Vegan Chocolate Christmas Pudding (Gluten-Free)

A vegan chocolate Christmas pudding covered with chocolate sauce on a plate

Vegan Chocolate Christmas Pudding (Gluten-Free)

This Vegan Chocolate Christmas Pudding is perfect for anyone who doesn't like Christmas pudding! Unlike traditional Christmas pudding, it contains no dried fruits or spices, and is instead moist, rich and chocolatey, with an indulgent chocolate sauce. A guaranteed crowd pleaser that even picky eaters and kids will love!

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword chocolate christmas pudding, gluten-free chocolate christmas pudding, gluten-free vegan christmas pudding, vegan chocolate christmas pudding

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 2 5

Total Time 2 25

Servings

Calories 356kcal

Author Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the pudding:

60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
250 ml (1 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any plant-based milk)
1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) apple cider vinegar (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
12 tablespoons (12 tablespoons) maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Pinch (Pinch) salt
150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) *
Splash (Splash) brandy (to taste/optional. Or sub any other liqueur of choice - ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)
150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
2 heaped teaspoons (2 heaped teaspoons) baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
50 g (½ cup) cocoa powder

For the chocolate sauce:

40 g (1.4 oz) dark chocolate ** (ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)
60 ml (¼ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any plant-based milk)
Pinch (Pinch) salt
Splash (Splash) brandy (to taste/optional. Or sub any other liqueur of choice - ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)

Instructions

For the pudding:

Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).
Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the vinegar, maple syrup, vanilla, salt, ground almonds (and brandy, if using).
Sift in the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder.
Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it's looking too dry.
Grease a medium-sized deep glass bowl or a pudding basin.
Transfer the pudding batter into it.
Place the bowl in a pan (make sure it's bigger than the bowl) and fill up with cold water up to halfway up the bowl.
Cut out a circle of baking paper to place directly on top of the pudding batter so that it's completely covered.
Use some tin foil to cover the top and fold around the sides of the bowl.
Place a lid on the pan and bring to the boil.
Turn down the heat and cook on a low heat for 2 hours.
Leave to cool slightly before taking out of the bowl.
Carefully remove the tin foil and the baking paper.
Run a blunt knife around the edge of the bowl to let the pudding come away from the sides - this is easier to do once it's cooled down.
Turn the bowl upside down on a plate and shake until the pudding pops out.
Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days - it's great eaten hot or cold!
Serve with the chocolate sauce. And also vegan vanilla ice cream, vegan coconut whipped cream or custard!

For the chocolate sauce:

Break up the chocolate into small pieces and place in a saucepan with the almond milk, salt and brandy if using.
Cook on a low heat and stir regularly until the chocolate has melted - make sure not to overheat it, as the chocolate will 'split' if you heat it too much.
If the chocolate does split, you can easily fix this by adding boiling hot water to it 1 teaspoon at a time and stirring well until the mixture goes back to normal.
Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days.
The sauce won't stay runny when cold, but it can be reheated gently in a saucepan until it reaches your desired consistency. Be careful not to overheat, as the chocolate will split.

Notes

*You can alternatively use almond flour.

**To keep the chocolate sauce refined sugar free, you can use refined sugar free chocolate.

If you want to make this Chocolate Christmas Pudding in advance and reheat on the day, you can do this by steaming it again for 1 hour before serving. Or you can warm up individual slices in the microwave.

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