The making of Christmas Pudding is a British tradition that goes back hundreds of years. In my own house growing up, Christmas dinner would not have been complete without a bowl of steamy hot pudding to finish the meal.
There are several types of Christmas puddings. Rich plum puddings are full of dried fruit, but oddly enough never plums, as in Old English many dried fruits went by the name of “plum.”
Figgy puddings are another Christmas treat, made popular as one of the verses of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.” Unlike their plum cousins, they live up to their name and are actually made with figs.
Traditional Christmas pudding is often served with something known as “hard sauce.” This is a cold mixture consisting mainly of butter, sugar, cream, and vanilla, although I have seen at least one recipe incorporating egg yolk as well. The cold sauce would melt over the hot pudding to create a delectable sweet treat.
Our family Christmas Pudding is actually a carrot pudding. This is another popular variation, especially among British Canadians. Unlike its cousins above, it is most often served with a brown sugar sauce.
Although I did not find the original recipe among my great-grandmother’s collection, I do have the recipe for “Christmas Pudding” written in my grandmother’s hand with the word “Mother” inscribed in the corner. Unfortunately, the recipe for the brown sugar sauce of my childhood was lost when my grandmother passed on, as no one seems to have ever written it down. I attempted several recipes trying to recreate the flavor of my childhood and the recipe included below is the closest.
The recipe makes enough for two small puddings, or one large pudding. It freezes extremely well and is easy to reheat simply be re-steaming. I have changed the recipe only slightly from the original to incorporate butter instead of suet.
Resources:
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Instant pot-I am officially in love with my Instant Pot, like right up there with my Mason jars and Pressure Canner! If you don't have an Instant Pot you can make this on the stove but seriously, the Instant Pot is amazing. And you can make steamed puddings in it, score!
Traditional Christmas Pudding Ingredients
- softened butter
- brown sugar
- raisins
- grated carrot
- peeled and grated potato
- egg
- flour (This works just as well with gluten-free flour. Learn more about gluten free baking in Successful Gluten-Free Baking That Tastes Good)
- baking soda
Easy Christmas Pudding Recipe Instructions:
Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add in raisins, carrot, potato and egg. Stir in flour and baking soda.
Grease 2 small glass bowls or one large bowl. Fill with pudding. Leave about an inch between the top of the pudding and the top of the bowl to give it room to rise.
Cover the bowl with a piece of parchment, followed by a piece of tin foil, secured with string. My grandmother used a clean piece of muslin instead of the parchment.
The pudding can be steamed in a double boiler, or you can place the pudding in a large pot, placing the pudding bowl on a small ramekin or mason jar ring to keep it off the bottom of the pot. Pour water in the bottom to no more than 1/3 of the way up the sides of the bowl.
Steam the pudding for 2 – 3 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean. My small puddings are usually done at 2 hours, with a large pudding taking the full three. Add additional hot water to your pot as necessary to keep your pot from boiling dry.
Turn the pudding out onto a plate and serve hot with brown sugar sauce.
How to Make Traditional Christmas Pudding in an Instant Pot:
Pour 2 cups of water into the insert. Place the trivet in the insert, and put the uncovered bowl on the trivet. Create a foil sling to easily pull out the pudding from inside the Instant Pot.
Cover with lid, leaving the sealing valve open so it can vent and set to Saute function.
Once cooker starts to steam, if using an electric cooker, set to “Less Heat” Saute function. (If using Instant Pot, the “Adjust” button allows you to change Saute setting.)
Then steam the pudding for 15 minutes. After steaming, seal the release valve of cooker and turn off from Saute cycle, then set to high pressure for 35 minutes.
Once cycle is complete, if using an electric cooker, press Cancel and let naturally release for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Carefully lift out the pudding using the foil sling (be careful, the sides of the pot will still be hot).
Run a knife around the top edge to help the pudding release from the sides of the bowl before inverting on a plate.
If you wish to freeze the pudding, leave it in its bowl and wrap well with plastic wrap. Thaw in the fridge and steam to reheat. We have had puddings survive in the freezer up to a year.
Historical Recipe: Christmas Pudding
Ingredients
- ¾ cup softened butter
- 1 cup brown sugar I find this very sweet and personally use only ¾ cup
- 2 cups raisins
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup peeled and grated potato
- 1 egg
- 2 cups flour this works just as well with gluten-free flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Brown Sugar Sauce
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 cup milk or cream
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
- Cream butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add in raisins, carrot, potato and egg. Stir in flour and baking soda.
- Grease 2 small glass bowls or one large bowl. Fill with pudding. Leave about an inch between the top of the pudding and the top of the bowl to give it room to rise.
- Cover the bowl with a piece of parchment, followed by a piece of tin foil, secured with string. My grandmother used a clean piece of muslin instead of the parchment.
- The pudding can be steamed in a double boiler, or you can place the pudding in a large pot, placing the pudding bowl on a small ramekin or mason jar ring to keep it off the bottom of the pot. Pour water in the bottom to no more than 1/3 of the way up the sides of the bowl.
- Steam the pudding for 2 – 3 hours, or until a toothpick comes out clean. My small puddings are usually done at 2 hours, with a large pudding taking the full three. Add additional hot water to your pot as necessary to keep your pot from boiling dry.
- Turn the pudding out onto a plate and serve hot with brown sugar sauce.
- Brown Sugar Sauce Instructions
- Melt butter in a saucepan. Whisk in brown sugar and continue to stir constantly until boiling. Boil for two minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in milk and vanilla. Return to the heat and stir constantly until the mixture once again comes to the boil. Thin with more milk or cream if necessary. Serve warm.
How to Make Traditional Christmas Pudding in an Instant Pot:
- Pour 2 cups of water into the insert. Place the trivet in the insert, and put the uncovered bowl on the trivet. Create a foil sling to easily pull out the pudding from inside the Instant Pot.
- Cover with lid, leaving the sealing valve open so it can vent and set to Saute function.
- Once cooker starts to steam, if using an electric cooker, set to “Less Heat” Saute function. (If using Instant Pot, the “Adjust” button allows you to change Saute setting.)
- Then steam the pudding for 15 minutes. After steaming, seal the release valve of cooker and turn off from Saute cycle, then set to high pressure for 35 minutes.
- Once cycle is complete, if using an electric cooker, press Cancel and let naturally release for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
- Carefully lift out the pudding using the foil sling (be careful, the sides of the pot will still be hot).
- If there are water droplets on the pudding when you remove it from the Instant Pot, gently dab with a paper towel or clean cloth.
- Run a knife around the top edge to help the pudding release from the sides of the bowl before inverting on a plate.
What's your favorite traditional Christmas recipe? Try this Christmas Stovetop Potpourri to have your home smelling amazing this holiday.
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Your grandmother’s recipe is the one that my mother used right down to the suet. The sauce recipe was in the same cookbook (local church ladies in Kitchener, Ontario). Loved it
That’s awesome Jenniffer! Love hearing that and those church ladies know how to cook.
Do you have the recipe for the soft brown sugar sauce, no rum? I think my Grand-mother’s was — brown sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs???? or maybe just egg whites???? wish she was still here to ask her, or even my Mom, or Aunts!!!!
What is suet?
Suet is a animal fat that you buy at the store Birds Love it too : )
We made this same pudding tonight, using suet instead of butter. Our recipe was my mother-in-laws whose family founded Toronto. We use a slightly different brown sugar sauce…1-1/2 tblsp flour OR cornstarch, 1 c brown sugar, 2 tblsp butter, 1/8 tsp salt, 1-1/4 c boiling water, 1-1/2 tsp vanilla – delicious!
Thanks for sharing your brown sugar sauce recipe Sharon!
Old fashioned Brown Sugar Sause Recipe I have has:
Water
Vanilla
Brown Sugar
Flour Paste
Add butter and a dash of salt
My Carrot pudding also has cloves nutmeg cinnamon…we prosessed it in canning jars for 3 hours
That was my Great Grandmother sauce too!!! I still use that recipe today!!
Sharon, this is the sauce my mother used for our Christmas pudding (among other things). I like to grate some orange or lemon rind into it and replace some of the water with orange juice, for a bit less sweetness.
Sounds interesting. Can u elaborate with the history?
Thanks
My ex-mother-in-law use to make this every Christmas. I made it for my husband, it was a huge ordeal in their family. My mother-in-law use to drop the dough into a small sack and seal it shut with string and them steam. Once it formed then you would slip it out of sack and cook in the oven until the top slightly browned. She added rum to her sauce and it was a real treat. Thanks for the recipe.
Sounds great, Jeanne! Thanks for sharing your tips and memories.
My family recipe for brown sugar sauce, make white sauce, add tsp. Vanilla and brown sugar to taste.
Thanks for sharing Patti!
Melissa,
I have a copy of this recipe but it is called Carrot Pudding in our family.
My Grandmother would make it and bring it to our Thanksgiving and Christmas
gatherings when I was growing up. I have made it several times for my family.
My birthday is the 24th and this will be my cake this yr. Thanks for sharing.
Possibly your Grandmothers sauce for Christmas pudding came from the “Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens” cookbook or the “Dutch Oven” cookbook with her own spin on it of course.
Good possibility Faye!
Well I’m so excited to find this recipe! It’s just like I remember from my childhood but I sure wish you had added the hard sauce recipe. I can’t find 1 any where.
Although my grandmother never served pudding with hard sauce, I have seen several recipes for hard sauce and they are usually butter, powdered sugar, and a little bit of rum, brandy, or vanilla extract. Beat until blended. Chill if not serving right away. If you do a search for “hard sauce” you will find differing amounts of each, but they are all basically the same 3 ingredients. Hope that helps!
I don’t know if it is anything like your great grandmother’s, but I thought I would share my great grandmother’s “Sauce For Steamed Pudding.”
1/2 cup butter, 1 1/2 cups brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sherry, 3/4 cup scalded milk
Cream butter and sugar, add sherry. Just before serving add scalded milk.
I got my sauce recipe from my late mother-in-law and she always used butter, brown sugar vanilla and whipping cream (whipped). It is yummy.
My pudding is 1 cup each of carrots, suet, potatoes, flour and raisins 1/2 tsp. baking soda. No liquid the carrots and potatoes make enough moisture.
Mix flour and raisins to break up raisins.
It is the easiest recipe to make and remember.
Thanks so much for sharing Barb!
Came across your recipe page regarding carrot pudding. Thanks. Our family recipe comes from southern Ontario and is very similar. About the only difference is we use suet instead of butter. Great memories of grandma baking one each New Year’s Eve.
You mentioned losing your original sauce recipe so I’ve included ours. Perhaps it is similar to what you used to have.
SAUCE
2 c. water
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 T. butter
1/4 c. maple syrup
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. vanilla
Heat together and thicken as needed with cornstarch.
Thank you so much for sharing your sauce recipe, that is so kind!
I’m having trouble parsing your Instant Pot directions for steaming the pudding, I’m afraid. I’m new to the IP, so perhaps I don’t understand the lingo yet. I’m not sure of the difference between an IP and electric cooker?
First, in #12, you write: “Once cooker starts to steam, if using an electric cooker, set to “Less Heat” Saute function. (If using Instant Pot, the “Adjust” button allows you to change Saute setting.)” To what am I adjusting the Saute setting at this stage if I’m using my IP?
Then, in #14, you write, “Once cycle is complete, if using an electric cooker, press Cancel and let naturally release for 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.” If I’m using an IP, it’s a natural release for as long as it takes?
I was quite interested to see a Christmas pudding recipe for the IP, as I imagine it would save a lot of time and keep the pudding moist. Last time I tried to make my Mom’s recipe the traditional way, in a steam bath, it ended up really dried out for some reason.
Thanks,
Barb
P.S. I made the Brown Sugar Sauce recipe and it’s delicious! Thanks!
Hi Barb,
Sorry for any confusion. With the Instant Pot on #12, after saute you’ll push the button to Pressure Cook and use high pressure.
For #14 with the Instant Pot when the time is up, you’ll let it sit until the pressure is reduced (there’s a metal “button” next to the pressure weight that goes down when pressure is released enough to safely open). It can vary a little bit on how long it takes but probably about 15 minutes.
Does this pudding like Christmas Cake have to sit for a while to mature? How far ahead of Christmas do you make it? How is it stored if you don’t freeze it?
I have an original Carrot Pudding recipe that has been in my family for over 100 years!
My husband grew up with christmas pudding and I wish to recreate it for him for Christmas. His mom’s recipe called for Suet..Your recipe calls for butter instead of Suet. Is there are difference in flavor/texture when using butter instead? and can you interchange them straight across?
I make my English grandmother’s Christmas pudding which calls for suet, raisins, molasses and citron. It steams for 3 hours and then goes into the fridge (or a cold basement, in my grandma’s house!) for at least a month. On Christmas Day, it is steamed again (briefly) to make it hot. She served a cold vanilla sauce with it and her instructions include this note: if you don’t want to mess with the sauce, just use instant vanilla pudding mix thinned with more milk. Now it’s my kids and grandkids that want this tradition – only they want the vanilla pudding with a small tad of Christmas pudding. One year I bought a pudding rather than do all that work myself – you would have thought I stolen Father Christmas. Never again! I guess my daughter will take this on, when I’m gone or no longer able to do the work. I can’t wait for next year to try steaming it in the Instant Pot (my husband just said “Nooooo – we’ll miss that Christmas aroma from steaming it!!!”)
That is the recipe I’m looking for!! My grandmother left hers for a month as well and I’m not sure that your recipe differs. Would it be similar enough to Melissa’s family recipe? or is it different to accommodate for the month long storage?
Hi there! I have to make several puddings, which I steam for 1.5 hrs in a large pot (individually) so I’m interested in trying my IP to eliminate having a steaming pot on my stove.
My tin is an actual plum pudding tin with a lid (a small “bundt-like” pan with 2 tabs that would secure lid to pot). Could I still use this lid or would it be best to use the parchment/foil for some reason?
Thank you
I don’t have my British Canadian Grandma’s Carrot Pudding recipe so I’m excited to find yours which I plan to make for this Christmas. I do have her recipe for the Caramel Sauce (that she called Hard Sauce). Here it is in her words:
Caramel Sauce
1 cup brown sugar
butter size of 1/2 egg
Place sugar in iron frying pan with butter and heat slowly until melted and brown. Add 3 cups boiling water slowly. Then thicken with 3T flour and 1T cornstarch mixed with a little cold water. Add vanilla last & I sometimes add a dash of salt.
Thanks for sharing her sauce recipe Ann!
I have this recipe from my late mother in law. Hers called for suet, and the brown sugar sauce, she always called it burnt sugar sauce.
She would place the butter in her sauce pan, then the brown sugar, stir and cook until it almost burns. She used water, so added it then, and added a bit of cornstarch to thicken it up.
For years I canned this carrot pudding and we ate it off and on during the year.
I just realized I am craving some, so best get at it.
I would love to know details for canning this, as Sharon mentioned.
This is NOT a safe recipe for canning, some may have done so, but due to the ingredients not being acidic and the high chance of botulism, I would NOT can this.
In case this is similar to your lost recipe. Here is my Grandmother’s Sauce Recipe. She was from Ontario. Born 1870. I have enjoyed her Carrot Pudding and Sauce Recipe my whole life.
2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup corn syrup
2 tsp butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups boiling water
Combine cornstarch, brown sugar and salt in upper part of double boiler. Gradually stir in boiling water. Cook over low direct heat stirring constantly until smoothly thickened over and cook over boiling water stirring occasionally about 8 minutes longer. Just before serving stir in butter bit by bit and vanilla. Serve hot over carrot pudding. I believe my mom always used Roger’s Golden Syrup but not 100% certain.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Hello. I came across your recipe and my grammas pudding is the same. I have her sauce recipe however. (It’s one where you add boiling water to the sauce – it’s finicky) If you would like me to send it to you please feel free to send me an email and I can!
Your Christmas pudding recipe is rather interesting, to say the least!! I am sure it tastes very nice, and would definitely be less expensive. However, it is not traditional Christmas pudding!! Born and living in England until I was 60, I have been involved in making English Christmas puddings for 65 years, since I was old enough to top and tail the raisins and sultanas, and turn day old bread into crumbs by hand! And you definitely use shredded suet! These days I have to get fresh suet (not easy in the USA) or order “Atora Beef Suet” packets on Amazon. I do not store mine in the freezer, but in a cool larder or basement. They mature better, and we have enjoyed 2 year old puddings on several occasions. Indeed, my sons won’t eat a freshly made pudding if a year old one is available!!
The pudding is set alight with brandy (warmed until it flames) and carried into a darkened dining room – Magic!!
The “hard sauce” we sometimes use is brandy butter – a mix of butter, confectioner’s sugar and brandy. Brandy sauce, also popular, is a custard flavored with brandy, or we serve it with brandy cream – heavy cream, a little confectioners’ sugar and, yes! brandy!
Christmas is not the same without Christmas pudding, mince pies and rich, dark, moist, English fruit cake decorated with royal or fondant icing!!
Could you send me your recipe. Like yourself I have made one every year unitil 2 years ago, when we lost a lot of our belongings, including the recipe I used for over 50 years of marriage.
Thank you
Mitch Blackwell
Thanks for the great recipe! Our Christmas family tradition incorporates Sticky Toffee Pudding. We spent several weeks in Ireland and fell in love with this yummy pudding. I didn’t have a recipe so I experimented with various English/Irish recipes online. Our pudding is made from dates and the sauce is very similar to yours. We serve ours with homemade vanilla ice cream and/or homemade whipped cream.
thanks so much
This is almost identical to my mom’s recipe, stopped by to find out to make it as my mom no longer remembers how to make it, she was only able to give me the ingredient list, her writing is almost identical to your grandmas. I wonder if the sauce you are searching for is the one my mom used, just melted butter and brown sugar with water added to thin it if necessary.
My grandmother recipe was similar, but she used beef suit and cooked in in the pressure cooker. She replaced the vanilla in the sauce with rum.
Can the pudding be cooked in pint jars inside the ipot? If yes, for the same cooking time?
We haven’t tested it that way.
This is the exact same Christmas pudding my 105 year old Mother-in-law used and passed onto me, she is still with us here today! I’ve been making this for about 40 years and it is loved by all!! The ingredients are basic and you don’t need the alcohol in it to make it taste good! and I use the same sauce recipe! Yum,Yum
Could you please give me the recipe for your sauce?
Thank you
My grandmother would make a Christmas pudding that I have been searching for, and this sounds very close. I was a child when she made it, and I remember that she baked (steamed?) it in a tin can. I know she used suet, and had a delicious sauce to top with. I will try your recipe and see if it matches my memory.
Our family’s tradition was Persimmon Pudding with hard sauce, very similar to your recipe. The pudding was steamed in a 2# coffee can and the sauce was formed in a fancy mold. I’ve made it in a fancy copper mold which is much prettier for serving.
Your sauce wouldn’t be Brandy Sauce? This is from a recipe from New Zealand so mostly probably an old recipe from the UK. https://www.nzherald.co.nz/eatwell/recipes/sticky-christmas-puddings/LP6UC5HPQPH2Y7AZ55BUQNZVA4/
1 cup Brown sugar, lightly packed
125 g Butter
6 Tbsp Cream
¼ cup Brandy
I have not made Christmas Pudding though I have seen many make it on food shows. I watched A Victorian Christmas on PBS and they used to make this pudding in the same copper pot they did laundry in. Of course they cleaned it first but the pot was perfect for the pudding and came out beautiful.
It has been a success, thanks for making it easy.
I love this pudding done in instantpot, i wonder how it wiuld be with chopped dates,! I only have maybe 1/2 cp of raisins but i have dates 🤔
I don’t have enough raisins ,could i substitute with dates ? I love it with raisins but i only have 1/2cp,and i want to take it to a friend’s tomorrow, 😊