Christmas Pudding
intro
A rich, spiced, fruit-packed steamed British dessert, matured for deep flavor, served warm with brandy butter as a classic Christmas table centerpiece.
Ingredients
Steps
Soak the dried fruit
In a large mixing bowl, combine 450g mixed dried fruit, orange and lemon zest, 60ml orange juice, 30ml lemon juice, 150ml stout, and 75ml brandy. Stir well, cover the bowl with cling film, and leave to soak at room temperature for 12 hours (overnight) to let the fruit plump and absorb all liquid.
Combine pudding ingredients
After soaking, add 110g shredded suet, 110g plain flour, 110g fresh white breadcrumbs, 110g dark brown soft sugar, 2 tsp ground mixed spice, 100g grated peeled Bramley apple, 2 beaten large eggs, and 50g chopped blanched almonds to the soaked fruit. Stir thoroughly with a wooden spoon for 2-3 minutes until all ingredients are evenly combined, with no dry flour pockets remaining.
Prep the steaming basin
Grease a 1.2L (2 pint) heatproof ceramic pudding basin generously with 1 tsp softened butter. Cut a 10cm circle of baking parchment to line the base of the basin, press it into place, then spoon the pudding mixture into the basin, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon to eliminate air gaps, and smooth the top level.
Seal and steam pudding
Cut a 30cm pleated circle of baking parchment and a matching 30cm pleated circle of aluminum foil (the 5cm central pleat allows space for the pudding to expand as it cooks). Place the layers over the basin (parchment side down), tie tightly around the rim with kitchen string, then lower the basin into a large stockpot. Pour boiling water into the pot to reach halfway up the basin sides, cover the pot, and steam over medium-low heat for 6 hours, topping up with boiling water every 45 minutes to prevent the pot from boiling dry.
Cool and mature pudding
After 6 hours of steaming, carefully lift the basin from the pot with tongs, remove the foil and parchment lid, and leave the pudding to cool completely to room temperature (approximately 2 hours). Once cool, prick the pudding top 10-12 times all over with a metal skewer, pour over 15ml (1 tbsp) brandy, then re-seal with fresh pleated parchment and foil. Store in a cool, dark cupboard for 2-4 weeks, feeding with 15ml (1 tbsp) brandy every 7 days to deepen flavor.
Re-steam and serve
On serving day, re-seal the pudding basin with fresh pleated parchment and foil, return it to a stockpot of boiling water (halfway up the basin sides), and steam over medium-low heat for 2 hours to heat fully through. Carefully turn the pudding out onto a warm ceramic serving plate, optionally pour over 30ml warm brandy and light it for a dramatic tableside flame, and serve slices with brandy butter, vanilla custard, or freshly whipped cream.
Tips
2.Don’t skip the 5cm central pleat in your parchment and foil lid: this fold gives the pudding room to expand as it steams, preventing the seal from bursting mid-cook.
3.If you are short on time, you can skip the 2-4 week maturing period and serve the pudding immediately after the initial 6-hour steam, though the flavor will be brighter and less deeply spiced than a matured version.
OMG, I made this for our extended family Christmas dinner last weekend and it was a total hit! I was nervous about the 8 hour steam time but it was so worth it. Even my super picky brother who hates dried fruit went back for a second serving with brandy butter. SO good!
Really solid recipe! I skipped the 3 week maturing step because I procrastinated making it, and it still tasted great, but I can tell it would’ve been even deeper flavor if I’d planned ahead. Took this to my office potluck and half the team asked for the recipe. Only knock is my kitchen smelled like Christmas spices for 3 whole days lol.
I’ve been making Christmas pudding for 40+ years since my nan brought the recipe over from London, and this is hands down the closest version I’ve found to hers online. I let mine mature for 4 weeks this year, fed it a tablespoon of brandy every Sunday, and my grandkids fought over the last bite at our dinner table. My kids loved it so much they asked me to make a second one for New Year’s!
Taste was great, but I struggled a little with the steaming setup! I didn’t have a big enough stock pot to fit the pudding basin, so I had to rig a foil tent and I’m pretty sure a little water seeped in, making the bottom a touch soggy. Next time I’ll grab the right size pot before I start. Flavor was on point though, even with the soggy bottom!
Game changer! I’ve never made a Christmas pudding before, I always just bought the weird grocery store ones that taste like candied candle wax, and this was nothing like that. The mix of currants, raisins, and suet was so rich, and serving it with hard sauce? *Chef’s kiss* I did the full 4 week mature and it was so worth the wait.
Great recipe, medium difficulty is spot on. I’m a pretty experienced home baker and there were a few steps I had to re-read to make sure I didn’t mess up the suet measurement or the steaming time. Turned out amazing though, brought it to my friend’s holiday party and everyone was asking if I ordered it from a fancy British pub. Only note: make sure you clear your whole afternoon for the initial cook, 8 hours is no joke!
I was so worried this would be too fancy or complicated for my chaotic house, but it was totally doable! I let my boys help stir the batter and make wishes (I saw that’s a tradition online!) and they thought that was the coolest thing. My kids loved it even with all the dried fruit, which is saying something because they usually turn their nose up at anything that isn’t chicken nuggets or mac and cheese. Will be a new Christmas tradition for us for sure!
I was thrilled to find this recipe! I swapped the beef suet for vegetable suet to make it vegan, used a flax egg instead of regular eggs, and it turned out SO good. I was worried the swaps would mess up the texture but it was perfectly dense and moist, just like the traditional ones I tried when I visited London a few years back. Took it to my vegan holiday potluck and everyone was raving.
Just pulled my pudding out of the steamer! It looks and smells incredible, I’m letting it cool now to wrap up for maturing over the next 3 weeks before Christmas. The whole house smells like cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice, it’s making me so excited for the holidays. Fingers crossed it tastes as good as it smells right now!
Absolute game changer for our holiday meal prep! I made this two weeks ahead, let it mature in the back of my fridge, and it was one less thing I had to stress about cooking on Christmas Day. I just steamed it for an hour to reheat right before serving, and it tasted like I spent all day on it. 10/10, will be adding this to our permanent holiday rotation.
Solid recipe, really authentic flavor! I do wish the ingredient list called for a little more candied citrus peel, mine felt like it was missing that bright zing I remember from the Christmas puddings I had as a kid visiting family in Manchester. I added an extra tablespoon of mixed peel halfway through mixing and it was perfect for my taste. Still a great base recipe!
I hosted a British themed holiday potluck this year and knew I had to make a proper Christmas pudding as the centerpiece. This recipe did not disappoint! I served it with both brandy butter and custard so people could pick their topping, and every last bite was gone by the end of the night. So many people asked for the recipe I already sent the link to our whole group chat. SO good!
First time making Christmas pudding and I was so intimidated by the long cook time and maturing process, but the instructions were super clear and easy to follow! I’m not the most confident baker and I pulled this off without a single hiccup. My whole family said it was the best holiday dessert they’ve ever had, which is the highest compliment coming from my very critical Italian grandma.
Really great recipe! Only reason I’m not giving it 5 stars is because I wish there was a note about how much water to add to the pot for steaming, and how often to top it up. I almost boiled my pot dry twice during the 8 hour cook because I didn’t realize how fast the water evaporates! Other than that, the flavor was immaculate, perfectly spiced, so rich.
Just finished making this for our annual family ski trip Christmas dinner! I packed the cooled, matured pudding in my cooler to bring up to the cabin, and I’m going to reheat it on the cabin stove tonight after we open presents. I tested a small edge piece when I finished making it last week and it was incredible, I can already tell it’s going to be a hit with the whole crew. Pro tip: add a little pinch of clove to the batter if you love extra warm spices, it’s chef’s kiss!
Y’all, I was skeptical about a steamed dessert, I’ve only ever baked or fried desserts for holidays, but this was insane. The texture is so moist and dense, not at all cakey like I expected, and the spices are perfectly balanced. I served it with a dollop of spiced whipped cream instead of brandy butter because I had extra heavy cream on hand, and it was *so* good. My kids loved it, my husband loved it, even my dog was begging for a bite (he didn’t get any, don’t worry).
I’ve been looking for a reliable Christmas pudding recipe ever since my local British import shop closed down a couple years ago, and this is even better than the ones I used to buy there! I did the full 4 week mature, fed it with spiced rum every week, and it had that deep, complex fruity flavor I’ve been craving. I brought a slice to my neighbor who’s from London and she said it tasted exactly like her nan’s. Total win!
Great recipe! I made this for our post-hike holiday potluck with my trail group, and it was the perfect hearty, warm dessert after a cold morning hike in the mountains. I cut back a little on the sugar because I prefer less sweet desserts, and it was perfect for my taste, the dried fruit adds plenty of natural sweetness already. Will definitely make this again next year.
Just pulled my second batch of this pudding out of the steamer! The first one I made 2 weeks ago was so good that my partner asked me to make another one to give to his parents for their Christmas dinner. This is easily going to be our go-to holiday dessert from now on, it’s just so cozy and festive. OMG, the smell alone is worth the 8 hour cook time.
Taste was really good, but I found the suet really hard to track down at my regular grocery store! I ended up having to order it online which added an extra week to my prep time, which was a bummer. If you’re planning to make this, do yourself a favor and source the suet early before you get started. Other than that, the recipe is solid, and the end result was really tasty.