A low carb and sugar free take on the traditional English Christmas pudding. This easy gluten-free, diabetic Christmas pudding is ready in just over 10 minutes!
Friends, after much trial and error I've finally done it. Here it is - an actually delicious keto Christmas pudding!
Alongside my keto mince pies, this recipe is a holiday must-make.
This low carb Christmas pudding recipe weighs in at 8 net carbs per person and comes together in just over 10 minutes.
10 minutes? Yes! I made it in the microwave. We're talking instant Christmas gratification.
The single main ingredient of a Christmas or plum pudding is, as we all know, mincemeat. Dried fruit and candied peel is a tricky ingredient for people on a sugar free and low carb diet, as it's, well, high in sugar and carbs and basically off the menu.
This easy Christmas pudding uses some clever substitutions. Are you ready?
Ingredients
Here are the ingredients I used:
Almond flour. First of all, I replaced the flour with almond flour. This was the obvious one - I've made LOADS of desserts low carb by making this simple swap.
Sweetener - Instead of sugar, I used my go-to sweetener erythritol. Monk fruit, allulose, Bocha Sweet or Swerve all work as well.
Egg
Butter and heavy cream
Blueberries and cherries. Frozen. I'm using these in place of the mincemeat or raisins. Both have plenty of natural sweetness and we're keeping close to the traditional Xmas pud colour scheme.
Carrot. To bulk up the recipe. Needs to be shredded. Carrot is lower in carbs and sugar than apple, which is often used in traditional recipes.
Cocoa powder. I threw in a spoon of cacao powder to make the pud nice and dark. Coffee would work nicely here, too. In one of my earlier attempts I had added double the amount of cacao, but found the result too chocolate-cakey.
Spices and flavor. This cake is brimming with Christmas flavours! I added orange zest, cinnamon and pumpkin spice mix (includes nutmeg, allspice, ginger).
Baking powder - Check that it is fresh.
Walnuts - Crushed. Pecans would also work well.
Brandy. A glug of brandy takes the recipe to the next level. A tiny word of wisdom here: I made this particular specimen late morning and had a slice for breakfast. This might NOT be a good idea depending what you have planned on doing after eating your pudding.
I am a lightweight when it comes to alcohol and felt wonderfully warm and fizzy for a while. I cannot rule out that I imagined this, but perhaps 6 minutes in the microwave is not enough to burn off the booze.
Instructions
It's just a few simple steps to make this recipe. You don't even need to use an electric mixer - a fork is enough:
Step 1: Grate the carrots. Add the chopped fruit, orange zest and optional brandy. Set aside.
Step 2: In a second bowl, whisk the egg, then add the melted butter and cream.
Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients - almond flour, sweetener, spices, baking powder. Then, add to the egg mixture.
Step 4: Last, stir in the carrot and fruit mix.
Step 5: Grease a separate bowl with butter and fill in the Christmas pudding batter. Microwave at 700W for 6 minutes.
FAQ
Low carb Christmas pudding does not taste exactly like a traditional Christmas pudding. But it does come pretty close.
Of course. The best option are my sugar free dried cranberries. Or go for prunes. They are lower in carbs than dates, sultanas or currants. I think if you would add 1 prune per person you could probably taste a difference without sending your blood sugar sky-high.
Yes. I would try 180C / 350F and around 30 minutes. Some readers have doubled the batch and baked a larger version which took 50-60 minutes.
I have not tried steaming it myself. But a reader used her metal pudding basin and steamed it in the pressure cooker, which worked well.
Microwave timings
I cooked the pudding at a low power level (700 watts) because I wanted to give the carrots time to soften.
If you cook it at 800 Watts, reduce to 5 minutes. I tested this with another mug cake recipe, this keto carrot cake.
Don't cook it at full power (1000 or 1200 Watts). The carrots may still be crunchy.
Serve with
I ate my low carb Christmas pudding with extra-thick double cream.
On Christmas day I swirl extra Brandy into the cream and make a sugar free hard sauce or "brandy butter".
You could also add sugar free whipped cream or serve it with sugar free ice cream.
Storage
Fridge: If you add the brandy, keto Christmas pudding will keep for 1 week. Store it in the refrigerator.
Freezer: You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Related recipes
Don't miss these keto Christmas recipes:
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Recipe
Keto Christmas Pudding
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
- 100 g / 1 cup almond flour
- 1 egg rom temperature
- 100 g / ½ cup shredded carrot
- 50 g / ¼ cup blueberries, frozen
- 50 g / ¼ cup cherries frozen
- 10 g small handful crushed walnuts
- 2 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream double cream
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cacao powder unsweetened
- 2 tablespoon powdered sweetener or more to taste
- 2 teaspoon mixed spice pumpkin spice ***see notes
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
- orange zest from ½ orange grated
- optional: glug of brandy
Instructions
- Grate the carrots. Add the chopped fruit (I used frozen blueberries and cherries), orange zest and brandy, if using. Your carrots and fruit combined should fill 1 US measuring cup.
- In a second mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the melted butter and cream.
- Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, then add to the egg mixture. Last, stir in the carrot and fruit mix. Adjust sweetener, if needed.
- Grease a pyrex glass bowl with butter and fill in the Christmas pudding batter. Microwave at 700W for 6 minutes.
- Turn out upside down onto a plate and serve with thick cream.
Notes
Nutrition
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Lynn
Love this and have this before for the serving for 4. I'm now making it for 12 so fingers crossed. I have noticed that in your method instructions you don't ever mention the cream or the walnuts. It's fine with the walnuts as I just added that in to the bowl when adding the carrot and fruit, but what's the cream for and should it be added into the egg mixture? I'm assuming that this is not the cream that would be used for devouring this.
Andrew Barr
Great recipe very tasty
jo
Hi if i am baking this in the oven would i put tin foil over the pudding first.
Thank you jo
Katrin Nürnberger
No, I would bake without and only put tinfoil over once it is browned.
jo
Hi do you freeze the pudding before or after cooking?
Thanks Jo
Katrin Nürnberger
I would freeze it after cooking.
Vicky Holland
Lovely recipe for Christmas. I have used this recipe for the last couple of years and prefer it to usual Christmas puddings. Thank you
Leanne
Also what size bowl did you use
Katrin Nürnberger
It was a regular dessert bowl, about 5 inches in diameter. Make sure you choose a bowl large enough to have a few fingers of space at the rim. That way, the batter does not overflow.
Carol
Hi could I freeze this after cooking to save time on the big day?
I definitely will be making this.
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, you can. All almond flour cakes freeze well.
Lynds Shannon
Can this pudding be steamed in the traditional way?
Katrin Nürnberger
I have never tried it myself. But a reader mention in the comments that she steamed it in the pudding bowl of her pressure cooker and it worked very well.
Leanne
Can you use fresh blueberries and cherries?
Love all your recipes.
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, I think that would work just as well.
Vanessa
Tried this recipe today, added some dried cranberries as well as the other fruit and baked in the oven at 150c but it did take around 50 minutes, but was well worth the wait, it was absolutely delicious & so very moist. Thank you for the recipe
Jonathan
For the first time in my life, I was in charge of Christmas dinner. I made this pudding and my parents, who don't normally eat very much, simply had to have second helpings of this pudding.
An absolute hit and will be a perennial from here onwards. Thanks Katrin!