Christmas Pudding
A dark, rich pudding packed with fruit and spice. Make it weeks ahead, steam it long and slow, and feed it brandy.
- Time8 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £1.44 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Put the raisins, sultanas, currants, peel, apple, orange zest and juice and the brandy in a large bowl. Stir, cover and leave overnight to plump up.
720 min - 2
Next day, add the suet, sugar, breadcrumbs, flour, mixed spice and nutmeg to the fruit. Add the eggs and treacle and mix well. Everyone in the house can have a stir and a wish.
- 3
Grease a 1.5 litre pudding basin with butter. Spoon in the mixture and press down. Cover with a pleated layer of baking parchment and foil and tie tightly with string, adding a string handle for lifting.
- 4
Sit the basin on an upturned saucer in a large pan. Pour in boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Cover and steam for 6 hours, topping up with boiling water as needed.
360 min - 5
Cool, then re-cover with fresh parchment and foil. Store somewhere cool and dark for up to 3 months, spooning over a tablespoon of brandy every couple of weeks.
- 6
On the day, steam again for 2 hours until piping hot all the way through.
120 min - 7
Turn out onto a warm plate. Warm a little brandy, pour it over and set it alight if you like, then serve with brandy butter or custard.
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.