Summer Pudding
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Jammy, lush, and made for hot weather, this summer pudding skips the traditional unmolding step—just layer, chill, and slice right from the dish.
This summer pudding recipe is one of the best ways to make the most of berry season—without even turning on the oven. A traditional British dessert, summer pudding is typically made by lining a bowl with bread, weighing it down overnight, and unmolding it before serving. My simplified version skips all that in favor of a square baking dish that’s much easier to assemble, slice, and serve.
The magic happens in the fridge: as the bread soaks up the sweet, syrupy berry juices, it transforms into a soft, cake-like dessert bursting with fresh berry flavor. It’s a wonderful make-ahead dessert for summer gatherings; just cut it into squares, top with a dollop of whipped cream, and serve.
What You’ll Need To Make Summer Pudding
For the pudding, you’ll need fresh strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries, sugar, salt, lemon juice, butter, and white sandwich bread. For serving, you can go with more berries, fresh mint, sweetened whipped cream, sweetened Greek yogurt, or vanilla ice cream.
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the berries. Simmer the berries just until they release their juices and become thick and syrupy, then stir in the lemon juice and butter. When stirring, make sure to keep some of the berries whole—they’ll give the finished pudding the best texture and prettiest slices.
Step 2: Layer the pudding. Alternate layers of the berry mixture and bread, finishing with the berries on top, then stow in the fridge until thoroughly chilled. (Press the bread down gently as you layer so it soaks up the juices evenly and holds together when sliced.)
Step 3: Slice and serve. Once it’s thoroughly chilled, slice the pudding into squares and spoon any extra berry juices over the top. This is the kind of dessert that pretty much begs for a big spoonful of whipped cream, Greek yogurt, or vanilla ice cream. A few fresh berries and a sprig of mint make it feel even more special.
If you have more berries to use up, my summer berry trifle is another delicious make-ahead dessert. Or, browse my collection of easy no-bake desserts for more warm-weather favorites.
More Berry Desserts You’ll Love
Summer Pudding
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1 lb) fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
- 2 cups (10 oz) fresh blueberries
- 2 cups (10 oz) fresh raspberries
- ⅔ cup sugar
- Pinch salt
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, from 1 lemon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 8 to 10 slices white sandwich bread, such as Wonder or Sara Lee, crusts removed
For Serving
- Sweetened whipped cream, sweetened Greek yogurt, or vanilla ice cream
- More berries
- Fresh mint
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over high heat, combine the strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, sugar, salt, and ¼ cup water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture becomes very syrupy and reaches a rapid boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently boil for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and butter. Let cool slightly.
- Ladle 1 cup of the berry mixture into an 8 in (20 cm) square (or 2 qt/2L) baking dish. Arrange half of the bread slices on top, trimming as needed to form a single, even layer. Spoon half of the remaining berry mixture (about 1½ cups) evenly over the bread. Layer the rest of the bread on top, again trimming to fit. Finish with the remaining berry mixture, spreading it evenly to cover the bread. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
- Remove the pudding from the refrigerator and uncover. Using a sharp knife, cut into squares and use a spatula to lift out portions. Spoon any juices from the dish over the top.
- Serve with sweetened whipped cream, Greek yogurt, or vanilla ice cream, along with extra berries and fresh mint, if desired.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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