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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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.
If you want more than dessert though, go check out my Vegan Christmas Dinner Menu, Shopping List and Timeline. I have planned the whole meal for you, down to the tiniest detail!
If it's just dessert you're after though, then this Vegan Christmas pudding is for you!
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 because 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?
How to replace suet in a Christmas Pudding
These days, a lot of Christmas Pudding 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.
- Thirdly it's pretty highly processed.
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.
I try to make a lot of my recipes oil-free whenever I can, but there was no getting away from the fact that this recipe needs a bit of oil to be good. And it is Christmas after-all!
The coconut oil 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!
As well as being perfectly moist, this Vegan Christmas Pudding is rich, dark, absolutely packed with flavour and for a pudding that is literally 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).
Why is Christmas Pudding also known as Plum pudding?
Christmas Pudding dates back to the 15th century where it was made with a combination of meat, root vegetables and dried fruit and known as "plum potage". The term "plum" was (and still is when describing this pudding), a generic term to describe any dried fruits.
Confusingly a Christmas or Plum Pudding doesn't have to contain plums. Most commonly used then and now are raisins, currants and prunes along with any other dried, preserved or candied fruit that came to hand.
As dried fruit became easier to acquire, the pudding gradually transitioned to become a sweet one. Suet (animal fat) however, was and still is commonly used, until I got my hands on it that is!
How to make Vegan Christmas Pudding
(For detailed measurements and instructions, see the printable recipe card).
A lot of people feel a little daunted at the thought of making their own Christmas Pudding but it really isn't difficult at all and the hands on time is pretty minimal. See my step by step video just above the recipe!
Step 1 - You start by steeping the dried fruit in plenty of booze! You only need to leave it for as long as it takes the fruit to soak it all up. It doesn't take long and looks so glisteningly pretty!
Step 2 - Then it's just a case of stirring in all of the other ingredients and pouring the batter into a pudding basin that holds about 0.75 - 1 litre (1 quart). If it's a little bigger it won't hurt too much, it just won't completely fill the basin. I use an earthenware Mason Cash pudding basin like the one in the picture below. You can pick up one like it from Amazon or any good kitchen supply store. It's the same one I have and will probably last forever (unless I drop it!) but you can also buy plastic ones with lids if you want a cheaper option but please note that not all plastic pudding basins are pressure cooker/Instant Pot safe so be sure to check before using.
Either follow my directions for cooking in an Instant Pot (or any other electric pressure cooker) or use a steamer or you can simply steam/boil the pudding in a pan of water.
If you go the old fashioned route, the pudding will take 3 hours to cook, but this is all hands off time, except for checking that the water isn't drying up occasionally. If you have an Instant Pot though it will take about half that time (that includes the natural pressure release and coming to pressure etc).
I give full directions for how to cook a Christmas Pudding in an Instant Pot in my instructions below.
Step 3 - Once the Vegan Christmas Pudding is cooked, remove the wrapping and allow to cool, then wrap again in fresh parchment paper and foil to store.
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!
Do I need to make Christmas Pudding in advance?
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.
How to make in advance
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.
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
- whipped coconut cream
- squirty vegan whipped cream
- vegan custard
- eggnog cream (try whipping coconut cream until fluffy then folding through some eggnog to flavour it)
- brandy sauce
My favourites are either brandy butter or vanilla ice cream!
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!
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 it’s calculation, plus you can reset to zero when adding multiple ingredients to the same bowl which saves on washing up!
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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Mischa says
Hello - I am wanting to use this recipe to make small, individual puddings to give as gifts. Could you please let me know if the method to cook is the same? Also, I would like to make now and store it until Christmas, is this also the same method that would be used if I was doing a big one?
Thank you and I can't wait to try this recipe.
Melanie McDonald says
Yes, it will be exactly the same method if you make smaller puddings. The only issue will be the cooking time. I haven't tried cooking them smaller so I don't know how long they will take to steam. It might be worth sacrificing one as a test subject to practice with first before you cook them all.
Judy says
Hi, I want to make a vegan Christmas pudding for a Christmas in July party. Just wondering if this putting slices cleanly. I made one last year from a different recipe and it was very crumbly. Thanks, Judy
Melanie McDonald says
A good Christmas pudding isn't meant to slice. It's not like a cake and won't cut cleanly. If it does it's not a good Christmas pudding and the texture is all wrong.
A good Christmas pudding will be a bit crumbly when cut, but not dry crumbles. It should be super moist and luscious inside with big, fruity, moist crumbles. If you look at my pictures you can see the texture of the inside.
Not to toot my own horn, but if you want an excellent, authentic, British Christmas pud, you won't get better than this recipe.
Gayle says
Made this for Christmas for my coeliac daughter who’s on a vegan diet atm.
Best Christmas pudding ever!!!
I’ve been making another pudding recipe (Women’s Weekly Cookbook) for over 30 years (not gluten free or vegan) and this is my new forever pudding even when no-one’s on any type of diet.
The flavours were amazing, I think it was the dried apricot!!!
Thank you!!!
A Virtual Vegan says
I'm so pleased you all enjoyed it and were able to easily make it coeliac friendly. Thank you for stopping by to leave a review/rating. It's much appreciated!
Alistair Annand says
This is the best Christmas pudding we have ever tasted, seriously.
Tatiana Perrotta says
This pudding got a thumbs up from everyone, even those that don't like store bought pudding much
Robyn says
Made this gluten free for my vegan coeliac daughter and daughter in law and was met with a chorus of groans from the rest of the family about “getting some real food”. It disappeared in minutes and everyone wanted the recipe. Definitely one for the permanent recipe collection. Now I think I’ll try the banana date pudding. Sounds divine!
Alaina says
This was delicious! It was my first time making Christmas pudding and my second time using the instant pot. I loved it and so did my parents who grew up with Christmas pudding. The instructions were easy to follow. I think next time I'd cut up my fruit a bit. The aluminum pudding mold I got has a sealable lid so I used that instead of the foil and parchment paper. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!! I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Chad says
Looks really, though I will likely try it using the vegetarian suet just because the real role that the high melting point fat plays is to melt once the pudding has set, as you said, which creates a lot of little airy pockets in the pudding that would not otherwise be there.
I will definitely try this one, though.
emily says
Hello! I love this recipe! I made it last year and it was epic! I'm making a double batch this year, would you still cook it for 3 hours in a large saucepan?
A Virtual Vegan says
I would make 2 separate puddings and cook them in 2 pans to be safe. I haven't tested one double the size so I can't say how long it would take. I'd hate for it not to cook through.
Jacqueline Curtis says
My Son and I made this puddy on Christmas morning, last year and everyone: Carnivores, Vegetarians and Vegans alike, absolutely adored it. One guest who said that they did not like Christmas Pudding, tried a spoonful and then had a huge bowlful! I will never make any other Christmas Pudding but this one, it is wonderful.
Thank you very much Melanie, for passing on this recipe.
Jacqueline Curtis.
A Virtual Vegan says
That makes me so happy Jacqueline! I'm really pleased you're enjoying the recipe. Merry Christmas to you!
Florence Olajide says
This would be my third year making this pudding because my family loves it. I just wondered though, why set the instant pot to steam for 15 minutes first with the vent open rather than just setting it to manual for 1hr 15 minutes?
A Virtual Vegan says
It makes a huge difference to the texture. The pre-steaming makes it cakey, tender and light. If you pressure cook it the whole time it isn't as light and fluffy and ends up rubbery in places. I have no idea what the science behind that is but it just works!
Florence Olajide says
Thanks for replying so quickly. I normally steam with the instantpot vent closed. Does keeping it open also make a difference to the texture?
A Virtual Vegan says
It does make a difference. If you steam with the vent closed it will be pressure steaming. If you have the vent open that pressure won't build up but it will still steam, just more gently. A slow, gentle start really makes a difference to this pudding so I recommend you keep the vent open as per the instructions for th einitial period. I'm no scientist but I'm guessing it's because it allows it to rise more before the sponge "sets" so it ends up airier and light.
Florence Olajide says
Thanks so much for the explanations and for sharing a great recipe with the world. Have a Merry Christmas!
Laurie says
hello
Any thoughts on how to buy a Mash/Cash Pudding Bowl at at shop on Vancouver Island?
A Virtual Vegan says
I bought mine at a shop in Victoria and now I can't remember for the life of me which one. Maybe Capital Iron? I get a lot of kitchen supplies there. You could call them before you go just in case. Cook Culture also used to sell them but I'm not sure they do anymore. They seem to have replaced them with a metal one. I've never used metal so not sure how well it cooks in comparison. I swear I've seen them in Homesense too. You could also check Penna Kitchen.
Claire says
Hi, I want to try this recipe out this winter. I have a question though. Is it possible to soak the dried fruit in your alcohol of your choice weeks in advance? Similar to how you make your minse meat. Thanks
A Virtual Vegan says
To be honest you don't really need to. The flavours develop all on their own in the pudding. If you want it to be nice and boozy, make the pudding in advance. Do it now if you want it for Christmas. It will keep for over 6 months in a cool, dark place like the closet, basement etc. I actually keep them for over a year. I make 2 at a time and keep one for the year after. Let me tell you, after a year of those flavours developing it is AMAZING!
So make it as per the recipe as soon as you can, then "feed" it some alcohol every week until Christmas. Open it up and drizzle over a couple tablespoons of whatever alcohol you are using, let it seep in, then wrap it back up and store again 'til the next week. Then repeat until you eat it.
This is the very best way to do it and I can promise you it will be incredible!
Breymann says
Hello! Thanks so much for the recipe! I'll be making it today. The trick to 'flaming' a plum pudding.... make sure the pudding is hot and on a flame proof platter. Gently heat the booze... we use scotch or rye or brandy.... either in a very large spoon, over a flame... like a stuffing spoon or in a glass measuring cup in the microwave....and light it before you pour it. Make sure you've got everything ready. Then pour it onto your pudding. Dim the dining room lights... and TA DA!!
Happy Christmas!
Cindy says
Hello, I made this Christmas pudding today, and also made your vegan mincemeat. Both look and taste amazing, thank you. I have a tip for lighting a Christmas pudding on Christmas Day. If you warm the alcohol in a pan, then either light in the pan and pour over the pud, or pour over the pud and light immediately, it works a treat. Cold alcohol won’t light and will just drown your pud. It’s one of the highlights of our Christmas meal. Enjoy!
IFortuna says
I'm very excited to try this. I have about a dozen Mason/Cash pudding bowls that I was going to use a couple of years ago. I also found a couple with lids.
We just bought an Instant Pot and used it for the first time today. I can't wait to try this and when quarantine is over provide a pudding to our neighbors for Christmas as I intended years earlier.
A Virtual Vegan says
The Instant Pot makes it so quick and easy! I hope you and your neighbours enjoy your puddings!