A traditional steamed Christmas pudding (plum pudding), served with a warm butter and rum sauce. This Christmas pudding recipe is made without suet.
I grew up with this Christmas pudding. Truth be told, the rum sauce was always my favourite part :) I suspect I’m not alone in that, but the pudding itself is not to be overlooked. Warm and full of fruit, it tastes like the season and is a wonderful, traditional addition to a holiday meal.
As noted above, this Christmas pudding is made without suet, which is becoming increasingly difficult to source as the years pass. Suet is replaced with frozen and grated vegetable shortening, which provides the same high melting point as suet and brings the needed moistness and texture to the pudding.
Ingredients and substitutions
A few notes about the key ingredients …
Solid vegetable shortening – This Christmas pudding recipe replaces the typical suet with vegetable shortening. This is the boxed solid shortening, such as Crisco.
Like suet, vegetable shortening melts more slowly, so it will stay solid longer. This will bring moisture to the pudding without it becoming greasy.
If you don’t want to use vegetable shortening, you could certainly use suet or frozen butter instead, in equal quantities. You’ll want to work quickly if using butter to avoid the butter warming too much, to avoid a greasy, heavy pudding.
Mixed peel – I know a lot of people aren’t fond of peel. No problem. Just replace it with more dried fruit!
Mixed dried fruit – This is a bit of a catch-all and can be any dried fruit you’d like to add. You can simply use more raisins, or add in some dried cranberries or cherries, dried apricots, prunes or dates. Each will bring a different flavour to your pudding. This is an opportunity to be creative if you like. I added a few red and green leftover glacé cherries to my pudding.
Fresh bread crumbs – Be sure to use fresh bread that is run through a processor into crumbs, or simply tear or cut into very small pieces. Do not use dried bread crumbs.
How to make Christmas pudding
This is a visual summary of the steps to make this recipe. Always refer to the complete instructions in the Recipe Card below when making the recipe.
- Start by combining the dried fruits and nuts in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the fruit and stir together.
- Grate the frozen vegetable shortening into the bowl, then use your fingertips to incorporate it evenly with the fruit.
- Add the bread crumbs and brown sugar to the bowl.
- Add the grated apple and carrot to the bowl.
- Add the egg and cold coffee, and stir together the batter.
- Add the batter to a greased steaming bowl or tin. (I used a 7-cup glass Pyrex bowl here, but could have gotten away with a 5 or 6-cup bowl. Make sure your bowl will fit into your steaming pot with at least an inch between the pudding and the pot, and that the pudding batter doesn’t fill more than about 2/3 of the bowl, to allow for expansion.
- Cover the bowl with parchment paper and then a top layer of aluminum foil and tie closed with string.
- To steam the pudding, bring 4-5 inches of water to a simmer in a large pot. Place a metal English muffin ring or metal tart shell in the bottom of the pot.
- Gently place the prepared pudding into the pot, resting it on top of the metal ring. Cover the pot and steam the pudding for 3-4 hours or until the pudding tests clean when tested with a cake tester.
- When done, remove the pudding from the pot and uncover. Allow the pudding to cool completely in the bowl, then replace the parchment and foil covering with fresh ones and store the pudding in the bowl in a cool, dark place for ideally 2-3 weeks, but even a few days will improve the flavour and texture.
How to steam a Christmas pudding
Puddings such as this Christmas pudding are typically steamed in a large covered pot on the stovetop. While I haven’t tried any other methods, you can also steam pudding in a slow cooker or an Instant Pot. How-tos for these other methods can be found on the internet if you’d like to try one.
Here we’ll focus on the stovetop pudding steaming method.
- Add the pudding batter to a glass bowl or metal pudding tin. (Be sure to leave room for expansion of the batter. Fill the pudding tin no more than 2/3 full.) *See photo 8 above
- Cover the top of the bowl with a sheet of parchment paper, then cover tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil. Use a string to tie the parchment/foil closed tightly around the outside, securing it with string. *If you like, you can also use a string to make a “handle” for easy removal of the pudding. Tie a doubled-up string to opposite sides of the pudding bowl, attaching it to the string running around the outside, allowing a bit of excess to grab hold of to lift the pudding out of the pot. *See photo 9 above
- Bring about 4 inches of water to a simmer in a large pot (with a lid). Place a metal English muffin ring or a metal tart shell pan on the bottom of the pan. *See photo 10 above
- Gently place the wrapped pudding into the pot, centring it on the metal ring. The water should come about 1/2 way up the side of the pudding. If not, add additional hot water. *See photo 11 above
- Place the lid on the pot and steam the pudding as directed, checking every hour to make sure the water level is sufficient and adding additional water if needed.
- Cook the pudding until it tests clean with a cake tester. *see photo 12 above
Recipe tips!
- Be sure to generously grease your pudding bowl or tin for easy removal of the cooked pudding. You can place a small round of buttered parchment in the bottom of the bowl if you like, as well.
- Steaming time will vary depending on the shape of your steaming bowl or tin. Test the pudding at 3 hours, but steam longer, as needed.
- Christmas pudding is often left in the steaming bowl for storage, as many like to re-steam the pudding to warm it. If you will just be microwaving to rewarm, you can remove the pudding from the bowl once cooled and wrap it tightly to store.
- Holly is a typical decoration for a Christmas pudding, but I recommend artificial holly, as holly berries are poisonous to pets and humans.
- As noted above, the sauce is the best part of Christmas pudding. While I like to pour some over the top of the whole pudding to serve, be sure to pass extra at the table.
Making ahead, storing and freezing Christmas pudding
Ideally, Christmas pudding is best made 2-3 weeks ahead, but even a few days of “aging” is beneficial for the flavour and texture of the pudding.
Once “aged” the Christmas pudding can be frozen, if you like. You can also freeze leftover baked Christmas pudding.
To reheat, you can re-steam it for an hour or so, or simply microwave it to warm it (my preferred method :). If frozen, thaw it still wrapped overnight. The pudding can be microwaved from frozen, in a pinch.
I don’t recommend freezing the butter rum sauce, but you can certainly make it ahead and refrigerate it, where it will keep well for several days. Reheat in a saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave.
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Get the Recipe: Christmas Pudding (without suet)
Ingredients
For the Christmas pudding:
- 1/2 cup seedless raisins (Thompson)
- 1/2 cup seeded raisins , I used Sultanas
- 1/4 cup currants
- 4 oz mixed dried fruit, *see Note 1 below
- 2 oz mixed dried peel, *see Note 2 below
- 1/4 cup slivered or flaked almonds
- 1/2 cup + 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine table salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/2 cup frozen solid vegetable shortening, grated *see Note 3 below
- 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs, *see Note 4 below
- 3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 3/4 cup apple, cored, peeled or unpeeled and shredded
- 1/2 cup carrot, peeled and shredded
- 1 1/2 large eggs, well beaten *see Note 5 below
- 3 Tablespoons cold black coffee
For the butter rum sauce:
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 35% b.f.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 Tablespoons rum, or to taste
Instructions
- Tip! This recipe will make a small pudding, but as Christmas pudding is quite rich, servings will be smaller. This pudding should feed 8-10. You can double the recipe to feed more. Steaming time will increase accordingly.
- Do ahead! Place the measured vegetable shortening into the freezer at least a couple of hours before starting the recipe.
- Prepare a large pot (that has a lid), and that is large enough to hold your pudding bowl or tin with at least an inch open between the outside of the bowl and the pot. Add 4-5 inches of water and bring to a simmer on the stovetop.
- Tip! A glass Pyrex mixing bowl is perfect for steaming puddings. I used a 7-cup one here, which was only filled about 1/2 way with the pudding batter. I could probably have used a 5 or 6-cup bowl. Be sure not to fill the bowl more than about 2/3 full to allow for expansion.
- Prepare a steaming bowl or tin by greasing the inside generously with shortening or cooking spray. Optionally, you can also place a small greased round of parchment paper on the bottom of the bowl to help release the pudding later. Set aside.
- Wash and dry the raisins and currants, and place them into a large bowl. Add the dried mixed fruit, dried peel and almonds to the bowl and stir together.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Add the flour mixture to the bowl with the fruit and stir together well.
- Remove the vegetable shortening from the freezer and use a box grater to grate the shortening into the bowl with the fruit. Using your fingertips, mix the shortening in with the fruit, breaking the shortening into small pieces that are evenly incorporated in the mixture. Add the bread crumbs, brown sugar, shredded apple and shredded carrot and stir together well. Add the coffee to the egg, and add this mixture to the bowl. Stir together well.
- Add the pudding batter to a glass bowl or pudding tin, filling not more than 2/3 full. Place a sheet of parchment paper over the top of the bowl, then a piece of aluminum foil overtop of the parchment. Seal the foil around the edge of the bowl, then use a piece of string to tie the foil around the outside near the top of the bowl. Tying the string with a firm bow instead of a knot makes opening the pudding to test easier later on! Optionally, you can also make a string handle by doubling up a piece of string and attaching it to opposite sides of the string running around the outside of the bowl, allowing a little excess. This will make the removal of the pudding from the pot easier later.
- Add a metal English muffin ring (or a metal tart ring) to the bottom of the pot of simmering water. Gently place the wrapped pudding into the pot, resting it on top of the metal ring. The water should come about 1/2 way up the pudding bowl. Add additional water, if necessary.
- Tip! Steaming time will vary depending on the type and size of the pudding container. Be sure to steam the pudding until the tester indicates a clean result.
- Cover the pot with a lid and steam the pudding for 3-4 hours, checking the pot regularly to make sure there is sufficient water in the pot and that it is gently simmering. Add additional water at any time, if needed. Steam until the pudding tests clean when a cake tester is inserted into the centre of the pudding.
- Tip! You can't really over-steam a pudding, but you can definitely under-steam it. Be sure to test to check for doneness rather than relying on time.
- Carefully remove the pudding from the pot, uncover and let cool in the bowl or tin until completely cooled. If you intend to re-steam the pudding later to serve, leave the pudding in the bowl and cover tightly with fresh parchment and aluminum foil. If you expect to reheat the pudding in the microwave, you can remove the pudding from the bowl and wrap it tightly to store. Store the pudding in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks
- To reheat, re-steam the pudding in the bowl for 45-60 minutes or simply microwave to reheat. To serve, place the rewarmed pudding upside down onto a serving plate and pour warm butter rum sauce over the top. Use a spoon or a knife to portion out small pieces of pudding (it's quite rich, so small servings are fine) and pass additional butter rum sauce.
- For the butter rum sauce: Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Simmer the sauce for 2-3 minutes to thicken. Carefully taste the sauce (it's hot!!) and add additional rum, if desired. Serve immediately or transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until needed. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan or in the microwave.
- Tip! Christmas pudding freezes well if making well ahead or for leftovers.
Notes
More Christmas dessert recipes to love!
Hi! I’m Jennifer, a home cook schooled by trial and error and almost 40 years of getting dinner on the table! I love to share my favourite recipes, both old and new, together with lots of tips and tricks to hopefully help make your home cooking enjoyable, stress free, rewarding and of course, delicious!
