Christmas pudding is definitely a “Love it or hate it” thing.
Stir Up Sunday, for those who don’t know, is a British tradition for making the Christmas pudding.
And with that event coming up on the 22nd, I decided to create something that even Christmas pudding-haters will love…
My first thought was “Add chocolate!!!” and to make it even more festive, I paired it with orange to create a Chocolate Orange Vegan Christmas Pudding.
How can anyone not love this combination?
Tools you’ll need to make this vegan Christmas Pudding
- 1 litre pudding basin/tin
- A large pot – Large enough to comfortable sit the basin inside
- A small trivet – This will sit underneath the basin, inside the pot. You can also make use over other kitchen tools/accessories, such as a small heat-proof lid or upside down bowl.
- Greaseproof paper
- Tin foil
- String
- Scissors
Chocolate Orange Vegan Christmas Pudding Ingredients
- Oil – Mild vegetable oil for the cake and for greasing
- Flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
- Dark brown sugar
- Cocoa powder
- Breadcrumbs – I use fresh white breadcrumbs in this recipe
- Spices – Including cinnamon and mixed spice
- Orange – Zest and juice of a fresh orange and some natural orange flavouring, if you can get hold of some.
- Mixed dried fruit and peel – Soaked in brandy! Plus some dates.
- Chocolate chips – Dark or dairy-free chocolate chips or broken chocolate bars
If you enjoy this recipe, let me know in the comments, leave a rating and tag #WallflowerKitchen on instagram so I can share your creation on my stories!
Chocolate Orange Vegan Christmas Pudding
Yield:
1 pudding / 8 servings
Prep Time:
30 minutes
Cook Time:
3 hours 30 minutes
Total Time:
4 hours
A Christmas pudding even Christmas pudding-haters will love! A non-traditional Chocolate Orange Christmas Pudding that's vegan friendly too.
You will need a 1 litre pudding basin/tin, a pot large enough for the pudding basin, greaseproof paper, tin foil, string and scissors.
Ingredients
- 60 ml / 2 fl oz (1⁄4 cup) vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
- 60g / 2 oz (scant 1⁄2 cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 120 g / 4 1⁄4 oz (heaped 1⁄2 cup) dark brown sugar
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 150 g / 5 1⁄2 oz (3 cups) fresh white breadcrumbs
- 1⁄2 tsp ground mixed spice (apple pie spice)
- 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Finely grated zest and juice of 2 oranges (about 100 ml / 3 1⁄2 fl oz (scant 1⁄2 cup) orange juice)
- 1 tsp natural orange extract
- 350 g / 12 oz (heaped 2 1⁄2 cups) mixed dried fruit and peel, soaked in 4 tbsp brandy overnight
- 100 g / 3 1⁄2 oz (3⁄4 cup) pitted dates, chopped
- 100 g / 3 1⁄2 oz (2⁄3 cup) dark chocolate chips
For the chocolate sauce
- 100 g / 3 1⁄2 oz dark or dairy- free chocolate
- 2 tbsp dairy-free milk
Instructions
To prepare the pudding mixture
- If you can't get hold of ready-soaked mixed fruit, prepare it the previous day by adding the mixed fruit and peel to a bowl with approx 3 tbsp brandy. Leave overnight.
- Prepare a 1 litre pudding basin by greasing it with vegetable oil and placing a circle of greaseproof paper at the bottom.
- Mix the flour, arrowroot powder, baking powder, xanthum gum, cocoa powder, sugar, breadcrumbs and spices together in a bowl.
- Stir in the orange juice and zest, vegetable oil, water contreau and orange flavouring.
- Fold in the dried fruits and the chocolate.
- Transfer the mixture to the pudding basin.
To steam the pudding
- Tear off a large square of the greaseproof paper and tin foil, placing the greaseproof paper on the bottom. Create a pleat by making a 1-inch thick fold in the centre of both layers.
- Place on top of the pudding tin and scrunch the foil around the sides to secure. Tie securely with a piece of string.
- Fold in the excess paper and foil to help make it water-tight.
- Create a handle by tying another piece of string to one side of the tin (where you made the knot from the previous string) and tying it on the opposite side so you can easily lift the pudding out of the pot.
- Place a trivet or upturned saucer at the bottom of the pot (I used a small heat-proof container lid) and place the pudding on top. Fill the pot half way up with hot water and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot with a lid and leave to steam for 3 1/2 hours.
- After 3 1/2 hours, lift the pudding out of the pot and leave to cool for a few minutes, until the pudding starts to shrink away from the sides of the tin. Carefully, using a spatula knife, loosen the pudding from the sides and turn over onto a plate.
- This pudding can be kept, wrapped in the fridge, for up to 6 weeks.
- To serve, you can eat it as it is at room temperature, or re-steam it for 2 hours to serve warm. Add some melted chocolate sauce and a scoop of ice cream for Christmas dessert!
Could you please tell me why there is an asterisk* after (Brandy soaked mixed dried fruit &) citrus peel in the ingredients list?
If you look further down, it is because she explains that if you can’t find bandy soaked dried fruit, then do it yourself the night before.
I have made this recipe a few times, and it is lush.
Hi! I made this last year – last minute – and everyone loved it! Im trying to be more organised and make it in good time this year. Fridge space is at a premium so can this be frozen? Thank you. Xx
Can I make it without guar gum or do you know a substitute please
Oops xanthum
Xantham gum is a binding agent that’s often used with gluten free flour to ensure binding occurs. If you are not using gluten free flour the arrowroot should be enough to bind the pudding. To be extra sure you could add a tablespoon of soya flour or cornflour instead.
To re heat, can the pudding be microwaved?
Hi Sally – Sure! I would say 3-5 minutes on full power :)
Hi Aimee I made this last year and it went down a storm! Can I ask you though, please:
1. How do you make the chocolate sauce?
2. Do you ‘feed’ the pudding?
3. Is there an alternative resteam heating method? I’m a guest and I don’t fancy using my hosts hob for 2 hours and heating the sauce.
Hi Tiff, sorry for not getting back to you sooner. Glad to hear you enjoy this recipe! To answer your questions:
1) The chocolate sauce was literally just melted chocolate with a bit of dairy-free butter or coconut cream.
2) No need to feed it but you can certainly try it if you want to make it extra juicy.
3) You can cover it in foil and heat it in the oven for 20-30 minutes. You might need to add a few drops of water into the tin with it.
Hope that helps!