Name: Christmas Pudding Recipe: Rich, Traditional
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 360 min
Total time: 510 min
Ingredients: 4 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins, sultanas, currants); Candied peel + dried figs; Guinness or brandy for soaking; Suet or butter; Brown sugar + breadcrumbs; Flour (eggs, spices); Citrus zest

Introduction

Table of Contents

Christmas Pudding (aka Plum Pudding) is the crowning glory of British holiday tradition: a dark, deeply spiced, boozy fruitcake steamed for hours until intensely moist and fragrant, then flamed with brandy and served with hard sauce or brandy butter. It’s the dessert that makes the whole house smell like Christmas for days. Presented on a white ceramic pedestal with a sprig of holly and blue brandy flames, this Christmas Pudding offers pure Victorian drama and comfort that turns any dinner into a Dickens novel.

Ingredients

For the Christmas Pudding (serves 10–12, one 2-pint / 1.2 L pudding): • 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup golden raisins/sultanas
• 1 cup currants
• ½ cup chopped candied mixed peel
• ½ cup chopped dried figs or dates
• ¾ cup Guinness, dark ale, or brandy
• Zest + juice of 1 orange
• Zest + juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup shredded suet (beef or vegetarian) or cold butter
• 1 cup dark brown sugar
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• ¾ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup chopped almonds or pecans
• 1 large apple, peeled and grated
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp mixed spice (or 1 tsp cinnamon + ½ tsp nutmeg + ¼ tsp each clove/ginger/allspice)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup brandy or dark rum (for feeding after steaming)

For Serving: • Brandy butter, hard sauce, custard, or pouring cream
• Extra brandy for flaming

Step-by-Step Process

Soak the fruit
The night before (or up to 1 week), combine all dried fruit, peel, citrus zest/juice, and Guinness/brandy in a bowl. Cover and let soak.
Mix the pudding
Add suet/butter, sugar, breadcrumbs, flour, nuts, grated apple, eggs, spices, and salt to the soaked fruit. Stir very well—tradition says everyone in the family stirs it and makes a wish!
Prepare basin
Generously butter a 2-pint (1.2 L) heatproof pudding basin. Cut a circle of parchment for the bottom.
Fill & cover
Spoon mixture into basin, pressing down firmly. Leave 1-inch headspace. Cover with pleated parchment and foil (the pleat allows for expansion), tie tightly with string, and make a handle.
Steam
Place on trivet in large pot with simmering water halfway up basin. Cover pot. Steam 6 hours (check water level every hour). Cool completely.
Mature (optional but traditional)
Store in a cool dark place 1–4 weeks, “feeding” with 1 tbsp brandy weekly.
Reheat & serve
Steam for 2 hours on the day of serving. Turn out onto a plate. Warm ¼ cup brandy, pour over, and carefully ignite. Serve flaming with brandy butter.

Tips for Perfect Christmas Pudding

• Start early—flavour improves dramatically with age (even 1 week helps)
• Vegetarian suet works perfectly—same texture
• Make a double batch—one to eat, one to age until next year
• Pleated foil cover is essential—allows pudding to rise
• Test doneness with skewer—should come out clean
• Flame safely—warm brandy first, light with a long match, stand back

Variations and Customisation

• Gluten-Free: use GF breadcrumbs + GF flour
• Alcohol-Free: Use apple juice or black tea instead of booze
• Chocolate Christmas Pudding: add ½ cup cocoa + chocolate chips
• Lighter Version: reduce suet by half, add extra apple
• Scottish Clootie Dumpling: boil in a floured cloth instead of a basin
• Individual Puddings: steam in ramekins 1½–2 hrs

Storage and Serving Tips

• Improves for months—traditionally made on Stir-Up Sunday (late November)
• Keeps 1 year in a cool dark place—feed monthly with brandy
• Reheat by steaming 2 hours—never microwave
• Quick refresh: steam 30 min or microwave slices 30 seconds
• Freeze up to 2 years—defrost slowly
• Serve with brandy butter, custard, or pouring cream

Nutritional Information

Based on 12 servings:
• Calories: 460 kcal
• Total Fat: 18g
• Carbohydrates: 68g (Sugars 48g)

FAQ

1. What if I don’t have a pudding basin?
Use a heatproof bowl + foil cover. Same method.

2. Can I make it last-minute?
Yes—steam once for 6 hours and serve. Still delicious.

3. My pudding is dry—what happened?
You over-steamed or didn’t feed it. Next time, wrap tighter.

4. Vegetarian version?
Use vegetarian suet or cold, grated butter—works perfectly.

5. How do I flame it safely?
Warm brandy in a small pan, pour it over the pudding, light it immediately with a long match, and dim the lights.

Conclusion

This Christmas Pudding is pure holiday alchemy—dark, rich, and impossibly moist, with flavours that deepen like a fine wine the longer it ages. One steaming bowl was carried to the table, flames dancing blue, and suddenly everyone was singing carols and fighting over seconds. Make it once, and it becomes your family’s new sacred tradition—the dessert that turns Christmas dinner into legend and makes December feel truly magical.