Sticky Toffee Pudding!
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Gorgeous, rich and delightful homemade sticky toffee pudding with homemade sticky toffee sauce and served with ice cream!
Sticky toffee pudding
I realise it’s now the end of October, but as the weather is cold and cosy I wanted to post a warming pudding that is going to satisfy my sweet cravings, and is utterly scrumptious and delicious. That basically only calls for one thing… sticky toffee pudding.
For this, think sweet, but not teeth achingly sweet. It’s warm, it’s cosy and it’s heaven in every singly morsel. One major thing I must say about this recipe though? You will want more than one bowlful. I will be honest and say that sticky toffee pudding is my favourite pudding in the world, so I am so excited to post this recipe.
Classic puddings
I feel like this is one of those puddings that is on nearly every single pub menu, and you can get pretty much all year, even when its the peak of summer, and I am not mad about it. It’s a classic, that you can’t beat. However, making it at home means it’s cheaper, and you get more for your money. You can add more sauce, or less sauce, or whatever you really fancy. It is EPIC.
I often find with desserts that I buy when I am out at a pub or a restaurant, that there is never enough sauce. I might actually just be that person who loves an obscene amount of sauce, but hey ho… I love it. I might be mad for that, but I know I am not alone. There is something wonderful about having the warm pudding, the warm sauce, and the ice cold ice cream. Or even just a drizzle of double cream, or anything!
The pudding
There are so many recipes for sticky toffee pudding out there that I kind of merged a few together and then also what I had in the fridge/cupboard and what I found worked best! However, dates MUST be used, in my opinion.
Obviously though, dates aren’t to everyones tastes so you can leave them out, up the milk to 250ml, and add in 25g more treacle, but it won’t be quite as good. My sticky toffee cake recipe is super popular, but that definitely requires the dates.
- Butter – the butter for the pudding can be a block butter, or baking spread
- Sugar – I prefer to use dark brown soft sugar for a proper sticky toffee flavour, but light brown sugar works well as well
- Flour – I use self raising flour when making this pudding
- Raising agents – A little bit of baking powder and bicarb
- Treacle – black treacle is important again for the proper sticky toffee flavour, but can be substituted for golden syrup
- Eggs – I use medium eggs in my baking, but two large would work well for this
- Milk – I always use full-fat whole milk in my bakes for best results
The sauce
The sauce is arguably one of the most important bits right as I said above?! I just can’t get enough of it, and I want it slathered all over the pudding as well as poured on after… it’s perfect.
- Butter – whilst you can use bakings spread for the sponge, I’d recommend actual butter for the sauce to prevent splitting
- Sugar – I’d use the same as you used for the sponge, I use dark brown soft sugar though
- Treacle – again, I prefer black treacle for a rich flavour, but golden syrup works well
- Cream – double/heavy cream is best, single cream or low fat won’t work in the same way
- Vanilla – I love to add a little sweetness, but this is optional
Best served with…
My favourite flavours of ice cream to go with a dessert like this are clotted cream ice cream, and toffee ice cream – but maybe that’s a little too much sticky toffee in one go? Or, if you have a giant glug of custard, I’m not going to be mad about it…
You can obviously use whatever ice cream you fancy, or its particularly fun when you make this for a dinner party and buy several different flavours of ice cream – the face of each guest when they cant decide which flavour to have. And of course, you can use shop bought custard, or make your own… whatever you prefer.
Tips & Tricks
- This is best served fresh, but will last 3+ days in the fridge
- The pudding can be made in advance and frozen
- The sauce can be made in advance and kept in the fridge for 3+ days
- You can reheat the pudding once if you have leftovers
- I use a 30x20cm size dish, but anything roughly similar works well
Sticky Toffee Pudding!
Ingredients
Sticky Toffee Pudding
- 175 g dates (stones removed)
- 175 ml boiling water
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 175 g light or dark brown soft sugar
- 250 g self raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 75 g black treacle (or golden syrup)
- 3 medium eggs
- 125 ml whole milk
Sticky Toffee Sauce
- 75 g unsalted butter
- 75 g light or dark brown soft sugar
- 2 tbsp black treacle (or golden syrup)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 150 ml double cream
Instructions
For the Pudding
- Remove the stones from your dates, and chop as finely as possible.
- Pour over the boiling water and leave the mixture to sit for 20 minutes or so. If you prefer no lumps, blend the mixture until smooth.
- Preheat your oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan, and get a baking dish ready - I use one that is about 1.5L in size (30x20cm ish)
- Add the unsalted butter, sugar, eggs, self raising flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, and the black treacle into a bowl, and beat until combined - beat as little as possible so as not to over beat it.
- Add in the date & water mixture, and the milk a little at a time, and mix in until smooth. It'll be a thin mixture, but roll with it!
- Pour the mixture into the dish and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Whilst baking, make the sauce!
For the Sauce
- Add all your ingredients to a larger pan, and heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted and incorporated.
- Bring the sauce to the boil and stir for 1-2 minutes so it thickens slightly.
- Pour half or most of the sauce over the baked pudding.
- Serve with a drizzle of cream, whipped cream, or ice cream like I did and any leftover sauce!
Notes
- Any dish that is about 1.5-2L in size will work - just keep an eye on the baking time.
- The dessert is best served fresh, but can be reheated once.
- The sauce will last for 3 days, in the fridge - will thicken a lot in the fridge.
- If you want to bake individual puddings, I recommend using these pudding moulds for the recipe! The recipe will make about 8-10 and take 20 minutes to bake!
- If you don't want to use the dates, remove the dates and water and use 250ml milk in total.
Enjoy!
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J x
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Hi Jane.
Do you think this recipe would work with any dairy free milk? (My youngest has CMPA… if not, we can eat it when she goes to bed 🤣🤣)
Thank you ☺️
In all honesty I don’t know for certain as I haven’t tried it, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t! X
Would leaving the treacle out effect the mix?
Yes – you need to use the syrup or treacle.
Going to try this for over Christmas. Can I bake it in a traybake tin and could the sauce be frozen and then microwaved
Yes it can x
I haven’t actually tried this recipe yet but plan on using it for pudding on Boxing Day. Would I be ok to make the sponge in advance & freeze? Then just make the sauce on the day I need it. Also if I was to reheat the whole sponge in the oven how would you recommend I do this? 🙂
Ahh yay! Yes you can do indeed – I’m not certain on the timings to reheat, but just put back in the oven until its piping hot and it’ll be fine! x
This is the best sticky toffee pudding, if not the best dessert, that I have ever tasted. Literally cannot rate it highly enough! My children have also requested this on a regular basis! Delicious
Hello! I have tried this recipe tonight and it was amazing!
If I’m going to bake it again but in a 9X9 dish instead, can I half the recipe?
Many thanks x
Hey! So a 9″ square is a very similar size to what the dish should be already, half is about a 7″ square x
made this today and absolutely love it! how long should this last for if i were to put it in the fridge or and air tight container??
I would keep it in the fridge, and probably for 3-4 days! x
Hi Jane, my mum and I absolutely love your recipes! Can the pudding be frozen (either freezing the mix or after cooking) or would it be best to half the recipe? Thank you! Xx
It can be frozen – I would freeze after baking, but you can also make half xx
Hi, if I wanted to half the recipe, should I use one large egg? Thanks
Yeah! X
Could I possibly make this in a 9lb loaf tin
A 9lb loaf tin is HUGE – are you sure you have that measurement correct?
yeah they called it a 9lb tin. its measurements are L11cm/W21cm/D6cm
That sounds like a 2lb/900g tin – it’s also a little smaller than my own 2lb loaf tin. I haven’t tried this in a 2lb loaf tin, but I imagine it would need reducing slightly x
If my square dish is slightly smaller can I split it between two dishes?
It depends on the size of the dish as it’s all based around volume – but just keep an eye on the baking so it doesn’t over bake x
Hello, I would like to bake in a tin but serve on individual plates. Can I just line with baking paper, cut, then pour the sauce over after?
Hi This is most likely will be a no! Is there any chance that I could skip the Milk in the sponge?
I try your Neapolitan Cupcakes recipe on Tuesday for the first time for my Presentation on Cupcakes, Everyone Loves them!!
Not really – it’s quite important!
Hi Jane,
Fab recipe! Can this recipe be halved to serve 4 people??
Yes that should be fine! You would need to reduce the dish you bake it in, and the baking time will also reduce x
Just wondering what the baking time would reduce to, if making it for 4 people?
I’m afraid I don’t know as I haven’t made the smaller size x
Do you need to line glass dish with parchment paper? Many thanks!
I don’t as you serve it from the dish – you can grease it slightly if you want, but it doesn’t need lining! x
stunning recipe as per usual !!!
5* every time another fab recipe. Made this the other day, so tasty going for it again at the weekend to use up the remaining dates, I added a teaspoon of lemon extract to the sponge mixture for a super subtle tang.
Is there any substitute for the black treacle or golden syrup?
Not for the best possible results!