This slow cooker steamed Christmas pudding recipe is adapted from a traditional 1845 Eliza Acton recipe. The result is a fruity, sweet, rich but light, and deliciously spiced traditional Christmas pudding that can be stored in the refrigerator or in a cool, dry area for at least a few months. Or enjoy a slice soon after cooking which is perfect for last minute emergency vegan Christmas puddings!
180gramsapple sauce[can use shop bought ordinary apple sauce or apple puree/or home-made]
2teaspoonsmixed spice powder[or apple pie/pumpkin spice mix]
1teaspoonground cinnamon
¼teaspoonground cloves
1teaspoonground nutmeg
⅛teaspoonsalt
Brandy or orange butter [optional]
100gramsplant-based margarine[such as Stork or Flora dairy-free]
125gramsicing sugar[powdered sugar]
2tablespoonsbrandy[or orange juice]
1teaspoonvanilla extractoptional
Instructions
Switch the slow cooker to the high setting, pour in 2 cups [500ml] of hot water and pop the lid back on. Leave to preheat while the pudding is prepared.
Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl: flour, breadcrumbs, baking powder, sugar, suet, salt, cinnamon powder, clove powder, nutmeg, mixed spice, raisins, currants, fruit peel, grated apple, brandy and milk.
Grease the pudding bowl with a good amount of margarine.
Scoop the pudding mixture into the bowl and level the top a little.
Cut a piece of parchment paper just larger than the bowl top. Place the paper on top of the rim of the bowl, don't add the paper directly onto the pudding.
Rip a piece of kitchen foil much larger than the top of the pudding bowl and place it over the parchment paper. Scrunch the sides of the foil up to near the rim of the bowl so that it is tightly pressed and scrunched under the rim. [*refer to the step-by-step photos above this recipe card for guidance*]
Place the pudding bowl into the slow cooker and pour more hot or boiling water into the slow cooker until its about three quarters of the way up the bowl.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and set a 6 hour timer. Don't worry if the pudding ends up cooking an hour or so longer as it will be fine.
Check the pudding about 4 or so hours into cooking just to see if the water level needs topped up with more boiling water.
Once ready the pudding will be firmish to the touch, look cooked on the surface, and darkened in colour. A skewer popped in will come out clean.
Once removed from the slow cooker, remove the paper and foil lids and leave to settle for 10 minutes before removing from the bowl.
Using a small knife or cake palette knife, go around the edges to loosen them up. Place a plate or small board on the top of the pudding bowl and flip it over. The pudding should slide out easily.
The pudding will be very moist and delicious when first cooked, but will firm up as it cools and sits, so that thinner slices will be able to be sliced and reheated as required.
If not eating the pudding soon after cooking, the pudding can remain in the bowl. Cool the pudding completely then add a fresh parchment and foil lid. Store somewhere very cool, dry and dark or in the refrigerator until required. If brandy was used the pudding will be good for a few months. If orange juice was used the pudding will be fine in the refrigerator for a few weeks.
To prepare vegan brandy or orange butter accompaniment [optional]:
Add the plant-based margarine, sifted icing sugar, vanilla, and brandy to a mixing bowl.
With an electric hand whisk whip until fully combined. Or briskly beat by hand using a wooden or mixing spoon. If the brandy butter is too thin sift in more icing sugar and whip to thicken it up.
Place a large pat of brandy butter on top of the hot Christmas pudding. And serve a smaller pat with each pudding slice, if liked.
Keep the brandy butter in the refrigerator for about a week, covered. Or freeze for up to a month.
Notes
Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not an exact calculation as ingredients vary.
Once cooked the Christmas pudding will be very moist but will firm up as it cools.
Reheat slices in a microwave for a few minutes.
If storing the whole pudding until Christmas day then cool in the basin, and add a fresh parchment paper and kitchen foil lid.To reheat place the pudding into the slow cooker, and reheat on high setting for 1-2 hours or until piping hot.
This recipe used a 2 pint Pyrex bowl that was suitable for cooking.
The slow cooker was a 3.5 litre with an oval shaped ceramic cooking pot.
Some pudding basins come with a heatproof lid such as plastic basins, if this is used then omit the paper and foil lid.
Suet can be replaced with vegan margarine, butter, or shortening.
If using vegetable shortening or butter it can be frozen and grated/shredded into the pudding mix, or softened up before using.
Currants and raisins can be replaced with a dried fruit mix, the type intended for Christmas cake and puddings.
The apple sauce can be ordinary apple sauce from a jar or tub, or an apple puree or home-made apple sauce which is simply chopped eating/dessert apples stewed in a little water until soft. Mash once cooked, if the apples are really bitter or sour add some sugar whilst stewing.
Mixed chopped citrus peel or candied peel can be replaced with glace or candied cherries.
The spices can be replaced for what you have available.
If you have a small food processer or blender its easy to prepare fresh breadcrumbs, simply rip the bread up and whizz until its crumbs. If there is no processor available, then freeze the bread slices and then use a cheese grater to grate the bread into crumbs.
For this recipe we used wholemeal bread crumbs but white, or half-and-half, can be used instead.
Fresh orange or apple juice can replace the brandy for both the pudding and the whipped butter sauce. Although do bear in mind that brandy acts as a preservative so if juice is used the pudding will last for a few weeks as opposed to a few months.
The brandy butter can be frozen for up to 1 month, or stored within the refrigerator for a week.