Dairy-free Christmas pudding
A rich, boozy steamed Christmas pudding made dairy-free with vegetable suet and oat milk — traditional flavour without the cream.
This is the Christmas pudding you can make without dairy and still get the proper sticky, boozy finish. It uses vegetable suet and oat milk so it keeps the traditional texture and richness without any cream or butter.
Make it a week or more ahead and ‘feed’ it with a little brandy for deeper flavour — the waiting is part of the fun. Steam it gently and reheat on the day for a proud, classic centerpiece.
Ingredients
- 400 g mixed dried fruit — sultanas, raisins and chopped dried figs or dates
- 100 g glace cherries — halved
- 75 g candied mixed peel
- 150 g fresh apple — peeled and grated (about 1 medium)
- 150 g soft dark brown sugar
- 60 ml black treacle
- 120 ml brandy — plus extra to flame or feed if desired
- 150 g vegetable suet — shredded, available in vegetarian/vegan form
- 75 g plain flour
- 75 g fresh breadcrumbs — day-old bread blitzed
- 10 ml mixed spice
- 5 ml ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs — large
- 50 ml unsweetened oat milk
- 1 orange — zest and 1 tbsp juice
- 0 ml salt
- 10 ml vegetable oil — for greasing the basin
Equipment
- pudding basin (1.2 litre)
- large deep saucepan with lid
- trivet or heatproof ring
- muslin cloth or extra greaseproof and kitchen string
Instructions
Put the mixed dried fruit, glace cherries and candied mixed peel into a large bowl. Add the brandy and the orange zest and juice, stir, cover and leave to soak at room temperature for 12 hours or overnight.
Grease a 1.2-litre pudding basin with vegetable oil. Cut a circle of greaseproof paper to fit the top of the basin later, and have a square of muslin or an extra doubled layer of greaseproof ready.
In a large mixing bowl, combine plain flour, fresh breadcrumbs, vegetable suet, soft dark brown sugar, mixed spice, ground cinnamon and salt. Mix until evenly distributed.
Stir in the grated fresh apple, then beat the eggs with the unsweetened oat milk and add to the dry mix. Pour in the black treacle and the soaked fruit with any soaking liquid, folding everything together until well combined — the mixture should be moist but spoonable.
Spoon the mixture into the greased pudding basin, pressing down lightly and leaving about 2 cm headroom. Level the top, cover with the circle of greaseproof paper, then the muslin or a second layer of greaseproof and secure tightly with kitchen string.
Place a trivet or heatproof ring in a large deep saucepan, sit the pudding basin on it, pour in boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin, cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and simmer gently on the hob for 6 hours. Check the water every 45 minutes and top up with boiling water so it never boils dry.
Carefully lift the basin from the pan and remove the lid and covering. Let the pudding cool slightly, then replace the cover and store in a cool dry place if making ahead. The pudding keeps well for several weeks and improves if fed weekly with a tablespoon of brandy.
On the day, reheat the pudding by steaming it again for 2 hours: place the basin in the pan with a trivet, bring to a gentle simmer and steam with the lid on. Alternatively, microwave slices for quicker service but steaming keeps the texture true to form.
To serve, turn the pudding out onto a plate. Warm a small measure of brandy, pour over the pudding and, if you like, carefully flambé. Serve with dairy-free double cream, dairy-free custard or dairy-free ice cream.
Tips
- Soak the fruit overnight for best flavour; use the soaking liquid in the mix to keep the pudding moist.
- Keep an eye on the water level while steaming — top up with boiling water every 45 minutes so the pan never goes dry.
- If you prefer an alcohol-free pudding, replace the brandy used for soaking with strong black tea and use orange juice to boost flavour.
- Make ahead: the pudding keeps for several weeks in a cool place. Feed weekly with a tablespoon of brandy pushed into the mixture to mature the flavour.
- To test for doneness, insert a skewer into the centre after steaming; it should come away cleanish and the pudding should feel firm.
Substitutions
vegetable suet → vegan block margarine, grated and chilled (use same weight)
Stays closebrandy → dark rum or extra orange juice for alcohol-free
Stays closeunsweetened oat milk → unsweetened soya milk
Stays closeglace cherries → dried cranberries or extra sultanas (same weight)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 660
- Calories
- 7 g
- Protein
- 95 g
- Carbs
- 28 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 58 g
- Sugar
- 200 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this pudding without any alcohol?
Yes — replace the brandy used for soaking with strong brewed black tea and add a little extra orange juice. Skip flambéing and the pudding will still be delicious.
How long can I store the pudding?
Stored sealed in a cool, dark place it keeps for several weeks; many people ‘feed’ it weekly with a tablespoon of brandy to develop flavour.
Can I steam it in the oven instead of on the hob?
Yes. Place the basin in a deep roasting tin, add boiling water to come halfway up the basin and bake at 140°C fan/160°C conventional for the same steaming times.
Is vegetable suet essential?
It gives the traditional texture. You can substitute chilled vegan margarine (stays-close) but avoid butter if you need to keep it dairy-free.
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