This sticky toffee pudding recipe for a traditional British dessert, is one of those desserts you’ll dream about after the first time you taste it. This sticky toffee pudding is easy to make, and freezes exceptionally well.
If you’ve never tried sticky toffee pudding, or sticky date pudding, I’m so glad that you’re here!
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Discovery in Scotland
The first time I had sticky toffee pudding was about eight years ago, at a hotel restaurant in the middle of nowhere, in the Scottish Highlands. And it just so happens that this classic sticky toffee dessert was claimed to have been invented at the Udny Arms in Newburgh, Scotland.
Due to a cooking issue with my kids’ fish and chips (long story), I ended up having to request my dessert “to go” which is not common practice at such restaurants in the Highlands of Scotland. They didn’t have a plastic spoon or fork to give me, so I had to eat the luscious, fresh cream-topped dessert with my fingers while my husband drove! Did I have any complaints? Not one. It was the messiest, most delicious dessert I think I’ve ever had!
Another delicious Scottish dessert: Cranachan
Of course, upon my return to the US, I immediately looked up a sticky toffee pudding recipe to try to re-create this heavenly treat. The first recipe I made tasted so much like the one in Scotland, I’ve stuck to this sticky toffee pudding recipe with only a few changes of my own. (Mostly, like adding Drambuie to the sticky toffee sauce–talk about gilding the lily!) Note: if you hear of sticky date cake, it’s the same thing.
Searching for a “sticky toffee pudding recipe without dates”?
- The first thing I want to tell you is that I HATE dates. Truly, I abhor them. Since I was a little girl, there’s something about the sticky texture and the flavor that I really dislike immensely.
- I LOVE sticky toffee pudding made WITH dates! It’s true. You don’t taste the dates in this dessert, I promise you as a fellow date-hater!
- Please don’t try to make a sticky toffee pudding recipe without dates! Honestly, it won’t taste the same and you’ll be missing out. It’s the equivalent to making an apple pie without apples? Silly, right?
This recipe was my inspiration for making STICKY TOFFEE PORRIDGE, a recipe I made for the World Porridge Championship Speciality Competition in Scotland in 2014, and won!
Now back to our regularly scheduled programming: a sticky toffee pudding recipe with dates! 😜
Love all things toffee and caramel? Try this delicious and authentic crème caramel from my pal, Jill!
What Is Sticky Toffee Pudding?
Contrary to what you may think if you are in the US, this dessert is a cake covered in a toffee sauce, not a pudding that’s eaten in a bowl with a spoon. Pudding = Dessert in the UK, and that is why it’s called sticky toffee pudding. However, the sauce is more like caramel than toffee, too.
Searching for a perfect Scottish shortbread recipe? This is it: 3 ingredients, as it should be.
Is This as Good as Gordon Ramsay’s Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe?
In one word, YES! I have had Gordon Ramsay’s sticky toffee pudding at the Ritz Carlton Powerscourt in Enniskerry, Ireland, and this recipe could absolutely pass as the same as Chef Ramsay’s version. You won’t be disappointed, trust me!
Is Figgy Pudding the Same as Sticky Toffee Pudding?
No, figgy pudding is the same as Christmas pudding. or plum pudding, seen in the photo below. Figgy or plum pudding is a rich, fruit-filled dessert that is steamed on the stove top and set alight before serving on Christmas day.
While sticky toffee pudding is a one layer, or individual date cake that is served with a toffee sauce poured over the top. It’s quite decadent, and honestly, many people say it’s their very favorite dessert!
Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
Adapted from a recipe on Epicurious (printable recipe below) Makes 12 servings
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Preheat oven to 350º F (175º C)
Butter 8-inch-square pan (preferably not dark.)
Ingredients
- Medjool dates
- boiling water
- butter
- brown sugar
- eggs
- flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
- instant coffee granules
Make the Cake.
Mix flour and baking powder and set aside.
Place chopped dates in small bowl, then pour one cup boiling water over the dates and let cool, about one hour.
Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend.
Scrape sides of bowl often.
Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the bowl.
Add half of flour and baking powder and beat to blend.
Next, add the remaining 2 eggs, one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Continue scraping down sides of bowl, often. Now add the remaining flour and beat until blended.
Combine instant coffee and baking soda in small bowl.
Pour into date mixture, stirring to dissolve coffee granules. It will froth slightly.
Add the date mixture to batter and mix well until evenly combined.
Pour the batter into prepared pan. I have found that placing about 1 cup of batter, into another small pan works also. The cake doesn’t rise as high, which means there is no need to level the top.
Bake the Cake.
Place on rimmed baking sheet and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. It will look like this:
Let the cake cool in the pan. After it has cooled, you can level off the top of the cake if necessary. Carefully remove the cake from the dish, then level and remove the top. I like using a cake leveler. Place the cake back into the pan. Poke holes all over the cake with a skewer or toothpick.
Sticky Toffee Sauce
- 2 cups (16 ounces) whipping cream
- 1 cup, packed (6 ounces) dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter
- optional – 1 tbsp Drambuie liqueur (or a good quality whisky)
Bring cream, brown sugar and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce until reduced to 1 3/4 cups (12 oz), stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. If adding the Drambuie, add it after taking the sauce off the heat.
When cake is cool and caramel sauce is still warm, but not too hot, pour about half of the sauce over the cake.
Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, without covering. After an hour or so, when the sauce has become firm, cover the dessert with cling film (once cool the plastic won’t stick to it.)
When serving, cut a piece and heat in microwave until the caramel melts; the dessert should be hot and steaming.
Serve with the reserved, warm sticky toffee sauce. Additionally, this can be topped with freshly whipped cream which could be referred to as “gilding the lily”!
Can you Freeze Sticky Toffee Pudding
Yes! If you like, you can freeze individual pieces of sticky toffee pudding so you won’t be tempted to eat too much the first time. Incidentally, not only does it freeze incredibly well, it’s one of those dishes that is actually best when reheated in the microwave. It comes out hot, moist and steamy!
As they say in Scotland, “Ye cannae whack it!” Translation: “You can’t beat it!”
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Sticky Toffee Pudding--Heaven on a Plate!
One of the best desserts ever invented. If you don't believe me, give it a try and tell me I'm wrong.
Ingredients
Sticky Toffee Sauce
- 1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter
- optional - 1 tbsp Drambuie liqueur (or good quality whisky)
- 2 cups (16 ounces) whipping cream
- 1 cup, packed (6 ounces) dark brown sugar
Pudding
- 8 ounces Medjool dates, finely chopped (about 1 1/4 cups packed)
- 1 cup (8 ounces) boiling water
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup packed (6 ounces) golden brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons instant coffee granules
Instructions
Oven temperature is 350°F (175°C) but don't preheat it yet.
Butter 8-inch-square pan (preferably not dark.)
- Mix flour and baking powder and set aside.
- Place chopped dates in small bowl, then pour 1 cup boiling water over the dates and let cool, about 1 hour.
- Now preheat the oven. Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar in large bowl to blend.
- Scrape sides of bowl often. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and scraping down the bowl.
- Add half of flour and baking powder and beat to blend.
- Next, add the remaining 2 eggs, one at a time, beating to blend after each addition. Continue scraping down sides of bowl, often.
- Now add the remaining flour and beat until blended.
- Combine instant coffee and baking soda in small bowl.
- Pour into date mixture, stirring to dissolve coffee granules. It will froth slightly.
- Add the date mixture to batter and mix well until evenly combined.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan. I have found that placing about 1 cup of batter, into another small pan works also. The cake doesn't rise as high, which means there is no need to level the top.
Bake the cake.
- Place on rimmed baking sheet and bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes to 1 hour.
Prepare the cake and make the sticky toffee sauce.
- Let the cake cool in the pan. After it has cooled, you can level off the top of the cake if necessary. Carefully remove the cake from the dish, then level and remove the top. I like using a cake leveler. Place the cake back into the pan. Poke holes all over the cake with a skewer or toothpick.
- Bring cream, brown sugar and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring frequently.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce until reduced to 1 3/4 cups (12 oz), stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. If adding the Drambuie, add it after taking the sauce off the heat.
- When cake is cool and caramel sauce is still warm, but not too hot, pour about half of the sauce over the cake. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate, without covering. After an hour or so, when the sauce has become firm, cover the dessert with cling film (once cool the plastic won't stick to it.)
- When serving, cut a piece and heat in microwave until the caramel melts; the dessert should be hot and steaming. Serve with the reserved, warm sticky toffee sauce and freshly whipped cream.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 pieceAmount Per Serving: Calories: 500Total Fat: 28gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 171mgCarbohydrates: 58gFiber: 2gSugar: 41gProtein: 6g
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I, like you, do not care for dates, in general, but must say that sticky toffee pudding has become my all-time favorite dessert, and has now become the traditional dessert for Christmas in my household. i can eat sticky toffee pudding until i am sick.
i also don’t care for large chunks of dried fruit in desserts – partly a texture issue for me- and advocate mincing the dates up in a food processor until it almost becomes paste – i think it helps distribute the flavor evenly in the batter
i also am a big advocate of using dark brown sugar over plain white granular sugar that some other recipes call for instead – the molasses flavor compliments the rest of the flavors, and takes it over the top.
never tried Drambuie before -always opt for bourbon. might have to give it a spin next time. also like to add it to the pudding batter itself, as well as the sauce. i like your proportions for liquid to sugar for the sauce. I’ve tried other recipes that use more sugar than cream in the past, and they’re too cloyingly sweet.
and, i definitely advocate pouring part of the sauce over the cake and letting it soak in! i pierce it like a poke cake to help. i usually double the sauce recipe for just that purpose.
have you ever tried adding spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and/or cloves? I contemplate trying it every year but chicken out each time
Hi Ty, good tips! Do try the Drambuie sometime, you won’t regret it, I’m sure.
Regarding the spices, I’m not big on spices and I hate cloves, so you’re asking the wrong person. In my opinion, the spices would ruin an STP, but again, that’s just my opinion.
Thanks for your lovely comment! Happy New Year! CC
I love sticky toffee pudding but had never made it before because it seemed so daunting. I decided to give it a try and I made this pudding today and it is gorgeous! The cake is so light and fluffy! I was really impressed with how it turned out and my family loved it too. Thank you for a great recipe that is so easy to follow and such amazing photographs.
Thank you so much, Anji! I’m so sorry I’m just getting back to you now, but looking at the date, I was traveling in Italy at the time you wrote to me and didn’t have access to return comments. I apologize for the delay, but am so happy you found this recipe and that your family enjoyed it! Hope you find some other recipes you’ll enjoy on my site. :) Christina
Can I sub evaporated milk for the HWC~
I wouldn’t Tammy, it’s completely different and I have no idea what the outcome will be except I know it can’t end up being a rich, thick sauce. CC
[…] Somehow with the combination of potatoes and spiced caramel sauce in the batter, this sweet little cake tastes a bit like Sticky Toffee Pudding. […]
Let’s just say that this recipe is absolutely delicious. It is still “sticking” to me but it’s likely due to the fact that I ate most of it myself.
Thank you Cristina for your great recipes.
Ha ha! Thank you, Faye! It is one of my favorites! :)
Can I make this in a 9″ pan? Will that eliminate the need for removing a cup of batter?
Yes! That’s a better idea; it doesn’t always spill out, but saves you cutting off the top, too.
Does this have to stay refrigerated onces its finished? Id like to make it for Thanksgiving, in advance. If it can stay on the counter, how many days will it last?
Hi Laura, if it’s kept in a cold spot (not in a warm kitchen), it should be fine for 2 or 3 days. You can freeze it, though. Freezes beautifully.
Hi Christina,
I made this tonight for dessert and it tastes amazing. I made it exactly as called for but realized I didn’t have any coffee granules. I left them out and it came out amazing. I will definitely add it next time, though as I’m sure it adds another dimension of flavor. But, all in all, it was amazing. Thank you!
Wonderful, Tavisha! Yes, I do believe the coffee does make a difference, but it doesn’t taste like coffee, if that makes sense. This is one of my all-time favorite desserts and I’m always so happy when someone else discovers how fab it is!! Thanks for letting me know!