Traditional Christmas Pudding

Whole Christmas pudding decorated with holly leaves and red berries on a gold plate.

My Mum's traditional Christmas Pudding recipe, packed with dried fruit, apple, orange and warming spices. Easy to mix together and gently steam, with an optional boozy fruit soak. Make it ahead, then reheat on Christmas Day and serve with custard, cream or brandy butter.

Author: Amy Beth Reid

5 from 4 votes

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British, Christmas

Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 5 30

Total Time: 6

Servings: portions

Want cups or a different batch size? Use the controls below to switch between Metric (UK) and Cups (US) measurements, or adjust the Servings above to change the ingredient quantities. For the most accurate results, I recommend using grams and a digital scale. Serving adjustments are calculated automatically, so you may see some uneven quantities, like half of an egg. Baking times and tin sizes are based on the original recipe and may also need adjusting if you change the quantities.

INGREDIENTS

Metric (UK) • Cups (US)

15 ml Grand Marnier or Brandy (optional; for soaking the fruit)
250 g Raisins
100 g Currants
100 g Sultanas
50 g Dried Mixed Peel
50 g Dried Pitted Dates (finely chopped)
90 g Self-raising Flour (see Self-raising Flour note below)
125 g Shredded Suet (vegetable or beef)
1 tsp Mixed Spice
¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
90 g Dark Muscovado Sugar
30 g Blanched Almonds (chopped)
125 g Fresh Breadcrumbs (fresh)
1 Apple (peeled and grated)
1 Orange (zested and juiced)
2 Free-range Eggs (beaten; at room temperature; see Egg Size note below)
Block Margarine or Butter (for greasing the pudding bowl/basin)

EQUIPMENT

Digital Scales
Measuring Spoons
Large Bowl
Wooden Spoon
1.2 Litre (2-pint) Pudding Basin or Bowl
Greaseproof Paper (Parchment Paper)
Tin Foil (Aluminium Foil)
Large Saucepan
String

INSTRUCTIONS

Soak the Fruit (optional)

If you are using alcohol, pour your chosen alcohol over your dried fruits and leave them to soak overnight. This step is optional.
15 ml Grand Marnier or Brandy

Make the Pudding

In a large bowl, add each ingredient in the order they are listed, stirring as you go to ensure everything is well combined.
250 g Raisins; 100 g Currants; 100 g Sultanas; 50 g Dried Mixed Peel; 50 g Dried Pitted Dates; 90 g Self-raising Flour; 125 g Shredded Suet; 1 tsp Mixed Spice; ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg; 90 g Dark Muscovado Sugar; 30 g Blanched Almonds; 125 g Fresh Breadcrumbs; 1 Apple; 1 Orange; 2 Free-range Eggs
Generously grease a 1.2-litre (2-pint) pudding basin with margarine/butter before spooning the mixture in and pressing it down with the back of a spoon.
Block Margarine or Butter
With a piece of greaseproof paper large enough to cover the pudding bowl/basin, fold a pleat in the middle before placing it over the top of your pudding bowl/basin. Repeat with a piece of tin foil and place on top of the greaseproof paper before tightly tying in place - around the top of the bowl/basin - with a piece of string. Trim away the excess greaseproof paper and tin foil before steaming.

Steaming the Pudding

Place the basin in a large saucepan with about 5-10cm of water around it. Cover the saucepan with its lid and steam gently for around 5½ hours. Check the water and top up with boiling water as needed so the pan never runs dry.
Remove the pudding from the saucepan once cooked. Allow it to cool completely in the bowl/basin, then remove the pudding from the bowl, wrap it in greaseproof paper, followed by tin foil, and store it in a cool and dry place until required.

Reheating the Pudding

Steaming: For the best results, steam your pudding again before serving. Return it to the pudding bowl/basin, cover again with pleated greaseproof paper and foil, and secure with a piece of string. Steam gently for about 2 hours, until heated through - again, checking the water and topping up with boiling water as needed.
Microwave: Remove all foil and use a microwave-safe bowl/basin or dish. As a guide, microwave on full power for 3 minutes, then stand for 1 minute. Heat for a further 2 minutes, then stand for another 1 minute before serving. Microwave powers can vary, so check that the pudding is hot all the way through, including the centre, and heat further if needed.

VIDEO

IMPORTANT NOTE:

All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion, but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.

RECIPE NOTES:

Self-Raising Flour: Don't have self-raising flour? For this recipe, simply whisk together 90g (⅔ cup) plain flour and 1¼ teaspoons baking powder instead. See my Self-raising Flour Ingredient Guide for more information.

Egg Size: I recommend medium eggs in the UK, which are roughly equivalent to large eggs in the US. That's what this recipe has been tested with.

Breadcrumbs: Use fresh breadcrumbs made from white or brown bread - slightly stale bread is fine too. These are different from the dried breadcrumbs sold for coating food - please don't use those in this recipe!

Pudding Bowl/Basin: The steaming and reheating times are for the full recipe in a 1.2-litre (2-pint) pudding bowl/basin. Smaller puddings will need less time, but I haven't tested specific sizes and timings, so keep an eye on your pudding as it steams.

SHOW NUTRITION INFO: HIDE NUTRITION INFO:

Nutrition information is provided as a guide and is based on automatic calculations. Actual values may vary depending on the ingredients and brands used, how the recipe is prepared, and individual portion or serving sizes.