Sweet memories: childhood puddings made vegan
Steamed syrup sponge pudding (Domestic Gothess)
There are certain foods that can take you straight back to childhood. And there’s nothing with indulging in a childhood pudding. But it’s far better to choose ingredients that are animal-kind and environmentally sustainable. And cholesterol-free, so you can eat more of them!
A bowl of sticky toffee pudding can bring back memories of Sunday lunches. The sight of a pink swirl of jam on a sponge can remind you of school dinners (good or bad?!) And of course an enormous jug of custard is ideal to finish everything on your plate.
Here are plant-based versions of five favourite English puddings, made vegan! It’s easy to find vegan custard in stores, or make your own.
- Before cooking, read up on food safety for people and pets.
- Before recycling cans, rinse then remove lids (pop ring-pulls over holes). Then step on upper cans to ‘pinch’ inner rims together, to avoid wildlife getting trapped.
- Unless you have a food waste bin, bin citrus and rhubarb scraps, as acids could harm compost creatures.
The history of stodgy English puddings
Back in the day, the pudding option was always something rich and stodgy! Often as a way to fill up on a budget, and to use up cupboard ingredients. They were not fancy, but steamed and fruity puddings were not for displaying on magazines, but for eating and sharing!
Vegan sticky toffee pudding
This is apparently the world’s favourite pudding! It’s basically a steamed date pudding in toffee sauce, and is just as popular in Australia.
It was invented in a village called Cartmel in Cumbria, due to imports of sugar and treacle from nearby Whitehaven, which used to be England’s third largest port.
For best results, use pitted Medjool dates and ensure you use a palm-oil-free vegan block butter like Flora. Use brown sugar for this pudding for a nice molasses flavour and if feeling wicked, some treacle!
Vegan jam sponge and custard
This is the childhood nostalgic pudding! Some of us had packed lunches for school, but even so your mother likely made you this as a child.
The beauty of this recipe is that it’s so simple and cheap to make. Raspberry jam is the classic choice, though strawberry jam works well too. Who needs fancy chocolate curls or edible flowers? Serve with lots of custard.
Vegan spotted Dick
This is another real classic. It’s basically a steamed suet pudding with dried fruits, again served with custard.
Recently MPs in Parliament were debating over changes to the name in the Houses of Parliament canteen. If your MP has time to do this (when we are battling wildfires, debating climate change and the cost of living), it’s time to change your MP.
Vegan Eton mess
The ultimate summery treat, indeed invented at the posh school. This is a super-simple combination of fresh organic strawberries, vegan meringue and vegan whipped cream, served in a glass.
You can make your own vegan meringue kisses, but these days you’ll also find them in stores.
Vegan bread and butter pudding
This is a great recipe to use up leftover day-old bread. It’s a simple case of spreading the slices with butter and cutting into triangles, to layer in a dish. Add dried fruit and custard, then bake.
Never give leftover stale bread to garden birds or wildfowl, as it could choke. Butter can also smear on feathers, affecting waterproofing and insulation.
Why recreating childhood puddings matter
England is a kind country that adores animals and does not want factory farming. We also need to urgently do something about huge levels of heart disease and diabetes.
But there is no point focusing on glossy magazines and coffee table recipe books telling people to eat mung bean salad and chia seed puddings. It’s never going to work.
These are childhood comfort foods that people enjoy. So it helps to find talented chefs who can recreate them, so everyone can enjoy them the same, but feel better and do good.
It also enables you to still honour the recipes of ancestors, so you get the same childhood nostalgia feeling of enjoying a bowl of sticky toffee pudding, while updating it a bit!
