it works.
I thought that too. Although it doesn't say to. I did anyway. Delish.
Looks good, but I've found Irish Soda bread in the past to be sour. Is that correct, or am I getting it at the wrong places? Hello pudding cookies? I think I have a home for you .... 🙂
Hi, Colleen! I haven't made Irish soda bread in awhile-- my recipe calls for a super ton of buttermilk which aids in the dry-factor but I've never tried it sweet! I'm totally making this! Also- good call on the un-meltable baked goodies 🙂
Love breads with a little sugar on top! Yum!
This is 100% NOT soda bread. It is, however a delicious scone dough. Don't get halfway through making it before realizing you're not making soda bread.
It is super sweet and cakey and enjoyable as scones or a sweet loaf of bready something, but not soda bread.
There are so many variations of Irish Soda Bread, this is a sweet one just like my family enjoys often in Donegal (where I have spent a number of months over the years). I also love plain brown ISB and white ISB but those are for soups and stews.
I love Irish soda bread. This looks delicious. I drool just looking at the picture.
Should I be sprinkling sugar on top like in the picture?
I like to, it makes it so pretty with a nice sweet crunch. I use coarse sugar like decorators sugar or sugar in the raw.
This does look incredible moist! I'm like you, I have a hard time choking down dry Irish soda bread and always smear it with butter, but this I could eat alone!
My daughter wanted green sugar crystals for our bread that we’re making for the first time tomorrow. Do you put it on top from the beginning, towards the end or after??
Sprinkle just before baking. Hope she has fun making the soda bread & That you all enjoy!
This bread looks amazing! Why have I never made a loaf of soda bread? YUM!
Can you freeze it
I have never frozen it however I can't see why not (after its cooked) to prevent ice crystals (which will form inside o matter what) get as much air out of however you are packaging it as you can. And be sure to freeze after it has completely cooled.
I don't think I've ever had REALLY GOOD irish soda bread but I think it's about time I got some into my life! Love that this is so moist and oh so perfect for breakfast!
Yum. I love sweet Irish soda bread!
I am sooooo lucky to have been able to try this bread. It's delicious!
Our milk does not have enough fat content? That's what happens when you get the government involved in telling us how to eat. Guess I have to get myself a Jersey cow and start milking it myself several times a day.
I just wanted to let you know that I did make your recipe for St. Patrick's Day, and it is every bit as good as claimed! Best Irish Soda Bread we have ever had. This one is a keeper.
Awesome!!
I used a 4 inch cast iron pot, no pan, and baked for 70 minutes…still slightly moist on toothpick…let it sit in turned off oven for 15 minutes and ok. Should I increase temp above 350 and/or use my cast iron pan. Still great taste…used Irish butter with honey in it. Thanks. Lou
4 inches wide? So it must have been very tall? I would say that is why it was still moist. Next time use an 8, 9 or 10 inch oven safe circular pan or pie dish.
A Jersey cow?! Wow, you really know your fat content, lol.
St Patrick's Day bake off, soda bread, corn beef and cabbage and all the trimmings! what a day for an Irish woman!
Can it be made with gluten free flour?
I am sure it can, some on TikTok (on the video I shared) said they adapted it. I however don't really have experience baking GF.
It's like a giant scrumptious scone - the cream is the star ingredient! This is delicious!
My family already ate 1/2 while cooling!!!! This is the best Irish soda bread ever!,
Will be making this again and again!
Thank you
sounds great very similar to my recipe, but what temperature does one use to bake the bread?
I don't have heavy cream on hand. That's the only thing I'm missing. Any substitute suggestions?
If I had no cream, I would substitute with an equal amount of mayonnaise…
If no cream, just use all buttermilk.
This was easy and delicious! Thank you so much. I've never made bread before so I was so happy to have the first time be a success!
I am a 69 year old part Irish grandma and have been baking soda bread since my teens I was intrigued by this recipe , I followed the instructions and I thought it was a little on the thin side, it would not hold its shape so I did add a little more flour because eggs can vary but against my better judgement I went ahead and put it in my skillet and now that it has been in the oven for a few min it has begun to spill over the edge of my skillet, what did I do wrong or is it a wet dough, thanks so much
Hi Vikki, It IS a wet dough, not thin just heavy and wet. It will not hold its shape, you can not form it. So try it again exactly as written and you should have yourself one delicious loaf to enjoy!
When do you add the sugar on top and what type of sugar did you use?
Looks delicious!
I use coarse decorators sugar, which you can find at AC Moore or Michael, Sugar In The Raw or Turbindao works as well.
There is an Irish restaurant nearby that serves grilled sweet Irish soda bread (no raisins), and it is the only place who makes it good! So, I'm hoping to try this recipe for St. Patty's Day... What kind of sugar do you use on top? And how do you get it to stick? When is it added in the process? Thank you!
I just use coarse decorators sugar...found ar AC Moore or Michael's. Sprinkle it over-top the dough just before you place it in the oven and ta-dah!
So excited to make this for our St. Paddy's dinner-I have used this wonderful recipe for 3 years and my kids have already been asking for it for a week!
Awesome! Makes me happy that the kids are into it...Just like my own 🙂
Delish! I made it today for St Paddy's. Turned out sweet and moist and kids couldn't stop eating it. Thanks!
Great to hear!! Thanks for letting me know!
Thank you for this wonderful recipe. I made this last year and a friend of my Son, who works in a bakery preferred it to what was made at her bakery. My son loved it so much he requested it as part of his birthday dinner. Thanks again!
Hi Colleen, I searched for a sweet Irish bread and came across your recipe, which I saved on my IPad. I plan on making it tomorrow a little late for you to answer probably. My question is can you use an electric mixer just to incorporate the ingredients? I know I have heard never overmix it can toughen the dough! HAPPY ST PADDYS DAY🍀🍀
Roseann....the Italian wife!!!
Hi Rosann, I always do this by hand (and will be making 2 today!). It doesn't take long. You could use the paddle attachment on low and mix just until incorporated. enjoy!!
Thanks Colleen I always use the paddle even for my cookies. Well I couldn’t wait to get up this morning so I could try it, it is delicious!! Definitely a keeper. My cousin is on her way now to enjoy the bread with coffee and the rest of the family will have it for dinner tonight! I am sure your wondering why I didn’t take a piece last night? I am on WW & I give myself 1 day on the weekend to cheap....in moderation of course😂 I already had 2 peeps, love peeps and candy. So I am thinking I am being good all week, I may have another slice of bread tomorrow !!
Enjoy your St Paddy’s Day, my DIL is a Kennedy also (maiden)
Roseann
You are a stronger woman that I am! Good for you! I need a little more will-power in my life! So happy you enjoyed it! Next time, I hope you get to have a piece warm from the oven!
Yep, so good I made another batch in 8 days 😁 My son and DIL welcomed another baby to the family, left them a loaf on the kitchen table to enjoy when they got home. Next time I think I am going to go heavier on the caraway seeds, love the flavor it adds!
Made this today! Delicious! So very moist. I used 2, 9 inch cake pans and used golden raisins instead of regular ones. I cut the sugar to one cup and it was perfect for us. They were done in 45 mins. Excellent recipe......thanks for sharing!
SO glad you enjoyed Ellen!!
Hi Colleen,
Thank you for your wonderful soda bread recipe. I would like to encourage you to rethink the name for your "Car Bomb Brownie" dessert. A car bomb refers to a terroristic weapon used by the Irish Republican Army, who violently (and bravely) fought for freedom for the 6 counties of Northern Ireland. People in Northern Ireland and in the Irish diaspora still live with with trauma in the aftermath of this conflict. Given that there was a car bomb explosion in Derry, NI last month, it is a shame to make light of the conflict by naming a delicious dessert after tool of guerilla warfare that has killed the family members and friends of many living people.
Happy St. Patrick's Day,
Kevin
Thanks for your feedback Kevin. I totally get that, I was actually in Derry when I was 15 when one went off right by where we were. This dessert was named after the popular beer/whiskey drink. Let me see what I can do later this week.
Hi! Just wondering if if you have a gluten free version of this recipe?
I do not. I really do not have experience with GF baking.
Get over yourself! Only people like you who have nothing better to do would complain about a name of a dessert. It’s a brownie get over it.
Thanks for your reply, Colleen. I so appreciate your reconsidering. I know a bartender in Derry who responds to people from the U.S. who order that beer/whiskey drink by asking if they'd like a drink named after the explosion of the Twin Towers.
Thanks again for the recipes and best wishes as you celebrate in the coming weeks!
Kevin, can you tell me what he calls that drink by any chance?
I believe its a Irish car bomb.
Hi Colleen. I was wondering, since my husband will NOT eat raisins, what you think might be a good substitute for them. Chocolate chips? Butterscotch chips ? Some type of Carmel or maple chips ?
We are having our annual get together next Saturday with friends and this will be my first attempt at making soda bread !
Any suggestions will be appreciated. Thank you.
Sincerely,
Men, lol! Well, I have made it with chocolate chips (ok but just not the same), I have made it with dried cranberries and lime (on my site). What I WOULD do....is make 1 recipe, split the dough into 2, make one loaf with raisins and the other with chocolate chips or without anything extra. That way others can have the real deal and he can have what he likes. Don't forget some butter. It really is magical warm!!
Hi Colleen!
My mum really loves a sweeter soda bread so I’m itching to try your recipe! I’m curious about the softened butter, wondering how to ‘mix it in’ with all the dry ingredients without over-working the dough. I usually cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or grate frozen butter with a cheese grater. Any thoughts on that?
Thanks!
I just soften it up where its not quite melted and it smooths right into the batter. This is more of a thick batter vs a traditional dough. Hope you enjoy!
Well here I am a year later and just pulled 2 loaves out of the oven! I put caraway seeds in one loaf because I like it!! I can’t wait for tomorrow to cheat on my diet! I am literally salivating! THANK YOU AGAIN AND HAPPY ST PADDYS DAY!🍀💚🍀💚
I love it! Hope you had a great day (and enjoyed the cheat!!, lol THAT is always fun!)
I just baked the bread and it is AMAZING, What a revelation, I am truly thankful for your recipe. five stars! it is moist the texture is perfect, i baked it on a pizza stone and it developed the most amazing crust. You have made my day! God Bless You always!
Fantastic! So happy to hear that Larisa! I make this throughout the year. None of us can go more than a couple months without it 🙂
On top of the stove? I would love to try that as well. Vintage recipes passed down are the best! Hope you enjoy Sandra!
I made this recipe for a soda bread competition at work and won first place! Thank you for sharing! This really tastes so delicious, I ended up making 5 more loaves for my family!
That's fantastic! SO funny, a number of people have messaged me over the years saying they won a competition with this recipe...Love it!!
Hi- just wondering if I could leave the raisins out? Would that affect the texture or change the baking time?
Yes, you totally can leave them out. They just add some texture and a burst of sweetness. Traditionally currants are used.
This recipe is a keeper! Family can't get enough. Turns out just like the pictures.
YAy! Glad to hear it Roberta! This is probably the one thing I have made more than any other in my life! Slainte!
Hello, In your blog you mentioned putting an "X" in the bread. However recipe does not mention that step and also the loaf pictured does not appear to have an X in it. Is that step not necessary
Also have you tried making with half cup sour cream rather than heavy cream.
One of the local grocery stores has an amazing sweet Irish soda bread and I keep trying to find a recipe similar to it. Going to give this a try today.
Thanks!
Hi Patty! You know I always show the "x" in my IG and FB Stories since I make ISB a lot. The "x" is not necessary, just tradition. I can update the steps since you pointed that out. I have not substituted sour cream for the heavy cream. The fat content in heavy cream is higher which is why I use that. I am sure sour cream would work as well. Good luck!
Is it sticky. ??? Mine dough was extremely sticky.
Yes, dough is very sticky. You can always add a li9ttle extra flour if its too wet however, as see in in my TikTok video, it should be sticky.
This is just the recipe that I was searching for. I can't wait to make it. I will follow recipe as written but use currents instead of raisins. I would like to add crushed walnuts...would doing this interfere with the cooking time/texture in a negative way? I was thinking of using one half to one full cup. Could you please comment? My mother was a Murphy and I married a Noonan but I have never made Irish soda bread because I knew I'd like something sweeter with my tea! Thanks so much..can't wait to make this soon.
Marcia
Hi Marcia, I have never made this with nuts (kids have nut allergies). I am honestly not sure what the nuts would add, however the addition of a a cup or under should not affect the baking time. Bake time is typically 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Maybe split the dough into two and make one with nuts and the other without. Bake time for that would be just under an hour to an hour. Let me know how it turns out if you do add the nuts, enjoy!
I saw your tiktok and came here to find the full recipe. It's in the oven right now. I can't wait to cut into it. I made 1 big loaf but I'm going to cut it in half. The smaller half will go to my uncle, a retired irish priest living in a nursing home. I hope he likes it.
Awww, yes! That is what I love as well about this, sharing a loaf or 12! This is the recipe I gift the most (this and a few of my homemade boozy concoctions). I hope you and he enjoyed it! I also had two Irish priests and a nun (all from Ireland who moved to US) in my family!
Delicious! I put some batter in a mini loaf pan because I only had a 9” cast iron. It was great!
Perfect! Glad you enjoyed it JD!
This recipe caught my eye, not only because it is a sweet bread, but also because your Grammy used to make it (I’m a new Grammy myself).
I halved the recipe for just my husband and me, baked it in an 8” round cake pan, and sprinkled with coarse white sugar for extra crunch. It turned out perfect, and I will be baking this every year! Oh, and I did cut an “X” on top to let the fairies out!
Thank you for sharing this family recipe; it’s delicious!
Love it Peggy and congratulations!! There is noting quite as magical as a baby!! Enjoy being a Grammy!
Made this yesterday and had the hardest time not eating it all myself! Used chopped dried dates instead of the raisins since they were what I had on hand and they were amazing! My new favorite indulgence 😊
Fantastic Kali! And yes, I fall victim to this myself, especially hot from the oven! Mmm-m!
Just made this wonderful bread. I did cut the sugar to 1 cup after reading the comments. Came out great no I didn’t wait to cut because my house is smelling wonderful. Thank you
Fantastic!! It's a delicious bread to make all year long!! Glad you enjoyed it Lisa!
This is fantastic ! I added a tsp of Fiori Di Sicilia which is a combination flavor of citrus and vanilla. I believe in English it translates to: flower of Sicily. That add flavor is heavenly and I now call it my Italian/Irish Soda Bread which make perfect sense as I am of Italian/Irish decent. Thank you so much for this recipe. It is truly THE BEST !
Love this Denise!! Ciao
Amazing bread. Since powdered buttermilk was what I had on hand, I just whisked the powder in with the dry ingredients and used two cups of water with the heavy cream. It worked beautifully. I also used half brown sugar and half white. Delightful.
Thank you for a nice addition to our St Patrick's holiday.
Great to hear Amy! Thanks for the information about the powdered buttermilk. The only thing I have ever used that for is to flavor homemade potato chips (sour cream and onion). And now my local store no longer carries it.
Just made it this morning. Use half and half instead of heavy cream. Outstanding. Used a 9” glass pie plate and another small baking dish. Small one was done at 35 mins. Larger one at an hour. Wow. This is a winner.
Fantastic to hear that Linda!
The bread is awesome....but your nutritional information has to be off. It says a 10gram serving has more than 700 calories? 10 grams is the size of your thumb. Can't be right.
It's an automatic nutrition calculator, let me go take a look.
I have the soda bread in the oven baking as I type. The instructions say to add the raisins and butter and stir. Then add the other wet ingredients and stir until incorporated. However, this did not match the video demonstration. My butter clumped a little with the flour and then adding the wet cold ingredients made it worse. It was also a very wet consistency (not doughy at all). Fingers crossed it turns out well. I appreciate any feedback.
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
I have made this with both softened and melted. Since its easier with melted, I updated the recipe. Hope it came out ok.
Hi, I followed this recipe exactly (besides using half the amount of sugar)
But it has been cooking for about an hour and a half and still not done. What did I do wrong ? I would like to try it again. Hopefully I didn't ruin it.
Hmmm, maybe it is al altitude thing (I am at 252 feet above sea level). So maybe a higher oven temp say 375 positioned on the middle rack.
How do you measure the flour? Spooning or scoop and pack against the side of the bag? Would you mind giving weights of flour and what kind you use?
I do not weigh the flour just scoop and shake off. This recipe is very forgiving. I use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
This is actually the best recipe because it’s delicious. I’ve always wanted to like Irish Soda Bread but haven’t until this recipe! Thank you!!!
Woot! I will take that! Thanks Patrick!!
Is there a purpose to melt the butter instead of cutting it in cold?
No purpose, its just a very forgiving recipe. I have never cut in in cold as I would for some other baking recipes.
I did make this 'bread' this morning and it was fantastic, to say the least! I did make a few mods - I made a half recipe [and baked in a well greased 8" cast iron skillet] and still used the 1 whole egg, I only used 2 Tbs Sucanat [dehydrated cane juice[ and I added 1.5 tsp Cinnamon and some fresh grated Cardamom, I used 1 c Currants.... I also used Coconut cream and Almond milk w/cider vinegar in place of buttermilk... it was/is outstanding but in tasting it, it tastes/feels more like a cake since it is so moist/rich.... Yes, I will be making this again!
Fantastic, thanks for the instructions on your twist 🙂
Look No Further for an Irish Soda Bread! You will be thrilled to put this one on the table.
My family loved it! I baked it in a Le Creuset Dutch oven pot. Ohhh yum!
Fantastic Ingrid!!! xo
Wonderful sweet soda bread. Will be sure to add this to my tried, and must make again, recipes.
SO happy to hear that Shirley!
Your recipe is amazing.....I decided I wanted to try variations. I have done lemon - poppy seed (wowza), cranberry- orange, apple cinnamon, amaretto-almond...and I am moving onto garlic-onion and then jalapeno - cheddar next week. It is crazy how versatile it is. I am going to reduce the sugar for the hearty breads. Thank you - thank you - thank you!!!!
You are very welcome! Yum!! All sorts of lovely flavors you are doing. One of my favorites is with Fresh Cranberries, amazing!! Maybe give that a go next Thanksgiving/Christmas! https://soufflebombay.com/cranberry-soda-bread/
Great recipe. Made this a couple of times. The latest time, I used craisins instead of raisins and added a teaspoon of rosemary.
Great! And sounds delish. The Rosemary is lovely! When cranberries are in season you must make Cranberry Soda Bread, it may be even better than this! Here is the link - https://soufflebombay.com/cranberry-soda-bread/
While the bread was good, it felt like it was a glorified cake and didn't have the traditional Irish soda bread texture and taste to it. It was super moist inside with a nice crust which was really delicious. If I try this again I'll put less sugar in it to help reduce the sweetness. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Wish I could post a picture! They came out absolutely beautiful, smelling amazing, and delicious. I used 2 8x4 loaf pans like the kind for banana bread and cooked 45 minutes, turned them 180°, and cooked 15 minutes more. I also used 1/2 cup dried blueberries, and 2 cups golden raisins because that's what I had available!!!! SO SAVING THIS!
I made a 'half' recipe but used 2.25 c. flour and 1 large egg. I also added 1 tsp cinnamon and some fresh grated cardamom - I only used 2 Tbs sugar and instead of raisins, I used currants..... and used coconut cream as I'm dairy free. Loved, loved it! I baked it in a greased 8" iron skillet. The best I've ever had and most enjoyed the rich moistness of it!!
Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Fantastic to hear!!
Wanted to try a new recipe as my other one wasn’t the best. Made this one almost to a T but added just a little bit of orange zest and lord this will be my go to from now on!
FANTASTIC to hear Matt!!
Could you bake this recipe in cupcake pan? Thought it might be great to have your own soda bread muffin.
What do you think?
YES, I am actually just about to publish how to do that with a 1/2 batch recipe and higher temp. Out in about an hour 🙂
I made this yesterday and followed the directions exactly. My bread came out just like the picture in the recipe. I used my cast iron 12 inch pan and lined it. Didn't have enough raisins so I added dried cranberries. Yum! Can't thank you enough for a soda bread that is sweet and cake like. Half is already gone. Will definitely make again.
Love hearing that Lorrieviv!! YW!!
This is my favorite Irish Soda Bread recipe. I make it all the time and my daughter always wants me to make it. We love how sweet and moist it is.
Cut sugar to 3/4 cup. Very wet dough. Added more flour. Baking now…2 round loaves on parchment lined baking pan.
The dough is meant to be wet, in between a brownie batter and a traditional dough. Would hope it came out out cutting that much sugar out.
This recipe came out amazing, but it took a lot longer than an hour to bake for 1 loaf. I am on an hour and a half and it’s still not done. Other than that it smells and looks beyond amazing!
Bake time does differ based on pan used for sure, depends how spread out or dense it is as it bakes. Hope you enjoyed it!
This bread was just what I wanted…moist, light, and sweet. The boy did deference is I used 1 cup of sugar. I thought the recipe was so good, it would make delicious fluffy scones so I dropped them on a parchment lined cookie sheet and baked at 350F for 30 min! I did half with raisins and half with chocolate chips. Delicious!
Sorry for the errors. I hate auto-correct!!
Fantastic!!! Thanks for the comment Judith!
absolutely love this recipe. its so moist. kind of like a cake. other recipes I tried it was more of a drier bread but this recipe is perfect! this is my second time using it.
That's fantastic to hear Michelle! Now for the holiday season give the Cranberry Soda Bread a go! I love it! https://soufflebombay.com/cranberry-soda-bread/
This is the BEST Irish soda bread I have ever eaten! it is so simple to make & so moist! The only change I made was I used only 1 cup of sugar
SO fantastic to hear Denise! This recipe is near and dear to my heart!! TY!!
The first couple slices are great. The crust has a pleasant hint of crispness. But it's so very sweet, and there's so much of it. I'll never finish this. I suspect the sugar content has a lot to do with that crust texture, so I'm hesitant to try it with less sugar. It isn't anything like Irish soda bread, more like a typical quick bread, maybe most like cake donuts in taste and texture.
You can easily halve the recipe for a smaller loaf as well as reduce sugar a bit to your tastes.
you forgot the sugar on top? What kind of sugar and when do you add it?
I add coarse sugar like white sprinkles or sugar in the raw. Enjoy! Gives it a nice crunch and a pretty look 🙂
Every March this bread has become out tradition. so delicious!!
Makes me so happy that thousands make it every Saint Patrick's Day!! I couldn't keep up with the TikTok messages lol! Thanks for the stars!
The ABSOLUTE BEST!!!! Thank you for sharing
YW! Glad you enjoyed Tammi!
This recipe can be split into 2 breads. Doing one was too big and took forever to cook. I would use less Rasins and if I'm being honest it didn't' taste like Irish Soda bread. It tasted more like the Italian Panettone Christmas bread, but much denser. Sorry. I will try another recipe.
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Love this recipe and enjoyed every bite!! It’s my new favorite bread and is easy to make.
The bread is light and slightly sweet and moist - ( I sifted my flour first) I added course sugar prior to baking which made it perfect to have with a cup of coffee or tea.
Thanks Angel! That is how we feel too!! SO glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Can I make this in a bread loaf pan?
A friend brought this bread in to work last year, and it was DELICIOUS! Can't wait to make this myself.
I would reccomend making it in an oven safe pan vs a loaf pan. You can do one large or break it into two smaller loaves each with their own pan. So glad you enjoy the ISB!!
Dear Colleen,
I made this Irish Sweet Soda Bread on St. Patricks day in March of 2022 and my whole family and of course myself loved it so much I've been baking it for every holiday. Thank you so much for this recipe, it has become a part of our tradition and we are an Italian family. We love it so much and I'm so happy to have stumbled upon your recipe. Thanks again and God Bless you and your family.♡
I LOVE hearing that Maria! TY for the sweet comment!!
I made this last night. I want to give everyone a heads up. This is a very wet batter/dough. I have made many soda breads in my day, and I've never had a dough that was so wet. I panicked and started adding flour. Then I stopped myself because I didn't want to overwork the dough. I baked it in a 12" cake pan for an hour. It is a very light soda bread. It is not as dense as traditional soda bread. Also, this makes more than 8 servings. I cut the bread into four pieces and I will be delivering them to my neighbor's today.
Yes, the batter is wetter, I do show that on the videos I shar on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. That's what makes this more cake like vs a dry soda bread. Hope you all enjoyed it!
I’ve made this two or three times already and everybody, including myself absolutely loved it! However, now that I’m going to make it again, I can’t remember if I used bleached all purpose or unbleached all purpose flour… Can you explain what the difference would be for this recipe?
I have only used AP flour. Bleached or unbleached work fine. For my brow soda bread (savory), I often use whole wheat.
Could I use half n half instead of heavy cream?
Yes you can.
Can this be made in a square 8" or 9" pan?
I have never tried that but it should work, just line the pan w parchment paper.
Truly the best! Thank you!
Thanks Debra!!! XO
Flipping PHENOMENAL! Girl the cranberry ISB was delicious as well! 👍🏼☘️
Yaaaaay! Thanks Tricia!