Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding

The first time I tried making this recipe I wondered if it was a mistake developing a Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding. Was it going to be too sweet? Not perhaps an ideal way to finish a fully loaded Christmas dinner. I needn’t have worried, as one bite assured me this incredible dessert is exactly how you would want to complete your celebrations every year. This version has totally revolutionised Christmas puddings for me. It’s not too sweet at all as we have compensated for the rich Sticky Toffee Sauce topping by reducing the sugar in the pudding just a smidge. In fact this Christmas Pudding is layered with rich complex flavour, taking notes from our favourite Sticky Toffee Pudding using medjool dates the base and giving it a little more body rather than an overload on dried fruits but still making it a gloriously festive celebratory dessert.

I have recommended using my gluten-free flour blend for this recipe (although it’s absolutely not necessary if that doesn’t suit you as it also works with plain all-purpose flour too) but that means it’s a totally inclusive dessert and no one will be any the wiser since this pudding keeps the same texture and flavour whichever flour you use. It is rich and moist with complexity from the dates, citrus fruit, spices, rum and brandy. Things to take note of apart from the flour is to make sure your suet is gluten-free (fresh from the butcher preferably) and your breadcrumbs are gluten-free. That’s it!

Since this Christmas Pudding has a lower dried fruit ratio I do not recommend storing it at room temperature, as you would a regular Christmas Pudding. For safer storage you can make as you would usually on Stir-Up Sunday, 6 weeks ahead of the big day, then freeze and thaw overnight on Christmas Eve to re-steam on the big day. The Sticky Toffee Sauce which is drizzled over on the day of serving can happily be made a good few days before so it’s the whole dessert is still a simple re-heat and assembly job on Christmas Day itself.

By all means you could make your pudding fresh, you can eat this Christmas Pudding directly after you first steam it and you will not be disappointed.

I’ve got all the tips for making your Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding deliciously moist with full steaming and storage tips. Plus a bit of organisational advice for how to serve it. Give this different Christmas dessert a try this year, it retains traditionality but still gives you something a little more fun and special.

Watch the Video

Sometimes it helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding.

Ingredients Needed

Medjool dates. Used for their rich flavour and thick sticky texture which gives a lovely toffee quality to the bake. These are traditionally what give the richness to Sticky Toffee Pudding and they work just as well here.

Raisins. There’s just one more dried fruit we’ll use here and it’s raisins for their

Apple. A small-medium sized apple will do. They are lovely in Christmas puddings to add moisture and texture to the proceedings. I like Granny Smiths to add sharp flavour rather than extra sweetness.

Lemon and Orange. Make these citrus fruits are unwaxed and organic otherwise you need to scrub off the wax.

Rum. I would always usually have advocated for a cheap supermarket rum since we’re using it for baking and it’s a shame to waste an expensive bottle. However, we were out of the cheap stuff and I surreptitiously used a lovely helping of my husband’s favourite tipple. It was astounding how much difference it made, the flavour of it really came through. So if you can bear to part with a more pricey rum then do try using it here. My husband was horrified when he found out but he did also taste the difference in the pudding. C’mon – it’s Christmas!!

Brandy. You probably don’t need two expensive liquors being swiftly depleted in one pudding, so pick just one to splash out on if you dare. The intermingling of the brandy and rum do add gorgeous flavour.

Alcohol-free. You can make this dessert alcohol free by using the juice of your orange and lemon (and more to make up the difference). The rum and brandy add moisture and flavour so do swap with equal parts fresh orange and lemon juice.

Gluten-Free Flour – FTL Blend. This recipe uses my Homemade Gluten-Free All Purpose Flour which works really well here as the flour ratio has been carefully tested to ensure the mix between wholegrain flours and starchy flours is balanced. This also means we don’t need to use xanthan gum as the blend is strong enough and produces a well structured and textured bake which can hold together without needing any extra binders.

This flour blend is a mix of 4 different flours: sweet rice flour (glutinous rice flour), sorghum flour, oat flour, tapioca flour (tapioca starch).

There are plenty of flour substitution tips ideas if you click on the original post for this homemade flour mix.

If you have found your way to this recipe and you are not gluten-free (it happens!), I can assure you that this recipe has been developed to work with my own gluten-free flour blend or plain all-purpose flour so you can swap out and use whichever suits you.

Breadcrumbs. You can use any gluten free breadcrumbs. I don’t really recommend shop bought (if you can even find them!) homemade is much better as they absorb the liquid much more.

Black treacle. We use it in both the Christmas pudding and the sticky toffee sauce. It’s a dark bitter syrup derived from sugar refined with a rich and unique flavour. You can substitute for molasses or dark corn syrup if you’re not in the UK and can’t get hold of it.

Stem ginger. We’re talking about the jars of stem ginger in syrup which are easy to get hold in the UK in larger supermarkets in the baking aisle. You can substitute for crystallised ginger or you can make your own stem ginger at home.

Eggs. This recipe uses medium size, about 60g each with shell (50g each without shell). These are often classified as large eggs in the US. I recommend weighing your eggs to ensure the correct amount.

Suet. Supermarket suet is not gluten-free as the suet pellets are coated in wheat flour. To obtain true gluten-free suet then you should either ask your butcher (it depends on the butcher if they can get hold of it) or check directly with the farmers at your local farmers’ market. The most successful way is usually online retailers. I source mine from Godfrey’s butcher in North London who deliver nationwide. You can buy vegetarian gluten-free suet from the supermarket if you prefer - always double check the labelling.

Baking powder. A leavening agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.

Bicarbonate of soda. Also known as baking soda, this is a white crystalline powder that is commonly used as a leavening agent in baking.

Spices. This recipe uses the festive triumvirate of mixed spice, cinnamon and nutmeg which are essential for the most traditional of flavours.

Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking and cooking as it has a round gentle flavour and keeps consistency across all my recipes. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours. I source mine from online retailers like Amazon.

Unsalted butter. This is for our Sticky Toffee Sauce. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is at room temperature.

Double cream. Also for our Sticky Toffee Sauce. You can substitute for heavy-cream or a plant based double cream.

Christmas Pudding Equipment Needed

All of these items are helpful for a smooth steaming process, but you can easily substitute with whatever you have on hand.

Mixing bowl. Having a traditional Mason Cash mixing bowl is not essential (any large mixing bowl will do) but for the Christmas Pudding I love the ceremony of heaving down my gigantic mixing bowl from the top of the cupboard. Let the festive baking begin!

Pudding basin. You can use a traditional ceramic basin or a plastic basin (which is what my aunt always made hers when we were growing up). The capacity you want for this recipe is at least 1.1 litres- 1.5 litres – as you can see from the photos it does rise right to the top so if you have a larger one then that’s fine too.

‘Lidding’ your Christmas pudding. You can use a large piece of pudding cloth which is traditional scalded and floured then used to tie to the top of your pudding basin. I can’t see many of us doing that so I advocate for a double layer of baking parchment and aluminium foil and kitchen string for tying.

Steamer or large lidded pot. I can’t see a huge amount of us having a steamer to hand – if you do then great. If you don’t then you just need a large stockpot or very deep saucepan. Before you begin make sure that both the trivet (see below) and the pudding basin fit with room to spare when you put the lid on to save you drama at the end of the recipe.

Trivet. Okay, here I will be a bit more insistent. If you don’t have a wire (or silicone) trivet then you can make do with an upturned saucer or a tea towel at the bottom of your pot to sit underneath your pudding (I did for years). But I really appreciated getting the trivet. I use it all the time with my instant pot and also with steaming puddings. They are cheap and so much easier to use here.

How To Make Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Combine the diced dates, raisins, apple, citrus zest, brandy and rum in a large mixing bowl. Cover and leave the mixture to soak for at least 2 hours (overnight really plumps them up).

Add the eggs, suet, treacle and stem ginger to the fruit mixture and stir until well-combined.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the gluten-free flour, brown sugar, spices, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt and whisk together. Tip the dry ingredients into the large bowl of wet ingredients and mix well. Finally add the breadcrumbs and stir in.

Spoon the Christmas pudding mixture into a large pudding basin (at least 1.1 litres, you could use a slightly larger one too if you have one as this pudding rises a fair bit).

Cover the basin with a layer of baking parchment and foil, pleated in the centre to allow for expansion. Secure with kitchen string then trim the excess parchment and foil.

Place a trivet or upturned saucer in the base of a large cooking pot and sit the pudding basin on top. Pour water into the side of the pot to reach halfway up the pudding basin and cover the pot with a tight fitting lid. Steam the Christmas pudding for 2 ½ hours, checking occasionally to top up with more water as needed.

Remove the basin from the cooking pot and either turn out the pudding and serve immediately with the sticky toffee sauce or allow the pudding to cool in the basin and freeze for long term storage.

This Christmas Pudding is not safe for long-term storage at room temperature unlike traditional puddings.

How To Make Sticky Toffee Sauce

1. Melt the butter in a small/medium saucepan.
2. Whisk in the brown sugar and continue whisking until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is smooth. It should take about 3-5 minutes.
3. Pour in the double cream slowly and whisk in to combine.
4. Once hot (not boiling), stir in the black treacle until melted.
5. Remove from the heat and the sauce is ready to serve.

Make Ahead

Christmas Pudding

This pudding cannot be stored at room temperature so if you want to make your dessert ahead of time then make a week ahead of Christmas Day and store in the fridge, still in the pudding basin but with a fresh lid of baking parchment and aluminium foil. Or freeze.

Freezing. If you are freezing your pudding then once it is cool keep the pudding in the basin and double wrap with cling film (plastic wrap) and aluminium foil. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Re-heating. Make sure the pudding basin has a new lid made with fresh baking parchment and foil, as in the original steam, securing with string. Repeat the steaming process but this time you only need to steam for 1 ½ hours to re-heat.

Microwave. I do not recommend re-heating the whole Christmas Pudding in the microwave, it can produce a tough dry pudding. You can happily microwave leftovers in individual portions in the days after Christmas though.

Sticky Toffee Sauce

Pour the sauce into an airtight container and store in the fridge where it will keep well for up to 1 week. Re-heat by pouring the sauce back into the saucepan and heat on a low/medium heat, stirring frequently until smooth and runny.

Serving Suggestions

You can absolutely enjoy your Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding with no other adornment than the pouring toffee sauce. But who would want to, it’s Christmas and we deserve to treat ourselves.

Brandy sauce. This is a white sauce with a touch of brandy. I adore it with Christmas Pudding as it really lets the flavour of the pudding shine without taking over.

Vanilla custard. It’s a classic and who doesn’t want a gushing pour all over your spiced pudding.

Vanilla ice cream. This is my favourite accompaniment to a traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding so it goes without saying that it’s simply delightful here too. Proper homemade is always king.

Gingerbread ice cream. This is a homemade ice cream and is a fantastic accompaniment to the pudding because of the ginger in both. Plus it serves as an alternative dessert to those heathens who ‘don’t like Christmas pudding.’

Fresh cold cream. Such a gorgeous contrast of hot pudding and cold cream. It’s what I used for the photos here and you can see how the cream melts into the pudding. Too good!!

More Christmas Desserts You’ll Love

Nothing beats a homemade Traditional Gluten-Free Christmas Pudding. It simply does not compare to anything you can buy in the shops. This light and fluffy pudding is bursting with plump luscious brandy sodden fruit and is rich with nuts and spices.

This Chocolate Orange Christmas Pudding is a delightful alternative take on the traditional Christmas Pudding. Still rich with fruit and spices but imbued with velvety pools of chocolate and the sharp sweetness of juicy oranges. Made with teff flour, which is a naturally gluten-free flour, for depth of flavour. Then, for real luxury then serve with this lovely festive Cointreau sauce.

Bramley Apple Mincemeat Pudding is a must at this time of year. It's one of my favourite recipes using leftover mincemeat and is also proved very popular as a lighter alternative to Christmas Pudding.