Guinness Christmas Pudding
This Guinness Christmas pudding is rich, sticky, dark & full of festive spices! The addition of Irish stout gives this pudding a hit of booze & a deep malty flavour.
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If you’re a massive fan of Christmas pudding like me, you’re going to love this Guinness Christmas pudding! It’s incredibly rich, dark, fruity & full of festive spices & flavours! The addition of Guinness (Irish stout) gives this pudding a subtle malty, bitter flavour that works great with all that sugar, fruit & spice.
The key to making a really good Christmas pudding is to make it several weeks (if not months!) before serving it, to give it plenty of time to mature. The longer you let your pudding mature, the better the flavour will be as it improves with age!
What Is Christmas Pudding?
Christmas pudding is a dark, dense fruit pudding (similar to a fruit cake) that’s made with a variety of dried fruits, citrus, plenty of spices, suet & generous amount of sugar & alcohol. Christmas pudding is traditionally steamed to cook through then left to mature over several weeks/months then steamed again on Christmas Day to reheat. You’ll sometimes see Christmas pudding being referred to as figgy pudding or plum pudding but they’re all pretty much the same thing.
Stir Up Sunday
Stir up Sunday – The last Sunday before Advent which is traditionally when all of the family would gather to make that year’s Christmas pudding. This year (2024), stir up Sunday is on the 24th of November.
If you’re planning on making a Christmas pudding this year, stir up Sunday is the time to do it! This date falls 5 weeks before Christmas Day, so gives the pudding plenty of time to mature & develop flavour.
For more festive cooking inspiration, take a look at our collection of Christmas recipes! There’s all the classics here, from mince pies & stollen to everything you need to make the ultimate Christmas dinner.
Ingredient Notes
- Guinness – This is an Irish stout with a malty, caramelised flavour that works perfectly for Christmas puddings.
- Fruit – A traditional Christmas pudding is made with a mix of dried fruits. You’ll always find raisins, sultanas & mixed peel in this pudding but we’re also using dried figs, prunes & glace cherries in this one. We’re also using some fresh fruit; grated apple, lemon & orange zest.
- Spices – We’re using traditional festive spices for this pudding including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, all spice & cloves.
- Sugar – I like to use dark brown sugar for my Christmas pudding as it has the richest flavour.
- Salt – Sea salt brings out the flavour from the other ingredients in the pudding. I used Maldon sea salt.
- Breadcrumbs – I used wholemeal breadcrumbs for my pudding as I like the nutty, malty flavour that it adds. However white breadcrumbs will work as well.
- Suet – Either shredded beef or vegetable suet will work for this recipe.
- Black Treacle – Treacle adds a rich, molasses flavour to this pudding. Molasses will also work.
- Eggs – You’ll need 2 large eggs for the pudding batter. Each should weigh around 6o grams out of the shell.
- Brandy (Optional) – If you’re planning on feeding & flaming your Christmas pudding, you’ll need either brandy, rum, whiskey or gin. I like to use brandy.
How To Make Guinness Christmas Pudding
The full, printable recipe card for this Christmas pudding can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…
Soaking The Fruit
The first step when making any Christmas pudding is to soak the fruit – preferably overnight. For our Guinness Christmas pudding, we’re using raisins, sultanas, dried figs, prunes, glace cherries & mixed candied peel. We’re going to be soaking all of these in Guinness stout. There’s minimal prep when it comes to the fruit, we just need to cut the figs, prunes & cherries into smaller pieces.
Making The Pudding
Making the batter for our Guinness Christmas pudding couldn’t be easier! To make this, we sift flour & spices into a large mixing bowl then add in sea salt, breadcrumbs, brown sugar & suet then mix this to combine.
Next, we add the soaked fruit into the flour along with black treacle, grated apple, eggs and lemon & orange zest then mix again to bring it all together. We then transfer the pudding mix into a greased pudding basin, cover the top with a disc of baking parchment then a double layer of foil, making sure that it’s watertight.
Steaming The Pudding
The traditional way to cook a Christmas pudding is to steam it, which is what we’re going to be doing in this recipe. This method of cooking is a slow, gentle way to cook our pudding but is super easy to do & is mostly hands off!
Before steaming our Christmas pudding, we need to wrap our pudding basin so that it’s watertight, allowing enough room for the pudding to rise. To do this, we place a circle of baking parchment on top of the pudding then cover the top of the basin with a double layer of tin foil. If you like, you can tie a piece of string around the foil, to secure the foil & to make a handle (this makes it easier to lift the basin out of the water once the pudding is cooked).
To steam the Christmas pudding, we place the pudding basin into a large saucepan then fill it with enough boiling water (from a kettle) to come halfway up the side of the basin. We then cover the pan with a lid & set over a medium-low heat. We simmer the pudding gently for 6-8 hours, until it is cooked through, making sure to top up the water regularly (check it every hour or so).
Maturing & Feeding
Once cooked, we need to let our pudding mature, to let the flavours develop & become deeper & more complex. As Christmas puddings contain such a high amount of sugar & alcohol, it can be stored for several month (if not years!) before being served. In fact it will taste better the longer that it is matured for.
To safely store our Guinness Christmas pudding, we need to let it cool down completely after cooking it then dry the outside of the pudding basin well, to remove any water from when the pudding was steamed. Next, we replace the parchment on top of the pudding with a fresh piece then wrap the whole basin with clingfilm, so that it is airtight. The pudding now needs to be stored somewhere cool & dry (preferably a fridge but a cellar/larder will work as well) until you’re ready to serve it.
If you like, you can feed the pudding with a tablespoon of brandy (or rum, gin or whiskey) every couple of weeks, to add even more flavour – this is optional though! To feed your pudding, poke several holes in the top with a skewer then pour over a tablespoon of brandy. Make sure to wrap the pudding in clingfilm after each feed, to keep it airtight.
How To Reheat Christmas Pudding
A large Christmas pudding will take at least a couple of hours to reheat, so keep that in mind on Christmas Day! To reheat the pudding, we steam it exactly the same way as the initial cook but this time for less time – just until the pudding is warmed through. Although you can microwave a whole Christmas pudding to reheat it, you’ll get the best results by steaming it. Here’s how…
- Before reheating your pudding, remove the clingfilm, replace the baking parchment with a fresh piece then cover the basin with foil (like when we steamed the pudding the first time).
- Next, place the pudding into a large saucepan then fill with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin.
- Set the pan over a medium-low heat then simmer gently for 2-3 hours, until the pudding is hot.
To check if your pudding is hot, insert a skewer into the centre. If the skewer feels warm when you touch it, it’s ready! - Once your pudding is ready, remove the foil & baking parchment then place a plate on top & flip upside down, to turn out.
How To Flame Christmas Pudding
You don’t have to flame your Christmas pudding before serving but it looks impressive & it’s actually not too hard to do. Just make sure you do this carefully & away from anything flammable!
Here’s how to flame a Christmas pudding…
- Turn your warm Christmas pudding out onto a plate/serving dish.
- Add 30ml of brandy into a small saucepan then set over a medium heat.
- Once the alcohol is warm (this will only take a minute), tilt the pan to the side & set the brandy alight with a lighter/match.
- Carefully tip the alcohol over the Christmas pudding then serve once the flames go out.
Christmas Pudding Tips & Tricks
- Soak your fruit overnight, to add flavour & moisture to the pudding.
- Gently steam your Christmas pudding, to keep it moist.
- Let your pudding cool for 30 minutes in the water (after the initial steam) before removing. This makes it easier to take the pudding out of the water & means that you won’t burn yourself.
- Mature your pudding for at least a month before serving, for maximum flavour. Make sure to store it somewhere cool & dry.
- Feed your Christmas pudding with brandy every couple of weeks, to preserve & add flavour.
- Flame the pudding before serving, for a traditional & impressive finish.
- Serve your Christmas pudding with something creamy (like custard) to cut through the rich flavour.
Serving Suggestions
This Guinness Christmas pudding is super rich & flavourful so is best served with something creamy to cut through all of that richness. I served mine with some brandy & vanilla custard but a drizzle of double cream, a scoop of ice cream or some homemade brandy butter would all be good options.
Frequently Asked Questions
Once cooked, your Christmas pudding will have risen slightly & a skewer inserted into the centre will come out clean. It’s quite difficult to overcook a Christmas pudding so if you don’t think yours is cooked, don’t be afraid to let it steam for a little while longer.
Yes, this is normal. Your Christmas pudding will shrink slightly as it cools.
Ideally, Christmas pudding should mature for at least a month before being served. Traditionally, you’d make a Christmas pudding on “stir up Sunday” which is 5 weeks before Christmas. However, as these puddings contain so much sugar & alcohol, they’ll keep for over a year when stored in the fridge.
Once cooked & cooled down, top the pudding with a fresh piece of baking parchment then wrap the whole basin with clingfilm so that it is airtight. Your Christmas pudding now needs to be stored in a cool dry place whilst it matures. Preferably a fridge but if you have a larder or cellar, that will work too as long as they’re cold enough.
You don’t have to feed your Christmas pudding with alcohol, but I’d recommend it as it adds flavour & helps preserve the pudding. I like to use brandy to feed my pudding but rum, gin & whiskey will work as well.
The best way to reheat a Christmas pudding is to steam it like the initial cook. However, the second steam will only take 2-3 hours, to reheat the pudding fully.
Any leftover Christmas pudding should be stored in the fridge & can be reheated in a microwave. Alternatively, take a look at our collection of Christmas leftover recipe, for more ideas!
How To Cook Christmas Pudding In An Aga
With all of my recipes, I include cooking instructions for conventional ovens, fan ovens & also Agas. Here’s how to cook this recipe on an Aga…
To steam the pudding in an Aga, bring the water to a simmer on the simmering plate, simmer for 5 minutes then place the pan on the floor of the simmering oven. The pudding will take 6-8 hours to cook like this.
To reheat the pudding in an Aga, steam it the same way as the initial cook for 2-3 hours, until hot.
Equipment Used
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More Festive Recipes To Try!
- Sticky Toffee Gingerbread
- Baileys Vanilla Rice Pudding
- Chocolate Orange Fondants
- Classic Mince Pies
- Filo Mince Pies With Almond Streusel
- Amaretto Frangipane Mince Pies
- Baileys Mince Pie Ice Cream
If you have enjoyed this Guinness Christmas pudding recipe, it would mean a lot if you could leave a review & rating. And if you’d like to stay up to date with future recipes, follow us on Instagram & TikTok!
Guinness Christmas Pudding
Equipment
- 3 Pint/1.75 Litre Pudding Basin
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Microplane/Grater
- Food Processor
- Large Saucepan
- Lighter/Matches (For Flaming The Pudding)
Ingredients
Soaked Fruit
- 150 g Raisins
- 150 g Sultanas
- 100 g Dried Figs (Chopped Into 1 cm Pieces)
- 100 g Dried Prunes (Chopped Into 1 cm Pieces)
- 100 g Glace Cherries (Cut Into Quarters)
- 60 g Mixed Peel
- 220 ml Guinness
Christmas Pudding
- 140 g Plain Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- ¾ tsp Ground Cinnamon
- ¾ tsp Ground Ginger
- ¾ tsp Ground Allspice
- ¼ tsp Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp Ground Cloves
- ¼ tsp Sea Salt
- 140 g Wholemeal Bread – Blitzed Into Breadcrumbs (See Notes)
- 135 g Dark Brown Sugar
- 120 g Shredded Suet (See Notes)
- 80 g Black Treacle
- 2 Large Eggs (Lightly Beaten)
- 1 Bramley Apple (Peeled & Grated)
- 1 Lemon (Zested)
- 1 Orange (Zested)
Feeding The Pudding
- 2 tbsp Brandy (Optional)
To Flame The Pudding
- 30 ml Brandy
Instructions
Soaking The Fruit
- Add the raisins, sultanas, figs, prunes, cherries & mixed peel into a bowl then pour over the Guinness.
- Give the fruit a stir, cover the bowl with clingfilm then leave to soak overnight.
Making The Pudding
- Grease a 3 pint/1.75 litre pudding basin with butter then set aside.
- Sift the flour, baking powder & spices into a large mixing bowl then add in the salt, breadcrumbs, sugar & suet. Mix to combine.
- Next, add in the soaked fruit, black treacle, eggs, grated apple & zests then mix well, to combine.Make sure to add in all of the soaked fruits, including any Guinness!
- Transfer the pudding batter into the greased basin then use a palette knife/spatula to spread level on top.
- Lay a circle of baking parchment on top of the pudding then cover the top of the basin with a double layer of tin foil, making sure that it's water tight. If you like, you can tie a piece of string around the foil, to secure the foil & to make a handle (this makes it easier to lift the basin out of the water once the pudding is cooked).
Steaming The Pudding
- Place the Christmas pudding into a large saucepan then fill it with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin.
- Cover the pan with a lid then set over a medium-low heat. Simmer gently for 6-8 hours, until pudding is cooked through. Make sure to top up the water regularly (check every hour or so), to keep it at the same level at all times.To check if the pudding is cooked, insert a skewer into the centre. If it comes out clean, the pudding is ready. Christmas puddings need to be cooked gently, so make sure that the water is at a gentle simmer at all times.
- Once your pudding is cooked, take the pan off the heat then let the pudding cool in the water for 30 minutes.
- Carefully take the pudding out of the water, remove the foil then leave to cool completely. Dry the outside of the pudding basin with a tea towel once cool.
- Once cool, replace the baking parchment with a fresh piece then wrap the entire pudding basin in clingfilm, so that it's airtight. Chill the pudding in the fridge & leave to mature for 4-6 weeks before serving.
Feeding The Pudding – Optional
- For extra flavour, I'd recommend feeding the pudding with brandy every 2 weeks but this is optional. To feed your pudding, poke several holes in the top with a skewer then pour over a tablespoon of brandy.You'll only need to poke holes into your pudding on the first feed. Make sure to wrap your pudding back up with clingfilm after feeding.
Reheating
- Before reheating your pudding, remove the clingfilm, replace the baking parchment with a fresh piece then cover the basin with foil (like when we steamed the pudding the first time).
- Next, place the pudding into a large saucepan then fill with enough boiling water to come halfway up the side of the basin.
- Set the pan over a medium-low heat then simmer gently for 2-3 hours, until the pudding is hot.Make sure to keep an eye on the water level, topping it up when needed. To check if your pudding is done, insert a skewer into the centre. If the skewer feels hot when you touch it, it's ready!
- Once your pudding is ready, remove the foil & baking parchment then place a plate on top & flip upside down, to turn out.
Flaming The Pudding
- Place the brandy into a small saucepan then set over a medium heat. Once it's warm (this will only take a minute), tilt the pan to the side & set the brandy alight with a lighter/match. Carefully tip the alcohol over the Christmas pudding then serve once the flames go out.
