Sweet Irish Soda Bread
by Sommer Collier — last updated on Jan 28, 2026 
This easy sweet Irish soda bread is nostalgia in a loaf, and I’m obsessed with how incredible my kitchen smells every time I bake it. I’ve made this simple no-yeast bread again and again, and the rich buttermilk makes it perfectly fluffy and moist while the plump raisins add just the right pop of sweetness. It’s the perfect side dish for all your favorite Irish main courses.
This rustic sweet Irish soda bread is one of my favorite bread recipes. It’s surprisingly delicate, with a golden crust, and the plump raisins give it a subtle sweetness, making it great for breakfast or an afternoon pick-me-up with a good smear of Irish butter. I make this year-round, but I especially like to make it for St. Patrick’s Day when I’m serving up other hearty dishes like corned beef and cabbage in the oven. The recipe is simple, and unlike other traditional bread recipes, it doesn’t use yeast, which means you can make fresh-made bread in no time and without any stress!
Gaff Pearce – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is some of the best bread I have ever made. Wonderful texture and flavor. I will toast the caraway seeds next time. Great with morning coffee.
Table of Contents
Sommer’s Recipe Highlights
Perfectly Tender – This bread is the pinnacle of perfectly balanced textures. It’s golden and crunchy on the outside, and tender and moist on the inside. Dense, but not too dense. Plus, I just love that there’s a subtle sweetness to every bite!
Great for Leftovers – This loaf lasts several days, and it makes the perfect base for unique French toast and sandwiches. I love to warm up a slice and top it with some butter and honey.
Quick and Easy – When I want to make a delicious bread that takes no time and pretty much minimal effort, this is my go-to. You don’t need to wait for the bread to rise. Just mix, bake, and enjoy!
Ingredients You Need
- All-purpose flour – I use a classic all-purpose flour and make sure to sift it.
- Granulated sugar – I think a little bit of sugar goes a long way, and in combination with the raisins, this really sweetens up the bread. Plus, the sugar helps to form the crispy crust.
- Baking powder & soda – To get that rise and extra lift, these two are a must. Make sure you use fresh (unexpired) baking soda. Buying a new box a couple of times a year is a good idea!
- Unsalted butter – Butter adds richness to this dish, and depth of flavor you can taste with every bite.
- Buttermilk – Regular buttermilk helps all the ingredients bind together, and it activates the baking powder and soda to rise, rise, rise. I can show you how to make full fat buttermilk (or lowfat) in a hurry.
- Raisins – For that burst of sweetness and texture, I recommend a mixture of dark purple and golden raisins. This is the secret to getting a perfect Irish soda bread!
- Turbinado sugar – I love to sprinkle a little on top to get extra crunch and some sparkle.
How to Make
Find the full recipe with ingredient proportions, detailed instructions, and a video tutorial in the printable form at the bottom of the post.
Prep the raisins – The first thing I do is preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease the baking pans. Then, and most importantly, I soak the raisins in hot water for 15-20 minutes. This will get them plump and juicy!
Combine dry ingredients – Once the raisins are just right, I mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl, except for the turbinado sugar. Then I add in the cubes of butter, and I mix them into the flour by hand. Finally, I mix in the drained plumped-up raisins and caraway seeds.
Mix in wet ingredients – Now, it’s time to add in the wet ingredients. I pour in the buttermilk and egg into the flour mixture, and stir really well until the dough resembles a thick cake batter. Then I fill up the loaf pans, and I top them off with a generous pinch of that sugar. Look at it glisten!
Bake – Lastly, I bake the loaves for about an hour, until they start to look golden brown. I use the toothpick test to check if the bread is done. Before I dig into the deliciously smelling bread, I let it cool for a couple of minutes.
Recipe Variations
- Nuts – I love to fold in chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter for extra crunch.
- Chocolate – This bread is subtly sweet, but to accentuate that sweetness, you can add a handful of semi-sweet chocolate chips.
- Apple – Stir in some diced apples for a fruity twist.
Serving Suggestions
This Irish soda bread is incredibly rich and versatile. Here are some of my favorite ways to enjoy it:
- Serve it warm with a glob of rich, tangy Irish butter, which you can find at a specialty food market.
- Alongside a cup of strong coffee for breakfast, as an afternoon snack, or a delicious, slightly sweet dessert!
- Toasted with a generous layer of cream cheese or clotted cream.
- Alongside these Irish classics — bacon and cabbage soup, potato pie, and beer cheese soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
You definitely can! Your bread won’t be quite as sweet without the raisins, but neither are they nor the caraway necessary to make this soda bread recipe.
If you don’t have buttermilk on hand don’t worry! Follow my buttermilk substitute recipe so you don’t have to go buy a whole carton of buttermilk to make Irish soda bread with raisins.
Absolutely. Simply halve the recipe ingredients, and bake your one loaf for 50-60 minutes. Alternatively, you can freeze the extra loaf of your Irish soda bread with raisins for later!
Half a loaf is better than none. – Irish Proverb
Storing
This bread can be stored at room temperature for up to 2-3 days or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. You can even freeze this recipe for up to 3 months and thaw it in the fridge or at room temperature. Reheat as desired.
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Sweet Irish Soda Bread
Video
Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour sifted
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 2 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 1 large egg
- 2 1/2 cups raisins, mixed light and dark
- 3 tablespoons caraway seeds
- turbinado sugar for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Generously butter two 9×5-inch bread pans. Soak the raisins in hot water for 15-20 minutes, then drain well.
- Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Cut the butter into cubes and mix very thoroughly with the flour, by hand, until it looks grainy. Stir in the drained raisins and caraway seeds.
- Add the buttermilk and egg to the flour mixture. Stir well. The dough should resemble thick cake batter. Equally fill 2 loaf pans. Then sprinkle the top of each with turbinado sugar to make it shimmery.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes. Test with a toothpick for doneness. Cool in the pans for 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
This is some of the best bread I have ever made. Wonderful texture and flavor. I will toast the caroway seeds next time. Great with morning coffee.
so anxious to try this recipe. I love putting it in a loaf pan
Excellent recipe! have been making a version of this for decades on St Patrick’s celebrations. Never used the buttermilk before but it definitely makes a difference I also added 2 eggs instead of one, my new go to recipe. Try it everyone loved it
Excellent recipe! have been making a version of this for decades on St Patrick’s celebrations. Never used the buttermilk before but it definitely makes a difference I also added 2 eggs instead of one, my new go to recipe. Try it everyone loved it
I didn’t know about the raisin tip of hydrating them! Thank you. I left the caraway out since I didn’t have it. Turned out delicious.