Best Sticky Toffee Pudding
If you believe that certain desserts exist solely to be vehicles for a thick, luxurious caramel sauce, then this sticky toffee pudding is about to fulfill—or perhaps surpass—your sweetest dreams. While this website boasts an array of sweet, buttery caramel-infused recipes, none quite match the decadence of having caramel seeped directly into a steaming, bubbling masterpiece of molten pudding. Originating from England, this beloved Christmas dessert is at its best when served piping hot, bathed in warm toffee sauce, and crowned with velvety vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. pitted dates (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/8 tsp. ground cloves
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- Vanilla ice cream, for serving
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Instructions
- For the Pudding: Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a medium bowl, combine dates, baking soda, and 1 cup boiling water. Let stand until softened (15 minutes), then transfer to a blender and process until smooth.
- Butter ramekins or a baking dish and set on a baking sheet.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and cloves.
- Using a stand mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla, then gradually add the flour mixture and date mixture, beating until just combined.
- Spoon the mixture into prepared ramekins or baking dish.
- Bake until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean (25-30 minutes for ramekins, 55 minutes to 1 hour for the baking dish). Poke holes in the pudding with a fork.
- For the Toffee Sauce: In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add brown sugar and salt, bring to a boil. Whisk in whipping cream slowly until combined. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
- Pour sauce over each pudding or the entire pudding.
- Return to the oven and bake until the sauce is bubbly and soaks into the pudding (about 5 minutes for ramekins, 10 minutes for the baking dish).
- Allow to cool before serving hot with the remaining sauce and vanilla ice cream.