There are desserts and then there are puddings. Puddings transcend the realms of ‘sweet course that ends a meal', to occupy a higher food plane, one that warms you from within and leaves you deeply comforted.

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Often, the urge for pudding comes at unexpected times after an evening meal, on those nights when a pang for ‘something sweet’ takes hold.

To serve those emergency situations, we’ve not only rounded up our most comforting puddings, but our choices are all ready in under an hour (in some cases, less than 20 minutes).

But beyond that – because we are truly committed to last-minute pudding problem-solving – we’ve picked recipes with minimum ingredients, some of which use common storecupboard staples like tinned fruit and ready-made cheats.

So put on your comfies, plant yourself on the sofa and bring on the hug-in-a-bowl – here are our top 10 most warming pudding recipes that are guaranteed to hit the spot.

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For more ideas, see our nostalgic traditional pudding recipes or try our indulgent British classic pudding, Queen of Puddings recipe. and our decadent self-saucing pudding recipes. Try our best ever family puddings or take a trip down memory lane with our best school dinner puddings.

For food ideas during the colder months, check out our comfort food recipes, including more of our comforting dessert recipes. Theres more where that came from with these indulgent baking recipes and seasonal recipes with warming winter desserts. If you're feeling extra autumnal or want to host a dinner party this season, try out our top 10 autumn recipes.

Best comforting puddings

1. Coconut, rum & raisin rice pudding

We love rice pudding on many levels, not least the whimsical nostalgia factor. This dish is also one of the most inclusive on our list, being gluten-free when so many puds are flour-based. While we love a bowl of tinned rice pudding with a dollop of jam, this deluxe version takes it to another level. The base includes butter, coconut milk and double cream, all perked up with a rum syrup. Serve hot or cold. Try out other comforting rice puddings in our collection.

Coconut, rum & raisin rice pudding

Make our coconut, rum & raisin rice pudding recipe

2. Peach cobbler

Continuing the retro theme, behold our traditional peach cobbler. To make this 50-minute fruity feast, bake tinned peaches with spice before topping them with dollops of cinnamon dough. Bake until the scone-like topping is golden. Serve hot from the oven with ice cream. We have other easy fruit cobblers and a wide range of seasonal plum and apple puddings.

peach cobbler

Make our peach cobbler recipe

3. Easy chocolate molten cakes

A spongey outer and an indulgent gooey centre are the best qualities for a chocolate molten cake. Make a batch of these puddings after dinner or treat your guests to homemade chocolatey goodness in the colder months. For other easy recipes for chocolate lovers, try these mug cake recipes. Check out our collection of a whole range of chocolate cakes and desserts.

easy molten chocolate cake

Make our easy chocolate molten cakes

4. Apple & almond crumble pie

Combine two classics to make the ultimate feel-good pudding. It delivers in flavour and texture, with double pastry and stewed apples being the stars of the show. It's super easy to make and won't take much time at all, making it the perfect pudding to rustle up for guests or for a post-dinner sweet treat. Serve with custard or ice cream. We have a selection of apple pies to try and some of the best apple crumbles too. Berries and other seasonal stewed fruit would be lovely; check out more in our crumble collection.

apple and almond crumble pie

Make our apple & almond crumble pie

5. Next level sticky toffee pudding

If you're looking for the ultimate light, sticky and true toffee pudding of your dreams, look no further than this next level sticky toffee pudding. It contains dates, splash of rum, pecans, rich muscovado sugar and winter spices to get the season going. Enjoy this with ice cream or clotted cream and loads of that toffee sauce. We have other flavour pairings and twists on the classic in our collection of sticky toffee pudding recipes.

sticky toffee pudding

Make our next level sticky toffee pudding

6. Apple dumpling puddle pudding

What's better than stewed caramel apples, paired with buttery dumplings which soaks up all the juices? This apple dumpling puddle pudding is the definition of comfort and will take no time to make. Serve with lots of cold cream and enjoy. We have a selection of salted caramel recipes for you to try, from cakes, brownies, tortes and more puddings. There are also loads of apple desserts to choose from, from crumbles, tarts and pies.

Apple dumpling puddle pudding

Make our apple dumpling puddle pudding

7. Chocolate hot cross bun bread and butter pudding

Transform your leftover Easter bread into this chocolate hot cross buns bread and butter pudding creation. It will fill the house with heady spiced aromas and is a sure-fire crowd-pleaser. Using double cream, dark chocolate and chocolate spread, it creates a thick chocolatey custard and is great paired with vanilla ice cream or some extra double cream. For more inspiration, try out other bread and butter pudding recipes.

chocolate hot cross bun bread and butter pudding

Make our chocolate hot cross bun bread and butter pudding

8. Lemon drizzle sponge pudding

Go all out with this lemon drizzle sponge pudding. It's cheap and quick to make but is elevated by the self-saucing syrup step just before baking. Serve with cream or custard for an extra indulgence. For everything lemon flavoured, try out these lemon cake recipes, from drizzle cakes, traybakes, cheesecakes and crumbles.

lemon drizzle sponge pudding

Make our lemon drizzle sponge pudding

9. Chocolate & salted caramel waffle bread and butter pudding

Comforting and warm, this exciting twist on a classic pudding is worth celebrating with. Make a chocolate & salted caramel waffle bread and butter pudding for friends and family and watch it become a favourite to make for years to come. To use up waffles or make your own, check out our waffle recipes.

Chocolate & salted caramel waffle bread & butter pudding

Make our chocolate & salted caramel waffle bread and butter pudding

10. Lemon & raspberry doughnut pudding

If you’re of the opinion that doughnuts are indulgent enough on their own, look away now. This genius bake combines shop-bought jam doughnuts with ready-made custard, lemon curd and fruit. This is a bit of an outlier as it takes a shade over an hour to be ready – but it’s so ingeniously easy, we’re sure you’ll forgive us.

Lemon & raspberry doughnut pudding

Make our lemon & raspberry doughnut pudding recipe

No-oven pudding recipes

Want a pudding fix but don't want to turn on your oven? Here are some of our genius dessert recipes that are cooked using alternative methods, like microwave and slow cooker.

Slow cooker treacle sponge
The best slow cooker desserts
Top 10 microwave desserts
Air fryer doughnuts
Our top no-bake desserts

Slow cooker sticky toffee pudding on plates with ice cream

Make our slow cooker sticky toffee pudding

More pudding recipes

The best rice pudding recipes
Our top chocolate puddings
Easy puddings
Summer pudding recipes
Sponge pudding ideas
Steamed pudding inspiration
Microwave puddings

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What's your favourite comfort food pudding? Share your recipes in the comments below.

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