Slow Cooker Steamed Spotted Dick Pudding

spotted dick pudding on a blue rimmed white serving plate with blue and white check table cloth, custard and cream jugs to side, Featured Image.

Course: Dessert, pudding

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 4

Total Time: 4 10

Servings: or 4 larger portions

Calories: 259kcal

Author: Jacq

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. We use dairy-free margarine and milk for our pudding but you can use your usual ingredients.

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US Customary - Metric

Equipment

1 ½-2 pint (¾-1 quart) pudding bowl or basin [4 cup pudding bowl], plus greaseproof/baking 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
sieve
Mixing bowl
mixing spoon
sieve

Ingredients

70 grams margarine or butter [we used Stork baking spread, plus extra to grease the bowl]
70 grams granulated sugar [or caster sugar]
120 grams self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
115 grams apple sauce [home-made or regular shop bought smooth or small diced apple sauce]
100 grams raisins [or dried currants]
1 Small-medium lemon [zest removed]
2 tablespoons milk [we used oat milk but your usual milk will work fine]

After cooked and removed from the bowl:

1 tablespoon soft brown sugar [such as light brown or soft brown sugar, or any type of sugar, use more if preferred]

Instructions

Prep the slow cooker and pudding bowl:

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.

Prepare the pudding mixture:

Using either a mixing spoon or electric hand whisk cream the margarine and sugar together until well mixed.
70 grams margarine or butter, 70 grams granulated sugar
Stir through the apple sauce.
115 grams apple sauce
Sift in the flour, and baking powder. Stir through the lemon zest, raisins or dried currants.
120 grams self-raising flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 Small-medium lemon, 100 grams raisins
Stir through the milk.
2 tablespoons milk
Fold all the ingredients together using a mixing spoon until just combined.
Scoop the mixture into the pudding bowl and level the surface.

Prepare the pudding bowl lid:

Pop a lid onto the pudding bowl 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.
[For a quicker way to prepare a lid I often just cover the bowl with a piece of baking paper just larger than the basin and then add a piece of kitchen foil an inch or so larger than the basin top and scrunch the edges tightly around the basin top. This method is fine for steaming puddings in a slow cooker but if you are steaming the pudding on the stove-top then do prepare a more secure lid with a string fastening.]

Cook the pudding:

Place the pudding bowl into the slow cooker and pour warm,or boiled water that has cooled for a few minutes, at least half way up the sides of the pudding bowl.
Pop a lid onto the slow cooker and leave to steam for 4 hours. Don't remove the lid of the slow cooker until 4 hours as passed. The water shouldn't evaporate as it will just steam to the top of the slow cooker and then drip back down.

Remove the cooked pudding from the bowl:

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 5 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.

Optional:

Sprinkle soft brown sugar, or just use granulated sugar, over the top of the pudding and serve with hot custard, chilled cream, or ice cream if liked. It was once traditional to add a pat of butter to the top so that it melted down the pudding but this is not so common nowadays.
1 tablespoon soft 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 soft brown sugar for adding to the cooked pudding.
Leftover pudding can be stored within a covered container and placed in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Spotted dick pudding can be stored within the pudding bowl but do allow the pudding and basin, if its made from ceramic, stone, or glass such as pyrex, 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 to room temperature before reheating.
Leftovers can be reheated in a microwave for a few minutes either within the pudding bowl if microwave safe, or use a microwave safe plate.
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.
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.
This recipe is a good way to use up leftover apple sauce.
We are a plant-based family recipe blog so all our ingredient suggestions so we use vegan- friendly ingredients, 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, or your usual 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.
For different dietary requirements butter will work fine for this recipe.
Prepare the pudding on the stove-top: Fasten a lid onto the pudding bowl and place the bowl into a large pan of gently boiling water and cook for two and a half - three hours, or until the pudding has cooked through. Make sure that the water level is maintained at least half way up the pudding bowl, by adding boiling water whenever required. You don't need to add a lid to the pot as but you can if you would like to, as it helps keep steam in the pot. Some people like to add a heat-proof saucer to the bottom of the pot and then place the pudding bowl on top. Check the pudding after 2 and a half hours and see if it has cooked through by placing a skewer through the pudding top and if it comes out clean it is ready. If it needs more time secure the lid back onto the bowl and cook for an extra 30 minutes.

Nutrition