This slow cooker steamed gooseberry pudding is full of sharp tangy fruit topped with a comforting vanilla sponge. If you don't have gooseberries, just replace with other summer fruits!
As I write this, I wish I could say that the weather was hot hot hot. It was a few weeks ago but not right now. Even so, the last thing I want in summer is to make the kitchen even hotter by turning on the oven.
Maybe I should just reach into the freezer and grab some ice cream for a dessert? The only problem is, I don't just want ice cream. Even in summer I love summer puddings. I don't mean, summer pudding made with bread and berries. I mean summer puddings made with stewed seasonal fruit and topped with sponge, crumble or pastry.
Well, luckily I have a steamed summer pudding for you that does not involve the oven at all. This steamed gooseberry pudding is cooked in the slow cooker and unless any fruity baking aromas escape, you won't even know that something is baking!
It's easy to bake in the slow cooker
If you have a slow cooker but haven't used it for baking then I have to ask you why not? After all, it's so easy to do. Once you've made your pudding, just cover the top with cling film and put it in the slow cooker. Then add hot water to the slow cooker and leave to cook on high for a couple of hours.
As the pudding is in the slow cooker, the steam doesn't escape and so unlike a traditional steamer, it won't heat up your kitchen. That's definitely what we all want for summer!
It's also far more energy efficient. But, I'm not giving you this recipe because it's energy efficient. The reason I want to share this with you is that it is really, really tasty. My kids loved it and it is pretty much guaranteed to be a hit with anyone who loves a warm fruity dessert.
And if there's some left over the next day, just pop it in the microwave to reheat and it's just as delicious.
Substitutions for gooseberries
If you can't get gooseberries where you live then you could replace them with any other fruit that goes well in a hot steamed pudding. Of course, apple and blackberries would work but so would cherries, rhubarb or plums. Try to pick something that's in season if you can. I picked these gooseberries with my children at our local pick your own farm but their season is almost over now.
The inspiration for this steamed gooseberry pudding
I was inspired to make this slow cooker steamed gooseberry pudding for a blogging challenge. The challenge was beat the heat with the Slow Cooker/Instant Pot/ Pressure Cooker. Making a hot dessert in the slow cooker definitely helps you do this. So, why not step out of your comfort zone and use your slow cooker for something different too?
Recipe
Slow Cooker Steamed Gooseberry Pudding
Ingredients
- 200 g gooseberries ends removed
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 175 g butter softened, plus a little extra for greasing
- 140 g sugar
- 175 g self-raising flour
- 3 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Put the gooseberries, sugar and 2 tablespoon water in a saucepan and heat gently till the gooseberries and soft and beginning to break up.
- In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add an egg and third of flour and beat in. Add the next egg and half the remaining flour and then the final egg along with the rest of the flour. Stir in the vanilla.
- Grease a pudding basin with a little butter.
- Put the gooseberries in the bottom of the bowl and spoon over the sponge pudding mixture. Cover with cling film.
- Put the pudding basin in the bottom of the slow cooker. Pour a little hot water from the kettle around the sides so it comes half way up the pudding.
- Cook on high for 2 - 2.5 hours until it has risen and looks cooked in the middle. Leave to cool a little in the slow cooker then turn out onto a plate to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Pin for later
More pudding recipes
If you'd like to see some more of my hot pudding recipes then why not take a look at one of the ones below?
Places I'm sharing this steamed gooseberry pudding
Cook Once Eat Twice hosted by me, Corina
Emma Ellison
Do you use plain or self-raising flour for your sponge?
Corina Blum
Hi Emma
I'm so sorry it wasn't clear. Use self-raising flour. I'll update the recipe now to clarify it.
Corina
Mary Noonan
We loved the gooseberry pudding served with custard. Planning on baking your gooseberry and coconut cake this week. Many thanks for your recipes.Mary .
Corina Blum
I'm so pleased you liked this sponge pudding! I hope you like my other recipes too. Is that the blackberry and coconut cake but made with gooseberries instead? Corina
Dee
I'd love to try this but I don't have a pudding basin. What size pyrex bowl or ramekin would you recommend for a substitution?
Corina Blum
Hi Dee
I used a 1 litre pyrex bowl to make this in. You could also use ramekins. As they are smaller you could reduce the cooking time to about 2 hours.
Corina
Peterf
We enjoyed this pudding we are wondering f you could use rhubarb instead of gooseberries, also raspberries because we have plenty of those in the freezer.
Corina Blum
Yes Peter, you could definitely substitute the gooseberries with another fruit. I'm sure it would be delicicous with rhubarb or raspberries.
Alison
I never thought of baking in a slow cooker. Genius. This pudding looks amazing and I will have to try it as soon as I get more gooseberries
Corina Blum
It turned out so well! To be honest it's ages since I made it now so I really need to remake it as well.
Julie McPherson
Ooh this looks so yummy and would be perfect for double cream or custard. Commenting as BritMums Baking Round-up Editor.
Corina
Thanks Julie! I haven't had custard for ages but I'd definitely like it with some.
Karman | The Nutrition Adventure
Your steamed pudding looks amazing! Great photography! 🙂
Corina
Thanks Karman! I had to do the photos quite quickly too as Master Spice kept trying to put his hands on it!
Sheila
This dessert looks great. Unfortunately, we don't have gooseberries available. Will try to make one with apple or plum. I'm excited to try it.
Corina
I'm sure it would be lovely with apple or plum. The gooseberry season has finished here too now so I'll probably try it myself with one of those fruits soon. I hope you enjoy it!
Angela / Only Crumbs Remain
I absolutely love this Corina! Mum used to make something similar when we were kids and it was always such a huge hit especially when she served it with some custard (I was never really partial to ice cream as a kid! I know!)
Angela x
Corina
Thanks Angela! I was lucky too and my mum was always making delicious puddings for us. I'm sure we had some sort of pudding at least once a week plus there were always homemade fruit pies for dessert. Now that I don't have them as much it feels like such a treat x
Amanda
This sponge looks delicious!
Corina
Thanks Amanda!
Jacqui
Ha ah Look like you were thinking very much along the same lines this week except Im too impatient to make my pudding in the slower cooker.
Gooseberries and sponge cake such a fabulous combination.
Corina
Oh a gooseberry sponge cake sounds amazing! I'll definitely need to have a read.
Serena
I adore gooseberries. We used to be able to pick them on a farm in Chicago. But now I have to get them frozen. They remind me of my time in the UK!
Corina
I picked these on a local farm. I go there quite often and each year make a different recipe with the gooseberries. Last year it was gooseberry ice cream and the year before I made a cobbler. I would love to cook with them more often but the season never seems to last long enough!
Alison's Allspice
My dad loves gooseberries and I never see many recipes using them! Definitely making this for him, Thanks!
Corina
I hope he enjoys it. It's always lovely to get some feedback so do let me know!
Monika Dabrowski
What a stunning looking dessert Corina! Gooseberries are a great choice of fruit in this recipe - I love sharp tangy tasting fruit in desserts, it balances the sweetness out. Thank you for bringing this creation to #CookBlogShare:)
Corina
You're welcome Monika and thanks for hosting! Gooseberries are definitely one of my favourite fruits in these kind of puddings, it's just a shame you don't see them very often.