Figgy Pudding
A crowd-pleasing vegetarian built around dried figs, apples and vegetable shortening — roughly 70 minutes start to finish, and rated medium to make. Below: the ingredients split into pantry staples and a quick shopping list, a built-in serving scaler, and the method in 7 steps.
You'll mainly reach for pan and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (4)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
Diet: vegetarian — no meat or fish, based on every ingredient listed below.
Contains: Gluten Dairy Egg
Allergen labels are informational and may not cover cross-contact; verify every package and consult a qualified professional for medical dietary needs. Diet labels are derived from the ingredient list on this page — how we verify diet and allergen labels.
Food-safety and allergen information is general, not medical advice. Follow current guidance from your local food-safety authority, verify product labels, and seek qualified advice for allergies or health conditions.
How to make it
- Stem the dried figs and chop them finely, then place in a bowl and pour over just enough boiling water to cover; let them soak for 15 minutes to soften, then drain well.
- Peel and core the apples and grate them coarsely, then generously butter a 1.2 litre pudding basin and have ready a pan of water for steaming.
- Beat the butter, shortening and sugar together until light and creamy, then beat in the egg yolks one at a time followed by the rum extract.
- Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt, then fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk to make a thick, soft batter.
- Fold in the drained figs and grated apple until evenly distributed, then spoon the batter into the prepared basin and smooth the top, leaving room for the pudding to rise.
- Cover the basin with a pleated round of buttered parchment and foil, tie securely, then lower into the pan of simmering water that reaches halfway up the sides and steam gently for 1 hour and 45 minutes, topping up with boiling water as needed.
- Check that a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, then rest the pudding for 5 minutes, turn out onto a plate and serve warm with custard or brandy sauce.
You'll use: Pan · Saucepan · Steamer
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Milk
- any unsweetened plant milk · ½ cup evaporated milk + ½ cup water
Tips & common questions
How long does Figgy Pudding take to make?
About 70 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 12 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Figgy Pudding vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat, fish or shellfish, so it is suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheese for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Adapted recipe — rewritten in our own wording from an open-licensed community cookbook, not yet independently kitchen-tested by Consomee. How we source, test & correct recipes.
Figgy Pudding is adapted by Consomee from the Wikibooks Cookbook, rewritten in our own wording and used under CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo: Figgy Pudding with flaming brandy.jpg by Ted Kerwin, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure — how we source recipes.