These gorgeous Christmas truffles look just like mini Christmas puddings! Serve them on the big day or afterwards as a great way to use up leftover pudding or fruit cake. Full of festive flavour, they’re deliciously quick and easy to make!
In This Post You’ll Learn
Why We Love This
You can’t stop at one of these adorable mini Christmas puddings! These super popular and extra cute no bake treats are so easy to make with simple ingredients.
This recipe is easily batchable to make double or even triple the amount, and freezable too so they are perfect for making in advance! Serve some at your Christmas table or give some away as delicious edible gifts.
Feel free to adapt the recipe to add your own festive flair! See our variations section below for more ingredients, flavours and topping ideas!
Related: Choc Coconut Balls / Christmas Ice Cream Pudding / Sticky Date Pudding
Celebrating a hot Australian Christmas?
Make sure to store your puddings in the fridge until you’re ready to serve them. That way, the chocolate will stay firm and the puddings will look their best!
What are Mini Christmas Puddings?
Mini Christmas puddings are a bite-sized version of traditional Christmas puddings, sometimes known as Christmas truffles or mini Christmas cakes.
The fruit cake or pudding base is mixed with melted chocolate and spiced with brandy or rum for extra Christmas flavour.
A decorative layer of white melted chocolate and colourful candied cherries gives them a cute festive look!
What You’ll Need
- Pudding or Fruit Cake – Fruit cake as well as drier puddings tend to make the rolling process a bit easier. If using pudding that you know is quite moist, you can actually moisten your hands before rolling, or pop the mixture in the fridge for 20-30 minutes beforehand to make it easier to roll them up.
- Chocolate Melts – We use dark chocolate melts in the pudding mixture and white chocolate melts to create the custard look on top.
- Brandy – Sub with other fortified wines like port or sherry (labelled as Apera in Australia). Or use spiced rum for extra Christmas flavour!
- Decorative Cherry Slices – Use maraschino or glace cherries (also known as candied cherries) sliced into wedges. Even better if you can find both red and green versions!
Wandercook’s Tips
- Rolling – If you know it’s going to be hot when you’re ready to make the pudding balls, you might like to switch on the aircon or pop the mixture in the fridge to cool slightly. This will help stop the mixture from melting onto your hands. You can also moisten your hands before rolling.
- Melting Chocolate – Make sure to use melting chocolate or baking chocolate for the best results.
- Storage – Always store mini Christmas puddings in the fridge until you’re ready to serve. Keep them in an airtight container to stop them taking on aromas from your fridge.
- Serving – Place them into paper cupcake liners or patty pans to make them easier to serve and eat.
FAQs
Yes you can, and it’s even better if you do, as the extra time will allow all the flavours to infuse and the chocolate topping to set. They keep well in the fridge for around a week.
Yep! Keep them in an airtight container and use them up within 2 months.
Overcooking is what can cause the chocolate to separate. If the chocolate thickens instead of melting, stir through 1 tsp of warmed cream or milk to help it soften and whisk to bring it back together.
Variations
- Extra Easy Version – Skip the decorative chocolate and cherries and serve them as simple Christmas pudding balls. Optional dust with icing sugar / powdered sugar.
- Flavour – Don’t like the flavour of traditional Christmas cake? Try it with chocolate pudding instead!
- Add Texture – Stir in some crushed biscuits, slivered almonds or chopped walnuts into the mixture before rolling.
- Add Colour – Divide the melted white chocolate in half, then stir a few drops of green food colouring in one portion and red food colouring in the other portion.
- Fun Topping Ideas – Top them with glace ginger, Christmas sprinkles (non pareils) or red and green M&Ms. Or use any of your favourite lollies such as spearmint leaves or chopped red and green snakes in the shape of holly leaves.
- Kid Friendly / Alcohol Free – Make them with orange juice, apple juice or non alcoholic apple cider to suit the kids, or spiced ginger beer to retain that hint of Christmas flavour. Otherwise, water is fine!
More beloved recipes to add to your Christmas desserts list:
- Easy Ginger Fluff Sponge Cake – A truly show-stopping sponge cake (that’s secretly very easy!)
- No Bake Choc Ripple Log – The ultimate quick and easy dessert that looks super impressive.
- The BEST Pavlova Roll – An easy meringue with whipped cream and berries.
- Trifle Recipe – Sarah’s nan’s recipe perfected over the years.
★ Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment and a star rating below!
Ingredients
- 700 g fruit cake 24.7 oz, or Christmas pudding
- 100 g dark chocolate melts 3.5 oz
- 100 g white chocolate melts 3.5oz
- ¼ cup maraschino or glacé cherries 50 g / 1.7 oz, or glace cherries, sliced into quarters
- 2 tbsp brandy sub sherry / apera, port or spiced rum or water for non-alcoholic
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, break apart the fruit cake / Christmas pudding into crumbs with forks (or use a food processor). Pour over the brandy (or water) and mix well.700 g fruit cake, 2 tbsp brandy
- Place the dark chocolate melts into a small glass dish and melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring each time, until melted and smooth (around 1-2 minutes).100 g dark chocolate melts
- Pour the melted dark chocolate into the fruit cake mixture and stir quickly with a wooden spoon until well combined.
- Line a baking tray with baking paper. Spoon out 1 heaped tablespoon of the mixture and roll into a ball, then place on the tray. Repeat until all the mixture is used up, leaving an inch gap between each truffle.
- Place the white chocolate melts into a small glass dish and melt in the microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring each time, until melted and smooth (around 1-2 minutes).100 g white chocolate melts
- Drizzle around 1 tsp of melted white chocolate over each truffle to look like custard. Before the chocolate sets, place a piece of maraschino cherry on top of each one. Pop in the fridge for at least 30 mins to set.¼ cup maraschino or glacé cherries
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