Sticky Toffee Pudding (Classic British Dessert Recipe)
Moist date sponge drenched in a rich, buttery toffee sauce — Britain's most beloved pudding. Served warm with vanilla ice cream or clotted cream.
What is this dish?
Sticky toffee pudding is a moist, dense sponge made with soaked and puréed dates, smothered in a rich butterscotch toffee sauce. It is one of the most celebrated British puddings — rich, warming, and deeply satisfying.
Why you'll love it
It is the definitive British comfort dessert. The combination of the sticky, date-rich sponge and the buttery toffee sauce is irresistible. It can be almost entirely made ahead.
When to serve
A Sunday lunch dessert, Christmas dinner, a dinner party pudding, or any occasion requiring a warming, indulgent British classic.
Quick tips
Soak the dates fully. Pour the sauce over while hot. Use muscovado sugar for depth. Make ahead and reheat — it improves.
Medjool Dates
The essential ingredient. When soaked, blended, and added to the batter, they provide deep, caramel-like sweetness, moisture, and a sticky texture. No other fruit achieves the same result.
Light Muscovado Sugar
An unrefined brown sugar with a high molasses content that gives both the sponge and toffee sauce their characteristic deep, slightly bitter sweetness.
Double Cream
The base of the toffee sauce. Combined with butter and muscovado sugar and simmered for 4 minutes, it produces a rich, thick butterscotch that is the defining element of the dish.
Substitution Options
Use plain flour plus 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder if self-raising flour is unavailable. Substitute dark muscovado for a more intense, slightly bitter sauce. Add 1 teaspoon of ground ginger or mixed spice to the sponge batter for a spiced version.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Soak the dates
Place the chopped dates in a bowl. Pour over the boiling water. Add the bicarbonate of soda and stir. Leave to soak for 10–15 minutes until the dates are completely soft. The bicarb reacts with the dates and water — the mixture will bubble and darken.
Pro Tips:
- •The dates must be completely soft before blending — undersoaked dates leave fibrous pieces in the sponge.
- •Medjool dates produce the deepest, most caramel-like flavour. Regular pitted dates also work well.
Make the sponge batter
Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan 160°C). Grease a 20x20cm baking tin (or 6 individual pudding moulds). Beat the softened butter and sugar until fluffy — about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. Mash or blend the date mixture to a rough purée. Fold the date purée into the butter mixture. Sift in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold until just combined.
Pro Tips:
- •Don't overmix once the flour is added — fold until just combined for a light sponge.
- •The batter will look quite wet — this is correct due to the high liquid content from the dates.
Bake
Pour the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 25–30 minutes until risen, deep brown, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Pro Tips:
- •The sponge should be quite dark — deeper brown than a regular sponge — due to the dates and muscovado sugar.
- •Individual pudding moulds take 18–22 minutes; check from 18 minutes.
Make the toffee sauce
While the sponge bakes, combine the butter, muscovado sugar, and double cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly and turns a deep golden brown. Add vanilla and a pinch of salt.
Pro Tips:
- •Don't leave the sauce unattended — muscovado sugar can catch and burn quickly.
- •The sauce thickens significantly as it cools — remove from heat while still a little looser than you want it to be.
Soak and serve
Pour half the toffee sauce over the hot sponge immediately from the oven — it soaks into the top and edges. Cut into squares and serve each portion with additional warm toffee sauce spooned over the top, alongside vanilla ice cream or clotted cream.
Pro Tips:
- •Pouring the sauce over while the sponge is hot allows it to absorb rather than sit on top.
- •Reheat leftover sauce in a pan with a splash of cream to restore its consistency.
Chef's Tips
Techniques that separate good from great
Make the sauce 3–4 days ahead
The toffee sauce keeps in the fridge for up to a week and reheats beautifully. Making it ahead means the dessert can be on the table in minutes on the day.
Poke holes in the sponge before pouring the sauce
Use a skewer to poke 20–30 holes in the surface of the sponge before pouring the hot toffee sauce over it. The sauce penetrates deeper into the sponge, making every layer sticky and flavourful.
Nutrition Facts
Equipment Needed
- 20x20cm baking tin or 6 individual pudding moulds
- Electric mixer
- Saucepan
- Sieve
Quick Tips
- The dates must be fully soaked and soft — they provide all the moisture and sweetness of the sponge.
- Pour the toffee sauce over the sponge while it is still hot from the oven so the sponge absorbs it.
- Muscovado sugar in both the sponge and sauce is essential for the characteristic deep, molasses-rich toffee flavour.
Recipe Variations
Different ways to make this dish your own
Sticky Toffee Pudding with Salted Caramel
Add 1 teaspoon of sea salt flakes to the finished toffee sauce for a salted caramel version.
Sticky Toffee Pudding Muffins
Bake in a muffin tin for individual portions — 18–22 minutes. Core each muffin and fill with warm toffee sauce before serving.
Spiced Sticky Toffee Pudding
Add 1 teaspoon of mixed spice and ½ teaspoon of ground ginger to the sponge batter for a Christmas-spiced version.
What to Serve With
Perfect pairings to complete the meal
Vanilla Ice Cream
Cold, melting vanilla ice cream against the hot, sticky pudding is the definitive combination.
Clotted Cream
Rich, thick clotted cream is the most British accompaniment — its slight savouriness contrasts perfectly with the sweet toffee sauce.
Custard
A classic British pairing — warm, vanilla-scented pouring custard alongside sticky toffee pudding is deeply comforting.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Keep it fresh and plan ahead
Refrigerator
Store covered for up to 4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave for 1–2 minutes or in the oven at 160°C for 15 minutes.
Freezer
Freeze the uniced sponge for up to 3 months. Freeze sauce separately. Thaw overnight and reheat.
Make-Ahead
Bake 2 days ahead. Make sauce up to 5 days ahead. Reheat everything separately and combine when serving.
Reheating
Cover with foil and reheat at 160°C for 15 minutes. Reheat sauce in a pan with a splash of cream.
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