Gordon Ramsay’s summer pudding is a no-bake British classic made by lining a bowl with white bread, filling it with stewed summer berries, and pressing it overnight in the fridge until the juice soaks through every slice. You cut it like a cake and the whole thing is stained deep red from the fruit.
Gordon uses this approach with seasonal British berries, and it is one of the easiest desserts on the site because there is no oven involved at all. I make this every July when strawberries and raspberries are cheap, and then switch to apple pudding in autumn and christmas pudding in December.
Try These Summer Desserts:
Why The Bread Needs To Be A Day Old
Fresh bread falls apart when the berry juice hits it. Slightly stale white bread absorbs the liquid without turning to mush, and it holds its shape when you turn the pudding out of the bowl.
I used fresh bread once and the whole thing collapsed when I tried to unmould it. Now I buy the bread a day early and leave it on the counter overnight.
Summer Pudding Ingredients
- 800g (1.75 lbs) mixed summer berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, blackberries
- 150g (¾ cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 2 tbsp water
- 8 to 10 slices white bread, day old, crusts removed
How To Make Gordon Ramsay Summer Pudding
- Cook the berries: Put the berries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over low heat and cook gently for 3 to 5 minutes until the fruit softens and releases its juice.
- Cool slightly: Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Line the bowl: Cut the bread slices to fit and line a 1-litre pudding basin, overlapping the pieces so there are no gaps and saving one slice for the lid.
- Fill: Spoon the berry mixture into the bread-lined basin, making sure the juice soaks into the bread as you go.
- Seal: Place the last slice of bread on top as a lid and pour over any remaining juice.
- Press: Cover with cling film (plastic wrap), put a small plate on top that fits inside the basin, and weigh it down with a tin or jar.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but overnight is best.
- Turn out: Run a knife around the edge, place a plate on top, and flip the pudding out. Serve with double cream (heavy cream) or clotted cream.
Which Berries Work Best
You need a mix of tart and sweet berries for this to work. Blackcurrants and redcurrants give sharpness and deep colour, while strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries bring sweetness and body.
Frozen berries work if fresh are not in season, but the pudding will be slightly wetter because frozen fruit releases more liquid as it thaws. I drain off a bit of the extra juice before filling the bowl.
When Is The Right Time To Make This
Summer pudding is best between June and September when British berries are at their cheapest and sweetest. I make it for barbecues and Sunday lunches because you prepare it the night before and there is nothing to do on the day except turn it out.
It keeps for 2 days in the fridge once made. I would not freeze it because the bread goes soggy and loses its structure when it thaws.
FAQs
- Do I need to cook the berries first? Yes, but only gently for a few minutes. You want them to soften and release their juice, not turn into jam. They should still hold some shape.
- Can I use brioche instead of white bread? You can, but brioche is richer and does not absorb the juice as well as plain white bread. The whole point of summer pudding is that the bread disappears into the fruit.
- What if there are white patches on the bread after chilling? That means the juice did not soak through evenly. Spoon some of the reserved juice over the white spots before serving, or just pour a little extra over the top when you turn it out.
More Recipes:
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1 slice):
- Calories: 220 kcal
- Total Fat: 1g
- Saturated Fat: 0g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
- Sodium: 180mg
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fibre: 4g
- Sugars: 30g
- Protein: 4g
Gordon Ramsay Summer Pudding Recipe
6
servings20
minutes5
minutes8
hours25
minutesGordon Ramsay’s summer pudding is a no-bake British classic made by lining a bowl with white bread, filling it with stewed summer berries, and pressing it overnight in the fridge until the juice soaks through every slice. You cut it like a cake and the whole thing is stained deep red from the fruit.
Gordon uses this approach with seasonal British berries, and it is one of the easiest desserts on the site because there is no oven involved at all. I make this between June and September when berries are cheap.
Ingredients
800g (1.75 lbs) mixed summer berries: strawberries, raspberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, blackberries
150g (3/4 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
2 tbsp water
8 to 10 slices white bread, day old, crusts removed
Directions
- Cook the berries: Put the berries, sugar, and water in a saucepan over low heat and cook gently for 3 to 5 minutes until the fruit softens and releases its juice.
- Cool slightly: Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes.
- Line the bowl: Cut the bread slices to fit and line a 1-litre pudding basin, overlapping the pieces so there are no gaps.
- Fill: Spoon the berry mixture into the bread-lined basin, making sure the juice soaks into the bread.
- Seal: Place the last slice of bread on top as a lid and pour over any remaining juice.
- Press: Cover with cling film, put a plate on top, and weigh it down with a tin or jar.
- Chill: Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, but overnight is best.
- Turn out: Run a knife around the edge, place a plate on top, and flip the pudding out. Serve with double cream or clotted cream.
