Name: Homemade Christmas Pudding, Step by Step
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: PT-491425H48M50S
Total time: 9 h 30 min
Cuisine: English
Ingredients: 350 Grams (3 1/4 Cup) Fresh White Breadcrumbs; 350 Grams (2 3/4 Cup + 1 1/2 Tablespoons) All-Purpose/ Plain Flour; 1 Teaspoon Salt; 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger; 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg; 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon; 1 Teaspoon Mixed Spice, you could substitute Pumpkin Pie Spice; 225 Grams (1 1/8 Cup) Dark Brown Sugar; 225 Grams (1 1/8 Cup) Granulated Sugar; 175 Grams (1 3/4 Cup) Mixed Candied Peel, finely chopped,; 275 Grams (Just Shy of 2 cups) Currants; 225 Grams (1 1/2 Cups) Sultanas; 450 Grams (1lb) Seedless Raisins; 175 Grams (1 1/2 Cups) Chopped Almonds; 2 Medium Cooking or Granny Smith Apples, chopped; Zest & Juice of 1 Lemon; Zest & Juice of 1 Orange; 3 Large Eggs; 5oz Milk; 5 Tablespoons Brandy, I also love using Cointreau; 12oz (1 1/2 Cup) Salted Butter or Suet

This Christmas Pudding Recipe is a traditional English dessert served on Christmas Day. Best made weeks ahead of time so you can feed the pudding with Brandy, this classic, traditional dessert is always a winner. Step-by-step photos teach you how to make this Christmas pudding.

christmas pudding on a cake plate on a light brown and grey surface with a christmas linen, christmas cracker and cranberries

Growing up my mother always did a lot of cooking and baking during the Christmas season. Some of the staples made were pickled onions, mince pies, sausage rolls, shortbread, and this homemade Christmas Pudding recipe!

You've probably never had anything quite like a Christmas Pudding, this is an incredibly rich, dense, pudding filled with lots of dried fruits and spices then the cake is "fed" with brandy as the weeks leading up to Christmas. The way we cook this dessert is to steam the puddings in a large pot filled with water over the stove.

Since the pudding itself is so rich you just need a small slice, so it goes a long way. Some people enjoy Christmas pudding with custard, cream, brandy sauce, or brandy butter. Either way, this is sure to be a real treat!

christmas pudding slice with a dollop of brandy butter on a white plate on top of a christmas linen with a cup of coffee in the background on a light brown surface

Meet the Ingredients Behind Holiday Tradition

The ingredient list may look long for this pudding recipe but the process is pretty much dumping everything together and mixing, super easy!

This recipe is on the larger side as when I make Christmas pudding I like to just make a big batch so I can give Christmas Puddings as gifts to some people I love. Out of this recipe, I make two (48oz) size puddings as well as 6 (3-inch) individual puddings.

Dried & Candied Fruit (currants, sultanas, raisins, candied peel): Provide sweetness, chew and depth of flavour.
Fresh Breadcrumbs + Flour: Create the pudding's body and help bind the mix.
Spices (ground ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, mixed spice): Give the pudding its signature warm holiday flavour.
Eggs, Milk & Butter (or suet): Add richness, moisture and texture.
Brandy (or other liquor): Used both in the mix and for weekly "feeding" to deepen the flavour over time.

Mix, Steam & Age the Pudding

Christmas pudding ingredients in a large pot on a light brown surface — Mix the breadcrumbs, flour, salt, spices, sugars, candied peel, currants, sultanas, raisins, almonds, apples, and the zest and juice of the lemon and orange.

eggs and liquor whisked together in a liquid measuring cup on a light brown surface — Mix the breadcrumbs, flour, salt, spices, sugars, candied peel, currants, sultanas, raisins, almonds, apples, and the zest and juice of the lemon and orange.

eggs and brandy poured into dry ingredients in a metal pot on a light brown surface with a blue linen — Pour the egg mixture into the large dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined,

Christmas pudding mixture in a metal pot on a light brown surface — Pour the egg mixture into the large dry ingredients and stir until evenly combined,

milk added to Christmas pudding in a metal pot on a light brown surface — Next, mix in the milk.

christmas pudding mix in a metal pot on a light brown surface — Next, mix in the milk.

knife spreading christmas pudding mixture into pudding basin on a light brown surface — Portion out the pudding mixture into pudding basins and use a butter knife to spread it into an even layer.

A baking tray with six round molds filled with unbaked fruitcake batter, featuring visible pieces of fruit and nuts—perfect for making festive Christmas Pudding. The tray rests on a light-colored countertop. — Portion out the pudding mixture into pudding basins and use a butter knife to spread it into an even layer.

At this point you could wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge then cook in a few days.

parchment paper folded with a lip and placed on top of the Christmas pudding on a light brown surface — Take a large piece of parchment paper and fold it so that there is a little overlap/ fold in the center then place it over the top of the pudding, this is easiest done with two people.

parchment paper tied with twine to the top of the pudding basin and a hand showing the lip to lift the pudding basin on a light brown surface — Next, take a piece of twine and wrap it around the top of the pudding, twice to securely keep the parchment paper in place. Creating the parchment fold in the center helps you easily move the pudding.

christmas pudding before cooking on a light brown surface — Tie the twine into a tight knot then cut off the excess parchment paper. We have also done this with large rubber bands.

christmas pudding cooking in a large white and black pot on a light brown surface — Tie the twine into a tight knot then cut off the excess parchment paper. We have also done this with large rubber bands.

angled spatula releasing pudding from basin on a light brown surface — The pudding will be very dark when done. Once cool remove the pudding from the basin, I find it easiest to use an angled spatula to help ease out.

christmas pudding wrapped in parchment paper on a light brown surface — Wrap the pudding parchment paper then flip over and wrap again.

christmas pudding wrapped in two layers of parchment paper and held together with rubber bands on a light brown surface — Then I use two rubber bands to secure it in place. Store in a cool, dry place.

How do you feed Christmas pudding

You can serve the pudding as is or if you prefer you can feed the pudding with Brandy once a week until ready to serve on Christmas Day.

feeding the christmas pudding with brandy on top of a parchment paper on a light brown surface — To feed the Christmas pudding you can use a small skewer to poke holes into the cake and use a pastry brush to brush the pudding with a tablespoon or two of brandy, cider, or rum each week.

christmas pudding on a speckled plate on a christmas linen

individual christmad pudding on a white plate on a christmas linen on a light brown surfaace

How do you serve Christmas pudding

When ready to serve the Christmas pudding on Christmas Day, I suggest steaming it again for an hour or warming it in the microwave will not affect the quality.

Serve on a heatproof dish and if you'd like you can carefully pour slightly warmed brandy on top of the pudding and carefully light the pudding on fire with a long match for a special Christmas presentation! Wait for the fire to extinguish before serving the pudding.

Serve with fresh whipped cream, English Custard, or room temperature Brandy Butter.

Check out all of my homemade custard and pudding recipes.

half eaten slice of christmas pudding and brandy butter on a stack of white plates on a christmas linen on a light brown surface with a cup of coffee

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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