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A bowl of homemade sticky toffee pudding with ice cream and toffee sauce.

Mom's Sticky Toffee Pudding (The Best)

Cara
Sticky toffee pudding is a classic British dessert featuring a moist, date-infused cake topped with a rich, buttery toffee sauce. Perfectly cozy and simple to make ahead, this recipe is best served warm with an extra drizzle of sauce, making it ideal for entertaining. You can easily double this recipe and bake it in a 9x13" pan to feed a crowd.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Course Baking, Dessert
Cuisine British
Servings 8 people
Calories 485 kcal

Equipment

  • 8x8" baking dish

Ingredients
  

For the Pudding

  • ¾ C dates pitted and chopped
  • 1¼ C boiling water
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ C butter room temperature
  • ¾ C granulated sugar
  • 1 egg room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 C flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the Sauce

  • ½ C butter
  • ½ C heavy cream
  • 1 C brown sugar

Instructions
 

For The Pudding

  • Preheat oven: 350°F.
  • Prep pan: grease an 8x8" baking dish.
  • Prepare dates: Chop dates finely, place in a bowl, pour boiling water over, and add baking soda. Stir and set aside.
  • Cream butter and sugar: In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
  • Add dry ingredients: Combine flour and baking powder, then gradually fold into the egg mixture. Avoid overmixing.
  • Add dates: Fold in the date mixture (see notes if the dates are looking very chunky).
  • Bake: Pour batter into the prepared pan, bake for 35 minutes, or until the top springs back when poked.
  • Broil with sauce: Set oven to broil. Pour about ⅓ cup of sauce over the cake. Broil for 5 minutes, watching to avoid burning.
  • Serve: Spoon more sauce on top of each serving, with ice cream or whipped cream.

For the Toffee Sauce

  • Cook sauce: While the cake bakes, combine butter, cream, and brown sugar in a saucepan over high heat.
  • Simmer: Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low. Let it bubble for 8 minutes, watching closely, but not stirring.
  • Finish: Once thickened, remove from heat.

Video

Notes

  • Texture: The pudding's texture is between cake and pudding, thanks to the dates. To get an even softer texture, puree the date mixture before adding it to the batter. If you're worried that your dates are still too big after the baking soda soak, you can also puree in the blender. 
  • Make-Ahead Option: The pudding can be made up to two days in advance and stored in the fridge. Just reheat before serving for best results.
  • Substitutions: If you’re out of dates, figs or prunes can work as a substitute, though they’ll add a slightly different flavor profile.
  • Serving Suggestion: Sticky toffee pudding is best enjoyed with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream to balance the richness.

Nutrition

Serving: 1sliceCalories: 485kcalCarbohydrates: 69gProtein: 3gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 15gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 83mgSodium: 349mgPotassium: 172mgFiber: 2gSugar: 55gVitamin A: 782IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 1mg
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