Grain & dairy free Christmas pudding

Why would you want to eat a Paleo Christmas pudding? Because apart from being gluten free, the nut flour and other ingredients give it extra flavour and nutrients. Also, the sugars are natural, and while they’re still sugar, they are not stripped of the good stuff.

I’ve made this one for the last 5 years and everyone has loved it, including those who normally eat grains and gluten. You can make it the week before Christmas and it still tastes fabulous.

PREPARATION TIME

20 minutes + overnight soaking time

COOKING TIME

8 hours steaming time

YIELDS

8-10 servings (in a 1-litre bowl)

NOTES

Paleo, grain free, dairy free

INGREDIENTS

80 g sultanas

80 g raisins

80 g currants

30 g dried apricots, chopped

30g cranberries

100 g candied mixed peel

70 ml alcoholic cider or ginger beer, or kombucha

2 tbsp rum

75 g ground almonds

1 tbsp mixed spice

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

100 g dessicated coconut

75 g coconut butter

100 g coconut nectar

75 green apple or pear, grated

1/2 orange, zested

1/2 lemon, zested

2 eggs

1 tsp butter or coconut oil

DIRECTIONS

  1. Place the dried fruit, candied peel and alcohol in a bowl and let steep overnight

  2. In a separate bowl, mix the ground almonds with the mixed spice, nutmeg, cinnamon and bicarbonate of soda

  3. Add the dessicated coconut, coconut butter and nectar to the ground almond, spices and bicarb mix

  4. Drain the fruit from the alcohol and add to to dried mixture along with the apple / pear and zest

  5. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs with the alcohol

  6. Add this liquid to the fruit and mix thoroughly

  7. Spoon the mixture into a lightly buttered / oiled 1 litre basin. Cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper and aluminium foil and secure

  8. Steam for 8 hours over a pan containing simmering water, checking water levels regularly

  9. Remove from the steamer and let it cool. Take off the old paper and foil and replace with new. Wrap well so there can be no dehydration and store safely

  10. Steam for 2 hours when ready to eat, serving it with a sauce of your choice e.g. brandy, rum, coconut yoghurt with vanilla