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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This was a hit with my family. I didn’t drizzle the sauce on the side so even my diabetic family members could enjoy the date pudding – which incidentally, tasted just as good.
Thank you for another brilliant recipe.
Hi! Could I use a 24 by 25 inch tin for this recipe?? Thanks!
That should work! x
Hi Jane,
Can you make this without the dates?
Thank you x
Yes – mentioned on the notes of the post about what you need to change x
The best Sticky Toffee Pudding I’ve ever had! So yummy and a very easy recipe to follow 😍
Fabulous, delicious and easy to follow. Jane, you always smash it!! You are my number 1 go-to recipe website.
Would love if you did a savoury selection as well as deserts ☺️
Hey! Is this recipie better with black treacle or golden syrup. Hoping to make it tomorrow 😊 thank you!
Black treacle in my opinion x
Absolutely Delicious sticky toffee pudding, definitely the best we’ve ever tasted! I love baking and bake all time and whenever I’m looking for a recipe I always go to Janes Patisserie website to find one. I have never ever had any problems with any of the recipes and they have always turned out so yummy. Thank you Janes for all you fab recipes.
I bow down to Jane for this recipe!!!
Sticky toffee is one of my all time favourite desserts and I’ve made it a few times using a recipe from the Great British Chefs website which have recipes from Michelin chefs, and let me tell you, this one is far better. The sponge is so light and fluffy and the flavours of the sponge and the sauce is to die for. The only thing I added from the recipe was Camp Coffee which brings out the flavours a bit more if others want to try this too. I also made double the sauce when I did it just because I like plenty of the sauce! This is really the best sticky toffee recipe out there in my opinion and well worth a try, just made a batch for Christmas Day dessert. Thank you for this recipe 🥰
Hi Jane,
Just wondering would it be possible to use light muscavado sugar in the pudding and sauce? Or would that drastically effect the taste? Would it make it a bit stickier!? If that’s possible.
Many thanks
It wouldn’t make it stickier, but it could potentially make the sauce grainy if you aren’t careful – otherwise it would be very very similar!
Hi Jane!
If refrigerating this to eat another day would you add the toffee sauce to the sponge then refrigerate or refrigerate the sauce and sponger separately and add the toffee sauce to the sponge when serving?
Thanks!
I would say separate if you can as reheating together it may go a little weird, but together still wouldn’t be the end of the world as thats how a lot of supermarket desserts do it x
I’m a bit confused does the double cream go in with the rest of the sauce ingredients or do I save that for serving
You add all of the ingredients to the pan as mentioned on step 1 of the sauce method x
Have always love sticky toffee pudding and always wanted to try it! This a good and easy recipe!
If making and baking ahead of time, should I underbake if intending to reheat later? And when ready to serve, how long should I reheat and at what temp in the oven?
I wouldn’t underbake it personally – it would be fine to reheat! I am unsure on timings I am afraid, but about 160C and until piping hot!
Hi! I was wondering if when making the sauce we need to move it into a bowl or bring it to a boil, it says ‘bring sauce to the bowl’ in the recipe but I’m just double checking 🙂 thanks! x
It’s bring sauce to the boil!
Can I use a glass dish…like a lasagna dish? x
Hi,
Would it be possible to make the batter for the pudding ahead of time then put in the oven when ready for it?
Thanks,
Wendy
I would recommend baking it immediately – it can always be reheated later once baked x