Figgy Pudding is a delicious, moist steamed Christmas pudding full of dried figs, nuts, dried fruit, and warming spices. It's a traditional British holiday dessert that you'll have heard about in the song, 'We Wish You A Merry Christmas'! Step-by-step tutorial.
If you're looking for a traditional holiday dessert that is easy to make, figgy pudding is the perfect recipe for you! This Christmas steamed pudding is full of flavor and will definitely become a family favorite.
The ingredients are all combined, then it's steamed in a dish. You can then store it for a few months for the flavors to mature. On Christmas day, you can steam it again to warm it, then serve it in slices.
What is figgy pudding?
Figgy pudding is a rich steamed pudding (cake) made with dried figs, dried fruit, nuts, and warming spices, traditionally eaten at Christmas.
Christmas pudding is best made six weeks in advance so the flavors have time to mature and it develops the classic, dense texture.
Traditionally, figgy pudding is made on Stir-up Sunday, which is the Sunday before Advent, and it falls towards the end of November. On this day, families would gather to each stir the mixture, make a wish, and add a few coins to the pudding mixture. Then, when serving, a lucky recipient would get a coin in their slice.
Growing up, my sisters and I would always be thrilled to find a coin wrapped in a piece of parchment paper in our slices.
Health and safety make coins in a cake a bit of a choking hazard. So, I'm pretty sure my dad would omit to stir the coins into the batter, and instead wrap them up and stick them into each slice prominently upon serving so we couldn't miss them!
Variations, including Christmas pudding and plum pudding, have been eaten over the holidays in Britain for centuries.
How to enjoy figgy pudding
This Christmas dessert tastes great with a dollop of warm custard, brandy butter (hard sauce), or even a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It is also delicious served plain.
To serve, you can light it on fire! At the table, dim the lights, pour a little brandy (4 tablespoons or so) over the warmed pudding (pour it from a small jug, not the bottle), then carefully light it on fire. It will put on an eye-catching show and will burn off in a few seconds.
No matter how you enjoy it, figgy pudding is sure to be a hit!
For more Christmas desserts, you'll love Vegan Pumpkin Cake with Ginger Frosting, Cavolo Nero Christmas Pudding or Christmas Tree Cookies.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This traditional dessert is made with simple ingredients you can find at any grocery store.
A holiday favorite that will bring back memories of Christmases past.
It's best made six weeks ahead of time so it'll be ready for holiday celebrations.
This recipe makes enough pudding for a large group - perfect for holiday parties!
This pudding recipe contains no suet. Although there are vegetarian versions, suet is a hard beef fat. This recipe contains butter instead.
Ingredients
- Dried Fruit - You'll need a mix of dried figs, raisins, and or your favorite types of dried fruit.
- Brandy - Adds a nice depth of flavor to the pudding. If you don't want to use brandy, you can substitute with rum or whiskey. The alcohol helps to preserve the pudding.
- Apples - Add a natural sweetness to the pudding along with a chewy texture.
- Nuts - A mix of finely chopped nuts such as walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds add a nutty flavor and crunch to the pudding.
- Butter - Added to grease the bowl it steams in to keep it from sticking while adding a buttery flavor.
- Brown Sugar - Enhances the sweetness in the pudding with a rich flavor.
- Egg - Binds all of the ingredients together to help it set while steaming.
- All Purpose Flour - Combines with the rest of the ingredients to give it a cake-like texture.
- Baking Powder - Helps give the pudding a bit of fluffy texture by helping it rise.
- Spices - A mixture of ground cinnamon and other warming spices help flavor the pudding.
- Breadcrumbs - Binds the pudding together and helps give it the proper texture.
Please see the recipe card below for quantities.
Instructions
Wondering how to make this Figgy Pudding recipe? It's easy! Just follow this step-by-step photo tutorial. Then, scroll down for the recipe card for the full ingredients list and recipe method.
Soak the fruit in brandy: Chop the figs, place them and raisins (or other dried mixed fruit) into a bowl, then stir in the brandy. Cover and let it sit overnight on the countertop. The next day, stir the grated apple and chopped nuts into the bowl of soaked dried fruit.
Cream the wet ingredients: Add the butter and brown sugar into a mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg until combined.
Combine fruit with dry ingredients: Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the bowl, then add the breadcrumbs and soaked fruit (including all liquid). Stir it all together well.
Pour into greased bowl: Grease the 900ml/1 liter/1qt pudding bowl with butter. Spoon the mixture into the prepared bowl and level the top out evenly.
Prepare for steaming:
Layer two pieces of baking parchment paper, then fold to create a 1-inch pleat down the center. Butter the top layer. Cut a piece of foil at least twice the size of the pudding basin. Pleat, as before.
Place the parchment paper on top of the filled basin, butter side facing the pudding, trimming a wide edge around the basin. Cover with the pleated foil, tucking the ends around the rim of the basin, enclosing the parchment paper.
Tie the foil securely around the rim with the string, leaving one end long, then tie the long end on the other side to create a handle.
Steam the pudding: Place the pudding into a large pot with enough simmering water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 3 hours, topping up the water as needed.
Remove and cool: Remove the steamed pudding from the pot of water. Leave it wrapped in the bowl, and allow it to cool. Then wrap tightly and store in a cool, dry place for up to six weeks.
Reheat and serve: Re-steam the figgy pudding, as before, for 1 hour. Enjoy on its own, with custard, brandy butter, or flambeed with brandy, rum, or whiskey.
Top tips
- If you don't have a traditional pudding bowl, you can use any heat-safe dish or bowl.
- Be sure to use baking parchment paper and not wax paper as it can stick to the pudding.
- If you don't have time to soak the fruit overnight, you can do a quick soak by simmering the dried fruit in the brandy for 15 minutes.
- For best results, the figgy pudding should be made 6 weeks ahead of time so the flavors mature. Wrap the pudding very well, and store in a cool, dry place.
- Remove the steamed pudding very carefully as it will be hot.
Variations
You can use any type of dried fruit that you like in this recipe. Some other traditional fruits to use are currants, apricots, and candied peel.
If you don't have brandy on hand, you can substitute it with rum, whiskey, or sherry.
Try adding in the zest of a satsuma or orange when stirring in the grated apple.
Not a fan of alcohol? You can omit it altogether, just be sure to add an extra ¼ cup of liquid (orange juice works well) to soak the fruit.
Note that the figgy pudding won't keep as long and should be enjoyed within a week.
The best warming spices to include in a figgy pudding are cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. However, feel free to experiment with other spices like cloves or ginger.
Storage
Any leftover figgy pudding can be stored in the fridge for up to one week. Be sure to reheat it before serving.
This figgy pudding recipe can also be frozen for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before re-steaming and serving.
Try these uses for leftover figgy pudding.
FAQs
Figgy pudding is a type of Christmas pudding that is made with dried figs. Adding a small amount of brandy to the recipe is also traditional.
You can use any oven-safe dish or bowl for this recipe. Just be sure to grease it well with butter before adding the pudding mixture.
Figgy pudding needs to steam for at least three hours. You may need to top up the water during this time.
Figgy pudding is a traditional Christmas dessert because it was originally made with 13 ingredients that represented Jesus and his 12 apostles. The figs in the pudding also symbolized fruitfulness.
More Christmas Desserts
- Christmas Tree Cookies
- Cavalo Nero Christmas Pudding
- Icelandic Christmas Cookies
- Christmas Chocolate Tiffin
📖 Recipe
Figgy Pudding
Equipment
- Greaseproof paper or parchment
- Foil
- String
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried figs chopped (300g)
- 1 cup raisins (150g) or mixed dried fruit
- ¾ cup brandy
- 2 apples peeled cored and grated
- 2 tablespoons walnuts finely chopped or hazelnuts or almonds
- 4 tablespoons butter plus extra for greasing
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (200g) packed
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- ½ cup all-purpose flour 75g (plain flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teapoons mixed spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup breadcrumbs 100g
Instructions
- Chop the figs, then place them and raisins (or other dried mixed fruit) into a bowl, then stir in the brandy. Cover and let it sit overnight on the countertop.
- The next day, stir the grated apple and chopped nuts into the bowl of soaked dried fruit.
- Put the butter and brown sugar into a mixing bowl and cream together with an electric mixer for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg.
- Sift the flour, baking powder and spices into the bowl, then add the breadcrumbs and soaked fruit (including all liquid). Stir it all together well.
- Grease the 900ml/1 litre pudding bowl with butter (or any high-sided heatproof bowl that will fit into a pot, such as pyrex). Spoon the mixture into the prepared bowl and level the top out evenly.
- Layer two pieces of baking parchment paper, then fold to create a 1 inch pleat down the centre. Butter the top layer.
- Cut a piece of foil at least twice the size of the pudding basin. Pleat, as before.
- Place the parchment paper on top of the filled basin, butter side facing the pudding, trimming a wide edge around the basin. Cover with the pleated foil, tucking the ends around the rim of the basin, enclosing the parchment paper.
- Tie the foil securely around the rim with the string, leaving one end long, then tie the long end on the other side to create a handle.
- Place the pudding into a large pot with enough simmering water to come halfway up the sides of the bowl. Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 3 hours, topping up the water as needed.
- For best results, the figgy pudding should be made 6 weeks ahead of time so the flavors mature. Remove the steamed pudding (carefully!) from the pot of water. Leave it wrapped in the bowl, and allow to cool. Then wrap tightly and store in a cool dry place for up to six weeks.
- On the day you wish to serve: Re-steam the figgy pudding, as before, for 1 hours.
- Enjoy on it’s own, with custard, brandy butter or flambe’d with brandy, rum, or whiskey.
Video
Notes
- If you don't have a traditional pudding bowl, you can use any heat-safe dish or bowl.
- Be sure to use baking parchment paper and not wax paper as it can stick to the pudding.
- If you don't have time to soak the fruit overnight, you can do a quick soak by simmering the dried fruit in the brandy for 15 minutes.
- For best results, the figgy pudding should be made 6 weeks ahead of time so the flavors mature. Wrap the pudding very well, and store in a cool, dry place.
- Remove the steamed pudding very carefully as it will be hot.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors, so is not guaranteed to be accurate. Please see a registered dietician for special diet advice.
Shadi
This was amazing and such a treat! Thank you! Everyone in my family loved it.
Tara
Oh wow! Such a fantastic dessert to celebrate the holidays. The flavors are amazing with the dried fruit and warming spices.
Sue
Every Christmas I choose a new traditional recipe to try ~ figgy pudding will be on our menu this year!