Move over brandy butter, This Christmas Pudding Ice Cream is everything you need to accompany your festive treats this holiday season. Chunks of rich Christmas pudding and fruit mincemeat are swirled through a spiced ice cream, and don’t forget the brandy. It’s the taste of Christmas with every lick!
Lou’s recipe overview
SKILL: Beginner / Intermediate
TASTE: Christmas in every lick, bite or slurp
PROS: Quick and easy recipe for using up Christmas pudding leftovers
CONS: Use an ice cream machine, or you can churn by hand
Whoever said that ice cream was only for summer months really needs to grab a spoon and get stuck into this festive Christmas Pudding ice cream. One bite, or lick, and they’ll be taking it all back, proclaiming ice cream all year round!
How could anyone turn down a super easy festive ice cream if it’s not the summertime, especially when the ice cream’s packed with mince pies or even Baileys!
In this house, when the mince pies come out, so does the brandy butter! But this ice cream steps things up a level or two. Just imagine a warm from the oven mince pie topped with a scoop of nice, cold ice cream. And as the ice cream melts the rich and spices mix into the buttery pastry and every bite is a sensation.
And if that had your mouth watering, I can tell you this ice cream goes even better with Christmas tree brownies, mince pie brownies or even a puff pastry Christmas tree.
This ice cream really is a festive treat! And I just know you’re going to love it because…
- Perfectly scoopable – soft, smooth and creamy ice cream that you can eat straight from the freezer
- The taste of Christmas – hints of spices, deep and rich, juicy fruit and a kick of brandy
- Just a few simple ingredients and one bowl – it saves on the washing up
- No ice cream machine needed – but I do love mine
DO I NEED AN ICE CREAM MACHINE? No you don’t! If you don’t have a machine you can make the ice cream by hand. Full details are in the post and recipe card.
Ingredients
Check out my shopping list for ingredients and equipment
Here’s everything you’ll need to make this super easy festive ice cream. Don’t forget to check out the notes for handy hints.
- Full-fat milk
- Double Cream or Heavy Cream
- Light Soft Brown Sugar or Caster Sugar – Either sugar works for this recipe, but I find the brown sugar gives a little extra richness to the ice cream
- Christmas Pudding – You can either buy a mini Christmas Pudding, or use any leftover Christmas Pudding you might have after the big day! If buying a Christmas Pudding, you want to go for a single serving version, between 100-200 grams
- Fruit Mincemeat – I love the finding the plump, juicy fruit in the ice cream. Alongside the chunks of Christmas Pudding, the mincemeat really gives you a taste of Christmas
- Ground Cinnamon
- Mixed Spice
- Brandy – This is optional, but in my opinion completes the recipe. The alcohol also prevents the ice cream freezing completely solid so it’s easier to scoop out.
Recommended ingredients
CONVERT TO CUPS: There is a cup conversion option in the recipe card to convert the ingredients. This is automatic and I can’t guarantee the accuracy. For best baking results, I recommend using digital scales and weighing the ingredients.
Equipment you will need
You don’t need many tools to make this ice cream. I use an ice cream machine but you can make it by hand. Check out the recipe card for more details. In the meantime, this is the equipment I use…
- Sage Ice Cream Machine – This is the machine I have and I absolutely love it – it’s worth every penny. Check out my alternative options below
- Handheld mixer – If you are churning your ice cream by hand. This Breville version is my new favourite handheld mixer
- Large mixing bowl
- Balloon Whisk
- Rubber spatula
- Large mixing bowl
- Digital Kitchen Scales
- 1 Litre Container or Reusable ice cream tubs – I love these reusable containers; they’re perfect for storing ice cream in the freezer
Do I need to use an ice cream machine?
No you don’t! I invested in an ice cream machine because we eat a lot of ice cream in this house and I wanted to try out different flavour combinations.
You can easily make this ice cream by hand, you just need a little patience and time. Here’s what you need to do once the mixture is made…
- Freeze the mixture for 90 minutes
- Remove the ice cream from the freezer and whisk with a hand mixer it to break up any ice crystals
- Return the ice cream to the freezer
- Repeat the process a further three times until the ice cream is smooth
- Add any add-ins after the last whisk
MORE INFO: If you’re thinking about getting an ice cream machine, then check out my Kit Kat ice cream post for information on the different types of machine available, in all price ranges.
How to make Christmas Pudding ice cream
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card
One of the best things about this ice cream is that you don’t need to make a custard. The richness comes from the double cream, the Christmas Pudding and the fruit mince. Here’s what you need to do…
Making the ice cream
TOP TIP: Don’t be tempted to reduce the fat content in the ice cream – the fat is what keeps its smooth and creamer. Swapping for lower calorie ingredient options means you get a higher water content which causes your ice cream to get icy. Stick with full fat milk and cream and your ice cream with be the perfect text.
- Add the double cream, soft brown sugar, ground cinnamon and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl and gently whisk together until the sugar has all dissolved into the cream
- Add the full fat milk and brandy to the cream mixture and gently whisk together until combined
- Add the fruit mincemeat to the mixture and stir through, breaking up any lumps of mincemeat so it’s well distributed
- Chop or crumble the Christmas Pudding into small pieces. You don’t want them too large otherwise you won’t get a good even spread throughout the ice cream
- Now you’re ready to churn…
Where you’re using a pre-freeze or self-freezing machine, follow the manufacturers instructions for churning your ice cream.
Churning by machine
SAGE ICE CREAM SETTINGS: If you’re using the Sage machine like me, the settings I use are: Auto and Gelato. Depending on the weather, I will pre-freeze the machine ie. in the summer.
- Pour the ice cream mixture into the ice cream machine bowl and churn according to the manufacturer’s instructions
- Add in the Christmas Pudding pieces about 5 minutes before the ice cream is ready or once the machine specifies to add in add-ins, depending on your machine (mine chimes)
- If you’re not serving straight away, when ready transfer the ice cream into a freezer-proof container. I like these reusable ice cream tubs, and freeze
- If you’re serving when ready, scoop and serve from the machine bowl. Keep the machine set on ‘Keep Cool’ to prevent the ice cream from melting straight away
Churning by hand
- Pour the ice cream mixture into a large freezer proof container and cover with a lid or clingfilm. I find a shallow 1-litre click-side style container works best
- Freeze the mixture for 90 minutes, then remove from the freezer and whisk with a hand mixer. Whisk well to break up any ice crystals that may be forming then return the ice cream to the freezer
- Repeat the whisking process three times until the ice cream is smooth
- Add the Christmas Pudding pieces after the final whisk, stir through and return to the freezer until ready to serve
FAQs about Christmas Pudding ice cream
The recipe will make approximately 750ml of ice cream. This works out at approximately 10-12 two scoop servings.
It’s best to keep the ice cream in a container that will hold up to 1 litre. If you’re churning by hand, a click-side style container works really well. I transfer my ice cream from my machine into these resuable ice cream tubs. They fit perfectly in the freezer drawer. Always remember to keep your ice cream covered with a lid to prevent ice crystals forming.
The Christmas Pudding ice cream will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months, but its best eaten within 1 month.
Of course you can! The machine takes a lot of work out of the churning and prevents ice crystals forming so you have a super smooth texture, but you can still achieve this by hand. Just have a little patience.
When your ice cream mixture is ready, pour into a freezer-proof container, cover and freeze for 90 minutes. Then remove the ice cream from the freezer, whisk with a hand mixer to break up any ice crystals and return the to the freezer. Repeat the process a further three times until the ice cream is smooth. Stir through any add-ins after the final whisk.
More ice cream recipes to try
If you liked this Christmas Pudding ice cream recipe here are some other recipes that I think you’d enjoy…
Christmas Pudding Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 150 g Caster Sugar or Granulated Sugar
- 300 ml Double Cream or Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Mixed Spice
- 145 ml Full fat milk
- 75 ml Brandy Optional
- 300 g Christmas Pudding or Leftover Christmas Pudding
- 100 g Mincemeat
Instructions
To make the ice cream
- Add the double cream, caster sugar, ground cinnamon and mixed spice into a large mixing bowl, and using a balloon whisk, gently whisk together until the sugar has dissolved into the cream.150 g Caster Sugar, 300 ml Double Cream, 1 tsp Ground Cinnamon, 1 tsp Mixed Spice
- Add the full fat milk and brandy (if using) to the cream mixture and gently whisk together until combined.145 ml Full fat milk, 75 ml Brandy
- Add the fruit mincemeat to the mixture and mixture everything together until well combined.100 g Mincemeat
- Chop the Christmas Pudding into chunks, or crumble into pieces and add keep to one side until needed.300 g Christmas Pudding
If using an ice cream machine
- Pour the ice cream mixture into the ice cream bucket and churn the ice cream according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- When prompted, add in the Christmas Pudding chunks into the mixture and allow the churning to complete. You might wish to save some chunks to scatter over the top of the ice cream.
- When complete serve the ice cream or transfer to a freezer-proof container and freeze until required.
If churning the ice cream manually
- Pour the ice cream mixture into a shallow freezer-proof container and cover with a lid or clingfilm. Place in the freezer and freeze the mixture for 90 minutes
- Remove the ice cream from the freezer and whisk the mixture well to break up any chunks or ice crystals. Return the ice cream to the freezer for a further 90 minutes and then repeat. Repeat the whisking process three times until the ice cream is smooth.
- Add Christmas Puddings chunks after the final whisk, stirring them through until well combined and return to the freezer. Allow the mixture to freeze for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.
- When you’re ready to serve, let the ice cream soften slightly for 10-15 minutes before scooping.
Notes
Nutrition
DISCLAIMER
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
