Slow cooker steamed spotted dick pudding is a classic British dessert that is prepared using every-day ingredients. The result is an incredibly light, sweet and comforting pudding with fresh lemon notes.
1 ½-2 pint (¾-1 quart) pudding bowl 4 cup pudding bowl, plus greaseproof paper, kitchen foil and string to prepare a lid if necessary, some pudding bowls have clip-on lids
Slow cooker/crock pot at least 3.5 litres (3 quarts plus) size or large enough to fit your pudding basin with the slow cooker lid placed on top.
lemon zester to grate/shred lemon zest of the fresh lemon
sieve
Ingredients
70gramsmargarine[such as Flora or Stork baking spread, plus extra to grease the bowl]
70gramsgranulated sugar[or caster sugar]
120gramsself-raising flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
115gramsapple sauce[home-made or regular shop bought smooth or small diced apple sauce]
100gramsraisins[or dried currants]
1Small-mediumlemon[zest removed]
2tablespoonsOat milk[or use your usual milk]
After cooked and removed from the bowl:
1tablespoonbrown sugar[such as light brown or soft brown sugar, use more if preferred]
Instructions
Set the slow cooker to the high setting. Pour a little water in to cover the bottom and pop a lid on.
Grease a pudding bowl with a generous amount of margarine as this will make it easier for the cooked pudding to be released.
Using either a mixing spoon or electric hand whisk cream the margarine and sugar together until well mixed.
70 grams margarine, 70 grams granulated sugar
Stir through the apple sauce.
115 grams apple sauce
Sift in the flour, and add the baking powder and lemon zest. Next add the raisins or currants, and the two tablespoons of plant milk.
Next, add the raisins or dried currants and stir through the milk.
100 grams raisins, 2 tablespoons Oat milk
Fold all the ingredients together using a mixing spoon until all is just combined.
Scoop into the pudding bowl and level the surface.
Pop a lid onto the pudding basin or prepare a homemade lid (there is a link to a video detailing how to prepare a lid within the recipe notes and FAQ section above). However, it’s just a case of placing a circular piece of parchment paper over the bowl and adding a second piece of kitchen foil over the paper and then tying the lids on tightly with some kitchen string. Trim the lids and string to make it look neat. If your pudding bowl comes with a lid then this can be snapped on and you won’t need a home-made lid.
Place the pudding bowl into the slow cooker and pour warm water at least half way up the pudding bowl. The water level may end near the top of the actual pudding mix in the basin as that may be half-way up the bowl, but this is perfect.
Pop a lid onto the slow cooker and leave to steam for 4 hours.
After 4 hours carefully remove the pudding bowl from the slow cooker and remove the lid. Allow the pudding to sit in the bowl for at least 10 minutes before removing.
Use a cutlery knife to gently loosen the top edges of the pudding. Place a serving plate over the pudding bowl opening and flip the pudding over.
If the pudding does not slip out give the pudding bowl a hard tap and the pudding should slide out.
Sprinkle brown sugar over the top of the pudding and serve with hot custard or chilled cream if liked.
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Notes
Nutritional information is provided for guidance only and is not a strict calculation as ingredients vary.
Data does not include any accompaniments but does include 1 tablespoon of brown sugar for adding to the finished pudding.
Leftover pudding can be stored within a covered container and placed in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Whole spotted dick puddings can be stored within the pudding basin but do allow the pudding and the pudding bowl if its made from ceramic, stone, glass, etc to come to room temperature before reheating as the change in temperature could crack the dish.
Freeze spotted dick pudding for up to 3-4 months. Defrost completely before enjoying at room temperature or reheated.
Leftovers can be reheated in minutes using a microwave (if using the same pudding basin do check that it is also safe for microwaves)
Or place the pudding back into the slow cooker within the pudding basin and add hot water to the slow cooker. Reheat on high until the pudding is at your desired temperature, check after an hour of reheating.
Alternatively place the pudding into an oven-safe dish and cover with a piece of kitchen foil and reheat in a hot oven for 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.
For an easy video detailing how to prepare a pudding bowl lid refer to the link within the recipe notes and FAQ section above the recipe.
Dried currants, raisins or sultanas can be used for this recipe. Although it is traditional to use dried currants. Dried cranberries could also be used for a festive spotted dick that could be used as a Christmas pudding alternative or as a Thanksgiving dinner dessert.
Any type of apple sauce can be used either home-made or shop bought. Any shop bought variety is fine either completely smooth or those that come in small apple dice.
We are a vegan family recipe blog so all our ingredient suggestions are for vegan- friendly and plant-based ones but if you have different dietary needs you can use your usual ingredients.
We like to use soya or oat milk for pudding recipes, but we also use almond milk.
For baking fats we like to use Stork baking spread, or Flora dairy-free versions, or vegan butter such as Flora plant butter. However, it’s best to avoid lite or diet margarines as these tend to contain more water.