Baking, Cakes, Christmas, Dairy Free, Desserts, Favourites, GAPS, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Gut Health, Health Tips, Healthy Living, Holidays, Naturally Sweetened, Paleo, Thermomix, Wholefood
Grain Free Steamed Christmas Puddings – GAPS & Paleo Friendly
Yesterday I said to my friend, “It’s three days until Christmas, and I still haven’t made my Christmas puddings!!” Yep, I’m afraid I’m one of those last-minute-Christmas kinda people… I truly don’t understand how anyone can begin to think of making Christmas puddings in September, it’s so organised of them. I’m so last minute that sometimes I wrap presents in pillow cases. Ha ha! (Well at least it’s environmentally friendly, right??)
Thankfully, with these grain free mini steamed puddings, you can be unorganised like me, and make them at the last minute – they’re very simple and quick!
Want to make this recipe as one, large pudding in an old-fashioned pudding steamer? Here’s how:
To cook this recipe in a pudding steamer:
- Use a 1 litre stainless-steel pudding steamer, or double the recipe for a 2 litre pudding steamer. (I don’t recommend using a non-stick, teflon-lined pudding steamer, for health reasons.)
- Grease the steamer with ghee or coconut oil, cut a circle of baking paper to fit base of steamer and press into base.
- Add batter and secure lid, then place into a large cooking pot and fill to halfway up sides of pudding tin with water. Cover and bring to the boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer approx 2 hours for 1 litre, 3 hours for 2 litre. (The pudding will come away from edges and shrink a little when it’s ready).
- Cool, wrap well, and freeze until Christmas!
- Make the custard the day before serving, store in fridge, reblend and slightly warm just before serving.
These puddings are perfect for those of us on the GAPS diet (as long as you’re ok with dried fruit), as a special Christmas treat. A dessert with a lot of dried fruit in it will contain a lot of fructose, so it’s important to have a protein rich meal first – not a high carb meal, or your sugars will sky rocket. It also helps to eat your pudding with some creamy coconut custard, so that the fats in the custard help to slow down the release of sugars into the bloodstream. This way you won’t dump a massive amount of sugar in all at once, causing a big high then a big low. The protein in the almond meal and almonds will also help to balance the protein/carb/fat ratio to lower the GI.
I know, I know, it’s Christmas and you don’t really want to think about all these things! But I thought I’d just let you know, in case you don’t want to end up in a sugar-induced coma after Christmas dinner. No need to tell your family and friends all that, though, just tell them the puddings taste awesome with custard. 😉
If you are looking for a place to buy these kinds of wholefood, organic ingredients, I recommend checking out The Source Bulk Foods! They have a great range of organic products, are passionate about stocking Australian produce, and you can shop online or go to one of their 9 stores (and more stores to come). I love their zero waste policy and that they’re plastic bag free – you can go in to the shops and scoop out the ingredients from bulk bins into paper bags or glass jars (take your own containers if you like) and only buy just what you need. And because there’s no packaging, prices are generally lower than the supermarket. It’s foodie heaven! Check them out here.
I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends!
Take care, Jo xx
Grain Free Steamed Christmas Puddings
Ingredients
- 150g sultanas
- 80g dried sour cherries or dried unsweetened cranberries, plus extra for garnish
- 100g currants
- 30g activated or raw almonds, roughly chopped
- 200g kombucha or freshly squeezed orange juice
- zest of 1 orange
- 40g blanched almond meal
- 20g coconut flour
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp mixed spice
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- 55g tallow or coconut oil
- 40g apple, peeled & cored
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 tsp fine salt
- 1/4 tsp bicarb soda
Instructions
- Weigh dried fruit and almonds into the Thermomix bowl, and add kombucha or orange juice.
- Cook 6 mins/80C/reverse/speed soft. Remove to a large bowl and set aside to cool.
- Place orange zest into clean, dry Thermomix bowl and chop 20 sec/speed 10.
- Add almond meal, coconut flour, spices, salt, soda, apple, eggs and tallow or coconut oil into Thermomix bowl and mix 5 sec/speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl.
- Add soaked fruit and nuts back to bowl and mix 10 sec/reverse/speed 3.
- Scoop mixture into silicone cupcake cups or small ramekins and place into the Varoma dish and tray, with lid on. Cups/ramekins should be about 3/4 full.
- Place 500g water into Thermomix bowl and place Varoma in position. Cook 25 mins/Varoma/speed 2.
- Allow puddings to cool, covered, and store in fridge until needed.
- Drizzle with Coconut Vanilla Custard, with a dried cranberry or sour cherry on top for decoration.
Notes
- I use my Thermomix to make these puddings – if you don’t have a Thermomix, chop by hand, cook fruit gently on stovetop, and mix in remaining ingredients. Steam in a steamer or use traditional Christmas pudding cooking method.
- 1 large vanilla bean, cut in 4 pieces
- 1 litre coconut milk*, homemade
- 4 Tbspns Great Lakes gelatine
- 4 eggs
- 50g honey
- Place vanilla bean into dry Thermomix bowl and mill 1 min/speed 10, until finely chopped.
- Add remaining ingredients and cook 10 mins/90C/speed 4.
- Pour into a dish and cover. Refrigerate for an hour or so, to set. Don’t worry if custard seems to curdle a bit or separate, it will come together when blended.
- When ready to serve: If custard is completely set and firm, warm first, 30 sec/37C/speed 4. Blend for 1 min/speed 9. If custard is still slightly runny, just blend without warming.
- *To make coconut milk: Place 300g desiccated or shredded coconut into Thermomix bowl, mill 10 sec/speed 8. Add 800g water blend 1 min/speed 9. Squeeze through nut milk bag. Put pulp back into Thermomix bowl, add 500g water, blend another minute and strain into bowl with milk. Coconut pulp can be dried in dehydrator, 24 hours on 60C. Blend in Thermomix for 1-2 mins/speed 9, to make coconut flour. Or store in freezer to use in cakes/slices/biscuits instead of desiccated coconut.
Thanks to The Source Bulk Foods for sponsoring this post!
Hi Jo can you tell me what I can substitute the almond meal with. I have a son with severe nut allergy,
Cheers, Karen.
Petita meal should work instead 🙂
Gave these a go last week and they are delicious! You would have no idea that they are grain free so good 🙂
Fantastic Brooke! 🙂
These sound amazing, I will definitely be making these soon
Yay!! 🙂
Hello Jo, I would love to make this ahead, never good at last minute and as I don’t use Kombucha wonder if they freeze well as with orange juice they would not last more than a few days in the fridge – love the look of this recipe, thank you ????, marianne
I would like to know if they will freeze well also
Hi Jo, can you advise the best way to store these in the fridge, should I wrap in foil?
You could wrap in foil if liked, I just place them all in a container in the fridge. They’ll last a few days, or you can freeze them.
Hey Jo, I love the recipe. However, we are a nut free family, so what could i use instead of almonds. Many thanks
Pepitas milled into a meal should work!
These look delicious. Just wondering how many little puddings it makes?
Hi Jo, I will be making these for Christmas but I was wondering how many serves this makes?
Cheers, Trish
Hi Trish! The recipe will make 10-12 depending on the size of your moulds. 🙂
Hi Jo, I am very enthusiastic about making these for Christmas Day. Can you tell me how many small puddings the mix makes? I will be feeding 12 people. Thanks!
Probably about 10, but if you use smaller cups you could make 12.
Just wondering if these will freeze okay – so i can prepare ahead of Xmas day?
Yes, sure can!
I don’t eat coconut. What can I use instead of coconut milk as a dairy substitute in all your recipes as it seems to be in all the recipes I like.
Nut milk!
Hello Jo,
Would love to make the coconut vanilla custard egg free……would you substitute the eggs in your recipe with milled white chia seeds (mixed with water)???
Thank you
I wouldn’t use chia seeds in custard as it doesn’t go smooth. You can use arrowroot or tapioca starch to thicken (add double what recipe says) or you can make cashew custard without eggs and that works well.
Do you serve these hot or cold?
Either!
Made these a couple of weeks ago and kept them in the fridge until Xmas Day. Delicious. The family loved them.
Fantastic Sandra! 🙂
Just wondering how you would make the custard without a Thermomix? Thanks
You can make it by whisking in a saucepan on the stovetop. 🙂
Does it work making it as one big pudding? 🙂
We haven’t tried that but more than likely in a traditional steamer. 🙂
Hi Jo,
I’m wanting to find a christmas dessert i can have this christmas..i am dairy, soy, wheat, egg and nuys free as my 12 week old is reacting though my milk ???? i don’t want to miss out on all the yummy food. What are your suggestions to changing your christmas pudding recipe? What can i sub for the almond meal and eggs? Thank you
Hi Jo….
could i use pepitas with walnuts to make the meal for the pudding? i would normally use almond meal, but my grand daughter is ana to almonds 🙁
thanks Jo.
Daisy x
oh…. i cant use coconut flour, , as i get asthma from the flour but not the coconut flakes or milk etc.. only the flours?…
Hi Jo, can I assume you can replace the egg with chia egg (or is there something better) in the pudding?
Thanks for all your awesome recipes!
Hi Jo, I am looking forward to making these for Christmas day this year. Just wondering what blanched almond meal is?
Hi Jo, I am making these for Christmas this year. I have a mix of dried fruits which include those you mentioned as well as others such as prunes and dates. If I use the same quantity of dried fruits as your recipe I presume the recipe should be the same? Thanks
Mine have come out rather soft can I put them in the oven to harden them a little if so what temp would be best I’m guessing quite low???
How long should I cook if using a traditional pudding basin and steaming on thestove
Made this for our family Christmas lunch yesterday. It is rare for me to follow recipe exactly, but I was short on time and did not want a flop, so I did. I also did not have ramekins so cooked it in my ceramic pudding bowl in the veroma ( checked the thermomix community recipes to get a timing). It was delicious and a winner with the whole family, especially my husband who was not looking forward to a sugar free Christmas, being recently diagnosed diabetic. We had this, and the Christmas cake, and a Trim Healthy Mama cheesecake (as well as turkey ,pork and salad) and this morning – his blood sugars were better than they normally are! Yay. Thanks for some amazing recipes, Jo and team.
Yay Jenny! That’s fantastic to hear. Sounds like a wonderful, delicious, healthy Christmas! 🙂
Hi Jo
Could I substitute eggs for Flaxseed meal.
I would like to try making this a Vegan Christmas cake.
I’ve made Vegan Muffins using Flaxseed meal as substitute and it seemed really nice
Your thoughts please
Hi Andrea! 🙂 I don’t see why not! Let us know how you go. xx
Hi. The link you have to the cranberries from The Source is to cranberries infused with sugar ????????
Oops!!! Thanks for telling me! I meant to use this link:
https://thesourcebulkfoods.com.au/shop/dried-fruit/organic-cranberries/