Sticky Date Pudding or Sticky Toffee Pudding is a classic and rich, addictive moist sponge cake made using dates which are then covered with butterscotch sauce or toffee sauce and served with vanilla ice cream or vanilla custard.

Sticky Date Pudding is one of the best dessert recipes you can make for Valentine's day, Date night dinner, Easter, Christmas, or Thanksgiving holidays.
About the recipe
Sticky toffee pudding is a popular British dessert. This is also known as sticky date pudding in Australia and New Zealand.
The best toffee pudding has two parts. The first one is the moist, light, and fluffy sponge cake prepared mainly using dates as the key ingredient. The second portion of this dessert is the toffee sauce, butterscotch sauce, or caramel sauce made using cream, sugar, and butter.
The sticky pudding is finally served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or custard, complementing the rich pudding flavors very well.
I highly recommend you try this dessert even if you are not a fan of dates. The date gives a very mild flavor. It is mainly added for sweetness and to make your cake super moist.
Ingredients
Sticky Date Pudding or Sticky Toffee Pudding
- 1 cup Dates
- 1 ½ cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 110 grams of Butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Dark molasses
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
Butterscotch Sauce
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 5 tablespoon Butter (80 g)
- 200 ml Heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
How to make the best sticky date pudding?
Mash Dates
Finely chop the dates, add them to the pan with water, and bring them to a boil. Add baking soda, mix and switch off the flame. Lightly mash the dates. Keep this aside.
Make Pudding Batter
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C.
In a bowl, add butter and sugar, and cream them together using a hand-held mixer. Add egg, salt, vanilla extract, and molasses and mix until well combined.
Add mashed dates from above and mix.
Add flour and baking powder and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.
Pour the batter into 6 pudding molds and 1 bread loaf pan. Or use an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
How to make butterscotch sauce or toffee sauce?
In a pan on medium flame, add sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla extract, and simmer for about 8 minutes.
Once it comes to a simmer, add salt and mix well. Switch off the flame.
Remove the pudding from the oven after 25 minutes and let it sit for 5 minutes.
Using chopsticks or skewers, poke holes in the baked pudding. Poking holes is optional! Pour the sauce over the pudding and serve!
Pro Tips
Adjust the baking time depending on the size of the baking pan.
Toffee sauce or butterscotch sauce will start to thicken as it cools. Once you have prepared the sauce, let it sit for a few minutes, but you will have to pour them on the pudding while it is still warm. In case it becomes very thick, you can thin it down by reheating it on the stovetop before pouring over the pudding.
How to serve date pudding or toffee pudding?
This dessert tastes best when served with ice cream, drizzled with a generous drizzle of butterscotch sauce, and garnished with nuts.
You can also serve it with unsweetened whipped cream or vanilla custard.
Storage suggestion
Any leftover sticky date pudding can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or up to one month in the freezer.
You can microwave it for 30 seconds to a minute to reheat. Or warm it up in a preheated 350 degrees F oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
FAQ
While making sticky date pudding, you can use fresh or dried dates. Fresh Medjool dates will moisten your pudding and give it a caramel flavor.
If you do not like dates, you can substitute them with prunes or apple sauce to make the toffee pudding.
Some popular desserts to try
Recipe card
Best Sticky Date Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce | Toffee Pudding
Equipment
- Pudding moulds
Ingredients
Sticky Date Pudding or Sticky Toffee Pudding
- 1 cup Dates
- 1 ½ cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 110 grams Butter (1 stick)
- ½ cup Brown sugar
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Dark molasses
- 2 cups All purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking powder
Butterscotch Sauce
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 5 tablespoon Butter (80 g)
- 200 ml Heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
Instructions
Mash Dates
- Finely chop the dates, add them to the pan with water, and bring them to a boil. Add baking soda, mix and switch off the flame. Lightly mash the dates. Keep this aside. Check out the full video on making here.1 cup Dates, 1 ½ cups Water, 1 teaspoon Baking soda
Make Pudding Batter
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C.
- In a bowl, add butter and sugar, and cream them together using a hand-held mixer. Add egg, salt, vanilla extract, and molasses and mix until well combined.110 grams Butter (1 stick), ½ cup Brown sugar, 2 Eggs, ¼ teaspoon Salt, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract, ¾ cup Dark molasses
- Add mashed dates from above and mix.
- Add flour and baking powder and mix just until combined. Do not overmix.2 cups All purpose flour, 1 teaspoon Baking powder
- Pour the batter into 6 pudding molds and 1 bread loaf pan. Or use an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan.
- Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes.
How to make Butterscotch Sauce or Toffee Sauce
- In a pan on medium flame, add sugar, butter, cream, and vanilla extract, and simmer for about 8 minutes.1 cup Brown sugar, 5 tablespoon Butter (80 g), 200 ml Heavy cream, 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- Once it comes to a simmer, add salt and mix well. Switch off the flame.¼ teaspoon Salt
- Remove the pudding from the oven after 25 minutes and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Using chopsticks or skewers, poke holes in the baked pudding. Poking holes is optional! Pour the sauce over the pudding and serve!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Moop Brown
This dessert recipe seems like a nice treat that everyone will enjoy. Thank you for sharing!