Traditional Scottish Clootie Dumpling

Written by
Elaine Lemm
Elaine Lemm is a renowned British food writer, classically trained chef, teacher, and author with over 25 years of experience writing about British food and cooking.
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Elaine Lemm
Updated 10/07/20
Traditional Scottish Clootie Dumpling

The Spruce / Cara Cormack
Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 3 hrs 30 mins
Total: 3 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
514 Calories
27g Fat
60g Carbs
9g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 514
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 12g 62%
Cholesterol 83mg 28%
Sodium 885mg 38%
Total Carbohydrate 60g 22%
Dietary Fiber 5g 16%
Protein 9g
Calcium 197mg 15%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This recipe makes the traditional clootie dumpling that is deeply embedded in Scottish cooking. It is part of the hearth and home approach which makes the food of Scotland so loved everywhere. The spicy scent of a cooking clootie conjures up images of Scotland's past—a time when grandmothers would spend hours at the stove making this lovely pudding.

The name comes from the cloth called the cloot. Golden syrup is a sweetener that may also be called light treacle and is typically found in British markets. If you can't source it in the U.S., you can substitute corn syrup.

The fruit-spice laden suet pudding is famed for the role it plays in Scottish celebrations, and no hogmanay or Burn's night supper would be complete without one.

Ingredients

  • 4 ounce/125 grams suet
  • 8 ounces/250 grams flour (plain or all-purpose, plus 1 tablespoon for the cloth)
  • 4 ounce/125 grams oatmeal
  • 4 ounces/125 grams sultanas
  • 4 ounces/125 grams currants (dried)
  • 3 ounces/75 grams sugar
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ginger (ground)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
  • 1 tablespoon golden syrup
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon caster sugar
  • For Serving: custard or ice cream

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Bring a tea kettle of water to a boil.

    Traditional Scottish Clootie Dumpling ingredients

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  2. In a large baking bowl, rub the suet into the flour. Add the oatmeal, sultanas, dried currants, sugar, baking powder, ginger, and cinnamon.

    oatmeal, sultanas, dried currants, sugar, baking powder, ginger, flour and cinnamon in a bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  3. Stir well then add the beaten eggs and the golden syrup.

    beaten egg and golden syrup added to the flour mixture

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  4. Stir thoroughly and add the milk, a little at a time, to bind the ingredients together to create a firm dough. Be careful not to over mix or make the mixture too sloppy—it should be firm to the touch.

    Clootie dumpling dough in a bowl

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  5. Put the clootie cloth into a clean sink, pour a kettle of boiling water over, and once cool enough to touch, ring the cloth out. Place the cloth on your work surface and sprinkle with flour.

    clootie cloth with flour on top

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  6. Place the dumpling mixture into the center of the clootie. Gather up the edges of the cloth and tie up but not too tightly; leave a little room for the dumpling to expand.

    dumpling inside Clootie cloth

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  7. Place a saucer or tea plate upside down into a large cooking pot. Place the tied clootie onto the saucer and cover with boiling water. Cover with a lid and simmer for 3 hours. Check that the water is not boiling dry from time to time and add water if needed.

    Clootie dough in a wrapped cloth in a pot of boiling water

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  8. Once cooked, carefully remove the dumpling from the water. Remove the cloth then sprinkle the dumpling with a little caster sugar. Preheat the oven to 225 F/100 C.

    Clootie dumpling with caster sugar sprinkled on top

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  9. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a shiny skin forms. If you wish to be more traditional, then dry the sugar-covered dumpling in front of an open fire.

    baked Clootie Dumpling on a parchment paper lined baking sheet

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

  10. Slice and serve the clootie dumpling with custard or ice cream. Enjoy!

    Traditional Scottish Clootie Dumpling piece on a plate

    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Tips

  • For the adults, you can add a little whiskey or Drambuie to the custard or ice cream to create a perfect match.
  • Refrigerate any leftover dumplings, covered. Enjoy them within a couple of days for the best quality. You may want to warm the clootie in the microwave briefly to bring out all of the flavors.