Traditional Irish Halloween Barmbrack
Written by Ciaran on Oct 14, 2025 | 9 Comments
Ireland's fortune-telling fruitcake goes by many names. Barmbrack, Barnbrack, or bairín breac in Gaelic. It is a treasured and tasty tradition that many enjoy each October and especially on Halloween, or Samhain. Find out how to make it, and what fortune for the year is indicated by the strange ingredients you might find in one!
October in Ireland
As the Home of Halloween, Samhain (pronounced Sow-en) is a spooky time in Ireland. With Celtic roots, this ancient festival is marked in Ireland today with creepy stories about haunted woods and werewolves, fairies, banshees and vampires. And of course, plenty of get-togethers with tasty treats and fortune-telling.
Irish fortune-telling at Halloween
Though it may sound strange to us today, the end of October and Samhain marked the end of the year in the Celtic calendar for the ancient Irish. Our ancestors would turn to fortune-telling to find out what the year ahead would hold.
Many of the older forms of divination and fortune-telling are no longer commonplace in Ireland. Still, the Barmbrack remains widely cherished, as a fun and tasty form of divination and a strong Samhain tradition in Ireland.
Barmbrack: Ireland's fortune-telling fruitcake
Barmbrack (bairín breac in Gaelic) roughly translates as "speckled bread," which aptly describes this rich and dense sweet loaf made with lots of dried fruit soaked in tea, or whiskey, depending on your tastes!
What will you find in a Barmbrack?
So how does it tell your fortune I hear you ask? Dried fruit is not the only thing you will find as "speckles" in this loaf! When a barmbrack is shared out, everyone waits in anticipation to see what they'll find in their slice — just fruit? Or perhaps a stick, a pea, a rag, a coin, or even a silver ring? What you find foretells your fortune in the coming year.
What do the objects in Barmbrack Mean?
Each object had different implications for you for the coming year, so it is good to take note of what they mean:
- Find A Coin: Congratulations! You will enjoy good fortune in the coming year
- Find A Rag: Unlucky! You will have ill-fortune this year
- Find A Pea: Bad Luck! You will definitely not marry in this coming year
- Find A Matchstick: Oh Dear! For the next 12 months your love-life will be filled with strife
- Find A Silver Ring: Good News! You will be wed before the year is out!
How to make your own Barmbrack
It seems there is no one in Ireland that doesn't enjoy a barmbrack. Nostalgia might have something to do with it, but it is also pretty tasty and quite a bit of fun too! They’re available in almost every Irish bakery at this time of year.
I certainly eat more than my fair share each October! There is something very comforting about slicing into a loaf, and sharing it out with loved ones along with a hot mug of tea and a good spread of butter.
But most shop-bought Barmbrack will only have a small toy ring hidden inside. So if you want the full effect, you meed to make your own Barmbrack at home. Follow along with our video below!
Barmbrack Ingredients to make 1 loaf
Note: Recipes typically use either yeast or baking soda as the raising agent - we prefer baking soda as it is easier to work with and usually gives a good result even for novice bakers!
- 225g / 1 and 3/4 cup plain flour
- 2 tsps of baking powder
- 375 g / 2 1/2 cups of mixed dried fruit (raisins, currents, sultanas - whatever you like really so long as they are small)
- 350 ml / 1 1/2 cups of tea (the stronger the better - (Irish or English breakfast tea works best)
- 125g / 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 tsp of mixed spice (equal parts allspice, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg) - NOT the same as Allspice!
- A silver ring*, a dried pea, a coin, a matchstick and a small bit of cloth all securely wrapped up in baking paper
Method
1. Place the dried fruit in a bowl and cover with tea and whiskey if you are using. Leave to soak overnight and keep the liquid! The fruit should plump up overnight absorbing the liquid
2. The following day, preheat the oven to 170C/340°/Gas Mark 3, and grease and line a 900g loaf tin.
3. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl making sure the flour, baking powder, sugar and mixed spice are all evenly distributed.
4. Mix the egg into your dried ingredients.
5. Add a little bit of the liquid that you left the dried fruit soaking in and stir into the egg and flour mixture. Keep adding liquid in small amounts until you have a relatively wet dough (protip -you might not need all of the liquid!).
6. Now add in the fruit until everything is thoroughly combined.
7. Spoon the wet dough into the lined loaf tin push the objects wrapped up with baking paper into the dough at different points in the cake. You want different slices to have a chance to find a "prize."
8. Place the cake in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for one hour.
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before turning out your loaf onto a wire rack.
10. Once well cooled, gather friends or family around to slice it up, and serve spread with a generous spread of butter and nice hot cup of tea for the fortune telling fun to begin! If you have leftovers (unlikely), they will keep in a tin for up to a week and are delicious toasted ans served with melted butter.
Continuing Celtic Traditions
Let us know if you decide to try out this tasty Irish Samhain tradition and make your own Barmbrack this Halloween. And if you want to up the stakes, we have Sterling Silver Irish Rings to bake in your cake (just make sure to wrap the ring in baking paper first!).
We also advise that you stick to classic silver rings for your bake. A spin in a hot oven could damage gemstones, oxidation or antique finishes! Also, please do mind your teeth when eating! This is not a cake to chomp down. We advise breaking off pieces to avoid any broken teeth. That would indeed be bad luck for the year ahead!
Silver Rings for Your Barmbrack
Get In Touch
Have a question or something you're not entirely sure about when browsing our pieces? Please reach out. You can send us a note or give us a call—the Dublin workshop is here to make sure that you have a perfect experience from start to finish with My Irish Jeweler.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, to see what's new and upcoming. Join our Email list for early offers and special features.
Ciaran
My Irish Jeweler
Born in Co. Antrim and reared in Dublin, I was fascinated with Gaelic culture from an early age. I suppose it's not surprising given my mother inherited a grá for the Irish language from my grandfather, an Irish school headmaster. And that grá continues! My brother and sister are now Gaelic teachers here in Ireland, my niece is an award winning Irish dancer, and I proudly work to share Irish culture through our Irish and Celtic Jewelry at My Irish Jeweler!
I love researching and reading about the history of Irish design. It's at the core of what we do here at My Irish Jeweler. I find much of it so interesting that I have to share what I find. I hope you enjoy it!
Comments
I’ve never felt more at home than on Irish soil. Grateful for the gift of ancestry my Grandfather gifted to us.
That is wonderful that you felt so at home here and that you have those wonderful ancestral ties through your Grandfather.
Hello,
I was in Ireland for 3 weeks and fell in love with the country and it’s people. Iv never seen so many colors of green within a landscape. I’m planning on baking a brambrack this Halloween.
Jo
Johnny Cash got it right with his "Forty Shades of Green" alright! Wonderful to hear you will be baking a Halloween Barmbrack. It's a lovely tradition. Let us know how it turns out!
Love all the stories and traditions
Thank you Joanne. That is very kind of you. So pleased you enjoy our blog. Oíche Shamhna shona duit! Happy Halloween!
I just found out that I’m 95% Irish my ancestors are from Dublin . I have a strong desire to know more about where my roots are and reading your blogs has given me a lot of information that I have been unable to find thank you so very much
Hi Deborah, Well that's just brightened our day here! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your desire to know more about your Irish roots. We're glad to have you here and happy to help however we can. Cheers from Dublin, Liz.
Ask Gemma
So much to say. The Brunick name was originally Brunnock. My paternal great grand parents were from County Tipperary. My maternal grandfather, Lydon, was born on Finnish Island. Twenty six of us were in Ireland in September. Most had been at least once before. It is a wonderful country. I know I will be returning, with grandchildren, for Halloween in the coming years.