Description
This classic Sticky Toffee Pudding recipe delivers moist pitted dates baked into a tender cake, served warm with a rich, buttery butterscotch sauce. Perfectly portioned as mini puddings, these treats combine the deep caramel flavor of toffee with a soft, comforting texture. Ideal for dessert lovers craving a cozy, indulgent sweet that’s easy to prepare at home.
Ingredients
Scale
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 (about 10 oz)
- 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 Butterscotch Sauce: Place a saucepan over low-medium heat and add butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. Stir frequently until the mixture begins to simmer, then continue simmering gently for 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Remove from heat and transfer the sauce to a heatproof bowl or container. Set aside.
- Prepare Oven and Pans: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional. Grease two standard 12-hole muffin trays thoroughly. If using a convection oven with a fan, reduce temperature to 160°C (320°F). Set aside.
- Soak Dates: In a food processor or blender, combine pitted dates, baking soda, and boiling water but do not blend yet. Stir with a spoon to ensure the dates are covered. Let this mixture sit for 10 minutes to soften the dates and activate the baking soda.
- Sift Dry Ingredients: While the dates soak, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Whisk the mixture to ensure it is well combined, then set aside.
- Blend Dates: After soaking, blend the date mixture until smooth and uniform. Transfer the smooth date paste to a large mixing bowl, scraping the sides to get all the mixture out.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: Add the brown sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract to the date paste. Whisk thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients: Fold the sifted dry ingredients gently into the wet date mixture using a spatula. Mix just until combined, allowing a few small lumps to remain but ensuring no large pockets of flour are visible. Be careful not to overmix.
- Fill Muffin Trays: Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin trays, filling each about ¾ full. Lightly tap the trays on the counter once to release any large air bubbles.
- Bake: Bake one tray at a time on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. The puddings are done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool and Serve: Allow the puddings to cool in their trays for about 15 minutes. Run a thin knife around each pudding to loosen it from the tray, then turn them out onto a wire rack. Serve warm with a generous drizzle of butterscotch sauce and optional whipped cream or ice cream for an extra indulgent touch.
Notes
- If you are using a convection oven with a fan, reduce baking temperature to 160°C (320°F) as convection ovens cook faster.
- If you only have one muffin tray, bake the puddings in two batches, finishing the second batch quickly after the first.
- This sticky toffee pudding can also be baked as a larger cake or in ramekins; baking times will need to be adjusted accordingly.
