My Best-Ever Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
This Best-Ever Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe features moist, date-rich sponge cakes topped with a luscious homemade butterscotch sauce. Baked to perfection with a tender crumb and served warm, it's an indulgent British classic ideal for cozy desserts. The recipe includes easy-to-follow steps for making the sticky toffee sauce and the pudding itself, promising a delicious treat often enjoyed with whipped cream or ice cream.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 puddings
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British
Ingredients
Butterscotch Sauce (Toffee Sauce)
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (200 g) soft light brown sugar
- 1¼ cups (290 g) heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
Pudding
- 1¾ cups (285 g) pitted dates (10 oz in the US)
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1¼ cups (300 g) boiling water
- 1¼ cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup (100 g) soft light brown sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
To Serve (optional)
- Whipped cream or ice cream
Instructions
- Make the Butterscotch Sauce: Place a saucepan over low-medium heat and add the cold cubed butter, soft light brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla. Stir frequently until the mixture starts simmering. Continue to simmer for an additional 5 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Remove from heat and transfer to a heatproof bowl or container to set aside.
- Prepare for Baking: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional. Grease two standard 12-hole muffin trays. If you only have one tray, refer to note 2 to manage baking in batches. Set trays aside.
- Soak the Dates: In a food processor or blender, place the pitted dates, baking soda, and boiling water. Do not blend yet. Stir with a spoon to ensure all dates are covered. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes to soften the dates and activate the baking soda.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Whisk to combine evenly and set aside.
- Process Dates: Blend the soaked dates mixture until smooth. Scrape all the mixture into a large mixing bowl to ensure none is wasted.
- Mix Wet Ingredients: To the date puree, add the soft light brown sugar, melted butter, room temperature eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk these together thoroughly until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Combine with Dry Ingredients: Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet mixture. Using a spatula, gently fold the batter just until combined. It is okay if the batter is a bit lumpy as long as there are no large pockets of flour. Avoid overmixing to keep the sponge tender.
- Fill Muffin Trays: Distribute the batter evenly into the prepared muffin trays, filling each cavity about three-quarters full. Lightly drop the trays onto the counter once to release large air bubbles.
- Bake the Puddings: Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack of the oven for 18-20 minutes. To check doneness, insert a toothpick into the center – it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Let the puddings cool in the tray for about 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges to release them from the trays, then invert onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm, generously drizzled with the prepared butterscotch sauce. Optionally, add whipped cream or ice cream for an extra indulgence.
Notes
- If using a convection oven, reduce the temperature to 160°C (320°F) and check doneness earlier as convection ovens bake faster.
- If you only have one muffin tray, bake in batches and keep the first batch warm in a low oven while the second batch bakes.
- Allowing the dates to soak in boiling water and baking soda softens them and helps to make a smooth, moist batter.
- Be careful not to overmix the batter after adding dry flour to ensure a tender pudding texture.
- The butterscotch sauce can be prepared in advance and gently reheated before serving.
