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In my family, pie made with freshly picked berries was our definitive summer dessert. I have many memories of standing on a kitchen stool as a kid, snatching up pie dough scraps as my mom or grandmother assembled a blueberry pie.
But baking a pie is a lot of work between the dough, the filling, and the assembly. Not to mention how much the oven heats up the house when it’s already a scorcher outside. Now, when I’m looking for a summer berry dessert, I turn to summer pudding—it’s way easier, and best of all, my oven stays off.
Summer pudding is a classic British dessert of sweetened macerated berries encased in white bread that soaks up all the berry syrup. It might not sound convincing initially, but all it takes is one bite to understand why this has been a popular dessert in the United Kingdom since the late 1800s.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Tips for Making British Summer Pudding
Summer pudding looks showy and may appear challenging to make, especially with the prospect of unmolding it. But it’s actually much easier than it seems. Here are some tips that have helped me assemble and unmold beautiful summer puddings:
- White sandwich bread works best. It already tastes sweet and soaks up the berry syrup easily. Go for a soft, finely crumbled loaf with as little crust as possible.
- This dessert is usually made in a pudding mold, a deep bowl with a lid used specifically for steamed British puddings. Since that’s a less common piece of equipment on this side of the pond, I prefer using a loaf pan, which also makes the pudding easier to slice nicely. A 6-cup bowl will also work, ideally one with steep sides.
- Unmolding the pudding is the most stressful part, but lining the pan with plastic wrap helps! After flipping the chilled, plastic-wrapped pudding onto a serving platter, it should be easy to pull off the loaf pan, then peel off the plastic wrap, ensuring that nothing sticks.
How To Make British Summer Pudding with Fresh Fruit
By using frozen fruit in this recipe, I cut out the prep time needed for washing the berries and hulling and slicing strawberries. Plus, frozen berries are cheaper than fresh.
But summer pudding traditionally uses fresh berries, celebrating their short season. To make it with fresh berries instead of frozen, use the same weight (1 3/4 pounds) of mixed berries and summer fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, currants, and cherries.
Add the fresh fruit to the saucepan along with the sugar and add 1/3 cup of water. It will take less time to bring the berries to a simmer and release their juices, just 5 to 10 minutes. Then, follow the same steps for assembly and unmolding the pudding.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
How To Serve British Summer Pudding
Serve slices of this pudding refreshingly fridge-cold. To make clean slices without crushing the pudding, gently slice the chilled pudding with a serrated bread knife using a sawing motion. I like to spoon some extra berry juice over the slices and garnish with fresh berries.
Add a dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream for the ultimate summer dessert.
If you only have a 9×5 loaf pan, this recipe will still work nicely. You can make it as-is for a slightly shorter pudding that won’t fill the pan to the top, or increase the berries to 2 1/4 pounds and the sugar to 1 cup. You may need extra bread.
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1 3/4 pounds (6 cups) frozen mixed berries
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3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar
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10 to 12 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
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Fresh berries, for garnish, optional
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Cook the berries:
In a medium saucepan, combine the frozen mixed berries and granulated sugar. Bring the berries to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until they release their juices, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
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Line the loaf pan with the bread:
Line an 8 1/2×4 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, with extra hanging over the sides. Arrange about 8 slices of bread to fully cover the bottom and sides of the loaf pan, overlapping and trimming the bread slices as needed. Try to layer the bread slices so the seams are offset from the corners of the pan to prevent leaks. For added integrity, add small scraps to reinforce the corners.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
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Build the pudding:
Use a ladle to transfer about 1/2 cup of the berry juice from the saucepan to small bowl. Cover the bowl and save it in the fridge until you’re ready to serve the pudding. Pour the berries and their remaining juices into the bread-lined loaf pan. Arrange 2 to 3 slices of bread on top to fully encase the berry filling, trimming the bread as needed.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
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Chill:
Cover the pudding tightly with another layer of plastic wrap. Top the pudding with a small rectangular plate or airtight container that fits within the lip of the pan. Place a couple of canned goods or other heavy items on top to compress the pudding. Chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 8 hours or for up to 24 hours.
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Unmold:
When ready to serve, remove the weights, plate, and top layer of plastic wrap. Place a rimmed serving platter upside down on top of the pudding and invert the whole thing—plate and loaf pan together. Remove the loaf pan and peel away the plastic wrap.
Use a pastry brush to brush any white patches of bread with some of the reserved berry juice so the bread is fully saturated.
Simply Recipes / Mark Beahm
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Serve:
Garnish the top of the pudding with fresh berries, if desired. Slice the pudding and serve each slice with an extra spoonful of the berry juice.
Refrigerate any leftover pudding, covered, for up to 2 days.
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| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 214 | Calories |
| 2g | Fat |
| 47g | Carbs |
| 4g | Protein |
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 214 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| 2g | 2% |
| Saturated Fat 0g | 1% |
| 0mg | 0% |
| 179mg | 8% |
| 47g | 17% |
| Dietary Fiber 5g | 17% |
| Total Sugars 27g | |
| 4g | |
| Vitamin C 29mg | 145% |
| Calcium 71mg | 5% |
| Iron 2mg | 10% |
| Potassium 180mg | 4% |
| *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. | |
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
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