Traditional British Christmas pudding is a make-ahead, steamed, fruit filled dessert, also known as plum pudding, which is set alight when served. It is beautiful culmination of many British Christmas dinners.
One of the main goals of my site is to introduce and promote British food to my readers–you probably already know that. So, the fact that I don’t have a recipe for Christmas Pudding on my site, five years later, is somewhat of a crime.
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What is Christmas Pudding?
Pudding, as Americans know it, is a soft, dairy type dessert, like custard, but to Brits, it simply means, “dessert”. Christmas Pudding, therefore, is translated to “Christmas Dessert”. You’ve probably also heard it called plum pudding as in Charles Dicken’s classic, A Christmas Carol.
Speaking of Christmas carols, “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” has two references to figgy pudding, which is another name for Christmas pudding:
“Oh, bring us some figgy pudding…” and later, “We all like our figgy pudding…”
As you can see, it’s truly a quintessential British dessert. It is not baked, but steamed (to cook it and reheat it) and then doused with brandy and set alight before serving with brandy sauce or brandy butter. This is part of the Christmas dinner tradition in Britain. It really is a fun way to end the Christmas meal!
The dish itself is unique in that it’s made with mostly dried fruit and breadcrumbs.
NB: Christmas puddings used to include a silver coin or trinket baked inside. The person who found it would supposedly have good luck come their way. I’m not going to suggest that you put anything non-edible into your pudding in case the worst case scenario might happen (we don’t need any choking on Christmas)!
Is Christmas pudding the same as Christmas cake?
Christmas pudding and Christmas cake are two different desserts. The whole Christmas (fruit) cake is baked, then covered in marzipan (almond paste) and royal icing. It usually looks like this:
And once cut, it looks like this. Whereas Christmas pudding has no icing, and isn’t baked.
Christmas pudding is steamed, and served after being doused with brandy and set alight. Christmas cake is baked, and is “fed” with alcohol for months or weeks before serving it on Christmas day (without any pyrotechnics)!
What is Mixed Spice listed in the Ingredients?
Mixed spice is a British spice blend that, contrary to others’ advice, should not have pumpkin spice used in place of it. While both spice mixtures contain similar ingredients, they are used in significantly different quantities, which makes a big difference in the flavor. Don’t worry that you can’t find it in North American store shelves because you can make your own mixed spice using my recipe, which is much less expensive than buying it online.
What Special Equipment do I Need to make a British Christmas Pudding?
You will definitely need a pudding bowl/basin, some parchment paper, aluminum foil and string. A trivet (to go inside one of your pots) is the last item that you might not have on hand in your kitchen.
If you have a Mason Cash bowl, you’ll be using the same ones that Mrs. Patmore and Daisy use in Downton Abbey! In fact, you can see at least seven of the bowls in the photo above, including the exact same one as in my step by step photos below!
When should you make a Christmas pudding?
Traditional British Christmas pudding is usually made weeks before Christmas (about six weeks ahead or more), saving you from making it in the crazy days before the holidays. Actually, a six week old pudding will be considered quite fresh. You can make them up to a year in advance, but even six weeks is a good amount of time.
Here is an extensive list of Christmas cookies that I have curated (all from scratch)
What is “Stir Up Sunday”?
You may have heard this term on social media over the past few years. It is the last Sunday before Advent and reminds those who have not yet made their plum pudding to “stir one up” about a month ahead of time. However, this isn’t its original connotation as it was simply a religious reminder to prepare churchgoers for the upcoming Christmas season.
Is it too late to make Christmas pudding?
If you’re asking this question in December, the short answer is, no, it’s not too late. There’s nothing bad about a fresh Christmas pudding, and nothing makes it inedible. As you read above, it’s just a tradition that the pudding is matured for a few weeks or months. So go ahead and make it and teach your family and friends about the figgy pudding tradition!
Why do we put Brandy on Christmas pudding?
Other than it being a tradition that’s been passed down through the years, one theory is that the flames represent the Passion of Christ. However, given that Christmas is a celebration of Jesus’ birth, that notion doesn’t really make sense to me. What do you think?
How do you Heat up Brandy for Christmas pudding?
You can carefully heat the brandy in a small pot or large metal ladle (I think the pot is safer). The purpose is just to get the brandy hot so it lights easier, but be sure not to boil it. Be especially vigilant when using gas cooktops.
How do you Light a Christmas Pudding?
If you heat the brandy in a pot, pour it over the figgy pudding and carefully light the pudding with a long match. If you heat the brandy in the ladle, you can do the same, or you can light the brandy in the ladle, then pour the alcohol over the pudding which will light from the brandy. Wait for the flame to extinguish before serving the Christmas pudding.
What is this Traditional British Plum Pudding Served with?
Since this is a brandy infused dessert, it only makes sense that the traditional accompaniment is drippy brandy sauce (as seen in the topmost photo) or brandy butter.
You can actually use whisky sauce, or freshly whipped cream, (double cream is even better if you’re in the UK or can manage to find it elsewhere) or custard)! As you can see, there are many options on how to serve a traditional British Christmas pudding.
Another idea for a British Christmas dessert, individual English trifles.
Let me know if you make a plum pudding as I’d love to know what you think! Happy December!
Traditional Christmas Pudding
(aka Plum Pudding or Figgy Pudding)
slightly adapted from A Country Christmas, Lorenz Books
serves 8 (will serve up to 12 with smaller pieces) FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
NOTE: this makes a larger pudding, to make a small one, halve the recipe and use this sized bowl.
Special equipment: a 5 or 6 cup pudding basin/mold like this Mason Cash bowl.
Ingredients
- butter (butter and suet)
- dark brown sugar
- flour
- baking powder
- mixed spice (see recipe in notes if you don’t have any)
- eggs
- fresh breadcrumbs
- sultanas (golden raisins)
- raisins (note: I soaked my raisins in brandy, overnight)
- Zante currants
- apple
- rind of one fresh orange (or lemon)
- juice of one fresh orange or lemon with brandy or rum
- (optional: mixed candied peel)
Butter the pudding bowl and line the bottom with a disc of parchment or waxed paper, and butter the paper, too.
Beat the suet/butter and sugar together until soft.
Then add the flour, eggs, and spices until mixed. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix well. It will look like this. Isn’t it crazy-easy?
Put the mixture into the buttered bowl and flatten the top.
Cut a disc of waxed or parchment paper the size of the top, butter it and place on top of the pudding mixture.
Tear a piece of parchment paper and aluminum foil, large enough to cover the top of the bowl, and go halfway down the sides, and place the foil on top of the parchment. Create a pleat down the center, so that the pudding will have space to expand when cooking.
Place the paper and foil over the pudding basin, then tie some string under the lip of the bowl, leaving extra string to tie over the top to form a handle, tying it on the opposite end.
If you don’t have a steamer, like me, place a trivet in a pot and fill the water so that it’s halfway up the bowl and use a tight fitting lid.
Steam for 6 hours, checking the water level once an hour or so, and topping it up.
Once you’ve taken the bowl out of the pot, remove the aluminum foil and waxed/parchment paper, wipe the bowl and replace with clean paper. Store in a cool place. I had a little peek first! Note: if you don’t want your bowl out of commission for weeks or months, you can remove the pudding from the bowl, replace the waxed/parchment paper at the top and wrap the pudding tightly with aluminum foil and store it without the bowl.
To serve: you can steam it for another two hours, or simply microwave it for a few minutes until it’s piping hot (microwaves are great for heating up puddings such sticky toffee pudding, too)! Let stand for a few minutes before removing from the bowl.
Place on a heatproof serving dish and douse with brandy. Carefully light the plum pudding (please do this in a safe area), then when the flame extinguishes, cut and serve with brandy sauce, brandy butter, whipped cream (without added sugar) or real homemade custard.
If you’re trying to make things in advance for Christmas or to give as holiday gifts, here are a few ideas. Click the photos for the recipes. You can also peruse my Amazon page where I’ve added lots of items that I recommend throughout my posts. (And some of my favorite things, too). 😍
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Traditional British Christmas Pudding (a Make Ahead, Fruit and Brandy Filled, Steamed Dessert)
One of the most traditional British Christmas recipes.
Ingredients
- ½ c (113 g) good quality butter (see notes)
- 1 heaped cup (200 g) dark brown sugar
- ½ cup (70 g) all purpose flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp mixed spice (see recipe in notes if you don't have any)
- 2 cups (100 g) fresh breadcrumbs
- 1 cup (150 g) sultanas (golden raisins)
- 1 cup (150 g) raisins (note: I soaked my raisins in brandy, overnight)
- 1/2 cup (60 g) Zante currants
- 1 small apple, peeled, cored and grated
- finely grated rind of one fresh orange (or lemon)
- juice of one fresh orange or lemon, made up to 5 oz (150 ml) with brandy or rum
- (optional - 3 Tbsp mixed candied peel, chopped)
Instructions
- Butter the pudding bowl and line the bottom with a disc of parchment or waxed paper, and butter the paper, too.
- Beat the suet/butter and sugar together until soft.
- Then add the flour, eggs, and spice until mixed. Then add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
- Put the mixture into the buttered bowl and flatten the top.
- Cut a disc of waxed or parchment paper the size of the top, butter it and place on top of the pudding mixture.
- Tear a piece of parchment paper and aluminum foil, large enough to cover the top of the bowl, and go halfway down the sides, and place the foil on top of the parchment. Create a pleat down the center, so that the pudding will have space to expand when cooking.
- Place the paper and foil over the pudding basin, then tie some string under the lip of the bowl, leaving extra string to tie over the top to form a handle, tying it on the opposite end. If you don't have a steamer, like me, place a trivet in a pot and fill the water so that it's halfway up the bowl and use a tight fitting lid.
- Steam for 6 hours, checking the water level once an hour or so, and topping it up.
- Once you've taken the bowl out of the pot, remove the aluminum foil and waxed/parchment paper, wipe the bowl and replace with clean paper. Store in a cool place.
- To serve: you can steam it for another two hours, OR simply microwave it for a few minutes until it's piping hot! Let stand for a few minutes before removing from the bowl. Place on a heatproof serving dish and douse with brandy. Carefully light the pudding (please do this in a safe area), then when the flame extinguishes, cut and serve with brandy sauce or butter, whipped cream, or custard.
Notes
- If you don't have mixed spice, get the easy recipe to make your own (with spices you already have in your cabinet.
- If you only have light brown sugar, and add a tablespoonful of treacle or molasses.
- You can use ¼ c (57 g) butter and ¼ c (57 g) suet if you want to make the pudding more traditional and don't mind it not being vegetarian if you use real suet)
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1 small sliceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 189Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 38mgSodium: 145mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 18gProtein: 3g
Nutrition information is only estimated.
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I would just like to say as someone who is British, “Brits” is actually a somewhat rude term. Also, no one calls it Christmas dessert. Pudding is often interchangeable with the word dessert, but it does not actually mean dessert.
That being said, lovely recipe!
You do realize that you are writing this to someone who is British? I am not offended by the term, therefore, I use it. If it was truly offensive, there would be no Britbox or Britweek.
As a Brit living in the US, it IS a Christmas dessert to Americans who use the word “pudding” to describe something akin to Angel Delight. I think what you meant to say is that no one in the UK calls it a Christmas dessert.
And thank you, glad you approve of the recipe!
What have I missed, in three readings of the recipe … what happened during the nine (inactive) hours?
Hi Christine, you actually missed nothing, it was me who missed that in the directions! I have no idea how that ended up in the inactive time (it was closer to 10 hours)! Thank you for catching that and I have already edited the post as well as updating the incorrect nutrition information. Hope you enjoy the Christmas pudding if you decide to make it. :)
[…] Interested in a British Christmas tradition? Read all about Christmas Pudding. […]
Can this Christmas Pudding be steamed in an Instant Pot? And if so, how would I do it?
Of course, Patricia. I haven’t used an Instant Pot, but you could definitely make my recipe and then when it comes to cooking it, follow the directions on this recipe. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!
Thank you for sharing the recipe! Can I replace currants with some other dried fruits (cranberries/ apricot ..)?
Absolutely! Enjoy!
This may be a stupid questions, but … how does one get the pudding out of the bowl? Simply by inverting it onto a plate, or do you need a knife to wedge it out? Thank you. I’m making this today to serve on Xmas Eve.
Not a stupid question at all, it actually comes out quite easily after it’s heated! You won’t need a knife. Enjoy, and check back next week or sign up for my emails as I’m sharing a brandy sauce recipe to go with the pudding! :)
Great; thank you! Also, I’m eyeballing the size of the ceramic pudding bowl you used — I don’t think you state a particular size, but it seems that if the bowl holds at least 6 cups, then that would work.
I think the one I link to is the correct size, but that sounds right. It’s pretty typical of an average sized Christmas pudding.
Yes, 6 qt is the size Mason bowl i bought from Amazon, it is the traditional size needed for British steamed puddings.
I do wonder though, as I am working on this recipe, after making the glace cherries and candied citrus peel and raisins soaking in brandy for 2 days….why don’t you use cheesecloth? That is one difference I am weighing when comparing to Mary, Nigella, and BBC recipes.
I’ve never needed to use cheesecloth; what’s the purpose for using it? If it makes it better/easier, okay, but it doesn’t. I think it’s a carryover from the old days when puddings were actually ONLY cooked in cloths, without bowls. We don’t need them now that we use pudding bowls/basins. :) That’s my reasoning.
As a huge Bake Off fan, I decided I want to try to make a steamed pudding this year. I didn’t realize people still made them so far in advance – I thought that was a thing of the past! When do you actually typically make yours?
Hi Anna, I do like to make mine around March. If you follow me, you’ll end up seeing that I like to keep old traditions (mostly British and Italian) as I feel things were done a certain way for a reason. I hate to see lots of old traditions dying, so I’m trying to keep a few alive! :)
Glad you’re a Bake Off fan, it’s wonderful. I got to hang out with Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry before Bake Off came to the US. I was dying (especially when I got to ride in the taxi to go to dinner with them) and couldn’t even tell anyone back home because they didn’t know who they were! However, my British family was impressed, haha! :)
I saved this for last year, but am only getting to make it this Christmas! (SO stoked!!) I had a question though- do you do anything to the pudding once you’ve set it in a cool place? Or do you just completely leave it alone until it’s time to serve (weeks later)? I always thought I heard that a little brandy would be added periodically to it but maybe I’m mixing things up with something else. I just wanted to be sure I checked first so I didn’t ruin anything 😊
Hi Jackie, it’s Christmas cake that’s traditionally boozed up, although I dont’ think it would hurt the pudding.However, the Christmas pudding is doused with brandy and set alight before serving, so it’s really uneccessary. You’ll love it! Enjoy!
Ahh, I see now! Well thank you so much for the speedy reply (making it tomorrow)!!, I’m kind of relieved as I’m not huge on boozy stuff so the idea of just soaking it again and again was iffy. My whole family is so excited to try this out, thank you for sharing it!
Christina, I thought I had read before that the cake should be occassional “fed” with alcohol while waiting to be served Christmas day. Do you have any idea which alcohol, how much and how often? Thanks!
You don’t have to do this with the Christmas pudding because it’s doused with brandy and lit to serve (it is a Christmas cake that gets “fed”). This isn’t a Christmas cake, but a Christmas pudding. :)