Coconut Oil Baking: Ginger Steamed Pudding

Softened coconut oil and sugar go into the bowl first—not together, stir them until it’s creamy but don’t overbeat it. Coconut oil works different than butter. That’s the whole thing.

Why You’ll Love This Coconut Oil Baking Pudding

Takes 1 hour 25 minutes total—30 minutes prep, 55 minutes baking. One bowl for the batter. One saucepan for the syrup.

Spiced. Citrus hits you on the second bite. The lemon zest and orange marmalade syrup isn’t optional—without it, feels incomplete.

Steamed pudding, so it stays moist inside no matter what. No dry cake energy. Reheats in the microwave and tastes almost the same.

Warm. That’s the whole point. Dessert that feels like something, not just sugar. Works cold too but it’s different—less of a thing.

Coconut oil keeps the crumb tender without being heavy. Not health food or anything. Just works better than butter here.

What You Need for Coconut Oil Baking Pudding

All-purpose flour—105 grams, sifted. Baking powder, 6 ml. Ground ginger and cinnamon both matter; stale spices make it taste like nothing. Fresh ginger’s in there too, grated, 10 ml. Don’t skip that.

Coconut oil. 75 grams, softened. Not melted. Softened. Big difference. Refined coconut oil works fine if you don’t want the coconut flavor. Virgin coconut oil for baking works too—changes the taste slightly, nothing wrong with it.

Raw cane sugar, 60 grams. Two medium eggs. Almond milk, 60 ml—any milk works, but almond keeps it light.

Water for the bain-marie. 250 ml. That goes in the roasting pan, not the batter.

The syrup: 150 ml orange marmalade, tangy kind. 10 ml grated ginger. Lemon zest, 5 ml, finely grated. Water to thin it out while it cooks.

Ramekins. Six small ones, oven-safe. Foil to cover them. Deep roasting pan for the water bath.

How to Make Coconut Oil Baking Pudding

Heat the oven to 175°C. Middle rack. Butter six small ramekins or coat them with coconut oil—oil’s less sticky than butter, stays on better.

Sift the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and cinnamon into a bowl. This part matters. Fresh spices. If they’ve been sitting since last year, they’re flat. Start over.

Whisk the softened coconut oil and sugar until it looks creamy. Don’t overbeat. Coconut oil breaks differently than butter does. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in well after each one. No streaks.

Fold in the dry ingredients alternated with the almond milk. Fold. Not stir hard. The paste should be thick but still loose enough to drop from a spoon. No dry clumps hiding in there.

Pour the batter into the ramekins. Fill about 3/4 full because it puffs up. Cover each one tightly with foil. This prevents a skin from forming on top while it steams—nobody wants that.

How to Get Coconut Oil Baking Pudding Perfectly Steamed

Place the ramekins in a deep roasting pan. Pour boiling water into the pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. No splashing into the batter. Water bath is just heat, that’s all it does.

Bake 50 to 60 minutes. Check around the 50-minute mark with a toothpick. It should come out with a few moist crumbs on it. Not wet. Not dry either. The puddings jiggle gently when you move the pan. They solidify as they cool. That’s normal.

While they’re steaming, make the syrup. Combine the water, marmalade, grated ginger, and lemon zest in a saucepan. Bring it to a gentle boil. Lower the heat. Simmer until it reduces by roughly one-third. It should be thick and glossy. Sharp citrus-spice heat—that’s the point.

Remove the ramekins from the water bath carefully. Peel the foil off. Invert each pudding onto a plate while it’s still warm. Warm puddings unmold easier. Cool ones stick.

Drizzle the sizzling marmalade syrup over the top. The syrup is essential. Without it, the pudding feels dull. With it, it’s complete.

Coconut Oil Baking Tips and Common Mistakes

Don’t use melted coconut oil. Softened. It changes how the batter comes together. Melted makes it dense.

Refined coconut oil tastes like nothing. Virgin coconut oil for baking tastes like coconut. Pick depending on what you want. Both work.

Stale spices ruin this. Ground ginger and cinnamon lose flavor after six months sitting open. Get fresh ones or don’t bother.

The water bath matters. It’s what makes it steamed and moist instead of baked and dry. Don’t skip it.

Cover with foil or the top gets a weird skin. Tight. Don’t half-cover it.

Coconut Oil Baking: Ginger Steamed Pudding

By Emma

Prep:

30 min

Cook:

55 min

Total:

1h 25min

Servings:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 105 g all-purpose flour, sifted
• 6 ml baking powder
• 8 ml ground ginger
• 5 ml ground cinnamon
• 75 g coconut oil, softened
• 60 g raw cane sugar
• 2 medium eggs
• 60 ml almond milk
• 250 ml water
• 150 ml tangy orange marmalade
• 10 ml freshly grated ginger
• 5 ml lemon zest finely grated

Method

1. 1 Heat oven to 175 C, middle rack. Butter six small oven-safe ramekins—or oil with coconut oil; gets less sticky.
2. 2 Sift flour, baking powder, ground ginger, and cinnamon into a bowl. Fresh spices matter; stale means flat.
3. 3 Whisk softened coconut oil and sugar until creamy but don’t overbeat (coconut oil works differently than butter). Add eggs, one at a time, mixing in well after each.
4. 4 Fold in dry ingredients alternated with almond milk. Paste should be thick but moist enough to drop from spoon, no dry clumps.
5. 5 Pour batter into ramekins, filling about 3/4 full (batter puffs up). Cover each tightly with foil—prevents skin forming.
6. 6 Place ramekins in a deep roasting pan. Pour boiling water into pan until it covers half the ramekins' height. No splash into batter, please.
7. 7 Bake 50 to 60 min. Start checking around 50 with a toothpick; should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter. Puddings jiggle gently, but solidify as cooled.
8. 8 While they steam, combine water, marmalade, grated ginger, and lemon zest in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil, lower heat, simmer until reduced by roughly one third, thick and glossy.
9. 9 Remove puddings from water bath carefully, foil off. Invert each onto a plate while still warm (warm puddings unmold easier).
10. 10 Serve hot, drizzling with the sizzling marmalade syrup. The syrup is sharp citrus-spice heat—a must, or it feels dull.
11. 11 Leftovers? Pudding reheats evenly in the microwave under foil or reheated steaming for 3–4 minutes.

Nutritional information

Calories

260

Protein

4g

Carbs

30g

Fat

14g

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Frequently Asked Questions About Coconut Oil Baking Pudding

Can I use olive oil in brownies or desserts instead of coconut oil? Olive oil works but tastes like olive oil. It’s not a straight swap. Cakes with coconut oil stay tender. Olive oil makes them greasy. Just use coconut oil here.

How long does the pudding keep? Three days in the fridge, covered. Reheats in the microwave under foil for 3 to 4 minutes or steam it again for the same time. Tastes almost the same reheated.

Can I make these as one big cake instead of individual ramekins? Probably. Baking time changes though. Maybe 70 minutes instead of 55. You’d need to check it. A 9-inch cake pan maybe. Haven’t tried it personally.

What if I don’t have almond milk? Any milk works. Whole milk, oat milk, coconut milk—doesn’t matter. The almond milk just keeps it light. Use what you have.

Can I use baking using coconut oil in other recipes with this method? This specific method—the water bath, the spices, the marmalade syrup—works best for steamed puddings. Regular baking using coconut oil works fine in cakes and cookies, different approach entirely. Totally different thing.

Is the marmalade syrup really necessary? Yes. Without it, it’s just a spiced sponge. With it, you get that sharp citrus-spice heat. The whole dessert needs it.

What about the best coconut oil for baking—does it have to be a specific brand? Doesn’t matter. Refined coconut oil for baking, virgin, whatever. As long as it’s softened and fresh-ish. No rancid oil.

Can I pressure cook this instead of steam it in the oven? Different equipment, different method entirely. Wouldn’t work the same way.