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Nothing beats a classic Gluten Free Christmas Pudding – especially one which can be made and eaten in the same day! That’s right, with my easy Christmas Pudding hack you won’t have to soak it for weeks on end and leave it to mature. You only need 7 ingredients to make the best gluten free Christmas pudding recipe ever! Also dairy free.
This gluten free Christmas pudding recipe is definitely one for all the forgetful people like me! I always have every intention of making recipes ahead of time, but life gets in the way.
Usually you’d make a Christmas pudding recipe up weeks in advance and leave it to mature. But this simple hack makes the BEST gluten free xmas pudding that’s ready to eat instantly!
Simply throw everything together, let the pudding steam while you enjoy Christmas lunch and then serve it straight up.
With all the same rich and fruity flavours of a classic Christmas pudding, this gluten and dairy free recipe has a little secret. The key to being able to make it so quickly? Mincemeat!
A good quality mincemeat will have lots of alcohol-soaked fruit (as well as all the sugar you need) meaning you can skip those stages of a traditional recipe.
It’s a great way to use up those last few slices of stale gluten free bread and the rest of the ingredients are storecupboard basics.
Ingredients
There’s a printable recipe card below with the full ingredients and method. But here’s what you’ll need for the shopping list:
- Gluten Free White Bread: You only need two slices of this – perfect for those slices with giant holes in. Or use 75g of gluten free bread crumbs if you already have some.
- Mincemeat: You’ll want a really good quality mincemeat here – in my opinion, preferably something boozy! Most mincemeat is gluten free but always double check.
- Orange Zest: To add a festive, zesty twist.
- Brandy: Brandy is traditional, but whisky will also work (yes, it IS gluten free). I also like to use amaretto for faint marzipan flavours.
- Egg: This is crucial to holding the mix together.
- Plain Gluten Free Flour: I use FREEE Flour, but you want a plain or All Purpose flour blend. Using single flours like rice, potato, coconut or almond flours on their own will not have the same effect.
- Mixed Spice: If you’re unfamiliar with this, it’s generally a sweet spice blend found in UK supermarkets consisting of cinnamon, cloves, coriander, caraway, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. It’s a bit similar to a pumpkin spice blend in the US.
How to make a gluten free Christmas pudding
Making this gluten free Christmas pudding is actually very easy, but here are some step-by-step photos to guide you through the method.
Grease a 16cm non-stick pudding basin with butter then cut a strip of baking paper around 2 inches wide and line across the centre of the tin.
There should be about an inch each side hanging over to help you remove the pudding from the tin afterwards.
Break the gluten free bread slices up into to a food processor and blitz into crumbs. Set to one side.
Add the mincemeat, orange zest and brandy (or amaretto) to a large mixing bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon.
Next, add the egg and beat again. Mix the gluten free flour, baking powder and mixed spice then add to the mixing bowl along with the bread crumbs. Beat together to combined.
Pour the mixture into the lined pudding tin. Cut a circle of baking paper, make a pleat in the centre and then place on top of the pudding.
Place a sheet of foil on top of this and wrap over the edge of the basin. Tie in place around the rim with a piece of string.
Add an upturned saucer or steamer basket to the bottom of a large pan. Place the pudding on top of this and fill the pan with boiling water to halfway up the tin.
Place the lid on the pan and steam for 3 hours, topping up occasionally with more hot water as needed.
When the pudding is cooked, remove it from the pan, turn it upside down onto a plate remove the greaseproof paper. Sprinkle with icing sugar.
This gluten free Christmas pudding is served straight away. Dish it up with brandy butter or custard and feel free to add some flaming brandy on top!
Frequently Asked Questions
The recipe for this Christmas pudding is dairy free, provided the gluten free bread you use doesn’t contain any dairy. However the recipe does contain eggs so it is not vegan – I haven’t yet tested it with any egg replacements.
Yes, if you want to make this Christmas pudding ahead of time you can freeze it. I recommend reheating before serving.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. You can also share your creations in my Facebook group! And please do leave a 5* review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me and really helps support my website.
Gluten Free Christmas Pudding
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 slices gluten free white bread, (approx 75g)
- 600 g good quality mincemeat
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp brandy
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 50 g plain gluten free flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice
Instructions
- Grease a 16cm pudding basin with butter then cut a strip of baking paper around 2 inches wide and line across the centre of the tin. There should be about an inch each side hanging over to help you remove the pudding from the tin afterwards.
- Add the gluten free bread to a food processor and blitz into crumbs. Set to one side.
- Add the mincemeat, orange zest and brandy (or amaretto) to a large mixing bowl and beat together with a wooden spoon.
- Add the egg and beat again. Mix the gluten free flour, baking powder and mixed spice together then add to the mixing bowl, along with the breadcrumbs. Beat together until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the lined pudding tin. Cut a circle of baking paper, make a pleat in the centre and then place on top of the pudding. Place a sheet of foil on top of this and wrap over the edge of the basin. Tie in place around the rim with a piece of string.
- Add an upturned saucer or steamer to the bottom of a large pan. Place the pudding on top of this and fill the pan with boiling water to halfway up the tin. Place the lid on and steam for 3 hours, topping up occasionally with more hot water as needed.
- When cooked remove from pudding from the pan, turn upside down onto a plate and sprinkle with icing sugar. Best served straight away – serve with brandy butter or custard and feel free to add some flaming brandy on top!
Notes
- Weighing Scales vs Cups: You can toggle this recipe card to convert the ingredients into cups. However, I always recommend using weighing scales – these are cheap to buy and much more accurate. And in gluten free baking, a tiny variation can make a huge difference!
- Step-by-Step Photos: Check out the blog post above for step-by-step photos to show how this gluten free Christmas pudding recipe should look at each stage.
- Storing and Freezing: Check out the post above this recipe card for more information on how to store and freeze this easy Christmas pudding.
- Like this Recipe? It would mean SO much to me if you could leave a 5* review and tell all your gluten free friends about this Gluten Free Christmas Pudding!
Nutrition
More Gluten Free Christmas Desserts
Don’t forget to check out my gluten free Christmas page for all my recipes and UK supermarket guides this festive season!
More Gluten Free Christmas Bakes
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Hi,
Just wondering how long this pudding will last once cooked.
I’d like to make it for my niece however I’ll have to give it to her
a couple of weeks before Xmas day, will it last til then?
Kind regards,
Lynn