Easy English Plum Pudding (2024)

History

Christmas pudding or plum pudding originated as a savory steamed dish in medieval times, but by the Victorian era, it had been transformed into a more tasty, sweet mixture of suet, expensive sweet spices, and dried fruit soaked in alcohol. The mixture was shaped into a ball, wrapped tightly in a pudding cloth, and steamed.

The pudding was traditionally served at the end of Christmas dinner. The hostess would set the pudding alight with flaming brandy, and then carry it into the dining room to cheers and applause from the diners. Once the flames died out, the pudding was decorated with a sprig of holly, and served with brandy butter.

Nowadays, Christmas pudding is typically steamed in a ceramic basin rather than in a pudding cloth, and the suet is often substituted with vegetarian suet or butter. The long, rich history of plum pudding and its delicious flavor makes it a special dessert to enjoy each Christmas.

Why This Recipe Works

• There's a variety of fruit. A mixture of raisins, sultanas (golden raisins), currants, apricots, and prunes add flavor, and a little fresh apple adds texture.
• The fruit is soaked in brandy. This adds flavor and moisture to the pudding, and also helps preserve it during the aging process.
• It's steamed for at least 4 hours. This cooks the pudding and caramelizes the sugars in the batter, creating a delicious flavor.
• It's aged for at least 4 weeks. This allows the flavors to mature, improving the flavor of the plum pudding.

Ingredients

Most plum puddings contain quite a few ingredients--but most of them you probably already have in your fridge or pantry. Let's discuss the key ingredients in this British Christmas dessert.

• Dried Fruit: The "plum" in plum pudding refers to dried fruit in general, so choose whatever fruits you like; simply keep it at least half raisins. In this recipe, we use raisins, sultanas, currants, prunes, dried apricots, and a Golden Delicious apple.
• Alcohol: Brandy is the most popular choice, but rum works well too.
• Butter: Suet would be the traditional fat, but unfortunately it is hard to find and is expensive in the US, so we developed this recipe to use unsalted butter instead.
• Breadcrumbs: This was originally used as a filler, but they also lighten the texture.
• Baking Powder: Many traditional recipes didn't include baking powder, but we do for a lighter texture.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How to Make Plum Pudding

Gather the ingredients for the plum pudding.

1. Peel and dice the apple, then mix it with all the dried fruit, orange juice, and brandy. Cover and let stand for at least 1 hour (preferably overnight) to allow the fruit to absorb the liquid. (image 1)
2. Meanwhile, beat the butter with a handheld electric mixer until smooth and lightened in color, then add the sugar and beat until somewhat fluffy. (image 2)

3. Add the molasses and orange zest, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Add a spoonful of the flour with each egg to prevent the batter from curdling. Gently fold in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and breadcrumbs until evenly mixed. (image 3)
4. Stir in the soaked fruit, along with any liquid that's in the bowl. Make sure the fruit is evenly distributed in the batter. Grease the pudding basin with butter and place a circle of parchment paper in the bottom. (image 4)

5. Pack the batter into the prepared pudding basin. (image 5)
6. Cover the plum pudding with greased parchment paper and foil, tying a string around the edge to seal. Make a string handle for easy removal later. (image 6)

7. Place a metal jam jar lid in the bottom of a large Dutch oven to act as a trivet. Place the pudding basin on top of the lid and fill the pot with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the pudding basin. Cover and bring the pot to a boil, then reduce for a simmer and cook for 4-6 hours, topping up the pot with more boiling water as needed. (image 7)
8. The plum pudding should be a rich, dark brown. (image 8)

9. A skewer should come out clean when inserted into the middle. Remove the pudding's cover and let it cool completely. (image 9)
10. Re-cover the plum pudding with parchment, foil, and string as you did before (although don't grease the parchment). Store in a cool, dark place for at least 4 weeks to allow the pudding to mature. (image 10)

11. When you're ready to serve the plum pudding, steam it for 1 ½ to 2 hours to reheat it, then turn it out onto the serving plate. (image 11)
12. Flame with brandy and serve with brandy butter. (image 12)

Recipe FAQs

Serve

• Steam the pudding for 1-1 ½ hours to reheat it.
• Warm a ladle of brandy over three tealight candles, then slightly tip the ladle near the flame to ignite the brandy. Pour the flaming liquid over the warm Christmas pudding for a dramatic display.
• Serve plum pudding warm with brandy butter, hard sauce, or custard.
• Reheating Leftovers: Leftover pudding can be reheated in the microwave or in a low oven if desired.

If you are looking for other British desserts, make sure to try our recipes for figgy pudding, Lincolnshire plum bread, cinnamon raisin rolls, mincemeat tarts, and brandy butter.

Store

• Aging: After the pudding is initially cooked and is ready to age, let it cool completely and recover it with a fresh layer of parchment and foil. Securely tie a string under the lip of the basin and add a string handle.
• Covering: After reheating the Christmas pudding, seal it tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
• Freezing: For longer storage, wrap any leftovers in foil and seal it in a zip-top freezer bag and freeze for up to 1 year.
• Thawing: Thaw at room temperature, then keep it well sealed until ready to warm up and serve.

Expert Tips

• Be sure to soak the fruit before you use it. This step adds additional flavor.
• Change up the dried fruits as you desire. For example, swap out the prunes and apricots for dates, figs, or dried cranberries. Make sure the weight of the dried fruits adds up to 1 lb 1 oz or 500g.
• Steam it for 4-6 hours. This time is crucial to caramelize the sugars, making the pudding a darker brown and giving it a richer flavor.
• Make sure it ages for at least 4 weeks before serving. It needs the time for the flavors to mature. (As long as it's stored in a cool, dark place, it shouldn't go moldy or spoil. The alcohol and the sugar from the dried fruit can preserve it for well over a year.)
• If you want to freeze this, let it age before freezing it. The cold air of the freezer halts the maturing process.

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