Traditional Steamed Figgy Pudding
intro
A rich, warmly spiced steamed dried fruit pudding, a classic British Christmas staple with moist, boozy, fruit-forward bites perfect for festive holiday gatherings.
Ingredients
Steps
Soak dried fruit
Place 150g chopped stemmed dried mission figs and 80g golden raisins in a small glass bowl, pour over 45ml (3 tbsp) brandy, stir to fully coat the fruit, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and leave to soak at room temperature for 30 minutes to allow the fruit to plump and absorb brandy flavor.
Mix dry ingredients
In a large 3L mixing bowl, whisk together 120g fresh white breadcrumbs, 100g shredded vegetable suet, 75g dark brown soft sugar, 50g all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp ground mixed spice, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, and 1 tbsp fresh orange zest until evenly blended, using your fingertips to break up any small clumps of suet for a uniform texture.
Mix pudding batter
Add the soaked brandied fruit (including any residual brandy in the soaking bowl), 1 beaten large egg, and 60ml whole milk to the dry ingredient mix. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon for 60 seconds until you have a thick, sticky, uniformly dark brown batter with no hidden pockets of dry flour.
Prep steaming mold
Grease the interior of a 1.2L (5-cup) heatproof ceramic pudding basin generously with 1 tbsp softened unsalted butter. Spoon the batter into the basin, pressing firmly with the back of a spoon to eliminate air gaps. Cut a circle of baking paper and a circle of aluminum foil, each 5cm wider than the basin rim, fold a 2cm pleat across the center of both layers, and secure tightly over the basin top with kitchen twine to create a steam-proof seal.
Steam the pudding
Set a wire metal trivet in the bottom of a large 8L stockpot, place the sealed pudding basin on the trivet, then pour boiling water into the pot until the water reaches halfway up the sides of the basin. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, bring the water to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, and steam for 2.5 hours, checking the water level every 30 minutes and topping up with boiling water as needed to prevent the pot from boiling dry.
Unmold and serve
Use oven tongs to carefully lift the hot pudding basin from the pot, peel off the foil and parchment lid, and let the pudding rest for 10 minutes at room temperature. Run a small paring knife around the inner edge of the basin to loosen the pudding, then invert it onto a warm ceramic serving plate. Warm the remaining 30ml (2 tbsp) brandy in a small saucepan over low heat for 30 seconds, carefully ignite it with a long-reach match, and pour the flaming brandy over the top of the pudding for a dramatic tableside presentation.
Tips
2.Never let the steaming water reach a rolling boil, as this can cause water to seep past the basin seal and make the pudding soggy; maintain a steady, gentle simmer for the full cooking time.
3.For a deeper, more complex traditional flavor, mature the fully cooked, cooled pudding for up to 4 weeks: wrap it in brandy-soaked cheesecloth, store in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, and drizzle 1 tbsp of brandy over the cheesecloth once per week before re-steaming to serve.
OMG this figgy pudding was the absolute star of our family Christmas dinner last weekend! I was so intimidated by the 3+ hour cook time and medium difficulty rating, but it was way more straightforward than I expected. My 7 and 9 year old kept sneaking bites off the platter before we even served it with hard sauce! SO good, this will be a non-negotiable holiday tradition for us from now on.
Okay, confession time — this is the first steamed pudding I’ve ever attempted, and I was fully convinced I’d mess up the steaming step! I followed the directions exactly, set a timer to check the water level every 30 minutes like the recipe note recommended, and it came out SO moist and flavorful. The only tiny tweak I made was adding a pinch of extra nutmeg because I’m obsessed with warm spices. Total game changer for holiday desserts, I can’t wait to make it again next year!
My grandma used to make figgy pudding every Christmas when I was growing up, but she never wrote down her exact recipe, so I was so excited to test out this traditional version! The texture was exactly how I remembered — dense but not heavy, packed with warm fig and spice flavor. My kids thought it sounded weird at first (they’re used to frosted sugar cookies at Christmas, duh) but after one bite they asked for seconds. Saved this to my permanent holiday recipe folder for sure!
Solid recipe, though I will say it took me almost 4 hours total between prep and steaming instead of the listed 3.5 hours, so make sure you block extra time if you’re a slow chopper like me! Flavor was spot on, not too sweet, perfect with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream on top. I brought half of it to my friend’s ugly sweater party last night and people kept hounding me for the recipe. Knocked a star off only because the cook time felt a little off for a beginner like me!