Fabulous British Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert with a moist, tender sponge cake coated in a buttery and luscious caramel sauce. Every bite is to die for! Perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anytime.
This particular recipe is our absolute favorite version of this classic dessert. And bonus, we’re providing two options for baking: in individual ramekins for perfectly portioned single servings or the traditional way in a square baking dish.
What is Sticky Toffee Pudding?
First time I ever had sticky toffee pudding was several years ago in Las Vegas at one of Gordon Ramsay’s restaurants, and I proclaimed it was one of the best things I had ever eaten. So naturally, we ordered it again every single night until we came home. And then I had to figure out how to make it myself!
Sticky toffee pudding is an English dessert made of a very moist sponge cake, finely chopped dates, and covered in a toffee sauce. The cake itself is light in texture and not overly sweet, which is balanced by the indulgent caramel sauce. Usually served with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, every bite just melts in your mouth. Pure euphoria.
Sticky Toffee Pudding without Dates
Traditionally, this dessert is made with dates and yes, you can stick with that, if preferred. I actually make my version of sticky toffee pudding with prunes instead, which is easier and in my humble opinion, tastier! Bonus: using prunes in these cakes, instead of dates, eliminates the need to soak them in hot water for 10 minutes, because they’re already soft.
I know prunes tend to suffer from a poor identity crisis, always being known as the fruit laxative, but they’re so much more than that – they improve absorption of calcium, act as an antioxidant at cellular level, support healthy bones by providing potassium, magnesium, and vitamin K. Plus, they’re sweet, delicious, and versatile! I use them in salads, baked oatmeal, sauces for grilled meats, or even in compound butter. And yep, in sticky toffee pudding.
Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
You’ll need the following items to make this dessert:
(Scroll below to the printable recipe card for measurements and details.)
- Dry Ingredients: all-purpose flour, baking soda, dark brown sugar, Turbinado (or granulated) sugar, and fine sea salt.
- Wet Ingredients: unsalted butter, large eggs, vanilla, and hot water.
- Prunes: dried, pitted and chopped prunes.
- Toffee sauce: unsalted butter, heavy cream, dark brown sugar, and sea salt.
How to Make Sticky Toffee Pudding
There are really only a few steps needed to make this dessert.
(For all the details, scroll down to the complete printable recipe card and don’t miss the video below.)
- Blend ingredients: In a food processor, you blend together all the ingredients for the cake until combined and smooth.
- Pour batter and bake: Either divide the batter between individual ramekins or pour batter into an 8×8 square baking dish, then cut into squares once baked.
- Make the toffee sauce: Make the toffee sauce on the stovetop, while the cakes are baking. Or you can also make my homemade caramel sauce ahead of time and just heat it up!
- Slice, Drizzle, and Serve: Cake is baked and drizzled with the toffee sauce. Serve as is or place under the broiler for just a couple minutes until the coating bubbles and looks sticky. If using ramekins, turn the cakes out onto plates and if baking in a dish, cut into portions. Serve with some whipped cream or ice cream. SO GOOD!
Make Ahead and Storage
- How long does Sticky Toffee Pudding keep for? Baked, cooled cake and the toffee sauce will keep in the fridge up to 3 days, stored separately in airtight containers.
- Can you freeze Sticky Toffee Pudding? Yes. Wrap cake, without the caramel sauce, in plastic wrap and then again in foil. Freeze up to 2 months and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat with the caramel sauce.
- How to reheat Sticky Toffee Pudding: To reheat cake, remove any plastic wrap (foil is ok), place in the oven for about 10 minutes at 325 degrees (or in the microwave on medium for about 1 minute.) Reheat sauce in the microwave for about a minute.
More Holiday Desserts:
- Swiss Roll
- Cranberry Orange Pound Cake
- Cranberry Fluff
- Turtles Candy
- Saltine Cracker Toffee
- Mini Pumpkin Pies
I hope you love this delicious and simple recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full onFacebook,Instagram,Pinterest, andYouTube!
Sticky Toffee Pudding
5 from 7 Ratings
Perfect British Sticky Toffee Pudding dessert with a moist, tender sponge cake coated in a buttery and luscious caramel sauce. Every bite is to die for! Perfect dessert for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or anytime.
Print Recipe Rate Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
Cook Time 18 minutes minutes
Total Time 38 minutes minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar (or Turbinado sugar)
- 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour , spooned and leveled
- 1 cup prunes , pitted and chopped
- 1/2 cup hot water
For the Toffee Sauce
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- pinch of sea salt
Instructions
FOR BAKING IN INDIVUDUAL RAMEKINS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Coat 6, 4 ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray; place on a baking tray.
Place butter, baking soda, salt, both sugars, eggs, vanilla, and flour in a food processor; pulse until just combined. Add in the prunes and water; pulse until nearly smooth.
Spoon the mixture into the ramekins, about 2/3 way full. Bake for about 18 minutes, until just firm to the touch and springs back to the touch. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Preheat the broiler, putting the rack 4 inches from the heat source.
In the meantime, make the caramel sauce, place butter, cream, brown sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisking continuously until the mixture bubbles gently. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon, stirring often, about 3-4 minutes.
Remove cakes from the ramekins and slice in half horizontally; place the bottom halves back in the ramekins and drizzle with a little of the caramel sauce. Then place the cake tops back on and drizzle with a little more of the caramel sauce. Place the ramekins under the broiler for about 1-2 minutes (watch it closely) until it bubbles and looks sticky.
Turn out cakes onto individual plates and drizzle with a little bit more of the caramel sauce, and a dollop of whipped cream or a drizzle of heavy cream.
BAKING IN A SQUARE DISH: If you prefer to bake the cake in a single baking dish, np! Pour all of the batter into a greased 8×8 square baking dish. Bake for 15 minutes. Tent with foil, and bake another 15 minutes (checking 1 to 2 minutes before the end. A tester should come out clean. Some oven runs hot. Don't over-bake.) Let cool a few minutes, slice into squares and serve with the toffee sauce.
USING DATES: If you prefer using pitted dates instead of prunes, it's an even swap, but dates will need to soak (or simmer) in hot water for at least 10 minutes prior to chopping them, so they're soft and plump.
Video
Nutrition
Serving: 6servings | Calories: 670kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 158mg | Sodium: 333mg | Potassium: 339mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 69g | Vitamin A: 1400IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 90mg | Iron: 1.7mg
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Other Notes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: British
Keyword: Sticky Toffee Pudding
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