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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 Cheat’s Christmas Pudding hack you won’t have to soak it for weeks on end and leave it to mature.
Simple 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 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 also a great way to use up those last few slices of stale gluten free bread and the rest of the ingredients are storecupboard basics.
So if you want a cheap and cheerful gluten free Christmas pudding recipe – this is exactly the page you need to bookmark!
Ingredients and Substitutions
You don’t actually need a whole scroll of ingredients for this one – just a few basics to create a delicious free from Christmas pudding.
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, so any leftover bread you have will work. I imagine it would work with brown bread too but I’d avoid anything seeded.
- Mincemeat: You’ll want a really good quality mincemeat here – in my opinion, preferably something boozy! I’d opt for a ‘finest’ version rather than a ‘basics’, it is Christmas Day after all! Most mincemeat is gluten free but make sure you always double check.
- Orange Zest: You can omit this if you don’t like it but I love a bit of a zesty punch in my pud. I tend to juice the orange and drink it after I’ve used the zest!
- Brandy: Of course brandy is the booze of choice for a traditional Christmas pudding. Whisky will also work (yes, it IS gluten free) and I like to use amaretto for faint marzipan flavours.
- Egg: This is crucial to holding the mix together. I’ve not tried this with any egg replacers but if you can find one which works it would make the recipe vegan.
- 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 pumpkin spice blend in the US.
Is this Christmas pudding dairy free or vegan?
The recipe for this Christmas pudding is dairy free, providing the gluten free bread you use doesn’t contain any dairy.
However the recipe does contain eggs so it is not vegan.
How to make a gluten free Christmas pudding
Making this gluten free Christmas pudding is actually very easy – you simply need to mix all of the ingredients together.
I tend to mix the wet ingredients first and then add the mixed-up dry ingredients until everything is combined.
When you’re ready, grease a 16cm non-stick pudding basin well with butter, and then I line a 2-inch strip across the centre, slightly overlapping the edges.
This means you can use this to ease the pudding out once it’s cooked. It should look like this:
Pour the pudding mixture in and then it’s time to wrap it up nice and tight!
Firstly, cut a circle of baking paper slightly larger than the pudding basin, and then put a pleat in the centre, like this:
Place the pleated paper on top, cover in foil and then tie tightly with string. Next, place an upturned saucer or a steamer basket in a large pan.
Pop the wrapped-up pudding basin on the steamer/saucer and then half-fill with boiling water. Steam for three hours and your pudding is ready!
My gluten free Christmas Pudding Recipe
This gluten free Christmas pudding recipe uses a 16cm non-stick pudding basin to make a large pudding for 4-6 people.
The pudding is best made and eaten on the same day but leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Christmas Pudding
This easy gluten free Christmas pudding recipe makes a large pudding for 4-6 people. It is best made and eaten on the same day but leftovers can be reheated in the microwave.
Ingredients
- 2 slices (approx 75g) gluten free white bread
- 600g good-quality mincemeat
- Zest of 1 orange
- 2 tbsp brandy (or amaretto)
- 1 large egg (beaten)
- 50g plain gluten free flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp mixed spice
Instructions
- Grease a 19cm 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 and 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!
Recommended Products
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Need some more gluten free Christmas inspiration?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free Christmas recipes on the blog?
Give some of these other gluten free festive recipes a try!
- Gluten Free Mincemeat Flapjack
- Easy Gluten Free Yule Log
- No Bake Baileys Cheesecake
- Gluten Free Frangipane Mince Pies
I’ve also got my gluten free Christmas page with everything you need to enjoy a safe festive season.
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:
- My FULL gluten free Christmas guide
- Gluten free Mini Cheddars
- Gluten free lebkuchen
- Classic gluten free mince pies
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
Like this Gluten Free Christmas Pudding recipe?
Make sure you pin the recipe card below for later!
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