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Baked in a muffin tin, this mini Christmas pudding recipe celebrates the flavors of a festive British classic. Filled with brandy-soaked dried fruit, fresh citrus, apples, black treacle, and warm winter spices, this miniature twist on a traditional Christmas pudding is easy to make, does not require aging, and is perfectly portioned for individual servings.
Why Make This Christmas Pudding Recipe?
Here in the UK, Christmas pudding is kind of a big deal. In fact, it wouldn’t be a British Christmas without this traditional dessert made on the Sunday before Advent (a.k.a. “Stir Up Sunday“), aged, and enjoyed on Christmas Day,
For my American readers, the term “pudding” might sound a bit strange. This isn’t a smooth, scoopable pudding, like Jell-o Swirls or my homemade chocolate pudding recipe. Instead, this dense, cakelike dessert features fresh and dried fruits, along with suet (or butter), eggs, flour, breadcrumbs, and spices. Alcohol (typically brandy or rum) adds a boozy boost of flavor, and acts as a preservative.
There are large Christmas puddings big enough to feed a crowd, and smaller, individually-sized puddings. Some recipes require several weeks of aging, and others (like this one) can be enjoyed straight away. And while many people make their own Christmas puddings, supermarkets also sell them pre-packaged. I treat myself to a few of these every year!
There are plenty of ways to plate and serve a Christmas pudding. Popular accompaniments include brandy butter, custard, ice cream, whipped cream, and sticky toffee sauce. Sometimes, Christmas puddings accompany a cheese platter or an assortment of chocolates and fresh fruit.
Mixing and Soaking the Fruit
To make the fruit mixture, you will need:
Raisins and Dried Cranberries – About 100 grams (3/4 cup – 1 cup) each, of raisins and dried cranberries . To substitute other dried fruit, see my notes on substitutions, below.
Glacé Cherries – Glacé cherries are sticky and dry, not wet like maraschino cherries. Look for these in the holiday baking aisle (they might be sold as “candied cherries,” “cherry halves,” or “holiday fruit”) or order from Amazon.
Mixed Peel – Cut mixed peel (a blend of tiny pieces of candied orange and lemon) features prominently in festive British recipes. You’ll also find this in the holiday baking aisle, since people use it to make fruitcake, too. If you can’t find mixed peel locally, you can order it from Amazon, or substitute finely chopped homemade candied orange peels instead.
Apple – I used half of a Granny Smith apple, or about 50 grams (1/4 cup) of grated apple. There is no need to peel the fruit—just give it a good wash, then grate it on a box grater.
Ginger – I’ve added about 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced (if preferred, you can also use a Microplane to grate the ginger). To use candied ginger, see my notes below.
Orange Zest – The peel of one large navel orange, finely zested on a Microplane.
Brandy – To soak the fruit mixture, you’ll need 120 milliliters (1/2 cup) of brandy. You can also use your favorite rum or spiced rum. Because the alcohol adds flavor and acts as a preservative, I do not recommend substituting a non-alcoholic liquid.
After stirring everything together, cover the bowl and allow the fruit to soak in the alcohol for at least 24 hours, or for up to 3 days, before steaming the puddings. The longer the fruit soaks, the boozier your Christmas puddings will be!
A quick note: If you’re in the UK and are running short on time, most supermarkets stock bags of dried mixed fruit already soaked in brandy. At Sainsbury’s, the alcohol-soaked fruit is sold in a purple bag:
Christmas Pudding Ingredients
To make the batter, you will need the brandy-soaked fruit mixture described above, plus the following ingredients:
Dark Brown Sugar – I prefer the deep, caramel notes of dark brown sugar, but feel free to substitute light brown sugar or muscovado sugar instead.
White Breadcrumbs – Some UK supermarkets sell soft white breadcrumbs suitable for making Christmas puddings, but it’s also easy to make your own at home. To make your own breadcrumbs, place 3 slices (100 grams) of store-bought white bread in a food processor and process into small, crumbly pieces:
Note: Do not use panko breadcrumbs, or the seasoned breadcrumbs you’d use for coating chicken or fish. For Christmas pudding, the breadcrumbs should be soft, and neutrally flavored, so it’s best to make your own from white bread.
All-Purpose Flour – A small amount of all-purpose flour gives body to the pudding batter.
Spices – You’ll need mixed spice, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves. For US bakers, mixed spice (a popular ground spice blend used in British recipes) can be purchased on Amazon, or you can replace it with: 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and a pinch of ground cloves.
Unsalted Butter – While some traditional Christmas pudding recipes call for suet, here unsalted butter provides the fat which gives the puddings their succulent flavor and texture. Keep the butter very cold (you can pop it in the freezer if you’d like) and grate it on a box grater.
Black Treacle or Molasses – Both of these dark, thick syrups will work in this recipe. I like the Grandma’s brand of molasses, and for black treacle, Lyle’s is my go-to. If using molasses, do not use blackstrap.
Egg – You’ll need 1 large egg, lightly beaten.
Brandy – In addition to the brandy you’ve used to soak the fruit, you’ll need an addition 2 tablespoons to flavor the puddings.
Steaming the Puddings
Rather than baking, steaming ensures a moist, dense pudding. The indirect heat from the steam allows the flavors of dried fruits, spices, and spirits to meld together and prevents the puddings from drying out or burning, which can happen with direct baking.
To steam, fill the muffin tin, place a sheet of parchment on top, and sit it inside a half-sheet rimmed baking tray:
Next, boil a kettle of water. Move the tray to the preheated oven, then pour the boiling water into the rimmed baking tray, so it surrounds the muffin tin, reaching about 3/4 way to the top edge.
Notes on Steaming
Do not fill the tray with boiling water before moving it to the oven! The water makes the tray very heavy. This makes it impossible to lift and maneuver the tray without splashing boiling water on your hands. Holding the oven door open does allow a small amount of heat to escape, but it’s much safer than moving the filled tray.
Open the oven as little as possible. You’re aiming to create lots of steam, and you want to keep that steam inside the oven. You can begin checking the puddings for doneness around the 40-minute mark. However, try not to open the oven before then. (Also, don’t be surprised at just how much steam you’ve created when you finally do open the door!)
Remove the tray very carefully. Wear oven mitts! And, remember that although some of the water will have evaporated, what remains in the tray will be very hot.
Mix-In Ideas
As written, this Christmas pudding recipe contains raisins, dried cranberries, glacé cherries and mixed peel, as well as fresh apple, ginger, and orange zest. However, feel free to make this recipe your own. You can keep the proportions the same while adjusting the ingredients to suit your taste. Some suggestions include:
Dried fruits. Try other dried fruits, like sultanas (golden raisins), currants, dried apricots, or dried cherries. Chop any larger dried fruits into raisin-sized pieces before adding them to the batter.
Ginger. You can use store-bought or homemade candied ginger, instead of or in addition to the fresh ginger. You can also add ground ginger to your spice blend.
Citrus. I’ve used orange zest, but lemon or grapefruit are also lovely.
Alcohol. Instead of brandy, soak the fruit in your favorite rum or spiced rum.
Nuts. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of chopped pecans, chopped pistachios, chopped walnuts, or chopped blanched almonds.
Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions
While these mini Christmas puddings do not require aging, you will need to allow time for soaking. After stirring together the fruit and alcohol, cover the bowl, refrigerate, and soak the fruit for at least 24 hours, or up to 3 days. The longer the soak, the boozier the pudding!
If you do not plan to serve immediately, transfer the baked and cooled Christmas puddings to an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to enjoy. Because the alcohol acts as a preservative, you can store these Christmas puddings in the refrigerator for 2+ weeks.
Other British recipes you might enjoy:
Eton Mess
Lemon Posset
Clotted Cream Fudge
Brandy Butter
And if you do make these, or any of my recipes, don’t forget to tag me @bastecutfold or use the hashtag #bastecutfold on Instagram. I always love to see what you’re making!
Mini Christmas Puddings
- Total Time: 1 1/2 hours (plus soaking time)
- Yield: 12 - 15 mini puddings 1x
Description
Filled with brandy-soaked dried fruit, fresh citrus, apples, black treacle, and warm winter spices, this miniature twist on a traditional Christmas pudding celebrates the flavors of a festive British classic.
Ingredients
Soaked fruit:
100 grams raisins (1/2 cup)
100 grams dried cranberries (3/4 cup)
50 grams glacé cherries, chopped (1/4 cup)
50 grams mixed peel (1/4 cup)
50 grams grated Granny Smith apple (1/2 apple, or 1/4 cup grated apple) – No need to peel
20 grams finely minced fresh ginger (2 tablespoons)
8 grams orange zest (zest of 1 large orange)
120 milliliters brandy (1/2 cup)
Puddings:
135 grams dark brown sugar (2/3 cup, packed)
3 slices store-bought white bread, processed in a food processor (100 grams)*
96 grams all purpose flour (3/4 cup)
1 teaspoon mixed spice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves
125 grams unsalted butter, cold and grated on a box grater (9 tablespoons; about 4 1/2 ounces)
25 grams black treacle or molasses (1 tablespoon)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
30 milliliters brandy (2 tablespoons)
Instructions
In a medium bowl, stir together raisins, dried cranberries, glacé cherries, mixed peel, apple, ginger, and orange zest. Drizzle with the brandy and stir to combine. Cover with clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 24 hours, or up to 3 days.
Preheat oven to 180° C / 355* F. Set oven rack to lower position. Generously grease a 12-cup muffin tin and line the bottom of each up with a circle of parchment.
In a large bowl, whisk together dark brown sugar, breadcrumbs, all purpose flour, mixed spice, ground cinnamon, and ground cloves.
Stir in the grated butter, black treacle, beaten egg, and brandy. Mixture will be clumpy and slightly dry.
Add the soaked fruit and stir until fully combined.
Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin, dividing it equally between the 12 cups and filling each up to the top. (Depending on the size of the muffin tin you’ve chosen, you might have enough batter to make a few extras—I made 14 puddings.) Pat down gently with your fingertips.
Place a sheet of parchment on top of the entire tin. Sit muffin tin inside a half-sheet rimmed baking tray. Boil a kettle of water. Place tray in oven and pour water into rimmed baking tray, so it surrounds the muffin tin.*
Bake 50-60 minutes**, or until a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean. Very carefully remove the tray from the oven.
Turn puddings out onto a wire rack.
Carefully peel away the parchment circles.
Serve hot, accompanied by custard (such as Bird’s Original Custard Powder), whipped cream, brandy butter, or vanilla ice cream. Or, allow to cool and refrigerate until ready to serve. Store Christmas puddings in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
*See post above for detailed instructions.
**You can begin checking for donenness around the 45-minute mark. Try not to open the oven door before then, or the steam will escape.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Soaking Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 50 - 60 minutes
- Category: British Recipes
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: British