Spotted Dick

Spotted Dick

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British Desserts

Desserts

Fruit Recipes

The Ultimate Spotted Dick (British Pudding)

Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.

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(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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Puddings are the backbone of British food; they can be sweet or savory and are often cooked by steaming. One steamed pudding recipe that is most familiar is the spotted dick. The name of this classic English pudding will usually bring about a smile or a look of abject horror, which is why some prefer to use the lesser-known title of “spotted dog pudding," but it doesn't quite sound the same.

Spotted dick is the perfect pudding for a treat on a cold winter's day, filled with the comforting flavors of raisins, currants, and brown sugar; the lemon zest adds an unexpected brightness. This traditional recipe calls for suet, which is the fat that surrounds beef kidneys, giving this dessert a rich taste. If you can't find suet, replace it with butter.

8 ounces self raising flour , plus extra for dusting
Custard sauce , for serving, optional

In a small bowl, mix raisins, currants, sugar, and lemon zest.

Sift flour into a large mixing bowl and add suet and salt; mix together to combine.

Add a little bit of the milk. Using a knife, cut in suet, adding more milk little by little until mixture comes together.

Use hands to combine mixture into a soft, elastic dough. Add more milk if necessary.

Place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 8 by 12 inches.

Evenly spread pudding filling mixture over dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Using a pastry brush, cover edges of dough with some cold water.

Starting with the narrow end, carefully roll up dough.

Soak a clean tea towel or cloth napkin in boiling water for a few minutes. Using tongs, squeeze to remove excess water. (Be careful doing this.) Wrap napkin around pudding, twisting at each end; secure ends with kitchen string.

Place pudding roll in a steamer and steam for 2 hours.

Alternatively, wrap pudding suet roll in foil and bake in a hot oven (400 F) for 1 hour 30 mins.

Unwrap immediately and cut into thick slices.

Serve drizzled with custard sauce, if desired, and enjoy.

When it comes to the name of this dish, it is the second word that makes people scratch their heads. "Spotted," simply enough, refers to the raisins and currants in the dough. The word "dick" originates from the first word for pudding, a "puddick" or "puddog." The term was shortened to "dick" and became the common name for this dessert.
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

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Last Modified Date: August 16, 2022

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Spotted dick is a baked pudding with primary ingredients of flour, currants, golden sugar, rum , and suet . Suet is traditionally made from raw beef fat, though vegetarians may take heart since suet can also be made from a combination of vegetable fats. Most often, however, suet in this dish is of the non-vegetarian variety. Most recipes for this dessert have sweet spices added, like cinnamon and nutmeg .
Spotted dick tends to be either rounded or oblong resembling either a plum pudding or a small loaf of bread. The exterior layer is often described as translucent or gelatinous. The pudding is almost always served in slices and may be accompanied by either a hard sauce , made up of butter, powdered sugar and rum or brandy, or a vanilla custard poured over the whole pudding prior to serving.
Like most baked puddings, spotted dick is normally baked in a tin , which is surrounded by a water bath. The result is a very moist, and has a breadlike or cakey consistency. In most cases, the pudding is not presented as plum pudding is, by being briefly set on fire to eliminate its alcoholic content and to add a breathtaking finish to its presentation.
Spotted dick may have been a popular dessert items on ships; in fact, it may have been one of the only dessert items offered on ships with tiny kitchens prior to the invention of steam and gasoline powered engines. It is mentioned in the historical fiction Patrick O’Brien novels that concern Captain Jack Aubrey, a ship’s commander during the early 19th century.
Some concern about the name of spotted dick has been expressed because of the use of the term as a curse word. In some places one may see it offered as spotted Richard or spotted dog.
In fact, in the 1990s, several hospitals in Britain decided to change the name of spotted dick to spotted Richard so patients would not be embarrassed in ordering the pudding. However, the name was changed back in 2002, since few seemed to be embarrassed by using the original name, and often didn’t recognize what spotted Richard might be.
Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent DelightedCooking
contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include
medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently
working on her first novel.
Tricia has a Literature degree from Sonoma State University and has been a frequent DelightedCooking
contributor for many years. She is especially passionate about reading and writing, although her other interests include
medicine, art, film, history, politics, ethics, and religion. Tricia lives in Northern California and is currently
working on her first novel.
I remember reading that portion in Harry Potter and having absolutely no idea what it could be. Now I want to try this recipe for pudding.
Wonderful! Thanks for "to the point" decsription and definition.
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This famous traditional English dessert is irresistibly delicious and is sure to win you over!
Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and suet (or butter) in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Add the milk, lemon zest, vanilla extract and currants and stir until combined. Scoop the batter into the prepared pudding mold and secure it tightly with the lid.
Lower the pudding mold into the boiling water so that the water comes up to the halfway point of the pudding mold. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer undisturbed for 90 minutes (3-4 hours if using suet as it has a very high melting point and needs that amount of time to melt and create the "pockets" throughout the pudding that yields the characteristic light/spongy texture associated with suet-based puddings). You'll likely need to weight the pudding mold down with something heavy to keep it from bobbing up and down in the water. I use a plate and then put something heavy on top of it, like another bowl. Check the water level periodically and add more water as needed to keep it at the halfway point of the pudding tin.
Remove the pudding mold from the water and let it sit for 15 minutes. Invert the pudding onto a plate. Slice into wedges and serve warm with English Custard Sauce .
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 498 kcal | Carbohydrates: 74 g | Protein: 6 g | Fat: 20 g | Saturated Fat: 12 g | Cholesterol: 53 mg | Sodium: 282 mg | Potassium: 433 mg | Fiber: 2 g | Sugar: 40 g | Vitamin A: 655 IU | Vitamin C: 1.2 mg | Calcium: 125 mg | Iron: 2.8 mg
Tried this recipe? Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet
Home » Food » Traditional Spotted Dick (English Steamed Pudding)
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Traditional Spotted Dick Recipe A quintessential British dessert, Spotted Dick represents everything that is delicious about traditional English cooking. Tender steamed pudding dotted with succulent currants is drizzled with a luxuriously rich and creamy vanilla custard. It’s heaven!
“Spotted what ?” I hear you. That’s the most common question from the snickering lips of Americans the first time they hear the name of this legendary British dessert, Spotted Dick. I was among that giggling crowd when I first moved to England for a 7-year stint, being quite naive to British terminology beyond what I had picked up from my favorite older British sitcoms (e.g., Fawlty Towers , Black Adder , Monte Python , etc). And what’s interesting is that despite its immense popularity over the course of at least two centuries, time seems to have lost the origins of its quirky name.
While “spotted” seems simple enough (i.e., the “spots” throughout the pudding from the dried currants), “dick” is the more puzzling of the two terms. Was it referring to the nickname of someone named Richard? Some have wondered if comes from an old English corruption of the word pudding to “puddick.” But who knows? The mystery of Spotted Dick goes on.
The first known recorded recipe of Spotted Dick is found in the mid-19th century cookbook, The Modern Housewife or M énagère, by Alexis Soyer, one of Britain’s first celebrity chefs who seems to imply that the pudding had already been around for some time.
In any case, Spotted Dick has remained high in popularity over the centuries to the extent that you can find if in tin cans, manufactured by Heinz, in every British grocery store. That was my first exposure to the stuff. I still remember going into a grocery store in England and picking up a can of Spotted Dick on the shelf and thinking “ what IS this?? ” as I showed it to my mom and we both started giggling like school girls.
For my British friends who are wondering what the fuss is all about, you’ll have to Google the name for its anatomical reference to see what Americans find so amusing about it. To tell you myself would make me blush ;)
But to continue, I’ve never been able to get excited about the canned stuff, but homemade? That’s an entirely different story.
Spotted Dick is just one of many great traditional British dishes I was introduced to during the nearly 7 years I lived in England after moving there from Germany. Those were among the best years of my life and I will always consider the UK my second home. My husband also spent two years in England and Wales long before we met. He loves the UK as much as I do and we have both traced our ancestry far back to medieval times; my husband to Cornwall and mine, well, all over the British Isles.
There are many places throughout the UK that we consider favorites. Below are two of my favorite villages in England’s Cotswold region.
Castle Combe, in Wiltshire on the southern-most edge of the Cotswolds, has often been named as the ‘prettiest village in England.’ Originally it was a British hill fort which became occupied by the Romans and later the Normans because of its strategic proximity to The Fosse Way. During the Middle Ages it became an important center for the wool industry and in more recent years has been a popular tourist site and setting for numerous films, including the original Dr. Doolittle with Rex Harrison, a Spielberg film, and Downton Abbey.
The buildings are several centuries old and listed as ancient monuments. Their stone construction with thick walls and roofs made from spit natural stone tiles are all typical of Cotswold architecture.
Bibury is another village situated in the Cotswolds and many consider it the most picturesque. It’s located in the Gloucestershire region of the Cotswolds and has also been referred to as “the most beautiful village in England” as well as one of the most charming towns in Europe.
Arlington Row (below), with its cottages dating to the 1300’s, is one of the most photographed scenes in the Cotswolds. Bibury is also home to the world’s first horse racing club, The Bibury Club, formed in 1681.
A popular tourist attraction and setting for several films (including Stardust and Bridget Jones’ Diary ), it was also a favorite spot of Henry Ford. On one of his trips to the Cotswolds he attempted to buy the entire row of houses in Arlington Row and have them shipped back to Michigan to be reassembled there in Greenfield Village. Thank goodness the English said “NO.”
It’s a charming notion to imagine the residents of Castle Combe and Bibury during the Victorian Age sitting down at the table behind these vintage stone walls enjoying a plate of Spotted Dick drizzled with custard sauce at the end of their meal.
Spotted Dick is very, very easy to make and if you’ve never had a steamed pudding before you will be especially tickled to give this a try. Not overly sweet, the sweetness comes mostly from the currants and the custard sauce, which is an absolute must. If you try serving Spotted Dick without the custard sauce the Dickensian police of Victorian England will parade into a time machine and come clobber you over the head with a wooden billy club.
Before we get started I want to say two things about caster sugar , which is the form of sugar traditionally called for in Spotted Dick and most British baking. While very popular in the UK it’s virtually unheard of here in the U.S.. And while it can be found in some gourmet specialty shops it’s very expensive, which is silly because all it is is finely ground granulated sugar. You can make it yourself simply by grinding regular granulated sugar in a coffee or spice grinder for a few seconds.
The other thing I want to point out is that while caster sugar is the best sugar to use for baked goods that don’t bake long and especially for delicate items like meringues, it isn’t required for steamed puddings like Spotted Dick. A primary reason for using caster sugar in the items I just mentioned above is that caster sugar, being so finely ground, dissolves more quickly and you don’t end up with a gritty texture. However, after steaming this pudding for 90 minutes the sugar will be completely dissolved. So it’s your choice whether to use caster or regular sugar.
I also want to talk about shredded beef suet. Every traditional recipe for Spotted Dick calls for it as do many other British pastries and pies, resulting in a superior texture. It can be difficult if not near impossible to find in many areas outside of Britain and in more modern times many people are replacing suet with butter anyway. Butter works just fine but the beef suet will result in a moister texture. If however you want to make Spotted Dick the traditional way, give shredded beef suet a try. The brand below, Atora Shredded Beef Suet , has been around since 1893, a household name for over a century.
Place the flour, baking soda, salt and beef suet or butter in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
Add the milk, lemon zest, vanilla extract and currants and stir until combined.
Spoon the batter into a generously greased pudding mold.
I’m using one of 4 pudding molds I own. The one in the picture holds a quart (
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Spotted Dick

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