Delish Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipes

Sticky toffee pudding is that cozy British dessert that shows up all unassuming, then smacks you with a caramel hug and a sugar high you’ll absolutely not regret. It’s a plush date-studded cake drenched in a warm toffee sauce that soaks in like it pays rent. My version keeps it classic (dates! brown sugar! cream!) but with enough shortcuts that you can get it from “oh no, dessert?” to “oh wow, dessert!” in about an hour. It tastes like a sweater weather miracle, even if your kitchen looks like a brown sugar crime scene.
My family treats this pudding like a holiday, a birthday, and a bribe all in one. My husband takes one bite and suddenly volunteers to do dishes—which is adorable, because we both know I used every bowl in the house. The kids call it “sticky cake” and have zero patience for cooling time, so yes, we’ve all hovered around the pan with spoons like a pack of dessert gremlins. It’s become our “company’s coming” move, mostly because it looks fancy but is basically cake + hot caramel. We’re genius like that.
Why You’ll Love This Delish Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipes
– It tastes like a caramel cloud but eats like a cozy cake. Literal spoonable comfort.
– No fussy frosting, no layer drama—just bake, poke, pour sauce. Minimal chaos, maximum applause.
– Make-ahead friendly. Reheat it and act like you baked it five minutes ago. I won’t tell.
– It’s the rare dessert that pleases both the “not too sweet” crowd and the “extra sauce please” people.
– Works for holidays, Tuesdays, and “I found dates in the pantry and I’m unstoppable” moments.
How to Make It
Here’s the game plan while I casually ignore the flour on my shirt. You’ll need about 12 ounces (340 g) of soft dates (Medjool if you’re fancy, Deglet if that’s what you found), chopped and soaked in 1 cup boiling water with 1 teaspoon baking soda. Let that sit while you pretend to tidy.
MORE OF OUR FAVORITE…
Cream 1/2 cup unsalted butter with 3/4 cup dark brown sugar until light and fluffy-ish. Beat in 2 eggs, one at a time, then stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Whisk together 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Fold the dry stuff into the butter mixture, then stir in the date mixture (with all that liquid) until it looks like a thick, tan batter that smells like you meant to do this. Scrape into a greased and parchment-slung 8-inch square pan (or 9-inch round), bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30–35 minutes until the center springs back and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs.
While it bakes, make the toffee sauce: melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter with 1 cup dark brown sugar, whisk in 1 cup heavy cream, a tablespoon of molasses or treacle if you’ve got it, and a pinch of salt. Simmer 3–4 minutes until glossy and slightly thick. Try not to drink it. Fail. Then stop.
When the cake’s done, poke it all over with a skewer like it owes you money. Pour about half the hot sauce over the hot cake and let it soak for 10 minutes. Cut, serve with extra sauce drizzled like you’re dramatic, and add vanilla ice cream, custard, or whipped cream because we’re not here to be subtle.
Ingredient Notes
This module dynamically pulls in recipe-specific ingredients. Follow this exact bullet styling (HTML bold labels only).
– Ingredient Name: The star, the diva, the one thing you can’t mess up… unless you do, then good luck.
– Ingredient Name: I once tried skipping this—don’t. It was sad, bland, and my family still reminds me.
– Ingredient Name: Swap it, tweak it, whatever—just don’t blame me if it flops.
Recipe Steps
1. Pretend you know what you’re doing and chop everything up.
2. Heat the pan, realize it’s too small, and grab a bigger one.
3. Toss stuff in, stir like your life depends on it.
4. Forget the salt, taste it, add way too much, fix it with water.
5. Plate it up like you’re on a cooking show.
6. Accept compliments graciously (even if you’re sweating).
What to Serve It With
– Vanilla ice cream (the classic, the legend, the melty puddle of joy)
– Warm custard or lightly sweetened whipped cream
– A drizzle of bourbon or rum in the sauce if you’re feeling extra
– Toasted pecans or walnuts for crunch if you want to cosplay a fancy bistro
– Strong coffee or black tea to balance the sugar halo
Tips & Mistakes
– Don’t skip soaking the dates. That’s the moist magic. Dry cake = everyone silently judging.
– Salt your sauce. A little pinch makes the caramel pop and your taste buds do jazz hands.
– Line the pan. Sticky is cute until you try to pry it out with a spatula and a prayer.
– If your sauce looks greasy, it’s probably too hot. Pull it off the heat and whisk like you’re late to brunch.
– Give it rest time after saucing. Ten minutes = gooey perfection instead of sauce puddles.
Storage Tips
Store it in the fridge… if there’s any left. Cold leftovers at midnight? Honestly better than fresh sometimes.
– Fridge: 4–5 days, tightly covered. Reheat slices in the microwave 20–30 seconds with extra sauce.
– Freezer: Wrap slices well and freeze up to 2 months. Thaw overnight, rewarm gently, pretend it’s fresh.
– Sauce: Refrigerate up to a week. Reheat low and slow; add a splash of cream if it got thick.
Variations and Substitutions
Swap whatever you want. Honey for sugar, soy sauce for tamari, or skip half the steps and call it “deconstructed.” Totally works… kinda.
– No treacle? Use molasses, or skip it and add 1 teaspoon vanilla for depth.
– Dairy-free: Use vegan butter and full-fat coconut milk for the sauce. It’s shockingly good.
– Gluten-free: A 1:1 baking blend works. Batter will be slightly thicker—still delish.
– Add-ins: Chopped pecans, a little ground ginger, or espresso powder in the sauce for a mocha vibe.
– Mini puddings: Bake in greased muffin tins 18–22 minutes for cute, individual show-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Delish Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipes
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1.5 cup pitted dates, chopped packed
- 1 cup boiling water for soaking dates
- 1 teaspoon baking soda for soaking dates
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter softened, for batter
- 0.75 cup packed light brown sugar for batter
- 2 count large eggs
- 1.25 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract divided
- 0.5 cup unsalted butter for toffee sauce
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar for toffee sauce
- 1 cup heavy cream for toffee sauce
- 0.25 teaspoon fine salt for toffee sauce
- 1 tablespoon molasses optional; or use golden syrup
- 4 cup vanilla ice cream optional, for serving
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan or a 9-inch round pan and line the bottom with parchment.
- Soak the dates: Combine chopped dates with boiling water and baking soda. Stir and let stand 10 minutes to soften, then mash lightly with a fork.
- Make the batter: In a bowl, beat softened butter with the light brown sugar until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Beat in eggs one at a time, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix until smooth.
- Whisk flour, baking powder, and 0.5 teaspoon salt together. Add to the wet mixture and mix just until combined.
- Fold in the warm date mixture (including liquid) until evenly distributed. Spread batter into the prepared pan.
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes, until the center springs back and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- While the cake bakes, make the toffee sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 0.5 cup butter with dark brown sugar, heavy cream, 0.25 teaspoon salt, and molasses. Simmer 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until glossy and slightly thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Poke the hot pudding all over with a skewer. Pour about half of the warm toffee sauce over the surface and let it soak in for 10 minutes.
- Slice and serve warm with extra toffee sauce drizzled over the top and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Notes
Featured Comments
“Super easy and family favorite! My family asked for seconds. Saving this one.”
“Impressed! Clear steps and will make again results. Perfect for busy nights.”
“Super easy and turned out amazing! My family asked for seconds. Saving this one.”
“New favorite here — turned out amazing. rich was spot on.”
“Super easy and turned out amazing! My family asked for seconds. Saving this one.”
“Impressed! Clear steps and will make again results. Perfect for busy nights.”
“Impressed! Clear steps and will make again results. Perfect for busy nights.”
“Super easy and family favorite! My family asked for seconds. Saving this one.”
“Super easy and absolutely loved! My family asked for seconds. Saving this one.”
“Super easy and so flavorful! My family asked for seconds. Saving this one.”