Slow Cooker Treacle Sponge

This traditional Slow Cooker Steamed Treacle Sponge pudding recipe is light, fluffy and to die for. You can use this same recipe to steam in a saucepan too. It's the same anyways. A real family favourite in my house and with good reason. Gorgeously syrupy and just begging to be drowned in custard or cream, get it on your table.

I make mine with the minimum of fuss in my slow cooker/crock pot. It takes care of the whole shebang so easily and I can completely forget about it for the couple of hours it takes to cook.

But it is equally as delicious when steamed in a saucepan or steamer.

Jump to:

• What Is A Steamed Pudding?
• How To Make Slow Cooker Treacle Sponge
• Equipment Required
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• Method
• Pro Tips
• More Traditional Puddings
• Slow Cooker Treacle Sponge

What Is A Steamed Pudding?

A steamed pudding is a mixture that is sweet or savoury and cooked with steam in a saucepan or slow cooker. The steam is created by water that surrounds the mixture which is cooked in a heatproof bowl.

The puddings usually consist of a sponge batter with a variety of toppings.

The Christmas Pudding is an exception to the sponge rule, being rammed full of dried fruit and a generous splosh of alcohol.....never a bad thing.

I love to serve them for Sunday Lunch. The kids get excited/off their you know whats as soon as they know it's on the menu.

Simple as it is, there is still a real wow factor involved about slipping it from it's bowl onto the plate and releasing all the liquid syrup to pool about it in a general OMG syrupy manner.

How To Make Slow Cooker Treacle Sponge

There is a printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.

I make mine in my free standing mixer because that is always the way I roll but a large mixing bowl and electric hand held mixer is great too.

If you're feeling energetic then a plain old wooden spoon and mixing bowl will do the same job.

Equipment Required

• mixer, mixing bowl and hand held electric whisk or wooden spoon
• scales
• kettle
• 2 pint pudding basin with lid or baking paper and silver foil square & string to secure
• large spoon
• spatula
• slow cooker or saucepan

Ingredients and Substitutions

• 150 grams (5.3 oz) Butter - unsalted
• 150 grams (5.3 oz) Flour - self raising or you can substitute plain with a tsp of baking powder
• 150 grams (5.3 oz) Sugar - Caster sugar refined or unrefined or you can substitute granulated
• Juice of half a lemon - fresh
• 200 grams ( 7 oz) Golden Syrup - any brand will do.
• 3 Large Eggs 
• 3 tbsps Milk - semi skimmed or full fat

Method

• Grease a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin with butter. I use the plastic lidded bowls that are made for steamed puddings as I struggle/cannot be bothered with all the pleating and tying of string that is required for the ceramic bowls.
• Beat the butter and sugar together until pale and thickened a little. This takes a couple of minutes.

• Whisk or beat in half the beaten eggs followed by half the flour for a couple of minutes. Add the remaining eggs and flour all at once as well as the milk. Whisk or beat again for another minute.
• The batter should be a soft dropping consistency. Add a splash more milk if it's not.

• Pour 200 grams of syrup into a microwaveable bowl and add the lemon juice. Heat for 20 seconds in the microwave and stir the two together.
• Pour the syrup mixture into your pudding bowl.

• Carefully spoon the sponge mixture on top of the golden syrup so that it stays on top of the syrup.

• Smooth over and place the lid or your coverings over the top.
• Put a flat wedge of silver foil in the slow cooker to sit your pudding bowl on (this prevents the bottom of the pudding burning).
• Place the pudding bowl carefully in the slow cooker and pour just boiled water into the slow cooker bowl so that it comes ¾ of the way up the pudding bowl.
• Place the lid on and cook for 3 hours on High or 2 hrs 30 minutes in a steamer or saucepan.
• To serve take it carefully out of the slow cooker. Remove the lid and invert the pudding onto a large serving plate. Let the syrup gently flow out of the bowl as the pudding releases. I put the plate on top of the bowl and very carefully rotate so the plate is on the bottom and then slowly lift the bowl clear.

Pro Tips

• Grease your pudding bowl generously.
• Use a plastic lidded pudding bowl for ease.
• Add a splash of milk if needed to make sure the batter is a soft dropping consistency.
• Reheat leftovers covered in the microwave
• You can steam this pudding in a saucepan too for 2 hrs and 30 minutes.

More Traditional Puddings

• Steamed Sticky Toffee Pudding
• Steamed Jam Sponge Pudding
• Steamed Chocolate Sponge Pudding
• Steamed Lemon Sponge Pudding
• Spotted Dick
• Treacle Tart
• Apple Crumble
• Apple Pie
• Meringues
• Apple Crumble Cake
• Sticky Toffee Pudding

Do let me know how you get on in the comments below or come on over and join me on my social media pages. I would love to connect with you.