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Hi Bold Bakers!
What To Expect From This Recipe: Honestly, my mum’s Christmas Pudding is the BEST. Her decades of experience making this for us each year is more than enough authority on the subject. It’s dark, boozy, loaded with fruit, and really soft — but the best part is that it’s easy. In Ireland, a “pudding” is a cake that’s steamed instead of baked, and you can make this one months in advance. You’re going to love it! I have you covered for Christmas Pudding recipes and guides including How to Steam a Christmas Pudding, my Last Minute Christmas Pudding, a Simplified Mincemeat Christmas Pudding and even a Microwave Christmas Pudding!
I know you will because I love it so much and I only get to eat it once a year. Can you believe that I only now thought to ask her for the recipe?
What Is A Christmas Pudding?
It’s essentially a really soft, moist, amazing fruit cake that’s similar to a traditional Christmas Cake. You can make it in October and store it for months, too, adding to the flavor and texture. My biggest fear was that regardless of following my mum’s recipe that it just wouldn’t turn out like how my mum makes hers, but it was PERFECTION! It’s bite-for-bite everything I love about my mum’s pudding.
So where did she learn to make it over the years?
I asked her where the recipe came from and she thinks it might have been originally a ‘Stork‘ recipe, which is a brand of Irish Margarine. They bring out booklets of recipes around Christmas so, it’s likely that is where it originally came from, but knowing my mum she has probably adapted it over the years.
Being far away from home during the holidays is hard so it is so comforting to be able to have a little taste of home with me in Los Angeles.
Let’s Talk Alcohol
Yes, this recipe uses alcohol. It’s the classic, traditional way to make a Christmas pudding. Luckily, as long as it’s dark booze, you can choose between whiskey, rum, or brandy, and you’ll still get amazing results no matter which you fancy.
About The Fruit
You can follow my mum’s traditional mix of fruit down below in the written recipe, but if you don’t have all of it, or have your own preferences, you can swap any of it out. Use what you love or is accessible — this is a very flexible recipe, so don’t be concerned.
Steaming Cakes vs. Baking Cakes
I’ll let you in on a little secret: baking uses dry heat and can lead to cakes that are less than ideally moist. Steaming a cake, or a pudding as we say, is easy and makes for a seriously moist cake that might just blow your mind. If you want all of my best tips for it, check out my article on How To Steam A Christmas Pudding for an in-depth look at the process.
What You Need To Make A Christmas Pudding
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1.5-liter pudding basin or 3-pint pudding bowl
- Cling wrap
- Large saucepan
How To Steam A Christmas Pudding
Less baking, more steaming. Honestly, it’s simple! You can check out my full How To Steam A Christmas Pudding for an in-depth guide, but just know that it’s a low-and-slow process — this cake steams for 2.5 hours. Get the full recipe down below, and remember, if you run into trouble, leave us a comment! We respond to them all.
Gemma’s Quick Tips For Making Christmas Puddings
- The liquor you need to use is a dark one but you can choose between whiskey, rum, or brandy for your pudding.
- If you don’t have all the dried fruit accessible then you can do one pound of any mixed dried fruit.
- Although not traditional, dried cranberries would make a lovely addition to the pudding in place of some of the dried fruit.
- Make your puddings as early as October giving them time to develop more flavor and nicer, moist texture.
- For this dessert you need fresh breadcrumbs, you can easily make your own by following my recipe.
- Serve with whipped cream or Homemade Brandy Butter.
In The Christmas Spirit Yet?
Check out my other traditional Irish Christmas recipes like How to Make Traditional Mincemeat, Aunty Rosaleen’s Christmas Cake, and Homemade Mince Pies!
Make More Pudding Recipes!
- Last Minute Christmas Pudding
- Simplified Mincemeat Christmas Pudding
- Microwave Christmas Pudding
- Classic Steamed Treacle Pudding
- Perfectly Steamed Marmalade Pudding
- Gingerbread Pudding
And don’t forget to buy my NEW Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day Cookbook!
Try These Recipes!
My Mum's Christmas Pudding Recipe
Ingredients
The Night Before
- 1 ¼ cups (6oz/170g) raisins
- 1 cup (5oz/142g) sultanas
- 1 cup (5oz/142g) currants
- ¼ cup (1oz/28g) prunes, chopped
- 1 small lemon, rind and juice
- ¾ Cup/5oz/142mls Cider (European style) (or Guinness, cider makes a lighter pudding)
- 1 tablespoon (½floz/15ml) dark rum (brandy or whiskey)
The Next Day
- 1 stick (4oz/115g) butter, softened
- ⅔ cup (4oz/115g) dark brown sugar
- ¾ cup (4oz/115g) all purpose-flour
- ½ teaspoon mixed spice
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¾ cups (4oz/115g) fresh bread crumbs
- ⅔ cup (2oz/58g) ground almonds
- 2 tablespoons (¾oz/21g) dark chocolate, grated
- ½ teaspoon coffee essence, optional
- 1 medium Granny Smith cooking, peeled and grated Bramley apple in UK and Ireland
Instructions
The Night Before:
- In a large bowl, soak all the dried fruit overnight with the lemon rind and juice, cider and rum. Cover and leave at room temperature for at least 12 hours. The cider here is the European style alcoholic style cider, though the American style cider could also be used.
The Next Day:
- Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
- In a seperate bowl, add the flour, spices, baking soda and salt and whisk together to combine.
- Add dry ingredients into the butter mixture and fold together.
- Add the eggs, beating in one at a time.
- Next, stir in the breadcrumbs, ground almonds, grated chocolate and coffee essence (if using).
- Lastly stir in the grated apple and the soaked fruit mixture. Now cover and set aside to stand for 2 hours on the counter top, stirring occasionally.
- Pour pudding mix into a 1.5 litre/3 pint pudding bowl, cover well and gently steam for roughly 2 ½ hours. (See How to steam a Christmas Pudding for more details).
- Once the pudding is firm to the touch on top it is done. Remove from the pot and allow to cool down completely in the basin.
- Replace the parchment and foil with new pieces before storing the pudding away in a cupboard for as long as 2 months or until Christmas time. It can also be frozen.
- To serve the pudding on Christmas day, steam again for 1 hour and serve hot. Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Hello, could you tell me alternative ways to heat up on the day. Particularly microwaving whilst not spoiling it or steaming in a slow cooker? Thank you
H Gemma, I’m making 2 puddings tomorrow and I have a couple of questions. How high should the water level be in the pot for steaming, and is this a lighter pudding because of the shorter steaming time? I’ve only seen recipes with much longer steaming times.
Thank you.
Hi Gemma, I use my mother- in-laws recipe yearly. Was wondering why we need breadcrumbs. I do use them but have found they can go blue mold. Am I doing something wrong. Any help greatly appreciated
Just found this recipe and want to try it… is it too late for this year?
Do you steam the pudding in the oven or on the stove? What is the temperature? Thanks, Nathalie
Do you use a ceramic mold? I use metal pudding molds and I am not sure if it would be good, or healthy, to store it in a metal mold.
What is cider that is mentioned? I only know apple cider vinegar. Is it that?
Could you describe the process of steaming it in a water bath please
Hi Gemma
Someone asked me if we could bake this Christmas pudding in oven with water bath. If yes then what would be the temperature and time required for this ?
Thanks a lot
Can I use rum flavoring or leave out the rum in this recipe?