Gluten-Free Spotted Dick

Spotted Dick is a really traditional British ‘nursery’ pudding. Basically one of those charming relics of childhood which is more often found these days in staid British restaurants and gentleman’s clubs. Most of us though know of it from school dinners, hence the term ‘nursery pudding.’

It has a terrible reputation as a great stodge of a pudding but really it doesn’t have to be. It’s tremendously comforting and this gluten-free version is especially heart-warming and so much lighter than you'd expect. It’s traditionally made with suet but I find by using fresh beef suet (which you should ask your butcher for) instead of the shop bought stuff really softens the finished result. The pudding must really be eaten steaming hot with copious amounts of custard.

What is Spotted Dick?

Gosh we British fools really know how to name wrestle with innuendo! The bemusing moniker is really an ancient term meaning spotted dough, not nearly as memorable I think you’ll find. The spotted part refers to the currants which are dotted throughout the pudding, along with mixed peel and spices. It’s a much easier pudding to make than you think as the dough quickly comes together and then is wrapped in a double layer of muslin and foil and boiled for a couple of hours.

Full list of ingredients

Currants. These are a traditional dried fruit to add to Spotted Dick. You can substitute for another dried fruit if you prefer like raisins, sultanas or even dried cranberries.

Rum. (enough to soak the currants) Can substitute whisky, brandy or orange juice.

Sweet rice flour. (glutinous rice flour, mochiko). This starchy flour has a light neutral taste and it gives the cake bounce and binding power. Not to be confused with regular rice flour.

Oat flour. This buttery and fluffy flour gives a wonderfully tender crumb and lightness to the Spotted Dick. Make sure you choose a certified gluten-free oat flour as cross-contamination can occur. If you can't digest oats then swap with sorghum flour.

Defatted Almond flour. The high protein content of the defatted almond flour gives the recipe a robust structure. Don’t use regular almond flour (ground almonds) here as you need the ultra fine powdery quality and protein boost of the defatted flour. Note. If you can't find defatted almond flour or you have a nut allergy then you can substitute for chickpea flour (gram flour) which has a similar protein content.

Fresh beef suet. Suet is a hard animal fat found around the loins and kidneys of sheep and cows. It is often used in traditional steamed puddings because of its low melting point. Actual suet is gluten-free as it’s a natural animal product. However, the beef suet sold in packets in the supermarket comes in pellets coated in wheat flour, so it is not gluten-free. You can buy gluten-free suet in the supermarket which is also vegetarian and the ingredients list on the back of the packet leads to quite shady reading.

I source real animal suet from my butcher but you will need to shop around, not every butcher can supply it. Your local farmer at the market is usually the best source as you can get it directly from them. If the suet is supplied in a large hard block rather than pellets then you can grate in the food processor with a few tablespoons of gluten-free flour for even distribution in the recipes.

Light Soft Brown Sugar. Using brown sugar adds a gentle molasses flavour and moisture to the batter, enhancing the depth of taste and providing a subtle caramel undertone, contributing to a more flavourful and moist bake.

Mixed peel. It gives a gorgeous citrus vibe to the cake and if you’ve never tried using Homemade Mixed Peel in your cakes then you will be in for a treat.

Mixed spice. You can buy this traditional British spice mix in pretty much any UK supermarket but if you can't find it then you can make up a batch of my Homemade Mixed Spice.

Whole milk. Use whole milk or a plant based milk if you are making dairy-free.

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.

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.

Suet substitutions

Only substitute if you have exhausted avenues for real beef suet. These substitutions are good in a pinch but don’t give quite the same results as the suet:

• Lard
• Coconut butter

If you are using these substitutions you should measure out the required amount and freeze. Then grate the frozen fat into the pudding for even distribution.

Don’t substitute with butter though as the pudding will be too greasy.

How To Make Gluten-Free Spotted Dick

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

1. Soak the currants in the rum (or orange juice) for 1 hour.
2. Sift the flours, baking powder and salt.
3. Stir in the suet, sugar, currants, mixed peel and spices.
4. Pour in the milk to make a dough. Shape into a log and wrap in muslin tied with string.
5. Submerge the pudding in boiling water and cook at a simmer for 2 hours.
6. Serve immediately.

Make ahead and re-heating

You can make this dessert ahead of time but I strongly recommend you serve it hot. The best way to re-heat it is by re-wrapping in muslin and steaming for 45 minutes - 1 hour. Or at a push you can microwave it for a minute or two.

Serving suggestions

There is no better accompaniment to Spotted Dick than custard.

Try this Homemade Gluten-Free Custard or for real nostalgia serve it with lashings of this Strawberry Custard (aka Pink Custard).

How to freeze

You can freeze this Spotted Dick recipe for up to 2 months. Make sure it has cooled completely then double wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and aluminium foil before storing in the freezer.

Allow to thaw completely at room temperature by re-heating as above.

Vegan Spotted Dick

This recipe is easy to make a vegan and dairy-free version of. There are two swaps you need to make.

• Suet. Make sure you are using a vegan suet which you can buy at most British supermarkets.
• Whole milk. Substitute for your favourite plant based alternative. Hey, have you tried Homemade Almond Milk? It's glorious in this dessert.