The Ultimate Vegan Christmas Pudding. It's dark, rich, fruity, moist & boozy & so much lighter than the dense, heavy puddings you might have tried in the past!
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FEATURED COMMENT:
"Quite simply the best Christmas pudding we've had (and we've been making Christmas puddings for 25 years, so there was a lot to compare it with). Easy to make with great flavour and texture, this will be a family staple from now on." - Bob ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Today, I have a proper British pud for you, just in time for Christmas!
I've brought you Vegan Mincemeat, Vegan Christmas Cake and Vegan Mince Pies, and I wanted to carry on the theme with a Vegan Christmas Pudding, or Plum Pudding as it is otherwise known.
Christmas Pudding is such a popular dessert at Christmas. I think that most families have one and I certainly grew up with it being served every year. The funny thing is, I absolutely hated it. In fact, I think most children do. I guess it's a dessert that's suited to more mature palates. Now though, I can't get enough. It's so good!
I wonder if part of the reason I didn't like it was that it was always so heavy and dense. I also have a terrible memory of a time when it was served up with ice cream, and all of the animal fat in the pudding turned white and solidified. It was the most awful, congealed thing ever.
At the time, I wasn't vegan, and had no interest in reading labels and so had no idea that Christmas Puddings were made with suet.
For those of you who don't know what suet is, it's a type of animal fat that comes from around the kidneys of sheep and cows. That's why it hardened and went white when it came into contact with my ice cream. Pretty disgusting, eh? But don't worry. There's no chance of that happening with my vegan Christmas pudding recipe!
As well as being perfectly moist, this Vegan Christmas Pudding is rich, dark, absolutely packed with flavour, and for a pudding that is litreally stuffed with dried fruit, it is surprisingly light. Not at all like the heavy, dense puddings of my childhood.
I hesitated to call it 'The Ultimate Vegan Christmas Pudding' because it feels a little conceited, but it really is that good. In fact, I think it's The Ultimate Christmas Pudding period. Vegan or not.
It is better than any non-vegan Christmas Pudding I have eaten (and I've eaten quite a few).
I know steamed puddings aren't too popular here in North America, but I really hope you will make an exception and give this Vegan Christmas Pudding a try this Christmas!
Mel x
How I Replaced Suet In Vegan Christmas Pudding
These days, a lot of Christmas Puddings are actually made with vegetarian suet, but despite that, they still use eggs, so aren't typically vegan.
You might be wondering why I didn't use vegetarian suet in this recipe.
- Firstly, it's not widely available in Canada.
- Secondly, whilst it's vegetarian and doesn't contain any animal products, it does contain palm oil, which I try my best to avoid for ethical reasons.
Suet is traditionally used in Christmas Pudding because it has a high melting point, and the pudding has a chance to set before the suet melts properly. Apparently, if you were to use a fat source with a lower melting point, like butter, the pudding will become heavier and greasier.
After testing many variations of my Suet-free Christmas Pudding recipe, I settled on using coconut oil to replace the suet, which is ironic as it has a really low melting point. It does a fantastic job in this recipe, though.
I tried many alternatives, including my Vegan Butter, a light olive oil, and oil-free versions with coconut butter or nut butter, but coconut oil came out tops every time. It gives the pudding a beautiful moistness, and despite what the suet supporters would have you believe, it isn't greasy in the slightest. It even stands the cold ice-cream test!
Flaming the pudding
Traditionally, a Christmas Pudding is flamed immediately prior to serving. The hot pudding is doused in steaming hot alcohol, and the vapours from the alcohol are set alight so that the whole pudding goes up in flames. If you decide to set yours alight, please do so carefully!
How To Serve Christmas Pudding
If you aren't familiar with traditional British Christmas Puddings, you might be wondering what you serve with them.
You can serve my Vegan Christmas Pudding with:
- vegan brandy butter
- vanilla ice-cream
- vegan whipped cream
- vegan custard
- brandy sauce
My favourites are either brandy butter or vanilla ice cream!
Success Tip
As with all of my baking recipes where precision is key to excellent results, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale to measure your ingredients, rather than using cup measurements. I love this one because it is very reasonably priced and it has a tare function, which is really handy. It means you can place any bowl on the scale and reset to zero so it doesn't include the weight in its calculation, plus you can reset to zero when adding multiple ingredients to the same bowl, which saves on washing up!
Recipe FAQs
This Vegan Christmas Pudding is excellent eaten right away. There is no need to make it weeks or months in advance. However, it will get even better with age, and you can make it up to 6 months in advance, as long as you include the alcohol. The alcohol is what preserves it.
To make in advance, once it's cooked, open up the packaging to allow any condensation to evaporate, then replace the baking parchment circle with a fresh one, and re-wrap in new parchment paper and foil. I then wrap mine in some clean dish towels too, then store it like that in a cool, dark place like a closet or an unheated basement. To make it EVEN better, whilst in storage, open it up, peel back the parchment paper circle, and feed it a tablespoon of alcohol every week, wrapping it up carefully again after. It will guzzle it up like a thirsty beasty and become even moister and boozier!
This Vegan Christmas Pudding freezes well and will keep, if wrapped properly, for up to one year. Just thaw overnight, then follow the recipe where you left off on Christmas Day.
Recipe
The Ultimate Vegan Christmas Pudding
Author:WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
Ingredients
- 10 dried dates , I used Deglet Noor but Medjool or any other kind will be fine. You could even use dried figs if you wanted to.
- 10 dried apricots , optional but they look really pretty in there and provide a nice texture
- 260g / about 2 very full cups dried fruit , I used a combination of currants, raisins, sultanas, cherries, cranberries & blueberries - Try to get a nice variation of colour if you can
- 80mls / ⅓ cup brandy , or port, dark rum, a good sherry or a nice dark stout. See recipe notes for an alcohol free option
- 50g / ⅓ very packed cup all-purpose flour , (plain flour in the UK), to make gluten-free use certified gluten-free oat flour
- 65g / ¾ very packed cup bread crumbs , any type of bread will do but slightly stale, dry bread is best. Use gluten-free bread to make gluten-free (I weigh my bread then throw it into a blender to make breadcrumbs)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 80g / ½ heaping cup coconut sugar , or any other dark brown sugar
- 1 medium apple , grated or cored and thrown into a high speed blender and blitzed into a puree (skin can be left on)
- 1 large orange , zest only
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba , the liquid from a can of chickpeas (i do not recommend substituting anything else. It gives the best results by far)
- 2 tablespoons blackstrap molasses , unsulphured molasses will also work (black treacle in the UK)
- 75g / ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil , measured while liquid if you are using cups. Weight will be the same solid or liquid
YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
- A 0.9 - 1 litre/2 pint/ 1 quart pudding basin , baking parchment, tin foil, some string and a pair of scissors.
INSTRUCTIONS
- Chop the dates and apricots. Then put them and all of the other dried fruit, into a large mixing bowl and pour over the brandy (or alternative alcohol/juice). Leave until the liquid has been absorbed by the fruit. How long it takes varies depending on the fruit you use but it will be somewhere between about 15 and 30 minutes.
- While that is happening, place the pudding basin on some parchment paper and draw a circle around the bottom of the basin onto the paper. Cut it out and set aside. Then turn the basin over and draw another circle around the top of the basin. Cut that one out but cut a few millimeters inside the line this time so the circle will fit on top of the pudding batter when you put it in the basin. Set that circle aside too.
- Make sure your Instant Pot is ready with the trivet insert inside. If you are using a steamer have the water simmering ready under the steamer, and if you are using a large saucepan, have a heatproof upturned saucer or something similar in the bottom of a pan so the pudding doesn't come into direct contact with the heat when it goes in, and a full kettle boiled and ready.
- Grease the pudding basin with some coconut oil and place the small circle in the bottom of the basin.
- Once the liquid has been absorbed by the fruit, add the flour, breadcrumbs, baking powder, allspice and sugar to the bowl and stir really well to combine.
- Then add the orange zest, apple, aquafaba, blackstrap molasses and coconut oil and stir well until combined.
- Spoon the mixture into the pudding basin, smooth it out and top with the large circle of parchment paper, pressing it down all over and into the sides gently.
- Cut a large rectangle of silver foil and a slightly smaller rectangle of parchment paper. Enough to go over the top of the pudding basin with plenty to spare. Then lay the foil flat on your surface and the parchment paper flat on top of the foil. Make a pleat in them both as shown in my video above. If you need to see the technique more clearly have a look at this video (don't worry about buttering the parchment paper like he says. though). Cover the top of the pudding basin with the foil and paper making sure the pleat is in the middle, then press it down all around the basin as tightly as you can, then tie twice around the basin with string as tightly as you can. This is shown clearly in the video link too. If you are using a plastic pudding bowl with a lid, I still recommend covering the pudding with a circle of parchment paper, putting on the lid, then wrapping the whole thing in foil as I have had situations in the past where the lid blows off and the pudding is ruined by the moisture.
IF USING AN INSTANT POT: (you will need to use a 6 quart IP or larger for this recipe)
- NOT ALL PLASTIC PUDDING BASINS ARE SAFE IN A PRESSURE COOKER OR INSTANT POT. PLEASE CHECK BEFORE USING OR USE A CERAMIC OR TEMPERED GLASS ONE (LIKE PYREX). Place the wrapped pudding inside the Instant Pot, resting on the metal trivet. Boil a kettle and pour hot water down the side until it is just under half way up the side of the bowl. It should not go above the foil level. Put the lid on the Instant Pot and make sure the vent is open. Set the Instant Pot to steam for 15 minutes. You will need to watch the clock for this part as the Instant Pot's timer won't count down for you. After 15 minutes, cover your hand with a dish cloth and seal the vent. Press cancel, then set the Instant Pot to Manual (or pressure cook in newer models), High Pressure for 60 minutes. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
IF USING A STEAMER:
- Make sure the water is simmering away well under the steamer insert . Place the pudding in the insert and cover with the lid. Cook for 3 hours.
IF USING A LARGE SAUCEPAN:
- Place the pudding gently on an upturned saucer inside the pan and pour boiling water carefully down the sides so it reaches about halfway up the side of the pudding basin. It must not reach the foil. Cover and bring to a simmer but don't let it rolling boil as you don't want the water to get up under the foil. Cook for 3 hours.
WHEN COOKED:
- When the time is up, carefully remove the pudding, then take off the foil and parchment paper. It should look cooked and a toothpick should come out clean when inserted. You can also just poke the middle with a finger and it should be firmish with a bit of bounce, like a cake is when cooked. In the unlikely event that it isn't cooked through you can return it to the Instant Pot/pan/steamer and cook it for a few minutes longer. Be sure to secure the paper and foil around it first though. Either serve immediately or leave to cool completely, with the paper and foil removed but still in the bowl. Once cool, wrap the bowl again in fresh paper and foil before storing somewhere dark and cool. (See my directions in the post and recipe notes for storing it for up to 6 months).
TO REHEAT THE PUDDING:
- On the day you want to eat the pudding you can either steam it again or you can microwave the whole thing or just individual slices of it. If you use the microwave make sure you remove all traces of foil. A slice takes about 40-50 seconds on full power, and the whole pudding about 4-5 minutes depending on how powerful your microwave is. Be careful not to overcook it so check it frequently. To reheat in an Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker, put it covered as before (make sure it's all sealed well) into the pot on the trivet and pour in boiling water half way up the pudding bowl. Put the lid on, seal the vent, press steam and set the timer for 30 minutes. once it's done it will be ok on 'keep warm' for an hour or so if you aren't quite ready for it. If steaming it in a sauce pan or a steamer give it an hour to heat through.
NOTES
I have actually kept one stashed away for over a year and it was still incredibly good when we reheated it.
If you want to make it even boozier and moister, while storing, open the wrapping carefully, peel off the parchment circle and feed it one tablespoon of brandy 4 or 5 times over the period of storing. Just spoon it on, let it absorb, put the parchment circle back, then wrap really well again and return to the cool, dark place. When you are ready to enjoy it, follow my reheating instructions in the recipe above. FREEZING Leftover or whole puddings, whether alcohol is used or not, if wrapped well, will keep in the freezer for up to 1 year. Just defrost overnight and reheat as per my instructions above.
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Bethany says
This is my sixth Christmas making this pudding, and I've never been disappointed. It always goes down well with even the most staunch omnivores and is fundamentally the best Christmas pudding I and many of my family have ever eaten. It made my first (mildly terrifying) Christmas as a vegan an absolute joy, and has since become a firm fixture in our yearly traditions. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Melanie McDonald says
I love that it’s becoming a tradition for you! Thanks for your review Bethany, and Merry Christmas!
Jennifer A says
I made this recipe into individual portions for Christmas presents last year. Huge hit! I recently discovered one portion that was left over in my freezer (yay!) and, a year on, it was absolutely fabulous! Thank you thank you!
Melanie McDonald says
I love finding surprise leftovers! So pleased you're enjoying the recipe!
Chantelle says
Amazing recipe. Everybody raves about it!
Howard says
Can this be cooked in a Microwave oven? Thanks
Melanie McDonald says
I’ve never tried it. While microwaves cook light steamed sponge puddings well, this is a big, dense pudding because of all the fruit. I think it would become tough on the outside before the middle was cooked properly. It’s an expensive pudding to make so I personally wouldn’t risk trying it.
howard says
OK Thanks
Melanie McDonald says
You're not using the 3 main ingredients, Paul so they are not minor alterations and you are not making my recipe. Also almond flour is completely different to wheat flour and using it would make this a completely different dessert in both flavour and texture. If you can't follow a recipe maybe you should avoid rating and reviewing them on the internet 😉.
Jo says
Hi! Do you think treacle would work ok instead of the molasses? Thanks!
Melanie McDonald says
Black treacle is listed in the recipe as an alternative to molasses. It does need to be black and not any other kind to get the correct Christmas pudding colour and flavour. Hope that helps!
Paul says
You avoid palm oil for ethical reasons and yet you use coconut oil regardless of its adverse health impact. I have made this recipe for two years now eschewing the aquafaba, replacing the coconut oil with canola oil and replacing flour with almond flour and it has worked perfectly yielding the best Christmas pud I have had in almost 70 years of Christmases except for those when my dad would put coins in it which was by far the best part for a six-year-old. Since this pud is served hot I do not see the reason for coconut oil and for those of us trying to avoid the astronomically high amounts of saturated fat in coconut oil it (pudding is not worth dying for) can easily be swapped out with no adverse effect on the result. Apart from that top marks for an excellent recipe.
Melanie McDonald says
I'm glad you've enjoyed it Paul, but with all due respect, you're not making my recipe, you're making your own, and a slice of Christmas pudding once a year has never killed anyone. Please refrain from coming here to demonize foods, food shame, and rate recipes you haven't even made. That behaviour isn't welcome here.
Paul says
Indeed I have made this recipe only I made a couple of minor alterations. It is an excellent recipe save for the inclusion of coconut oil which is extremely high in saturated fat which many people need to avoid for health reasons. If you cannot take a little constructive criticism you probably should avoid exposing yourself on the Internet.
Melanie McDonald says
You're not using the main ingredients so they are not minor alterations. Christmas pudding isn't made with almond flour and almond flour has completely different qualities to wheat flour. Using it would make this a completely different dessert in both flavour and texture.
Paul says
Well, there is where we differ. I believe that the main ingredients in the recipe are the dried fruits, flour, sugar, fat (oil) and, of course, brandy. Your feeling is that the main ingredients are aquafaba, flour and coconut oil. I don't think that we will come to any consensus with such differing views. I offer my suggestion of alternative ingredients for others who are seeking a lower sat fat recipe. The almond flour provides a binding filler but also helps with the fat content and makes an excellent replacement for coconut oil and flour. Yes, it is not exactly the same as your recipe but is an excellent alternative. My rating of your recipe is based on it as it stands as a decidedly unhealthy take which could be improved.
Tannie says
I’m from Australia. For aquafaba. Can I drain the liquid from a can of chickpeas?
Melanie McDonald says
That's what I do.
Tannie says
Thank you. I read the recipe, but I was still unsure — I’ve never made this before, so I thought I’d ask you again. Now my confidence has built up. I’m looking forward to making it this weekend. Enjoy the festive season!
Melanie McDonald says
Thank you, and best of luck! Honestly though, you'll be fine. This is a very forgiving recipe and you can't really go wrong if you follow all the steps. Let me know what you think once you've tried it!
Sarah Hughes says
This is my go too recipe for Christmas Pudding, I have used it for several years now. I always found the one my mum used to make delicious but very heavy. This is a light pudding and even my mum has switched to this recipe now, it is hands down the best!
Rona says
It was thumbs up all round for this Christmas pudding!
Lozz says
Hi Melanie....I've made this recipe every year for at least 6 years now and it is an absolute winner! everyone loves it, vegan and non vegans alike! Thankyou! But I've always wanted to ask - could almond meal replace the bread crumbs do you reckon? i made it again today and blitzing the Gf bread I have is always so tedious because it's more lumpy than I'd like, probably because the bread is so high in moisture. toasting doesn't seem to help, and store bought gf breadcrumbs are so dry here, almost like sand. Anyway - Merry Christmas to you, the forever Queen of Christmas Pudding 👑
Melanie McDonald says
Ha ha! I'll take the title of Queen of Christmas Puddings!
I think almond meal would work but I can't guarantee as I've never tried it. The only issue might be that almond meal isn't as absorbent as breadcrumbs. However, this is a pretty forgiving recipe so I'm pretty confident it will be ok. It certainly wouldn't be a disaster anyway. It just might be a little moister than intended.
You could probably even just double the flour and leave out the breadcrumbs completely. Again though I haven't tried it.
Hope that helps, and merry Christmas to you too!
Jen says
I made this pudding for Christmas and was absolutely delighted with it. We all felt it was the best Christmas pudding we’d had. It is lightly than more traditional versions I’ve had but that was a bonus for us. Thank you for the recipe
Melanie McDonald says
This makes me very happy, Jen. I'm so pleased you all enjoyed it!
Fiona Mariposa says
Thank you so much for publishing this recipe. I made it for the first time for a family gathering on the weekend and it turned out beautifully. This pudding is rich, moist and so delicious! It will certainly impress non-vegan family members.
Melanie McDonald says
You're welcome. I'm so pleased you enjoyed it, Fiona!
Deb says
Is the decoration on top sugared cranberries? I made the pudding yesterday & will feed it once a week until Xmas. Next year (assuming success this year) I will start earlier. I cooked it in my pressure cooker on med-low for 1 hr, 15 min. Gonna try setting it on fire when I serve it & make “hard sauce”. Thanks for the great instructions & the weighed measurements! Happy Christmas!
Melanie McDonald says
I hope you enjoy your pudding at Christmas! And yes, they are sugared cranberries. They were only really for some colour in the photos. I don't add them when I make it at home.
Debbie Thornton says
I made this Christmas pudding last year and it was so delicious! This year, however, we are having a quieter Christmas with just the two of us and I am wanting somethina bit simpler to make. Do you think it is possible to bake this instead of steaming? We don't have a microwave and our pressure cooker is too small. I would love to be able to put it in the oven instead! :) Thank you!
Melanie McDonald says
Christmas puddings are always steamed. Oven heat is too dry for them. How about making a Christmas cake instead? It has the same fruit and flavors. If you look at the recipe notes of this one https://avirtualvegan.com/vegan-christmas-cake/ I give instructions for different pan sizes including a small 6-inch that might work for you. This no bake fruit cake is also very popular and lasts for months in the fridge. It's super easy to make and really yummy. https://avirtualvegan.com/raw-christmas-fruit-cake/
Hope that helps!
Debbie Thornton says
That's great, thank you very much.
Rona says
Stir up Sunday today so I just made this and it smells wonderful! I haven't made a christmas pudding for many years but this was so easy especially with the instant pot. I have enough ingredients to make another one but wonder, if I make 4 small puds, how long should I cook them in the Instant Pot?
Melanie McDonald says
That smell is so good!! Hope you enjoy it when you eat it at Christmas!!
As for little ones, I can’t really help as I’ve only ever tested the full size one. I was going to suggest finding a similar recipe online for mini ones and using that time as an estimate but I just checked and there are none that I can see so you’ll have to wing it. The good thing is because it’s such a moist heat even if overcooked slightly it shouldn’t cause too much damage. I’d probably try steaming for about 7 mins then pressure cooking for 20 to 25. Maybe use one as a sacrificial test subject that you can open up and poke to check.
Michael Gibson says
I have never had a Christmas pudding before but from what I can tell this turned out great and was lots of fun! Everyone but the raisin haters liked it, and the flaming was one of the highlights of our party.
Pippa says
I never liked Christmas puddings growing up (except the triple chocolate Christmas pudding my mum made) But this Christmas pudding is delicious! I got lots of compliments and my partner said it's the best he's had. It really isn't heavy like other ones. I will be making it every year! I did make the mistake of not reading how long it took without an instant pot so we did end up eating it much later! My mistake.
Fran says
This is perfect, everyone loved it, even the omnis. It might be the best Christmas pudding I’ve ever made
Julie says
I've just made this Christmas pudding and my home smells amazing. Even before going vegan I thought this would be a hard thing to make but it's so easy and looks amazing. Mine is with brandy so have made it early to make it more boozy for Christmas day. Thank you so much for your fabulous, detailed, recipe x
Melanie McDonald says
Nothing can beat that smell. I'm really pleased you're happy with the pudding. It will only get better and better as you feed it. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas!
Wendy Hartman says
Really delicious Christmas pudding - I put currants, raisins, sultanas dried sour cherries, cranberries and blueberries - and it was extra good. I was catering for egg, sulphite, nut allergies so this was perfect.
Mel says
Hi I wanted to try this recipe and wondered if it would work in a crock pot? And if so, how long might you need to cook it? Thanks 😊
Melanie McDonald says
I have never tried this recipe in a slow cooker.