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.
What is the Origin of Spotted Dick?
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. Â Was it referring to the nickname of someone named Richard? Â Some have wondered if comes from an old English corruption of the word pudding to “puddick.” Â But who knows? Â 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 Ménagère, 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. Â That was my first exposure to the stuff. Â 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? Â 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 UKÂ that we consider favorites. Â 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.’ Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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. Â 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.
Two Essential Ingredients for Making Proper Spotted Dick
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. Â 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. Â However, after steaming this pudding for 90 minutes the sugar will be completely dissolved. Â 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.
Authentic Spotted Dick Recipe
Let’s get started!
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. Â The one in the picture holds a quart (about one liter) but most of my other ones are larger, and that’s fine, too. Â The smallest pudding mold (1.5 liters) with the best reviews I’ve found on Amazon is this one. Â A great place to find pudding molds is in thrift shops. Â I found two of mine at Goodwill. Â The other two I brought with me from Europe.
Place metal cookie cutters, a folded dish towel or crumpled tin foil on the bottom of the stock pot. Â The pudding mold cannot come in contact with the bottom of the pot or it will scorch the pudding.
Lower the pudding mold into the boiling water so that the water comes up to the halfway point of the mold. Â You’ll likely need to weight the pudding mold down with something heavy to keep it from bobbing up and down in the water. Â I use a plate and then put something heavy on top of it, like another bowl.
Cover the stock pot, reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer undisturbed for 1 1/2 hours. 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 bath and let it rest for 15 minutes. Â Invert the pudding onto a plate.
Cut the pudding into wedges.
Serve the pudding warm with hot English Vanilla Custard.
Enjoy!
For more delicious British treats try our:
- Treacle Tart
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Eccles Cakes
- Welsh Cakes
- Scottish Shortbread
- Yorkshire Parkin
- Bara Brith
- Barmbrack
- Mincemeat
- Mincemeat Pie
- Millionaire’s Shortbread
- Lemon Curd
- Victoria Sponge Cake
Also learn how to make your own British Golden Syrup!
PIN ME!
Traditional Spotted Dick (English Steamed Pudding)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 5 ounces shredded beef suet (highly recommended for best results, but can substitute 10 tablespoons chilled butter, diced)
- 2/3 cup caster sugar or regular granulated sugar , see NOTE
- 1 cup dried currants
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 teaspoons quality vanilla extract
- Zest of one large lemon
- English Custard Sauce for serving (click link for recipe)
Instructions
- Place metal cookie cutters, a folded towel, or crumpled tin foil in the bottom of a large stock pot to prevent the pudding mold from touching the bottom of the pot. Add water and bring to a boil. Generously grease a 1.6 liter pudding mold..
- 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. Â 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.
- See NOTE about reheating.
Shirlee Smith says
I can’t get the lid from the steaming mold to come off. There is a spot on the lid that says open but it does not line up with anything. I feel like I would
have to damage the mold to remove the lid.???
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Shirlee, I haven’t experienced that but it’s probably just the suction caused by internal pressure. Good luck and I hope you’re successful in removing it!
Annette says
Oh my, this looks so delicious! I have wanted to make spotted dick for quite some time, even though I have never tasted it before. The texture looks so wonderful, and I just love custard sauce (there is no chance whatsoever that I would leave off making the custard sauce!)
I love simple, traditional and homey looking recipes such as this one. The moist look, and the texture of the crumb of your recipe looks very tempting indeed!
I am going to make this as soon as I receive the pudding mold! Thank you so much for the recipe and all the information you provided with it.
I am thoroughly enjoying your wonderful recipe site!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much for your complimentary note, Annette, and I hope you enjoy this pudding and sauce!
laura Nelson says
Love, love this recipe!.My grandmother was famous for her chocolate steamed pudding with foamy lemon sauce. It was delicious and if I remember right she also used suet, as most steamed puddings did because of the lovely moist texture it created.And I made a maine blueberry steamed pudding with a lemon sauce…it had a bit of mace in it. It was just scrumptious
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you, Laura, and the chocolate and blueberry puddings sound scrumptious indeed!
Maria Hawkins says
Can I mix the dough in the morning and steam later in the evening? Or does it have to go into the steam right after mixing?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s a great question, Maria, and one I can’t answer based on personal experience as I’ve always steamed it directly after mixing the batter. My instinct tells me that it would be okay because it’s the suet that creates air pockets as the pudding is steaming and is what makes the pudding light. I don’t think making the batter in advance would pose a problem because the suet will not melt in the batter. Perhaps one of our readers has tried making the batter in advance and can speak to that. In any case, if you make the batter in advance, let us know how it turns out!
Candace Nielson says
This was OUTSTANDING!! I only ever had the canned stuff in England and homemade is a total showstopper. Will be making this again for sure, DELICIOUS!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I’m so glad to hear it, Candace, thank you!
Sharon Kelly says
Heinz stopped making tinned spotted dick, treacle sponge, jam and choc pudding a while back. Aunt Bessie brand now does spitted dick and jam roly poly pudding but not so good
Kara McLeod says
Caster sugar is called powdered sugar in the United States. It’s not hard to find. It is in most grocery stores in the baking aisle
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Kara, they’re not the same thing. Powdered sugar, commonly known as confectioner’s sugar outside the U.S., is much finer (powder) and contains cornstarch as a an anti-caking agent.
Anonymous says
Brit here throwing in 2 cents. Powdered sugar is called ‘icing’ sugar in England. Caster sugar is very finely granulated ‘sugar’ as Kimberly mentioned in the article.
Tori J. says
Absolutely delightful! This was my first time making spotted dick after having had it numerous times out of the can in England. Your directions were so easy to follow and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Tori, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the feedback!
Cathy Thorne says
DELICIOUS!! It has been nearly 20 years since I last had spotted dick while living in England, at least a homemade version. I’ve had the canned stuff a few times but nothing compares to homemade. This recipe is absolutely wonderful and brought back so many memories. Thank you!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Cathy, thank you so much!
Syb says
Growing up in England.. This was my favorite dessert at school. I gave a canned one to a friend who kept it for two years on a shelf as a conversation topic! Afraid to try it herself, so I put some on a plate and said I had made it. Now, she is addicted to it!
The photographs are great too.. Thanks for sharing.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s hilarious, Syb! I hope you get the opportunity to try this homemade version and enjoy that stroll down memory lane.
Ginger Sexton says
Excited to try this. Got the pudding mold and suet from Amazon. The suet came all the way from England. I got interested in English dishes when I traced ancestors to Cornwall. Have made Pasties and now on to Spotted Dick..
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Ginger! Our ancestors are likewise from Cornwall. Please let us know what you think of the Spotted Dick!
Alisha says
Beef suet, is it similar to American lard?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Alisha, lard is pork fat while suet is beef fat.
Anonymous says
Suet is also not rendered, while lard is. I’m sure you could get your butcher to sell you some beef fat from the inside of the cattle beast for next to nothing, just grate that.
George Joy says
As a transplanted Brit in the US, I’m always being teased about this pudding and I’m considering making this to shut every one up. Thanks for the recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Lol, George, that sounds like the perfect plan to me – make them eat their words! :)
ade says
has any one tried sticky toffee pudding? Another great English recipe.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Sticky toffee pudding is terrific, Ade, I’m planning to post my recipe for it before too long :)
Peggy says
Can’t wait to try this– have been hearing about it on “As Time Goes By” ! Will have to use butter as we don’t eat beef.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Peggy! Butter will work perfectly fine. Enjoy! :)