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Suet pudding in a bowl with a spoon.

Suet Pudding

Try your hand at making an authentic British recipe. Offering vanilla, molasses, and raisin flavors, this is a very special dessert.
Prep Time:15 minutes
Cook Time:2 hours
Total Time:2 hours 15 minutes
Servings:8 servings

Ingredients

For the pudding:

  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup molasses
  • teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup shredded suet
  • cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup raisins

For the sauce:

  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions

To make the pudding:

  • Stir together the buttermilk, molasses, vanilla extract, and shredded suet in a large mixing bowl.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt. Now add half of this dry mixture to the suet mixture and stir until just combined, then add the remaining dry mixture and stir until the batter is chunky. Stir in the raisins.
  • Fill a large pot with 2 inches of water and place it over medium heat. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan with non-stick cooking spray, pour the batter into it, and then cover it with aluminum foil and set it aside.
  • When the water reaches a gentle boil, place a bowl upside-down in the center of the pot and then place the cake pan on top of the bowl.
  • Steam the pudding for about 2 hours. Keep an eye on the water level and add more boiling water as needed in order to maintain the water level. Ensure the water level remains just below the cake pan. When an inserted toothpick comes out clean from the center, remove the cake pan from the pot, remove the foil, and let the pudding rest for 5 minutes.

To make the sauce:

  • Meanwhile, combine the milk, granulated sugar, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir it continuously for about 5 minutes until the mixture is nice and thick.
  • Spoon the pudding into serving bowls and top with the warm sauce. Serve and enjoy!

Notes

  • This dessert is sometimes served with hot vanilla custard in the UK in place of the sauce. You could even serve a bit of each, or perhaps some whipped cream.
  • If you can’t find suet in your local butcher or grocery store, check online or in specialty British food markets.
  • If you don’t like the idea of using meat suet or you prefer a vegetarian take on this dessert, look out for vegetarian suet. The Atora brand is the most popular.
  • If you would prefer to make individual puddings, divide the batter between ramekins instead of using one large dish. They will cook a lot faster this way too.

Nutrition

Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 493mg | Potassium: 855mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 47g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 168mg | Iron: 4mg