Mini Classic Steamed Christmas Puddings for Four

(A cosy, shareable festive bake — even if you’re usually cooking for one)

If you’ve been hanging around Plan4One for a while, you’ll know I’m a big fan of meals that make sense for solo eaters. We love a good single-serve dinner, a just-for-me mug cake, and the kind of desserts you can whip together without creating a mountain of leftovers that haunt your fridge for three days straight.

But Christmas? Christmas is different. Christmas is the season when even the most dedicated “cook for one” types occasionally find themselves feeding a few extras — whether that’s neighbours stopping by, colleagues doing a “mini Christmas do”, or your sister casually texting “I’ll pop in later… do you have dessert?”

So today, we’re going a little festive and making something that feels beautifully traditional without being overwhelming: Mini Classic Steamed Christmas Puddings — a small-batch recipe that makes exactly four little puddings.

Perfect for a mini gathering, perfect for gifting, and perfect for those of us who want just enough pudding without committing to a brick-sized fruit bomb.

🌟 Why These Mini Puddings Are a Total Win for Solo Eaters

Christmas pudding can feel a bit intimidating. Giant bowls. Overnight soaking. Flames (optional, yet dramatic). Enormous leftovers.

Not here. Not today.

These little beauties are:

Small-batch friendly — no frantic fruit chopping for 12.
Steamed in ramekins — no special pudding basins required.
Quick to cook — ready in around 40 minutes.
Moist, spiced, and festive — the good stuff.
Perfect for gifting — wrap each one in baking paper + twine for a rustic Christmas moment.

And if you’re a solo eater who loves celebrating without excess food waste, this is the Christmas dessert for you.

🎁 Hero Ingredients & Their Nutritional Goodness

Sure, we love Christmas pudding because it tastes nostalgic and festive, but there’s a surprising amount of wholesome goodness happening here too.

Mixed dried fruit – Packed with fibre + naturally occurring antioxidants
Orange zest – Adds brightness and vitamin C
Spices (cinnamon, mixed spice) – Anti-inflammatory and warming
Egg – A little protein boost for your dessert
Brandy (optional) – For flavour, festivity, and a bit of tradition

Most importantly: because these puddings are mini, portion control is naturally built-in. Christmas magic.

🎄 Mini Classic Steamed Christmas Puddings

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35–40 minutes (steaming)

Ingredients

1 cup mixed dried fruit
2 tbsp brandy or orange juice
½ cup self-raising flour
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tsp mixed spice
½ tsp cinnamon
1 egg
40 g butter, melted
Zest of ½ an orange

🍊 Step-by-Step for Beginners

(No stress, no fancy equipment — just festive deliciousness.)

Step 1: Soak your fruit

Pop the mixed dried fruit into a bowl with brandy or orange juice.
Let it sit for 20–30 minutes.
This softens the fruit so the final pudding is moist and lush instead of chewy.

Step 2: Prepare your ramekins

Grease 4 standard ramekins (around 150–200ml capacity).
Cut squares of foil to cover the tops, and give the foil a tiny pleat so the puddings can rise while steaming.

Step 3: Mix the dry ingredients

In one bowl, whisk together:

self-raising flour
brown sugar
mixed spice
cinnamon

It should smell like Christmas already. If it doesn’t, add a pinch more spice (your kitchen, your rules).

Step 4: Add the wet ingredients

Add:

the egg
melted butter
orange zest
the soaked fruit + any remaining liquid

Mix until combined — no need to overwork it.

Step 5: Fill and cover

Divide the mixture evenly between the ramekins.
Cover each ramekin with foil and secure with a rubber band or string.

Step 6: Steam them

Place the ramekins into a large pot with a few centimetres of boiling water.
Cover with a lid. Steam 35–40 minutes.

Tip: If the water evaporates, top it up with boiling water (avoid pouring cold water over your babies — we don’t shock puddings).

Step 7: Serve warm

Lift out carefully, remove foil, and inhale deeply.
Serve with:

custard
brandy cream
Greek yoghurt
vanilla ice cream

Or all of the above — it’s Christmas.

🔄 Variations & Swaps

Because no recipe should be so strict it ruins Christmas joy.

No brandy?

Use:

orange juice
apple juice
cold tea

Want it nutty?

Add:

2 tbsp chopped almonds or pecans

Love spice?

Add:

nutmeg
ground ginger
cardamom

Need dairy-free?

Swap:

butter → coconut oil or dairy-free margarine

Gluten-free version

Use:

gluten-free self-raising flour
And check your dried fruit labels.

❄️ Storage, Leftovers & Freezing

Fridge:
Store puddings (covered) for 4–5 days.
Reheat in the microwave for 20–30 seconds or steam 10 minutes.

Freezer:
Wrap each pudding tightly in cling wrap + foil.
Freeze for up to 2 months.

Reheat from frozen:

Microwave 45–60 seconds
Or steam 15 minutes

Gifting tip:
Wrap in brown paper, tie with twine, and add a cinnamon stick on top.
People love these.

📏 Scaling Tips (Solo-Friendly!)

To make just one pudding:

Use ¼ of every ingredient.
Steam in a single ramekin for 15–18 minutes.
(Pro tip: this makes an amazing Christmas Eve “treat-yourself” dessert.)

To make 8–12 puddings:

Multiply the ingredients, but keep the steaming time the same — individual ramekins don’t require extra cooking time.

To make one big version:

Use the full recipe ×2, steam in a medium pudding basin for 1 hour.

🎄 When to Make These

These mini puddings are brilliant for:

Office morning teas
Christmas potlucks
Neighbour gifts
Festive dessert grazing boards
Mini Christmas dinners for two
“I don’t want leftovers but I want the vibe” moments

If you’re a solo eater who still wants to celebrate without being overwhelmed, this recipe is made for you.

⭐ Final Thoughts

These Mini Classic Steamed Christmas Puddings are proof that Christmas baking doesn’t have to be overwhelming — especially when you’re cooking for one most of the year. They’re cosy, they’re fragrant, they’re perfectly portioned, and you can whip them up with zero fuss.

If you try these, I’d absolutely love to hear how they turned out. Did you gift them? Eat all four yourself? (Zero judgement — pudding is self-care.)

💌 Share and Subscribe

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✨ Share it with a friend who loves Christmas baking
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