Whether you’re a Christmas Pud lover or hater, you’re guaranteed to get a wow when you bring the this no-bake rocky road Christmas pudding to the table. This festive sweet treat is packed with crunchy biscuits, squishy marshmallows and plump, juicy fruit, it’s the perfect end to a holiday feast!
Lou’s recipe overview
SKILL: Beginner
TASTE: Utter fruity, chocolate heaven
PROS: Absolutely no faff, completely no bake
CONS: Make two so there’s leftovers for when your guests have gone home!
For those of you out there that aren’t a fan of Christmas pudding then I’ve got the perfect alternative recipe!
I’m not sure why I don’t like traditional Christmas pudding, I’m sure there must be a reason hidden deep in the depths of my memory
I’m not sure if I’ll ever learn to love Christmas pudding like I did with mincemeat and mince pies; especially as this chocolate no bake version ticks every box on my sweet tooth checklist.
From the fluffy marshmallows to the crunchy digestives biscuits and the sweet fruits, then of course you have all that chocolate; there really is no better recipe swap.
And to top it all off, it’s super super easy to make and there’s absolutely no baking involved. What more could you ask for from a Christmas dessert that everyone will love.
So if you’re on the lookout for an alternative Christmas pudding, carry on reading and find out all my hints and tips!
Ingredients and substitutions
Check out my shopping list for ingredients and equipment
There’s nothing simpler to make than this rocky road Christmas pud, especially as it uses simple ingredients. Here’s everything you’ll need to make this twist on a traditional dessert…
- Dark Chocolate
- Unsalted Butter
- Golden Syrup – Or you can use light corn syrup, if golden syrup isn’t available
- Digestive Biscuits
- Mini Marshmallows – I love using pink and white ones so you get a splash of colour when you slice the rocky road
- Raisins
- Dried Apricots – I used whole ones and they cut them up. You can also use chopped ones and save a few minutes
- Glace Cherries
- Brandy – For that extra special festive flavour. You can switch out for Baileys, rum or your favourite tipple. It’s entirely optional so if you don’t want to add it, just leave it out.
Recommended ingredients
Substitutions
Make it gluten-free
There are lots of different biscuit and cookie options to make the Christmas Pud gluten-free. My in-laws have to have a gluten-free diet and they love Schar biscuits as a swap – the digestive ones are perfect or you could go a little festive with gluten-free gingerbread.
Swap the chocolate
The beauty of rocky road is that anything goes! So if you’re not a fan of dark chocolate, then why not switch it out for milk chocolate or even white chocolate. Check out the chocolate aisle next time you’re shopping and see what you can find for inspiration. You never know what you’ll get!
Mix up your fillings
Just like the chocolate, you can switch and swap your fillings until you get your ideal flavour combo. I’ve gone for dried fruit to bring a little of a traditional Christmas pudding to the rocky road. But if raisins and apricots aren’t you favourite, switch them for cranberries, sultanas or even popcorn.
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
There’s no special equipment needed to make this festive chocolate pudding, but these are exact tools I use…
How to make rocky road Christmas pudding
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the recipe card
There’s absolutely no faffing and no steaming with this rocky road Christmas puddings. Instead its a few simple steps and pop it in the fridge. Here’s everything you have to do…
- Line a pudding basin with clingfilm, making sure to leave an overhang all the way around – it helps lift the pudding out when its set
- Gently melt the butter, dark chocolate and golden syrup together. You can do this using a small saucepan over low heat or in the microwave in 30-second blasts. Just be careful and don’t overheat or burn the mixture.
- Break the digestive biscuits into chunks and add into a large mixing bowl.
- Add the marshmallows, raisins, dried apricots and glacé cherries, then give everything a really good stir so it’s all mixed together.
- Add the brandy to the melted chocolate and stir together.
- Pour the melted chocolate over the rocky road mixture and give everything a really good stir until well-coated and combined.
- Pour rocky road mixture into the lined pudding basin and gently press down with the back of a spoon or angled palette knife. Make sure everything is well packed otherwise you’ll end up with holes in your pudding.
- Chill the rocky road Christmas pudding in the fridge for at least 3 hours or overnight. Remove from the pudding basin when ready to serve.
- Optional: Melt some white chocolate over the top and add some holly leaves made from green sugar paste. Add some leftover glacé cherries as berries.
TOP TIP: To get the pudding out, gently run warm tap water around the outside of the bowl, this helps loosen the pudding, then turn the pudding out onto a plate. Alternatively use the clingfilm overhang to lift out.
Step by step live video
Tips for success
Although this is the easiest Christmas pudding recipe you can make, here’s a few top tips for absolutely nailing the recipe every single time…
- Go for smaller sized biscuit chunks – Now I know that in my gingerbread and biscoff rocky road recipes I say don’t go too small on when breaking up your biscuits, but for this recipe its crucial so you can pack everything into the bowl. You’re after 1-2cm sized biscuit pieces to give a classic rocky road texture and.
- Don’t crush your biscuits too small – But also don’t be tempted to go too small! If your biscuits pieces are smaller than 1-2cm, you want get that fabulous rocky road texture and you’ll end up with a wet sandy texture.
- Use a mix of dark and milk chocolate – I love going all dark chocolate for this recipe, but if you’re not a dark chocolate fan then swap out half the chocolate for milk chocolate for that perfect balance of sweetest and richness.
- Pack the mixture into the pudding bowl – As you’ve making this in a bowl, you really need to make sure everything is well packed together, any large gaps or air pockets and the rocky road will fall apart. So after adding the mixture into the bowl, make sure to press down firmly with the back of a spoon or spatula and get a nice levelled and packed layer.
- Before cutting bring the rocky road pudding up to room temperature – You don’t want your rocky road Christmas pudding falling apart when you slice it, so take it out of the fridge and let it start to come up to room temperature for about 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve. That way you’ll get perfect slices every time.
FAQs about rocky road Christmas pudding
This recipe is best made in a 1 litre (17cm) pudding basin or you can use a small mixing bowl if you do not have a pudding basin.
The best way is to keep the rocky road Christmas pudding in the bowl until you are ready to serve. If making ahead cover the top of the bowl with clingfilm. If you have turned out the pudding, make sure to keep it wrapped in cling and store in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Yes! Make the pudding a few days in advance and keep it chilled in the fridge. Alternatively, you can freeze the Christmas Pudding. Remove it from the bowl first and wrap in clingfilm, ensuring it is completely covered. If you have a container big enough, place the Christmas pudding in this first, or if not carefully store it in the freezer. The rocky road will keep for 1-2 months, just remember to defrost thoroughly before serving.
If you really want to, you certainly can light the Christmas pudding, but the heat from the burning brandy will cause the chocolate to melt, so you might want to avoid doing so. Try serving it with a little brandy cream instead.
More easy festive recipes to try
If you liked this rocky road Christmas pudding recipe here are some other recipes that I think you’d enjoy…
Rocky Road Christmas Pudding
Ingredients
- 250 g Dark Chocolate
- 150 g Butter
- 50 g Golden Syrup or Light Corn Syrup
- 250 g Digestive Biscuits
- 50 g Mini Marshmallows
- 100 g Raisins
- 100 g Dried Apricots
- 50 g Glace Cherries
- 1 tbsp Brandy Optional
- 50 g White Chocolate
- Green Sugar Paste Icing
VIDEO
Instructions
- To make the rocky road: Line a 1 litre pudding basin with clingfilm, leaving an overhang all the way around the top of the basin.
- Add the chocolate, butter and the golden syrup into in a heat-proof bowl and place over a small pan of simmering water (double boiler). Use a silicone spatula to stir gently until everything has melted. Alternatively, you can melt them in a microwave in 30-second blasts, just be careful not to overheat or burn the mixture.250 g Dark Chocolate, 150 g Butter, 50 g Golden Syrup
- In a large mixing bowl, break up the biscuits into bite-sized pieces (1-2cm). Add in the mini marshmallows and raisins.250 g Digestive Biscuits, 50 g Mini Marshmallows, 100 g Raisins
- Cut the apricots and cherries in half, and add into the bowl. Mix everything together until well-combined. Keep 2-3 cherries aside to decorate the pudding before serving.50 g Glace Cherries, 100 g Dried Apricots
- Optional: Add the brandy to the melted chocolate mixture and stir in.1 tbsp Brandy
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the top of the rocky road mixture and fold everything together with a silicone spatula until everything is well coated in chocolate..
- Pour the rocky road mixture into the lined pudding basin and gently press down on the mixture with the back of a spoon to pack everything together.
- Put the rocky road Christmas pudding in the fridge to chill and set for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- To serve the Christmas pudding: When you are ready to serve turn the rocky road Christmas pudding out onto a serving plate and remove the clingfilm.
- Melt the white chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a small pan of simmering water (double boiler) or in a microwave. Allow the chocolate to cool down slighty.50 g White Chocolate
- Roll out the green sugar paste and cut out holly leaves, either using a holly leaf cutter or with a small sharp knife.Green Sugar Paste Icing
- Drizzle the white chocolate over the top of the rocky road pudding and add the holly leaves and remaining glacé cherries.
Notes
- The rocky road Christmas pudding should be stored in an air-tight container, or on a plate wrapped in clingfilm in a cool place, or in the fridge if it is warm. It can also be frozen, but make sure to wrap it up well.
- The rocky road will keep for up to 1-2 weeks in a cool place, or up to 1 month if frozen.
- Allow it to chill for at least 3 hours or overnight if you have time to make sure the rocky road sets firm before slicing it up.
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.
Saw someone make this recipe on Twitter and gave it a try for Christmas. It came out great and everyone loved it. Will definitely be making it again next year.