Classic Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe

Rich, caramel-forward, and delightfully spongy, sticky toffee pudding is one of those iconic British desserts you should absolutely try before you die. Of all the quintessentially English puddings, the toffee cake is one that stands out amongst the rest thanks to its unique date-infused flavor profile and elegant yet comforting presentation. So, regardless of where you are in the world, it's a special treat that's just as well-suited for following up a Sunday supper as it is for serving at a dinner party.

In my classic sticky toffee pudding recipe, I maintain a familiar formula that just about any Brit might approve of, but I include a few tweaks to make things easier for the home baker. To start, many traditional sticky toffee pudding recipes call for steaming the cake, but mine follows a more modern approach by baking instead, which makes the whole process a bit quicker and simpler. I also opt to make the puddings in a muffin tin, which plays up the single-serve appeal and makes this recipe that much more appropriate for serving a crowd.

There's so much to love about sticky toffee pudding, but my personal favorite aspect is the buttery, sumptuous toffee sauce, which makes the whole treat so incredibly gooey and decadent. Since you prepare the puddings individually in a muffin tin, you can also stop short of soaking all of them in the sauce. Instead, you can leave some plain and enjoy them as more straightforward date muffins, ideal for quick breakfasts and on-the-go snacks. 

For the puddings themselves, you'll need pitted Medjool dates, baking soda, unsalted butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. You'll need some repeat ingredients for the toffee sauce, like brown sugar, salt, unsalted butter, and vanilla, along with a few additional components like heavy cream and molasses. 

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Generously grease the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin tin with butter or nonstick spray.

Chop the dates into small pieces.

Place the chopped dates, 1 cup boiling water, and baking soda into a medium heatproof bowl and stir to combine. Let the date mixture sit for 10 minutes to soften.

Use a fork to mash the dates lightly, leaving some small pieces intact, and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the eggs and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.

Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until just combined.

Stir in the softened date mixture until evenly incorporated.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups. Each cup should be about ¾ full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the puddings are puffed and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Let the puddings cool in the muffin tin for 5–10 minutes while you make the sauce.

For the sauce, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the brown sugar, molasses, heavy cream, and salt. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, and simmer for 3–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sauce has thickened slightly.

Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Carefully turn the puddings out onto a plate or wire rack and poke them all over with a toothpick.

Spoon about 1 tablespoon of warm toffee sauce over each pudding, giving it a minute or two to soak into the holes.

Place each warm pudding on an individual serving plate and spoon the remaining warm toffee sauce generously over the top. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream if desired.

• Fast(ish) Clotted Cream Recipe
• Homemade Whipped Cream Recipe
• 3-Ingredient No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
• Warm and Spicy Chai Tea Recipe
• Easy Matcha Latte Recipe

Medjool dates play a crucial role in sweetening sticky toffee pudding and providing that essential caramel-esque flavor profile. That said, you can't simply chop dates up, throw them into the batter, and call it a day. The key to getting the pudding's texture right is to thoroughly soak the dates, to the point where they break down almost completely and turn into something more akin to a paste than a chewy dried fruit.

As you follow the recipe, you'll notice that I call for soaking the dates in both boiling water and baking soda — but why the baking soda? This ingredient helps soften and break down the dates, specifically the pectin within them, more than just hot water could. The boiling water does play an important role here, of course, since it aids in the whole breaking-down process and allows the dates to absorb more moisture before they go into the batter. By including baking soda in the soaking liquid, your dates will break down that much more easily, meaning you'll end up with a very smooth batter that isn't riddled with chewy chunks.

If you've enjoyed sticky toffee pudding before, perhaps at a restaurant or tea shop, then you may be well aware that the muffin tin format isn't necessarily the standard. A muffin tin is a great and very practical way to make individual pudding servings, but it's far from the only baking option that you have for this recipe.

Another easy baking option involves oven-safe ramekins. Divide the batter evenly amongst your ramekins, filling them about ⅔ to ¾ of the way full. Note that the batter this recipe yields would be enough to fill about eight 6-ounce ramekins. To make handling a bit easier, you can place all of the ramekins onto a lined baking sheet, then bake just until the centers of the puddings are set.

To make a larger sticky toffee pudding, spread all of the batter out into a square or round 9-inch pan and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, until the center is set and just a few moist crumbs come out on a skewer. You could also use a loaf pan, but you'll need to cook the pudding for even longer to accommodate such a thick batter, about 45 to 55 minutes.

• Traditional Steamed Spotted Dick Recipe
• Holiday Trifle Recipe
• Homemade Eton Mess Recipe
• Yorkshire Pudding Recipe
• Chocolate Battenburg Cake Recipe