I tried four Christmas puddings from UK supermarkets, and one was an instant winner. I’ve been busy trying some festive favourites from various UK supermarkets, and my latest taste test was a delicious sample of succulent and rich Christmas puddings. This classic dessert divides people. Some people adore the rich, fruity and deep flavours of a traditional British pudding. But others find it too strong.
I am in the former category, often opting for pudding as my festive dessert of choice. I love the strong hit of the brandy flavour, complemented perfectly by the sweetness of the fruit. The texture, the taste – everything is a winner for me when it comes to Christmas pudding. Of course, some are better than others. So I was excited to try four different ones from Aldi, Tesco, M&S and Sainsbury’s.
I hit each supermarket’s closest store to where I live. I got what was available to me on the shelves, so I bought premium puddings from Tesco and Aldi, while I got the cheaper version from Sainsbury’s and M&S. I thought this would obviously skew the results, but I was surprised to find that wasn’t the case.
In fact, the winner was one of the cheaper versions, as I decided a £1.75 pudding was the top one for me. Each pudding was quite different from the others, with different flavours and textures.
It made for an enjoyable afternoon of sampling Christmas puddings, but I eventually had to decide which one was the best. Here are the results of my Christmas pudding taste test.
4. Aldi 24 Month-Matured Christmas Pudding – Serves 1 (£1.25)
This race was a tight one. Each supermarket has done a good job in providing tasty and rich Christmas puddings in 2025. Aldi’s just falls short based on personal preferences.
The flavour was rich but not overpowering, and it still has a kick to it. That comes down to it being matured for 24 months, rather than just 6. There were nice chunks in it, but I slightly preferred the smoother textures of the others I tried.
3. Sainsbury’s Christmas Pudding for 1 (89p)
At 89p, I was highly impressed with Sainsbury’s Christmas pudding for one. It was dense, but in a good way that I appreciated. It didn’t fall apart when I dug into it with my spoon, making for a more pleasant eating experience.
There were nice chunks of fruit in it, but it could have been smoother compared to the other puddings I tried. But given this was by far the cheapest one I had, I was pretty blown away by how good it was for 89p. The flavour isn’t too strong, so it would be a good people pleaser this Christmas.
2. Tesco Finest Christmas Pudding (£1.50/£1.25 with Clubcard)
Tesco just missed out on the top spot, but I was very impressed with this one. It has quite a strong flavour, which I quite like. It was much smoother than the two above, making it a more luscious and luxurious dessert experience.
The brandy flavour hits you pretty much straight away, but it’s not too much. That, balanced by the sweetness of the fruit, gave it an excellent flavour combination that, with the texture, made this a stand-out.
1. M&S 6 Month Matured Christmas Pudding (£1.75)
And we have our winner! M&S is on quite a roll with its Christmas dessert offerings this year. When I did my mince pie taste test, M&S also came out on top. They clearly know what they’re doing.
I would describe this one as perfectly balanced. It has the smoothest texture of all the Christmas puddings I tried, but still has nice bits of fruit inside. The fruity flavour was strongest in this one, but the rich brandy flavour wasn’t sacrificed. It has a lovely sweetness and subtle chewiness.
With the rich and sweet flavour, the smooth and slightly dense texture and the inviting smell, it quickly became my favourite supermarket Christmas pudding I have had this year.
Dining and Cooking