Pudding recipes

We've pulled together some of the finest recipes for the best of British puddings, which have been the envy of the world for centuries. So, if you need some ideas of how to satisfy your sweet tooth (doubtful, we know), look no further.

Traditional pudding recipes

We're right to be proud of our puds. Spotted dick, Sussex pond pudding, trifle are all legendary - even that enduring favourite, creme brûlée, was pinched from 18th century English cooks by the French (it was originally known as "burnt cream"). 

So it's great that traditional puds are back in fashion after a cheerless - and mercifully short-lived - phase when it was almost embarrassing to admit you had a sweet tooth. Puddings are just the ticket in times of austerity - they're not just the ultimate comfort food, they're also highly nutritious and make the most of inexpensive ingredients.

It's not surprising that gransnetters come over all nostalgic about old-fashioned treats like queen of puddings, jam roly poly and bread and butter pudding (see kernowgirl's recipe). But if you're recreating any of these for grandchildren (or even adult children), it might be wise to keep the ingredients a secret. 

Jaynie's rice pudding is another classic. And why not try yogagran's version of an old favourite with a sharp edge: "Make bakewell tart the usual way but substitute the jam with stewed, pureed rhubarb."

Easy puddings

Gransnetters wax equally lyrical about the more synthetic-tasting desserts which used to be so popular back in the day, like Instant Whip and Angel Delight. JessM remembers,"The scene is my son's second birthday. The first birthday party I ever hosted. I delegate one thing to my husband - make the Instant Whip. What can go wrong? He made it with water."

And does anyone make blancmange any more? It's a bit sad that these store cupboard stalwarts have been so completely superseded by yoghurt - hard to remember what a novelty that used to be - even as late as the 1960s.

And surely junket must be due for a revival? The only problem is that the essential ingredient, rennet, can be hard to come by. Here's Elegran's advice for the perfect junket: "The milk needs to be warm enough, at a temperature that you could (probably do!) dip your finger in comfortably. Leave it strictly alone until it sets. If it is moved about it might crack and 'leak' the juices (whey?) and collapse." For a special touch, slip in a dash of brandy (not for the grandchildren, obvs) and a dusting of nutmeg.

Finally - and for fear of stating the obvious - the perfect instant pudding has to be cake (this is Gransnet after all…). Warm it up (if you can wait that long), and serve with fruit, cream and/or (and, please!) ice cream.

Healthy puddings

It's perfectly possible for puddings to be healthy, especially if they're home-made. These days no one bats an eyelid if you serve low-fat crème fraîche or natural yoghurt as an alternative to cream. And of course it helps if fruit puts in an appearance, whether it's raw or cooked, in a classic crumble or pie, or a fruit salad. Almost any puréed fruit - gooseberries with a dash of elderflower cordial, for example - makes a delicious fool. Just add whipped cream or custard and chill. And try lucid's dead simple and delicious frozen yoghurt dessert recipe, made with bananas.

Anagram - who admits to eating sticks of sugary rhubarb raw as a child - says firmly: "Rhubarb is so nutritional it's virtually irresponsible not to eat it in any way you find acceptable! It is a rather surprising source of calcium, along with vitamin K and smaller amounts of vitamins C, D and A" Yogagran adds, "Cook with a little orange juice instead of water. Somehow the orange juice stops the rhubarb making your teeth feel all funny."

Maniac says, "In my (rhubarb) crumble I sometimes add elderflower cordial and chopped dates as a change from my usual ginger flavouring." And HildaW's tip is "Slow roast rhubarb in the oven. Cut it up, mix with sugar and/or honey and put in oven @ 180 till well cooked through. It gets rid of lots of the excess water and makes a highly flavoured compote that can be used for all sorts of things."

Puddings for special occasions

If you're looking for something simple and speedy, meringues always make a reliably impressive (and ambrosial) pudding, either simply piled with cream and fruit or tumbled into Eton mess - see mamaSG's recipe for Eton mess and Swisssue's fruity meringue recipe. 

For an even grander entrance pavlova is deceptively simple to knock up. Add lemon juice or a teaspoon of wine vinegar after adding the caster sugar to the peaked egg whites. Yogagran's rhubarb pavlova pie will have your guests oohing and aahing when they look at it and falling silent as they devour eat it.

Syllabub easily transforms a plain cake - or even better,  a lemon drizzle -  into a deconstructed trifle if you add a healthy helping of raspberries. Just whip double cream with caster sugar, dry sherry and lemon zest.

Finally, there's no denying that other countries have classic puds - you can't beat a French tart, for example. Or even better, a Tarte Tatin. But making it is notoriously challenging. Mamie's advice is "I think the secret of tatin is to get the sugar/butter base right, and I use Tamasin Day-Lewis's recipe. I remember making a banana tatin one election night - it kept us going until the small hours." With a glut of bilberries on her hands Mamie went on to make "little pastry tartlets with a bit of grape jelly in the bottom, then bilberries, then a grape jelly glaze on top. I found some nougat ice-cream in the freezer to have with." Worthy of the Great British Bake Off, surely!

Finally that relative Italian upstart, tiramisu, has to rank as one of the gransnetters' top ten puddings. GrandmaH's easy peasy (and unashamedly boozy) recipe takes just ten minutes.