27 Christmas Pudding Recipes for an Old-Fashioned Holiday | Taste of Home (2024)

Home Holidays Christmas

Updated: Feb. 15, 2024

Now, bring us some Christmas pudding! Whether your favorite is sticky with toffee, loaded with cranberries or oozing with chocolate, these traditional steamed and baked puddings (and even a few for your slow cooker!) are the perfect addition to your holiday rotation.

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Baked Cranberry Pudding

This is an old-fashioned pudding that's a cranberry lover's delight. Serve warm topped with whipped cream for an elegant look, or in bowls with rich cream poured over for a homey touch. —Lucy Meyring, Walden, Colorado

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Old-Fashioned Rice Pudding

This comforting dessert is a wonderful way to end any meal. As a girl, I always waited eagerly for the first heavenly bite. Today, my husband likes to top his with a scoop of ice cream. —Sandra Melnychenko, Grandview, Manitoba

3/25

Cherry Pudding Cake

A cross between a cake and a cobbler, this cherry dessert is awesome. Add it to your list of trusty potluck recipes, because this one is sure to go fast. —Brenda Parker, Kalamazoo, Michigan

4/25

Pumpkin Pie Pudding

My husband loves anything pumpkin, and this creamy, comforting pumpkin pudding recipe is one of his favorites. We make our easy pudding all year long, but it's especially nice in the fall. —Andrea Schaak, Bloomington, Minnesota

5/25

Caramel Pear Pudding

Don't expect this old-fashioned dessert to last long. The delicate pears and irresistible caramel topping make it a winner whenever I serve it. It's nice to have a tempting fall cake that puts the season's best pears to excellent use.—Sharon Mensing, Greenfield, Iowa

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Chocolate Pudding Cake

This rich, chocolate pudding cake is one of my favorites. I like to serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Whenever I take it to parties, everybody wants the recipe. —Paige Arnette, Lawrenceville, Georgia

8/25

Gingerbread Pudding Cake

Super-moist cake gets all spiced up in this scrumptious slow-cooked dessert. If you want it a little sweeter, drizzle it with maple syrup. —Barbara Cook, Yuma, Arizona

9/25

Tiny Tim's Plum Pudding

In A Christmas Carol, everyone claps for plum pudding. Our family has made this pudding our own tradition, and it really is something to clap for. —Ruthanne Karel, Hudsonville, Michigan

10/25

Molten Mocha Cake

When I first made my decadent slow-cooker chocolate cake, my husband's and daughter's expressions said it all. Now it's one of my daughter's favorites. Later, I gave one of these cakes to our next-door neighbors. Turns out their teenage son, who'd answered the door, ate the whole thing without telling anyone else about it! —Aimee Fortney, Fairview, Tennessee

11/25

Steamed Cranberry-Molasses Pudding

This old-fashioned dessert has been a family tradition during the holidays for years. My children say it's just not Christmas without it! —Millicent Tilly, Watertown, South Dakota

12/25

Pumpkin Cranberry Bread Pudding

Savor your favorite fall flavors with this scrumptious bread pudding, served warm with a sweet vanilla sauce. Yum! —Judith Bucciarelli, Johnson, New York

13/25

Dark Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding

Croissants make an incredible base for this rich, chocolaty bread pudding. I prefer dark chocolate, but semisweet or white chocolate work too. Garnish with your favorite nuts. —Jennifer Tidwell, Fair Oaks, California

14/25

Toffee-Pear Crisp Bread Pudding

My son loves pear crisp, but one night I was making bread pudding. He asked if I could make both. I compromised by combining two desserts into this one dish. It's absolutely fantastic! —Kurt Wait, Redwood City, California

15/25

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce

The classic sticky toffee pudding is a traditional dessert in the United Kingdom. I love that I can just stay home and bake this cake version, featuring saucy butterscotch. —Agnes Ward, Stratford, Ontario

16/25

Chocolate Espresso Lava Cake

When a chocolate craving hits, I whip up this cake my aunt inspired. It’s gooey and saucy but not crazy sweet. It’s also potluck-perfect. —Lisa Renshaw, Kansas City, Missouri

17/25

Date Pudding Cobbler

There were eight children in my family when I was a girl, and all of us enjoyed this cobbler. I now serve it for everyday and special occasions alike. —Carolyn Miller, Guys Mills, Pennsylvania

18/25

Christmas Pudding with Brandy Sauce

We developed this classic Christmas pudding that's served with a caramel brandy sauce. Packed with fruits, nuts and spices, it's rich and delicious.—Taste of Home Test Kitchen

19/25

Sticky Toffee Rice Pudding with Caramel Cream

Simple rice pudding gets a makeover with this upscale recipe. It has just the right thickness to soak up a hot caramel topping. —Janice Elder, Charlotte, North Carolina

20/25

Grandma Pietz's Cranberry Cake Pudding

For generations, our family has handed down this cake recipe starring cranberries. Simple and unusual, it remains a treasured family heirloom. —Lisa Potter, Camp Douglas, Wisconsin

21/25

Grandma Davidson's Baked Apple Pudding

My savvy grandmother whipped up recipes like this homey cinnamon-scented apple pudding in the Depression years. Many of us still make them today. —Holly Sharp, Warren, Ontario

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I live in Traverse City, the Cherry Capital of the World. What better way to celebrate our wonderful orchards than by using plump, tart dried cherries in my favorite desserts? This slow-cooked rice pudding recipe always turns out wonderful. —Deb Perry, Traverse City, Michigan

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Originally Published: October 26, 2017