britishdessertdatesbakedclassiccomfort food

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Name: Sticky Toffee Pudding
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 27 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 100 g pitted dates, finely chopped; 120 ml boiling water; 1/2 tsp baking soda; 30 g unsalted butter, softened; 40 g dark brown sugar; 1 medium egg; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 55 g plain flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 pinch fine salt; 40 g unsalted butter; 60 g dark brown sugar; 80 ml double cream; 1/2 tsp vanilla extract; 1 pinch fine salt; 5 g unsalted butter

This sticky toffee pudding is deeply moist, dark, and tender, with sweet dates melted into the sponge and a glossy butterscotch-like sauce poured over the top. Rich yet comforting, it delivers classic British pudding flavour in a perfectly sized small batch.

45 min

2 servings

614 kcal

British

Ingredients

Date sponge

100 gpitted dates, finely chopped
120 mlboiling water
1/2 tspbaking soda
30 gunsalted butter, softened
40 gdark brown sugar
1 mediumegg
1 tspvanilla extract
55 gplain flour
1/2 tspbaking powder
1 pinchfine salt

Toffee sauce

40 gunsalted butter
60 gdark brown sugar
80 mldouble cream
1/2 tspvanilla extract
1 pinchfine salt

For the ramekins

5 gunsalted butter

Instructions

1
Preheat the oven to 180C conventional (160C fan). Lightly butter 2 small ramekins, making sure the bases and sides are coated so the puddings release cleanly.
2
Put the chopped dates in a small bowl, pour over the boiling water, and stir in the baking soda. Leave for 10 minutes until the dates soften and the mixture looks slightly foamy; this helps the sponge stay moist and tender.
3
In a mixing bowl, cream the softened butter and dark brown sugar for 1 to 2 minutes until slightly lighter. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract until smooth. If it looks a little split, it will come back together once the flour is added.
4
Whisk together the plain flour, baking powder, and salt, then fold them into the butter mixture just until no dry streaks remain. Mash the soaked dates lightly with a fork, then fold in all of the date mixture, including the soaking liquid, to make a loose batter.
5
Divide the batter evenly between the ramekins and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, until well risen and the tops spring back lightly when touched. A skewer inserted in the centre should come out with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter.
6
While the puddings bake, make the toffee sauce. Put the butter, dark brown sugar, double cream, vanilla extract, and salt in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves, then simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until glossy and slightly thickened. Do not boil hard, or the sauce may split.
7
Let the puddings rest for 3 minutes after baking. Run a small knife around the edge and turn them out if you like, or serve straight from the ramekins. Spoon over some warm toffee sauce, letting it soak into the sponge, and serve the rest alongside.

Nutrition per serving

614 kcal

Calories

Protein

88g

Carbs

27g

Fat

Fiber

Notes

•For deeper flavour, use very soft Medjool dates or dark sticky dates.
•Do not overmix once the flour is added; a light hand keeps the pudding soft rather than dense.
•If the sauce thickens too much on standing, loosen it with a splash of hot water or cream.
•Excellent served with vanilla ice cream, clotted cream, or lightly whipped cream, though this is optional and not included in the nutrition.

Background

Sticky toffee pudding is a much-loved British dessert made from a moist date sponge drenched in a rich toffee sauce. It became widely popular in the UK during the 20th century, with several northern English hotels and restaurants claiming to have helped establish the now-classic version.

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