Bramley Apple and Mincemeat Pudding
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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. Both the regular flour and gluten-free versions of the recipe are listed below.
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If you are looking for ways to use up that jar of leftover mincemeat then look no further than this Bramley Apple and Mincemeat Sponge Pudding. The tartness of the Bramleys give a lovely contrast to the sweetness of the mincemeat and it's full of festive flavour plus being so quick and easy to bake.
I first published this recipe 10 years ago (the photos above are from my original post) and it's received many 5 star reviews since then, both with the original version and also the gluten-free alternative.
⭐️"I initially made this pud to use up mincemeat leftover from Christmas. But now I buy mincemeat to make it, because it is so delicious."⭐️
⭐️"I came across this recipe because I wanted to use up the last of my homemade mincemeat...oh wow!! This is my favourite ever pudding! It’s so easy to make and tastes divine with warm custard...or on its own."⭐️
⭐️"This is absolutely delicious and will now be a new Christmas favourite in our house!"⭐️
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Light. The winter season is full of heavy and rich dessert options. This is a lighter alternative to a Christmas Cake or Pudding but still using all the festive flavour.
- Fruity. All the plump luscious fruits from your mincemeat are stirred through the sponge batter for lots of flavour.
- Easy. This is such an easy sponge pudding to assemble. It's so quick and pretty foolproof.
- Festive. You can eat this dessert at any time of year (I always seem to have mincemeat in the fridge, even in July!) But of course the spiced rich flavours really shine in the festive season.
A Very Merry Gluten-Free Christmas
Your comprehenseive guide to celebrating a Gluten-Free Christmas. With 45+ Christmas recipes, timings for the day and tips on hosting and food preparation.
Ingredients Needed
Bramley apples. You can use any cooking apple but bramleys give a lovely soft texture and gentle tartness.
Brown sugar. Gives sweetness to the bed of apples plus a lovely gentle molasses flavour and moisture.
Lemon. Make sure it is unwaxed and organic otherwise you need to scrub off the wax.
Unsalted butter. We need unsalted so we can control the salt content of the recipe. Make sure it is at room temperature.
Caster sugar. It’s a fine white baking sugar available in the UK. Regular white granulated sugar can be substituted.
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.
Vanilla extract. Use a good quality extract, I like Nielsen Massey.
Mincemeat. You can use shop bought but homemade mincemeat will always be the true winner! Try it with either this Easy Traditional Mincemeat or this fruity Cranberry Mincemeat. With or without suet doesn't matter.
All-purpose flour (for the gluten-free version you can use any brand of gluten-free flour) . Since this recipe was originally published with regular all-purpose wheat flour I know it still has many fans who love this recipe so I have retained it here. However, these days I make this recipe with a blend of 50% gluten-free flour (any brand) and 50% almond flour which gives great results.
Almond flour. The almond flour is needed in the gluten-free version to stabilise the flour and keep the right texture and structure. Don't worry about including almond flour if you are making the original version. You are looking for blanched ground almonds. There is a bit of labelling confusion over almond flour which is sold as ‘ground almonds’ in most major UK supermarkets and found in the baking aisle. If you want to know what exactly you are looking for then check out this post >>>Is Almond Flour The Same As Ground Almonds.
Baking powder. A leaving agent which causes the cake to rise and become light and fluffy. Do check your baking powder is gluten-free before use.
Salt. I like to use kosher salt in my baking as it has a round gentle flavour. Using salt in your baked goods lifts and sharpens all the other flavours.
Milk. Use whole milk, you just need a little splash to loosen the mixture.
How to Make Bramley Apple Mincemeat Pudding
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Prepare the Apples. Peel and dice the Bramley apples, then mix with brown sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Pour the mixture into a buttered baking dish and set aside.
Cream the Butter and Sugar. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add the Eggs. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until well combined, followed by the vanilla extract.
Mix in Mincemeat. Mix in the mincemeat, ensuring everything is well mixed.
Incorporate the Dry Ingredients. Sift together flour (plus almond flour if you are making the gluten-free version), baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Fold this into the wet mixture until just combined.
Add the Milk. Gently stir in the milk, making sure the batter is smooth and evenly mixed.
Assemble and Bake. Pour the batter over the prepared apples. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180°C / 160°C fan assisted / gas mark 4 / 350°FC for 45 minutes, or until golden and cooked through.
Finish and Serve. Once baked, sprinkle the top with a little caster sugar. Serve warm, ideally with a generous helping of custard.
Expert Tips
- If you can’t get hold of Bramley Apples then any tart cooking apple will do the job.
- Room Temperature Ingredients. Ensure that all the ingredients including the eggs and butter are at room temperature. This helps in achieving a smoother batter, even mixing and helps them to emulsify together so the cake isn’t greasy.
- Cream the butter and sugar for 2-3 minutes until creamy and light which will help the sponge to lift.
- Use the best mincemeat you can find. Homemade is especially good.
- Place the sponge pudding to bake in the middle shelf of the oven to ensure even baking.
FAQ’s
The best size for this recipe is a dish of 1.5lt capacity. The dish I use is 26cm x 17cm (5cm deep).
If you want to make ahead of time to avoid the bother on Christmas Day then I recommend baking it a day or two before. Cover with foil then re-heat in the oven for 20-30 minutes just before serving.
This pudding freezes really well. Cool in the baking dish then double wrap well in both cling film and tin foil before freezing. Defrost thoroughly the night before then re-heat in the oven for 20-30 minutes, covered loosely with foil.
Serving Suggestions
- Lashings of Homemade Custard
- Brandy Cream Sauce
- Gingerbread Ice Cream
More Recipes Using Mincemeat
- Mince Pie Cheesecake Oat Bars
- Christmas Morning Mince Pie Muffins
- Mince Pie Cupcakes with Brandy Buttercream
- Gluten-Free Mince Pies
✨Have you tried this Bramley Apple Mincemeat Pudding? If you liked it, please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨
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Bramley Apple and Mincemeat Pudding
Ingredients
Original Version
- 2-3 bramley apples - 450-550g, peeled and diced
- 30 g soft light brown sugar
- grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
- 150 g unsalted butter - room temperature
- 150 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs - medium*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g mincemeat
- 150 g plain flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar to sprinkle
Gluten-Free Version
- 2-3 bramley apples - 450-550g, peeled and diced
- 30 g soft light brown sugar
- grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
- 150 g unsalted butter - room temperature
- 150 g caster sugar
- 3 eggs - medium*
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g mincemeat
- 75 g gluten-free flour
- 75 g almond flour - ground almonds in UK
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon whole milk
- 1 teaspoon caster sugar to sprinkle
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan assisted /gas mark 4 / 350°F.
- In a large bowl mix the bramley apples with the brown sugar and lemon zest and juice. Pour into a buttered baking dish and set aside
- Cream the butter and caster sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until thoroughly incorporated.
- Stir in the vanilla extract and then the mincemeat.
- Sift together the flour (and almond flour if you are making the gluten-free version), baking powder and salt then mix into the rest of the ingredients until just combined.
- Finally stir in the milk.
- Pour the batter on top of the apples then bake in the oven for around 45 minutes until the sponge has browned on top and an inserted toothpicks comes out clean.
- Sprinkle over the teaspoon of caster sugar and serve with lashings of custard.
Notes
- Bramley Apples - If you can’t get hold of Bramley Apples then any tart cooking apple will do the job.
- Eggs.The eggs used in this recipe are medium size, 60g with shell and 50g without shell. If you can't get hold of medium eggs I suggest you weigh the amount.
- Mincemeat - you can use any mincemeat but homemade tastes the most delicious
- Baking Dish 1.5lt capacity. 26cm x 17cm (5cm deep).
- Make Ahead - Bake the pudding a day or two before. Keep in the fridge. Cover loosely with foil then re-heat in the oven for 20-30 minutes just before serving.
- How to Freeze - Cool in the baking dish then double wrap well in both cling film and tin foil before freezing. Defrost thoroughly the night before then re-heat in the oven for 20-30 minutes, covered loosely with foil.
- Original Version and Gluten-Free Version. The only difference here is the flour choice. The original version uses 150g plain all-purpose flour and the gluten-free version uses 75g gluten-free flour (any brand) and 75g almond flour.
US customary measurements
These US measurements for the ingredients provided are based on a conversion calculator. This recipe was tested with metric measurements and I recommend using a digital scale to weigh ingredients for the most accurate results. READ MORE >>> Why you should always weigh vs measuring with cupsNutrition information
Please note that the nutrition information provided below is an estimate based on an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients you use. Please seek a professional nutritionist’s advice for further clarification. The nutrition serving is for 1 serving of the original recipe of this dessert, if it is portioned into 6.Nutrition
Update Notes: This post was originally published in December 2014, but was republished with clearer instructions and tips in July 2019.
It’s really infuriating when people don’t accurately specify the oven temperature. I baked the brambles apple and mincemeat pudding at 150 degrees fan because the only temperature you gave was 170 degrees, so I just assumed that the temperature was for a normal oven. After 45 minutes the top was brown verging on nearly burnt around the edges, but the middle was completely raw.
Hi Gonda, you did exactly the right thing. When only one oven temperature is given in a recipe then that means it has been tested in a regular oven (without fan assistance). The correct fan assisted temperature is at 150C fan - so you baked it exactly as I would recommend it and how I have baked it many times since these days I also prefer to bake with fan assistance. That said it sounds like the recipe was not a success for you. Please could you confirm whether you baked it with the gluten-free alterations or the original recipe with plain flour. Were there any other changes made to your recipe? What size baking tin did you bake it in? I'm happy to go through it together and we can see where the issues may have arisen.
I made this pudding exactly as per the recipe except I put a little less sugar and used whole meal flour. I was worried in case it came out flat as a pancake. But I’m delighted to say it is delicious. Thank you so much for this lovely recipe which I will now freeze and serve on Xmas day.
That's so lovely to hear - thank you for your feedback!!
I came across this recipe because I wanted to use up the last of my homemade mincemeat...oh wow!! This is my favourite ever pudding! It’s so easy to make and tastes divine with warm custard...or on its own.. I didn’t have quite enough mincemeat left but made it anyway and it was absolutely fine.I have since made a second batch of mincemeat just so that I can make this again. There’s only two of us here so I froze quite a bit (that’s all gone aswell) it freezes really well. I covered it with foil on its second time around in the oven as I didn’t want to burn it but it had a lovely crispness to the top after it had warmed. 10/10 for this...great winter pudding...but why wait for winter?
Hi Lorraine - I totally agree - this pud is good all year round!! I'm so happy you liked it - thank you for the lovely feedback!
Absolutely love this pudding my favourite, always buy far too much mincemeat at Christmas time so I can use during the rest of the year.I also add two lots of lemon zest and juice as like that little bit of zing .
I used a 22 cm by 15 cm 6 cm deep , I’ve tried cooking in Rayburn and electric fan oven usually takes an hour in the Rayburn and 50 mins in fan oven but I put it at a lower temp 170 .
I try to use golden caster sugar instead of white as this just gives it a lovely colour and taste.
So big thank you ,just made it for my mother for her birthday dinner on valentines she also loves it
Hi Katie, thank you for your feedback - and your notes on how you made it - it's lovely to hear how you got on with it. I'm so happy you love the recipe!!
Really good pudding, thank you! I used a glass soufflé dish approx 21cm diameter and it was just right. Plenty for six of us (with seconds!) Also use the caster sugar in the sponge mix and the brown sugar with the apples, recipe wasn’t clear.
Hi Penny - that's great to hear!! You're right my instructions weren't clear - amended now - thank you!!
This is a lovely pudding. Having a lot of apples we have lots of apple puddings at this time of the year and the week before had an apple sponge with sultanas but the mincemeat addition makes this much more. It does remind you of Christmas pudding, will definitely be a regular. Thanks for the recipe.
That's brilliant to hear - you are more than welcome!
Wow this is delicious . Made this for lots of people, neighbours, friends and family and they all love it and it’s so easy to make. Oh and one very happy husband. Thankyou
A pleasure! So happy you enjoyed it!
It really was lovely, I will be making it often and it did freeze very well.
That's great - I'm happy you liked it. Thank you for giving your feedback on the recipe!!
Hi this sounds and looks delicious- I would need to make the gluten free version as I have coeliac disease. My question is - can I make with plain gluten free flour rather than buy all the different types of flour you list? Thank you
Hi Skye - absolutely! If you work with the quantity of the regular plain flour in the original recipe then use half plain gluten-free flour and half ground almonds. You need the ground almonds to stabilise the gf flour as otherwise it could turn out gritty and crumbly.
Absolutely gorgeous pudding! A big hit with my family and now added to my book of favourite recipes.
That's brilliant - thank you Christine!
I needed a recipe to use up mincemeat. This one is perfect and so easy! Thank you!
You're welcome - I'm happy you liked the recipe!
I made this recipe as had leftover homemade mincemeat and wanted to try something different. I did the gluten free version and ohhhhh myyyy goodness it was incredible!! Love this recipe and will be making it again very soon!!
Hi Rachel, thank you so much for your lovely comment. It's one of my favourite seasonal puddings - so happy you enjoyed it!!
Thanks - sounds delicious- can I make this up the night before and then just pop in the oven to cook while we eat main course ?
Actually I wouldn't recommend preparing it in advance. Cake batter doesn't really like to rest. However, if you would like it warm then make it completely the day before and the next day place foil over the top of the pudding and re-heat in the oven. About 180 degrees for 15 minutes.
Georgina, what a gorgeous pudding! Your directions make this seem like such an easy approach, too. I would love to make this soon!
Hi Alyssa - thank you so much! Let me know if you give it a try!!
Thanks Georgina - I’ll give it another go but it was still a delicious alternative at Christmas - just finished it off with custard and cream!!!!!!
Made this tonight and it was delicious! May serve left overs after Christmas lunch instead of the usual heavy pud! Could I just ask why you use plain flour/baking powder instead of SR! My batter was very wet and the cake browned very quickly before cooking in the centre so I had to cover with foil, and playvaroubd with timings. Also is your temp for a fan oven? Many thanks
Hi Kaz, I don't like to use self-raising flour as I like to control the amount of rise in my cakes. Also, it felt like an extra bag of flour in the cupboard that I didn't need when the job can be done with plain flour, baking or bicarbonate of soda. That's odd that your batter was wet, it's usually a bit firmer. I actually can't think why that would be. Did you use large eggs? I usually use medium, although I can't think that would have made too much of a difference. If the batter was wet then that would explain the odd cooking time. This one is usually a very reliable recipe. No, the temp here is not for a fan oven. I'm glad you enjoyed it though, despite the issues.
What a glorious Christmas morning brunch. Much too wonderful a recipe not to try NOW.
Happy Christmas Georgina,
will you be publishing a book any time soon?
keep warm and continue your fab journey thru food. Jill, Canada
Happy Christmas Jill! No cookbook planned as yet, but definitely one day!!
Hi Georgina
This sounds delicious and I intend to make it tonight. Could you give me an idea of what size the baking dish should be? Thanks
Hi Allison, the dish I used was 25.2 x 19 x 5.6 cm. I hope that helps!
Dear Georgina, this looks delicious and I have all the ingredients to hand. Do you think this dish would freeze well, once baked? Or could it freeze before baking? I like to get ahead with as much as possible and this dish would be lovely over the Christmas period, because of th Mincemeat element. Thank you. Regards, Penny
Hi Penny. Yes, this will freeze very well after baking. Leave it in its baking dish, then once cooled wrap well in double cling film and foil. The night before you want to serve it remove from the freezer to defrost thoroughly then re-heat in the oven for 20-30 minutes with foil loosely over the top to stop it browning further. Enjoy!!
This pudding tasted wonderful and I would make it again. We don't have Bramley apples here so I substituted Cortlands, which worked fine. I live in Canada so I had to convert the 150gm ingredients and given the outcome I think there is too much butter in the recipe. Despite having 3 eggs and 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder, the sponge did not rise as much as I expected but all that butter may have been the reason. If you have perfected the recipe for those of us across the pond, I would love to see it.
I'm happy the recipe worked out well for you. I'm terrible at baking in cups and sticks of butter as I just don't quite understand how it works. I would translate 150g butter to 2/3 cup butter - I'm not sure if that's how much you used. The sponge isn't sky high in the original recipe as it's definitely more of a pudding than a cake.