Sticky Date Pudding – you’re my favourite and always will be. Also known as Sticky Toffee Pudding, the simple trick that makes all the difference is to pour some Butterscotch Sauce over the warm cake when it comes out of the oven. It makes it ultra moist and gives it that intense dark colour. Plus, more sauce to serve, of course!
Sticky Date Pudding – a childhood favourite!
Who else has childhood memories of Sara Lee frozen Sticky Date Pudding??
It is the only store bought dessert my mother ever bought – and only on special occasions. And as much as I loved it, my one gripe was always that there was not enough Butterscotch Sauce to go around.
Never fear. You won’t have that problem with this recipe! 😂
I know this recipe is called Sticky Toffee Pudding by most of the world – other than Australia and New Zealand it seems. And given that dates are the key ingredient in the pudding, I would say we’ve got it right for this one!!
Dates are key
I am pretty sure this is the only recipe I use dates for. And I realise that the photo above of the date sludge may look thoroughly unappetising to some people, but rest assured even if you’re a date hater that you can’t taste it in the end result.
The dates contribute to the stickiness and moistness of the sponge, as well as giving it colour. Don’t ask me for a sub! (Oh wait, you can. Prunes. Pretty much the same thing! 😂)
Individual puddings – or a large one for sharing
I think it’s more common here in Australia to make one pudding cake that is then cut to serve. Sara Lee frozen dessert style. Whereas in the UK it seems more common to make individual puddings.
I might be wrong here. But either way will work fine, and I’ve provided cook times and directions for both.
Secret tip: Douse hot pudding with sauce
If you’ve ever made one of those cakes that you douse with syrup, you’ll know exactly what you’re in for with this trick!
It goes like this – as soon as the pudding comes out of the oven, poke lots of holes using a skewer (I find this strangely satisfying but let’s not read too much into this), then pour over some hot butterscotch sauce.
This makes the pudding intensely moist as well as staining the sponge to give it that signature dark brown colour, rather than being a pale golden colour which many sticky toffee pudding recipes are.
It also means this pudding keeps for days and days in the fridge and once reheated, it’s just like it’s fresh out of the oven.
The only question is – will you serve yours with cream or ice cream? I’m an ice cream gal, all the way!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Sticky Date Pudding
Ingredients
- 280g / 9 oz pitted dates , roughly chopped (Note 1)
- 1 tsp baking soda / bi carb soda
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/4 cup brown sugar , loosely packed
- 80g / 6 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
- 2 eggs , at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups plain flour (all purpose flour)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Butterscotch Sauce:
- 1 cup brown sugar , tightly packed
- 1 1/2 cups thickened cream (heavy cream)
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 70g / 5 tbsp unsalted butter
Serving:
- Ice cream or dolloping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).
- Grease 7 pudding moulds (Note 2) with butter or grease and line a 20 cm / 8″ square cake pan with overhang.
Mashed Dates:
- Place dates in a bowl, sprinkle over baking soda. Pour over boiling water. Stand 10 minutes, then mash well with a potato masher (or fork) until it resembles sloppy porridge (see video for texture / thickness). (Note 3)
Batter:
- Place butter and sugar in a bowl. Beat until combined and smooth.
- Add eggs, beat until incorporated.
- Add flour then sprinkle baking powder across the surface. Mix until flour is incorporated.
- Add dates, mix quickly until dates are well incorporated into the batter. (Note 2) Follow directions to make one pudding or individual ones.
One Pudding:
- Pour into cake pan, smooth surface. Bake 35 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- While still hot, poke about 40 holes all over the surface using a skewer. Pour over 1/2 cup Butterscotch Sauce, leave to soak for 10 minutes.
- Use overhang to lift cake out. Cut, serve warm with remaining warm sauce and ice cream or cream.
Baking Individual Puddings:
- Pour batter into pudding moulds, only fill 2/3 of the way up.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- While still hot, poke about 10 holes on the surface of the pudding. Spoon over 1 tbsp of Butterscotch Sauce per Pudding. Leave to soak 10 minutes.
- Turn pudding moulds upside down on serving plate. Serve warm with remaining warm sauce and ice cream or cream.
Butterscotch Sauce:
- Place ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Once butter is melted, stir, then bring to simmer.
- Simmer for 2 minutes, stirring once, then remove from heat. Serve warm.
Recipe Notes:
– This recipe probably makes more sauce than you need – but it’s better to err on the side of caution!
– An electric beater will make your life easier but a whisk + wooden spoon will work fine too without exerting yourself too much. Just make sure your butter is well softened and easy to mix by hand.
– Poking holes into the pudding and pouring the sauce over to soak stains the pudding sponge a darker colour as well as adding more moisture into the pudding.
– Sticky Date Pudding is indulgent and very sweet, from both the dates + sugar in sauce. If you don’t have a sweet tooth, this dessert is not for you! To reduce sweetness, you can skimp on the sauce. Or make a lighter, less sweet sauce as follows: Use half the sugar, butter and cream, make per recipe. When it simmers, add 1 cup low fat milk, then 2 tsp cornflour/cornstarch dissolved in 1 tbsp water. Simmer to thicken. 4. Make Ahead: Exceptional for reheating because it’s so moist. Poke the holes and soak with sauce, reserve remaining sauce for serving. Best way to reheat is in the microwave because it keeps the pudding moist. 5. Nutrition per serving, assuming 9 servings and that all Sauce is consumed, which it may not be. I like to ensure there is enough Sauce because running out is a disaster. Nutrition for 7 individual puddings is 703 calories per serving. They are very generous sizes with loads of sauce (because the sauce recipe makes enough for 9 servings for the pudding cake), so when I scale the Sauce down by 20%, it reduces to 606 calories. Calories per serve for lightened up sauce (see Less Sweet Sauce above) is 477 calories.
More cosy warm desserts for cold winter nights
Life of Dozer
If you look real close on the right side, you’ll see the tiniest glimpse of my hand as I desperately tried to hold Dozer back from doing a face plant into the Pupcakes…..
Hi Nagi,
Just wondering if I can use a glass or porcelain baking dish instead of a metal one?
Thanks in advance!
I used small Emile Henry ceramic pie dishes — no issues.
You sure can, just grease well. N x
Hi Nagi.
So glad u have created this website! There are so many good recipes and you make them easy as. I have made this twice recently for dinner parties and everyone has raved about it – along with the mains and sides (also thanks to recipietineats).
So many good recipes.
Great work. Love it. Thanks👌
Thanks so much Rachel, I truly enjoy hearing what people think of my recipes 🥰 N x
Made this last night and my daughter wanted to eat it instead of dinner 🙂 thank you for all your wonderful recipes 🙏🏽😁❤️
Made individual ones last night and they turned out great. The sauce is amazing!
Another amazing recipe! I made it and we absolutely loved it. Including my husband and almost 3 yo son. My husband was secretly eating the butterscotch on its own and when I caught him he said that the butterscotch is too good should be in the fridge all the time 🤦🏼♀️
When I asked my son what he wants for breakfast (the next morning) he insisted that he wants the sticky date pudding. I made a little compromise. I gave him only the pudding without the ice cream and extra butterscotch. You should see the happiness in his eyes ❤️ He kept saying yum yum yum. 😊
I know you get it often but your web is amazing. I found you 1,5 week ago and I can’t stop cooking your recipes. I run out of food ideas long time ago and was cooking the same dishes every week. My husband is really excited to have different dishes every day. Me too. Thank you, Nagi! ❤️
This looks scrumptious and I am planning to make it today, but just one question : can i prepare the batter in advance (by lunch) and bake it 6-7 hours later for dinner?
Hi Veer, no you can’t sorry – once you activate the raising agent you need to bake the cakes. N x
I’ve always like sticky date puddings and always regret the bought ones as they are always too sweet and you don’t get much of the date taste. love this recipe as do my family n neighbours. I dont add sugar for the batter as I find it too sweet instead beat the eggs with softened butter until light then add flour. We love the sauce and I always double it, reduce the sugar and add a little salt. I think it balances the sweetness of the sauce. This recipe is a “keeper” for me. Thanks for sharing!
Nagi, You said no subs for dates, BUT, could I use fresh purple figs instead? A mixup a the fruit market got me a kg of them. Way too much for one person. Help!
Hi Patricia, I honestly haven’t tried as this recipe is all about the dates! I would love to know if you give it a go! N x
Hi Nagi,
Just wondering if you can make this ahead of time if you don’t have a microwave?
Hi Ally, you sure can! Make the puddings ahead of time, I would reheat the sauce over a low heat on the stove and the puddings covered in the oven for 10 minutes should work a treat! N x
made this tonight – Father Day dinner. I will say up front that I don’t like sticky date pudding. It is too sweet for me.
That said, the family loved it!
As in….truly loved it. I would add that cooking time for me was about 5 minutes less and I only used 1 cup cream (not 1.5).
Will make again for the family. Thanks,,,,yet again….Nagi 🙂
Hi Nagi I”d like to make these today for Father’s Day tomorrow. I only have metal dariole moulds so would it be best to reheat in a bain marie in oven OR remove the puddings from the moulds and reheat on a plate in microwave? Cheers and thanks, Lia
Hi Nagi , Made these many times . My recipe calls for grated dark chocolate with the dates. They freeze very well, Excellent for that special dessert with the sauce and whipped cream.. No Calories LOL
Hi Nagi. I’m making your individual sticky date puddings next week. I purchased the diarole moulds you suggested. I get all of your instructions, but one thing I am I’m unsure about when making a day ahead, do I leave them in the moulds and reheat in the microwave, or remove from the moulds prior to warming up. I’m not sure if they will collapse or lose have the sauce run out. I look forward to hearing back from you. Thanks ever so much Nagi. I’ll post how it turned out. Cheers, Robyn
I would like to make this recipe for Christmas day, could I prepare ahead of time and freeze and reheat on the day?
Rachael, just wondering did you do this? I am thinking of doing them this year….. did you do one large pudding or individual puds? Thanks in advance
Hi Nagi, I am looking at making this ahead of time.
1. What is the best way to store this one, in the fridge in an airtight container?
2. What is the beat way to reheat the sauce, would the microwave be okay for this too?
Hi Mandy, store in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat on a low setting in the microwave. 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi ! , Thanks for sharing the detailed , yummy recipie .Your clear step by step instructions made it really easy to follow . My guests loved it . I made the single dish version . Your recipie has reached Bahrain and it’s the date season. Thanks again 💞
So Good! First time ever making this and I’m in love. Really moist, perfect sweetness and really simple to make.
Wow! Best Sticky Date Pudding. Ever.
Hey Nagi!
Your website is by far my favorite go to recipe place, thank you so much!
Since it’s just me + husband I was wondering how long the leftovers will last or if we can freeze some puddings? Thanks for your help!
So I’ve been through this recipe halfway twice, and every time I’ve tried the butter/sugar/eggs mixture has split ☹️ Not sure what the issue might be other than the fact I’m using dark brown sugar rather than just brown sugar? Other desserts where I’ve swapped dark brown for brown have worked. If someone has any insight it would be most helpful. Was really looking forward to this date pudding 😭
Hi Aryaa, are your eggs and butter at room temperature? Also add the eggs VERY slowly making sure it’s well mixed before adding more. Hope that helps x
Hi Aryaa, does it come together when you add the flour? Using dark brown sugar wont make a difference here. N x
I so want to try this but it might be a little too sweet for our taste. Will skipping the sugar and using just dates in the cake be okay?
Hi Sravani, sticky date is known for being sweet, it wont work unfortunately if you leave the sugar out. N x