Best Christmas puddings 2014

Christmas puddings are the highlight of many Christmas meals. Even when you've eaten more turkey and roast potatoes than you can carry, there's always room for what must be the best dessert of the year.

So it's worth tracking down a great pudding that will be worth saving space for.

There are several major tests of puddings at this time of year, so we have compiled the results and can reveal the best Christmas puddings of 2014.

1. Tesco Finest 9 Month Matured Cherry Topped Christmas Pudding
Good Housekeeping tests its favourites every year, and the Tesco pudding took the title of best pudding this year. It was marked highly for its orangey and spicy taste - and the subtlety of the brandy. At £10 it's one of the priciest supermarket offerings, but Good Housekeeping decided it was worth the money. Parentdish.co.uk agreed in its taste test - giving it five out of five - and placing it joint-first.

2. The Co-operative Richly Fruited Christmas Pudding (£5)
This took second place in the Good Housekeeping test and was particularly enjoyed for its quantity of juicy fruit. The Independent rated this as almost as good as home made puddings - and The Telegraph said the texture was very similar to a home-made pudding.

3. Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Cognac Laced Christmas Pudding (£12)
Good Housekeeping's third choice scored well on aroma and spice, as well as generosity of fruit. It's the priciest of the supermarket offerings but is half price at the moment, so worth stocking up on. It made it into the Independent and Telegraph's list of best puddings too.
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4. Morrisons M Jewelled-Top Christmas Pudding (£3.99)
Good Housekeeping hated the way this looked, but noted that it offered value for money, and tasted much nicer than it looked. The Guardian taste test decreed it was 'style over substance'. However, Which?, made it their number one in a blind taste test (and the judges included Bake Off's Francis Quinn who can spot style over substance a mile off). Which? praised its depth of flavour, so it earns fourth place in our list.

5. Lidl Snowy Lodge 18 Month Matured Christmas Pudding (£7.99)
This was given first place by the BBC Good Food magazine. Good Housekeeping also said it was a good all-rounder for the money (despite only making it to 8th place on their list). Parentdish, meanwhile, felt it was a bit dense and cloying, but awarded it three out of five, and said the kids seemed to love it.

6. Waitrose Richly Fruited Christmas Pudding (£11)
This traditional pudding scored well all round with the Good Housekeeping tasters. Parentdish, meanwhile, gave it four out of ten and put it in third place.

7. Waitrose Mirabelle Plum Topped Christmas Pudding (£5)
The moist, sticky texture and the pretty pudding helped this to fourth place for Good Housekeeping.

8. Aldi Specially Selected 12 month matured Christmas Pudding (9.99).
Good Housekeeping scored it highly for balance of sweet and alcohol flavours, but was marked down for an oily surface.

9. Aldi Connoisseur Christmas Pudding (from 65p).
This did well in the Good Housekeeping test on appearance and aroma (and price), but less well on the greasy feel and lacking a bit of flavour.

10. Roots and Wings Christmas Pudding (£6.89)
This scored well among the Good Housekeeping experts, who liked its appearance and zesty taste.

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