The Old-School Dessert You Really Need to Make Now
Updated: Mar. 20, 2019
It's steamed pudding! This frugal-yet-tasty dessert helped home cooks make the most of budget ingredients.
Have you ever tried steamed pudding? As unfamiliar as it may sound, it was once a popular dessert that home cooks relied on because it used low-cost ingredients—and even leftover ingredients from other meals. But despite its modest beginnings, it’s fit for a king.
What is steamed pudding?
Steamed pudding isn’t the custard-like “pudding” you might assume, but actually a soft, moist, cake-like treat. Steamed puddings have a long history in England as a part of Christmas celebrations. (“Bring us some figgy pudding!”) For wealthy Brits, steamed puddings were lavish affairs, loaded with eggs, butter, spices and even brandy.
But steamed puddings in Great Depression-era America were a go-to for the opposite reason: They were a thrifty choice at a time when many people were out of work and food was expensive. You’ll see recipes of the 1930s make use of ingredients like prunes and dried fruits, which were cheaper than fresh, breadcrumbs made from stale bread, sour milk, mashed potatoes, and lard made from leftover meat drippings.
The odds ‘n’ ends were combined with small amounts of spices and molasses to create a modestly sweet dessert.
So, how do you make steamed pudding?
The ingredients are mixed together and then pressed into a greased mold. There are pudding molds made precisely for this purpose, which look like small, handled buckets with tight-fitting lids. Back in the ’30s, thrifty home cooks would use what they had on hand for a mold, often empty baking powder cans! It’s covered tightly and placed on a rack in a large pot with boiling water—anywhere from a couple of inches to halfway up the sides of the mold. Then, the pudding is slowly steamed over a few hours.
When done, the pudding is inverted onto a serving plate and drizzled with a simple sauce. It’s a delicious and unique-for-today dessert: a soft and very moist cake full of plump fruits and warming spices.
It’s time to make your own!
Steamed Carrot Pudding is a perfect choice to bring this old-school treat to your Easter celebration: It’s studded with dried fruits and nuts, and drizzled (or flooded) with warm vanilla sauce on top!
Depression-Era Desserts Worth Trying Today
Cocoa Cake
This cake is so moist it doesn't need frosting. I simply sprinkle powdered sugar over the top. It's my favorite dessert to bring for potlucks, and there's never a piece left to take home! -Beulah Sak, Fairport, New York
Grandma Pruit's Vinegar Pie
This historic pie has been in our family for many generations and is always served at our get-togethers.—Suzette Pruit, Houston, Texas
Pecan Date Pudding
This date pudding recipe was passed down from my great-grandmother to my grandmother. They lovingly served it with whipped cream on top. We never had a holiday without it. —Patricia Rutherford, Winchester, Illinois
Oat & Coconut Icebox Cookies
This recipe was passed down through my family from Grandma Irene and is a favorite of my dad and cousin Dennis. It's a true cookie lover's cookie: crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside and perfectly dunkable. —Lori Rowe, Tigerton, Wisconsin
Delicious Potato Doughnuts
I first tried these tasty treats at my sister's house and thought they were the best I'd ever had. They're easy to make, and the fudge frosting tops them off well. When I make them for friends, the recipe is always requested. —Pat Davis, Beulah, Michigan
Tillie's Ginger Crumb Cake
This recipe goes back at least as far as my grandmother, who was born in the early 1900s. Our sons and I enjoy eating it in a bowl with milk poured on it—much to the dismay of my husband, who prefers it plain! —Kathy Nienow Clark, Byron, Michigan
Bread Pudding with Nutmeg
I always make this bread pudding recipe for my dad on his birthday and on holidays. He says it tastes exactly like the bread pudding with nutmeg he enjoyed as a child. —Donna Powell, Montgomery City, Missouri
Green Tomato Pie
When frost nips our garden, I quickly gather all the green tomatoes still on the vine and make this old family favorite. It's been handed down from my grandmother, and now my granddaughters are asking for the recipe.—Violet Thompson, Port Ludlow, Washington
Contest-Winning Chocolate Potato Cake
I won grand champion honors in a potato festival baking contest with this moist chocolate cake. The icing recipe can be doubled if you have a real sweet tooth. —Catherine Hahn, Winamac, Indiana
Sugar Cream Pie
I absolutely love Indiana sugar cream pie, especially the one that my grandma made for me. Here, we serve it warm or chilled and call it "Hoosier" sugar cream pie. —Laura Kipper, Westfield, Indiana
Tiny Tim's Plum Pudding
In A Christmas Carol, everyone claps for plum pudding. Our family has made this pudding our own tradition, and it really is something to clap for. —Ruthanne Karel, Hudsonville, Michigan
Grandma Davidson's Baked Apple Pudding
My savvy grandmother whipped up recipes like this homey cinnamon-scented apple pudding in the Depression years. Many of us still make them today. —Holly Sharp, Warren, Ontario
Buttermilk Pie with Pecans
Branch out from the usual pecan pie with a creamy-crunchy version that comes out of the oven golden brown. Big pieces are even better with a generous dollop of whipped cream. —Kathy Harding, Richmond, Missouri
Cherry Coconut Treats
My great-grandmother created this recipe more than 100 years ago, so these tasty bites have appeared at many family parties. If you're preparing these for the holidays, make them festive by using both red and green maraschino cherries. —Anne Mullen, Windsor, Ontario
Chocolate Cream Pie
Our teenage son, John, has done lots of 4-H baking. This old-fashioned chocolate cream pie recipe with a flaky crust was his favorite thing to make. —Mary Anderson, De Valls Bluff, Arkansas
Old-Fashioned Peanut Butter Cookies
My mother insisted that my grandmother write down one recipe for her when Mom got married in 1942: the how to make peanut butter cookies from scratch recipe. That was a real effort because Grandma was a traditional pioneer-type cook who used a little of this or that until it felt right. This treasured recipe is the only one she ever wrote down! —Janet Hall, Clinton, Wisconsin
Grandma's Sour Cream Raisin Pie
The aroma of this pie baking in my farm kitchen oven reminds me of my dear grandma, who made this pretty pie for special occasions. —Beverly Medalen, Willow City, North Dakota
Great-Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies
This yummy cookie—a favorite of my husband's—goes back to my great-grandmother. At Christmastime, we use colored sugar for a festive touch. —Mary Ann Konechne, Kimball, South Dakota
Apple-Walnut Cake with Orange Glaze
I tinkered with a plain apple cake recipe to create this moist, delicious winner. The result: old-fashioned goodness with a heavenly aroma! This cake is the perfect fall treat or holiday dessert, but it’s also great as a special breakfast or brunch item. —Lisa Speer, Palm Beach, Florida
Rice Pudding
For an old-fashioned sweet treat just like Grandma used to make, try this slow-cooker rice pudding. It has a rich cinnamon flavor and is made wonderfully light after whipped cream is stirred in at the end. —Jennifer Bennett, Salem, Indiana
Raisin Pecan Pie
I remember my Grandmother Voltie and Great-Aunt Ophelia making this southern-style pie for Thanksgiving. It was always one of the many cakes and pies lined up for dessert. —Angie Price, Bradford, Tennessee
Apple Cornbread Crisp
With its hearty ingredients and quick prep time, this warm apple crisp makes a smart dessert for any fall night. It reminds me of the recipe my grandmother would serve after our big family seafood dinners. It's absolutely wonderful topped with ice cream. —Julie Peterson, Crofton, Maryland
Chewy Good Oatmeal Cookies
These are the best oatmeal cookies with all my favorite extras: dried cherries, white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts. —Sandy Harz, Spring Lake, Michigan
Ruby Grape Pie
My wife, Paula, and I produce red and green seedless table grapes on our 75-acre vineyard. Our crop is wonderful eaten out-of-hand or in salads. Paula also uses them in this unusual and tasty pie.—Salvage Island Farm, Fred Smeds, Reedley, California
Brown Sugar Icebox Cookies
My daughters and I have been fairly successful competitors at county fairs and baking contests for years. This is one of our winning recipes. —Eilene Bogar, Minier, Illinois
Grandma Pietz's Cranberry Cake Pudding
For generations, our family has handed down this cake recipe starring cranberries. Simple and unusual, it remains a treasured family heirloom. —Lisa Potter, Camp Douglas, Wisconsin
Bread Pudding Pie
This unique dessert is a bread pudding-pie combo. It was created by my paternal grandmother's family. They had a farm and made their own bread, which made this a low-cost dessert. — Kelly Barnes, Lexington, Indiana
Grandma Krause's Coconut Cookies
When my two daughters were young, their great-grandma made them coconut cookies with oats. Thankfully, she shared the recipe. —Debra Dorn, Dunnellon, Florida
Mom-Mom Bessie's Coconut Molasses Pie
I'm the keeper of my husband's grandmother's handwritten recipe book. Mom-Mom Bessie was one of the best cooks I knew, and we think of her every time we make this pie. The flavor combination of coconut and molasses is a family favorite. —Susan Bickta, Kutztown, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Dutch Funny Cake
I can still remember my grandma serving this delicious cake on the big wooden table in her farm kitchen. Every time I bake this unusual cake, it takes me back to those special days at Grandma's. —Diane Ganssle, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Steamed Carrot Pudding
This recipe, passed down from my Canadian grandmother, has been in my family for at least three generations. It's been a favorite wintertime dessert for us and is always served for Easter and other holiday meals. —Ann Searcey, Kettering, Ohio
Coconut Washboards
This simple yet satisfying coconut cookie recipe has been around for generations. Pressing a fork into the top gives the look of an old-fashioned washboard. —Tommie Sue Shaw, McAlester, Oklahoma
Shoofly Pie
My grandmother made the best shoofly pie in the tradition of the Pennsylvania Dutch. Shoofly pie is to the Pennsylvania Dutch as pecan pie is to a Southerner. —Mark Morgan, Waterford, Wisconsin
Grandma's Rice Pudding
My sisters and I always loved the recipe for rice pudding our grandma made. After she passed away, I took it upon myself to try and find the secret to her rice pudding. It took quite a bit of experimentation, but I finally got it right! And I'm glad to share this easy recipe here. —Margaret DeChant, Newberry, Michigan
Sweet Potato Mini Cakes
Whenever I make these cute desserts, I think of my grandmother. She always used extra sweet potatoes from her garden in pies, breads and cakes and added black walnuts from her trees for good measure. —Joyce Larson, New Market, IowaNote: Every product is independently selected by our editors. If you buy something through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
Originally Published: February 21, 2019
