Sago Plum Pudding

This Sago Plum Pudding is light and delicious. With no added sugar, it's a less sweet version of a traditional Plum Pudding – but still has all those wonderful spicy and fruity flavours!

You can use sago or tapiaco pearls in the recipe, and while these ingredients are a bit harder to find these days, you should get lucky at larger supermarkets or specialty food shops.

Jump to:

• The recipe for Sago Plum Pudding
• Ingredients for Sago Plum Pudding
• How to make Sago Plum Pudding
• Serving, storing and re-heating
• Other pudding recipes
• Sago Plum Pudding

The recipe for Sago Plum Pudding

This is another one of those recipes that my Mum, who was a pastry cook in various Hunter Valley bakeries over the years, used in her work.

A dietician from Kurri Kurri Hospital passed it on to the bakery my mum was working at as an option for people who wanted Christmas treats with less sugar.

That was at least 30 years ago, according to my mum, but she still remembers how popular these puddings were and they would always have a long list of orders from customers who'd return each year for this lovely Christmas dessert.

Sago Plum Puddings were popular long before that, too.

I found recipes dating back to as early as 1908 in Australian newspapers.

These recipes have some similarities to my mum's recipes, but keep scrolling for the recipe that I've tested and cooked up.

Ingredients for Sago Plum Pudding

Okay, so the first thing you'll need to find is the sago. It is hard to find this ingredient, but you can also use tapioca tearls which are similar and easier to find these days.

I sourced tapioca pearls at a large supermarket. The smaller supermarket near me did not, however, stock this product. So you might have to ask around or call around to find a supermarket which stocks tapioca tearls.

Here is the complete ingredient list for this recipe:

• ½ cup wholemeal/brown breadcrumbs
• 2 eggs, beaten well
• 3 tablespoons SR flour (or 3 tablespoons plain/all purpose flour + ¼ teaspoon baking powder)
• 3 teaspoons sago or tapioca pearls
• 1 tablespoon butter (20 grams)
• 1 teaspoon bicarb soda
• ¾ cup mixed fruit
• ½ apple, finely grated
• 1 orange (juice + finely grated rind)
• ¼ cup milk
• 1 small carrot, finely grated
• ¼ teaspoon mixed spice
• pinch nutmeg and cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch salt
• 2 tablespoons brandy

Equipment required

This is a steamed pudding that is made in a pudding basin. You'll need a 1 litre pudding basin along with a saucepan large enough to contain the pudding basin. You can purchase a basin at a kitchenware store (or another good place to find these is at op shops!) You can also use a pyrex bowl in a pinch.

The advantage of having a pudding basin is that they are designed with a protruding rim to allow a lid to be secured and maintained throughout the steaming process. some also have a vented base that allows trapped pockets of air to escape easily when steaming.

I do not recommend using a metal basin as these seem to make it harder to release the pudding once it's cooked.

How to make Sago Plum Pudding

You'll need to soak the breadcrumbs and sago/tapioca pearls in the milk and brandy for at least 1-2 hours, although ideally overnight.

Once this process is complete and you're ready to make the pudding, prepare your pudding basin by greasing well with butter. You'll also need to get that large saucepan ready – you'll need one that the basin fits inside of.

Next, rub the butter into the sifted flour, spices, salt and bicarb soda.

Now, mix all ingredients together and stir well to combine.

The mixture is quite runny compared to, say, cake batter.

Pour the mixture into the greased pudding basin and cover top securely with aluminium foil (or secure lid if your pudding basin has one).

Place basin inside of the saucepan and fill with water half way up the sides of the pudding basin.

Place the lid on the saucepan and bring water to the boil.

Allow to simmer for 2 hours, checking to make sure water levels remain half way up the side of the basin. Top up with boiling water if necessary during the process.

Carefully remove the pudding basin once the cooking time has elapsed.

Sit for a few minutes and then carefully remove aluminium foil, taking care to avoid being burnt by any steam.

Allow to cool for a further 10 minutes and then gently ease the pudding from the basin and invert onto a plate. Ease sides away using a butter knife if necessary.

Serving, storing and re-heating

This pudding is best served warm with custard.

It's important to serve immediately or store your Sago Plum Pudding in the fridge and re-heat once you're ready to serve. Unlike a traditional plum pudding, this pudding will NOT keep outside of the fridge.

It should last in the fridge for a couple of weeks or freeze it for up to a couple of months.

To reheat, slice and warm in a microwave OR re-heat the whole pudding by placing it back in the basin and steaming again for about half an hour.

Other pudding recipes

The recipe card for Sago Plum Pudding is just below. But if you want more pudding recipes, why not check out:

Made this recipe and love it? Please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. (And it really makes my day to hear how Nana Ling's recipes are being made, shared and loved all around the world! - Libby x)

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