Irish Christmas Pudding Recipe: Try This Most Tasty of Irish Holiday Expressions!

The name of this delicious Irish Christmas Pudding recipe may be a bit misleading - it's really more of a cake than a pudding.  Some people refer to Irish Christmas pudding as plum pudding, which can also be a bit confusing. There are no plums in Irish Christmas pudding!  (Stick with me - it gets easier :-).

How Well Do You Know Your Irish Stuff?

Find Out Here!

Irish Christmas pudding recipe.  WIth holly on a red plate.

This Irish Christmas pudding recipe is one of the quickest and easiest to make - the perfect choice for our impatient Irish family!  We hope you enjoy it as well.

Irish Christmas Pudding Recipe: Ingredients

  • 1 cup of finely chopped suet or two sticks of butter
  • 1 cup dark corn syrup (You can use ¾ C. light corn syrup and ¼ C molasses as a substitute)
  • 1 cup water
  • One-cup mixed raisins: use some Sultana raisins, dark sundried, golden and etc.
  • Zest from one lemon
  • Zest from one orange
  • ½ grated apple
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground cloves
  • ½ tsp nutmeg
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1tsp baking powder

Optional but yummy: When it comes to extra fruit, the more you have the tastier

  • 1 cup of mixed candied or dried fruit
  • ¼ cup of almonds, walnuts or pecans
  • ½ cup brandy
  • 2 bottles of Guinness—one for the cook and the other for the recipe!
  • Irish whiskey or more brandy

Irish Christmas Pudding Recipe:  Preparation

Optional: Pre-soak the fruit for several days in a glass jar with the half cup of brandy.  Then take the following steps:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients and add the fruit, dusting it evenly

2. Combine the rest of the ingredients, mix and add to the flour. Mix well. If it’s too stiff, add a little Guinness!

3. Line a heat-resistant bowl with parchment

4. Fill the the bowl with the pudding mixture and stretch aluminum foil tightly over he top, sealing the bowl.

5. Put the bowl in a Dutch oven on a rack so the bowl doesn’t touch the bottom. Fill with water half way up the bowl and allow it to steam for 2 to 2 ½ hours. The pudding will be done when you insert a toothpick or skewer in the center and it comes out clean. Some people use a slow cooker for this step, it works just as well but increases the cooking time.

6a. Serve warm with the Sauce below drizzled on top, OR

6b. Allow the pudding to cure. You cure it by drizzling it liberally with brandy or Irish whiskey, wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap after each addition and then aluminum foil. Open it occasionally to add more.

We usually serve ours right away, with the sauce below.

Irish Christmas Pudding Recipe:  The SAUCE

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preparation

1. Put all ingredients, except vanilla, into a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the vanilla extract and mix well.

2. Drizzle over the pudding and serve warm to your guests.

Want More Irish Christmas Recipes?

Check out our Christmas recipes page here!

Craving an Irish Meal?

Sharing Irish food is one of our favorite ways to enjoy an Irish experience, wherever in the world we happen to be!  The flavors of an Irish meal, and the stories that come along with many Irish recipes, gives us a sense of connection with the Emerald Isle.

To help feed your Irish side, we have over the years created many downloadable, share-able Irish games, puzzles, recipes, songbooks, quizzes, and much, much more.

Want them right now?  Keep reading to learn about "Your Irish Expressions Playbook."

Everybody Has an Irish Side...

Discover Yours Here!

More Fun With Irish Expressions:
Your Irish Expressions Playbook

Congratulations on learning more about what we like to call your "Irish Side."  You may be thinking "I'd love to actually VISIT Ireland but that's really not in the cards right now.  What am I supposed to actually DO with the stuff I just learned?"

Well never fear!  Since 2007 we have collected all of the best printable, shareable resources we could find, to help you put your new knowledge of Ireland to good use. We've put them all together on one page we call "Your Irish Expressions Playbook"

Overlapping Downloads

GAMES | PUZZLES | RECIPES | MORE
Irish Slang Match Game
Limerick Poetry Writing Game

What's My Irish (Funny) Name?
Irish Music Crossword Puzzle
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Guinness Beef Stew
Irish Coffee (Pro Tips)

... more downloads added daily!

Think games ... puzzles ... recipes ... song lyrics ... Access them ALL for one small price.  Print as often as you like and share them with your friends - with no limitations!  Once you're in, you are in - forever.

But order soon - we are always adding to the IE Playbook and this price will not last long.

PRO TIP:  Once you have checked out, you should be routed to your Playbook within 7 seconds.  Or click the 'return to merchant' button to get there faster.  Then bookmark the page, so you can return whenever you like.

Any issues?  Just reach out to us at support@irish-expressions.com and we will make it right.

New Irish Expressions Logo

Please Share Your Feedback
Did we miss anything?  Is there a topic you would like us to cover in the future?  Tap HERE to let us know!

ENJOYING IRISH EXPRESSIONS?  PLEASE SHARE US WITH OTHERS!