Prune Pudding Recipe (2024)

Recipe from the White House

Adapted by Steven Kurutz

Prune Pudding Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 35 minutes, plus an hour for chilling
Rating
4(62)
Notes
Read community notes

This smooth, satisfying pudding recipe served at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's White House originally called for leaving the prunes in water overnight. But now that pitted prunes are readily available, an hour’s soak is all you need to speed the cooking process. Sweet, but not overly so, it lends itself to delicious variations: add a bit of cardamom; sprinkle with walnuts; spoon some over thick, creamy yogurt; or try all of these together. The strong cinnamon flavor and dark color make the pudding ideal for autumn and holiday desserts. The portions here may seem small, but as with any dish involving prunes, a little goes a long way. —Steven Kurutz

Featured in: The Depressing Food of the Depression, in ‘A Square Meal’

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

  • ½pound (about 2 dozen medium-size) pitted prunes
  • ½cup sugar
  • ¼teaspoon powdered cinnamon
  • 11-inch cinnamon stick
  • 3tablespoons cornstarch

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

258 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 67 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 47 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 2 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Prune Pudding Recipe (2)

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Place prunes in a medium-size saucepan, pour in 2 cups hot water and let stand for 1 hour. Transfer saucepan to the stove and bring prunes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes until soft.

  2. Step

    2

    Drain prunes, reserving the liquid, and roughly chop. Add more hot water to the reserved prune water so it totals 2 cups. Place prunes and prune water back in the saucepan and add the sugar, powdered cinnamon and cinnamon stick. Stir to combine and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.

  3. Step

    3

    Meanwhile, make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and 2 tablespoons cold water. Add the slurry to the prune mixture and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, stirring constantly, to thicken mixture. Remove the cinnamon stick and ladle the pudding into ramekins. Let cool, then chill in the refrigerator. Serve cold.

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4

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62

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Cooking Notes

Virginia

I add a half cup of cocoa and it was delicious

Cedarglen

Cardamom? Walnuts? Let us not forget that this was depression era food and such added luxuries may not have been used even for FDR's table. Mrs. Nesbitt would not permit it.

Aimee Risch

Since it's not the depression, used this recipe as a template and made apricot pudding with cardamom.

Peggy Herron

The food was so bad at the White House that FDR hired his own Philippine cooks & had the commissioned in the Navy so they could cook for him on his yacht . No prune pudding was alowed .

Lynn in DC

I made this recipe minus the sugar as prunes are sufficiently sweet on their own. I quite enjoyed it but then I ate stewed prunes regularly (no pun intended) for breakfast when I was a child.

carol

This pudding is very similar to my Grandmother’s Norwegian sviskegrit (or svedskegrød) which we all loved. She used prunes which she stewed and then removed the pits, added apple sauce and cinnamon. Her son, my father, added a little cream to his dish. No sugar, no thickener! Always a welcome visit to childhood

alacarte

My riff: soaked the prunes in hot water along with 2 Earl Grey tea bags for some extra flavor. I removed the bags after the hour of soaking. Added 1/4 tsp cardamom, 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 1/4 cup sugar to the cinnamon (stick and spice). Turned out well! I do wonder why the prunes are soaked whole, drained and then chopped, rather than chopped first before soaking.

Betty

I had problems. It seemed to me the corn starch to water ratio for the slurry was off because when I added it to the prune mixture the corn starch turned into gelatinous chunks. So I fished out the chunks and tried again with 3 T. corn starch to 3 T. water and that seemed to work better, but the moment you add the cornstarch and water mixture to the hot prune mixture you have to immediately beat it quickly because if you're too slow, little white pieces that look like cartilage form.

Aimee Risch

Since it's not the depression, used this recipe as a template and made apricot pudding with cardamom.

Paula

What is the advantage of making stewed prunes into a pudding.
Cornstarch + prunes = ???
Seems like stewed prunes might serve here.

Virginia

I add a half cup of cocoa and it was delicious

Lynn in DC

I made this recipe minus the sugar as prunes are sufficiently sweet on their own. I quite enjoyed it but then I ate stewed prunes regularly (no pun intended) for breakfast when I was a child.

Rebecca

Has anyone made this with brown sugar?

Teresa Hall Briggs

Can I substitute additional cinnamon for the 1" cinnamon stick? If so, how much?

Peggy Herron

The food was so bad at the White House that FDR hired his own Philippine cooks & had the commissioned in the Navy so they could cook for him on his yacht . No prune pudding was alowed .

Cedarglen

Cardamom? Walnuts? Let us not forget that this was depression era food and such added luxuries may not have been used even for FDR's table. Mrs. Nesbitt would not permit it.

Darren

Just because that is how it was then, doesn't mean it's not an interesting variation to try now...

Besides, walnuts are a handy windfall foodstuff that probably got well eaten during the depression

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Prune Pudding Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is prune pudding made of? ›

Remove stones and add prunes back to cooking water; add sugar, salt, cinnamon and boiling water and simmer for ten minutes. Mix cornstarch with a little cold water to make a smooth paste; add to prune mixture and cook for five minutes, stirring constantly. Remove cinnamon and add lemon juice.

What is prune whip made of? ›

Put prunes *(cooked & pitted), both juices, salt, lemon zest and sugar into the blender. Cover and process on high for 20 seconds or til smooth.

Are prunes good for your bowels? ›

Prunes are a good source of both insoluble and soluble fiber. Insoluble fiber helps to ease constipation and keep your bowel movements regular, while soluble fiber helps to moderate digestion and absorb nutrients from your food. Dried plums also contain sorbitol and chlorogenic acid, which can increase stool frequency.

Why are prunes a better laxative than plums? ›

The fibre content in plums aids in maintaining a healthy digestive system by adding bulk to the stool, reducing the risk of constipation, and encouraging regular bowel movements. Prunes, on the other hand, are often touted as nature's remedy for constipation due to their high sorbitol content.

How many prunes should I eat for constipation? ›

For some, consuming too many prunes or drinking a large quantity of prune juice may induce uncomfortable bloating or diarrhea. Start by eating three to five prunes or sipping on ½ cup of prune juice after dinner to see if this helps bring on a bowel movement the next morning.

Is it better to eat prunes or drink prune juice as a laxative? ›

Prune juice appears to offer some benefits for people with constipation, but eating whole prunes may be just as effective. In a 2018 study, people with a low fiber intake who consumed 80 g or 120 g of prunes each day had higher stool weight and passed stool more frequently than those who did not consume prunes.

What is the best juice for constipation? ›

Beneficial drinks for constipation include prune juice, lemon juice, apple juice, and cranberry juice. However, some constipation relief over-the-counter (OTC) medications can also come in a drink format.

Why do you put butter in prune juice? ›

Described by some as “a turbo-charged prune juice laxative,” the hack involves drinking a concoction of heated prune juice topped with a tablespoon of butter to get things moving. Gastroenterology experts say some elements of the drink could help induce a bowel movement.

Does Dr Pepper have prunes or prune juice in it? ›

Dr Pepper does not contain prune juice. It is a unique blend of natural and artificial flavours. Does Dr Pepper contain gluten? No, Dr Pepper does not contain gluten, just like all our other products.

What kind of sugar is in prune juice? ›

Prune juice naturally contains high levels of sorbitol, a sugar-like substance similar to glucose. However, unlike glucose, sorbitol is absorbed slowly into the blood which allows it to hold water, increasing the moisture content of the stools, leading to easier passage from the body.

Why is it better to eat prunes at night? ›

Prunes. The high concentrations of vitamin B6, calcium, and magnesium in prunes all help produce melatonin. These proteins are often lacking in a plant-based diet, so this is a great late-night snack if you're dairy-free.

How long after eating prunes do you go to the bathroom? ›

How quickly prunes or prune juice will work depends on each individual. Some will see results in as little as a few hours. For some, it may take a day or so. Using this “go-slow” approach makes you more likely to improve symptoms without rapid urgency or even diarrhea.

What does eating 2 prunes a day do? ›

1 But some emerging research suggests prunes might offer more than constipation relief. Eating prunes every day can improve cholesterol levels while reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, according to two new studies presented at the American Society for Nutrition's flagship conference in July.

What is the laxative ingredient in prunes? ›

The laxative action of both prune and prune juice could be explained by their high sorbitol content (14.7 and 6.1 g/100 g, respectively).

Why do people eat plum pudding? ›

There is a popular myth that plum pudding's association with Christmas goes back to a custom in medieval England that the "pudding should be made on the 25th Sunday after Trinity, that it be prepared with 13 ingredients to represent Christ and the 12 apostles, and that every family member stir it in turn from east to ...

What the heck is plum pudding? ›

A plum pudding is a dessert made with flour and suet, and usually only one or two fruits (generally not plums!). It is steamed in a bag and is eaten warm, often with a hard sauce made with rum or brandy.

Is plum pudding the same as fruit cake? ›

The term "plum cake" and "fruit cake" have become interchangeable. Since dried fruit is used as a sweetening agent and any dried fruit used to be described as "plums", many plum cakes and plum puddings do not contain the plum fruit now known by that name.

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