Perfect Sticky Toffee Pudding
A Valentine’s Day dessert to make you swoon
This little cupcake-style sticky pudding can be deceiving. Just when you think it’s looking very much like a regular cake with a lovely tender crumb you take a bite and go flying off to heaven. The texture is exquisite with the pureed dates and the flavour is incredible.
And that description comes before your douse the little puddings with warm toffee sauce.
Really, you might as well start with dessert on an evening when you’re serving Sticky Toffee Pudding. It’s so satisfying that I can’t see a need to eat anything else afterwards.
This recipe makes more than a dozen little puddings so you’ll have some left over. Another option is to bake them in little bread tins and cut them in slabs before serving, which we have done to great effect.
Perfect Sticky Toffee Pudding
Sticky Toffee Pudding: decadent little cakes with an exquisite texture and outstanding flavour. Coated in warm caramel sauce.
- Yield: Makes 14–16 muffin-sized puddings. 1x
- Category: Cakes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chopped pitted dried dates (15–20 pitted dates)
- 1½ cups water
- ⅓ cup butter
- 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 extra large eggs
- 5 Tbsp Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- 1⅔ cups flour
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
Molasses Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp. Crosby’s Fancy Molasses
- 1 cup plus 3 Tbsp. 35% cream (whipping cream)
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and grease and flour muffin tins.
- Add the dates and water to a small saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer for two minutes.
- In a large bowl, cream butter brown sugar and vanilla.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the molasses and beat well.
- Sift together the flour and baking powder.
- Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture in three additions and mix until smooth.
- Puree the date mixture in a food processor or blender. Stir in the baking soda then add to the batter.
- Spoon batter into well-greased and floured muffin tins and bake for about 18 – 20 minutes at 350 F until the center is just firm.
- Let cool slightly before removing from tins. These have a delicate crumb so remove them carefully. (Don’t worry if the bottoms look a little messy. Once they’re coated in toffee sauce they’ll look lovely.)
- Serve warm with Toffee Sauce drizzled over. Or you can place them in an oven proof dish, pour over half of the sauce and warm at 350 for 15 minutes or so.
Molasses Caramel Sauce
- Over medium heat, melt the butter, brown sugar and molasses in a heavy bottom medium size pot. (The pot needs to be tall enough to allow for foaming.)
- When the mixture is incorporated, slowly add the cream.
- Boil for 5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.
Jenn
These are really good. I baked mine in Ramekins and that worked really well, baked almost 30 min though. I wrapped the leftovers in plastic wrap and just warmed one in the microwave (15 sec) before serving and then warmed the sauce in the microwave separately, and poured over the top. I have made these twice now and will definitely be making them again, they are a huge hit.
Marie-Pierre Lessard
Thank you Jenn for your glowing comment :)
Diane
I made it for this evening dessert. Fabulous! It was very moist & good on it’s own without sauce.The following day I did the molasses caramel sauce . Yummy!?Thanks for the recipe.
Heid
Looking to try a new sticky toffee recipe-could I bake these in four ounce jars?
Pam Perrin
This recipe and the sauce both are amazing!! Being from New Brunswick; Crosby’s it is in this house❤️
I was hired to provide a meal for an 1812 re – enactors group , making foods of times past . I made this. .. and I was the swarmed !! They all loved it . My meal also included maritime brown bread ( Crosby’s molasses ) , baked beans ( Crosby’s molasses),.. see the theme !! Lol
Crosby Molasses
Hi Pam, Glad your molasses meal with a hit. I’m not surprised :)
Judy MacFarlane
Disappointed – too much molasses and not enough dates.
Crosby Molasses
Hi Judy, This recipe does have more of a cake-like texture. I hope you’re able to find a recipe that suits your palate.
Anne
I made these for a St. Patrick’s Day supper. After the corned beef and cabbage, these were a nice counter for the Salty Stew. I served with the molasses caramel sauce and double ginger caramel ice cream. Delicious.
Leslie
You suggest bread tins as an option. Can you recommend size and baking time?
I have just made it in the muffin tins and we’ve devoured half of them. So incredibly delicious. Exactly what I was hoping it would be and so easy!
Lynn Purdy
Leslie,
I am so happy that you devoured the pudding. It is delicious. We used a small bread pan, about 2 1/2″ x 5″ and start checking them after 30 minutes. I hope this helps.
Brenda Keil
I have made a lot of puréed dates already. Can you tell me how much I would use rather than the 15-20 pitted dates?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Brenda, If I had to guess I’d say about a cup of puree. But that’s just a guess. Do you recall how many dates (or the weight) you used for your puree? You may be able to work back from there. Good luck.
Sandy Neustaedter
I found it a bit heavy in the molasses taste and I used Crosby’s. Will use1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) next time.
My sauce recipe is:
1/2 cup real butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
Heat till sugar dissolved.
Add 3/4 cup heavy cream and simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat and add teaspoon of vanilla or rum flavouring.
Lynn Purdy
Sandy, Thanks for sharing your recipe. Some people like the extra flavour of molasses and some people do not. We have to do whatever makes us happy. Thanks for trying the recipe and using Crosby Molasses.
Eleanor Beck
Love the flavour of molasses
Vivienne
Hi Bridget
Would you please let me know:
Should sauce be added before or after freezing?
If after freezing, should it be added before or after warming the puddings?
Should frozen puddings be thawed in the fridge or on the countertop?
At what temperature, and for how long should puddings be warmed?
Should they be covered when warming?
Lot of questions, I know, but I really don’t know how to do this.
Thanks.
Crosby Molasses
Hi Vivienne, I would add the sauce just before serving the puddings (so after they have been thawed). I would thaw them on the counter. To warm the puddings I’d put them in a 325 F oven, and cover them with foil so they don’t dry out. If they’re room temperature when they go in the oven, 10-15 minutes of warming should do the trick. Enjoy!
Lois Davies
This look amazing. I am wondering if you could use cupcake liners in the muffin pans as opposed to greasing and flouring?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Lois, Yes, cupcake liners work well. In fact, I have used cupcake liners with this recipe.
Janis
Just the sticky pudding recipe I have been looking for! We loved it and have some in the freezer for special treats. Thank you!
Trena Adair
Where is sauce receipt ?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Trena, Here’s the sauce recipe: https://www.crosbys.com//molasses-caramel-sauce/ Enjoy.
Joyce Preeper
Love molasses recipes
Joan Shillington
Can the sticky toffee puddings be frozen?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Joan, The sticky toffee puddings freeze well.
Robert Langham
Hi all, Just made a batch of sticky toffee pudding and I used to have Devon custard on it . Will try the ones I have made with the Devon custard on.
Crosby Molasses
Custard is a lovely addition. I have never put it on a sticky toffee pudding.
Lynda Lou MacIntyre
In England, custard is often served on the sticky toffee puddings, sometimes with the brown sugar sauce!
Suzanne
Any recommendations on how to freeze? I’m wondering if you would freeze before or after adding sauce? Perhaps freeze without the sauce, than thaw in fridge, reheat and then add sauce.
Protecting would be a concern, wrapping in plastic, flash freezing and then vacuum sealing it and returning it to the freezer.
Any recommendations would be appreciated.
Crosby Molasses
Hi Suzanne! You can absolutely freeze the pudding. just thaw on the counter and reheat in a 350 oven.
barbaa hudaon
Really good
Claire Mazerolle
I love Crosby s
Valerie Edgett
Hi Bridget – your recipe for sticky toffee pudding looks really good. You mention to serve it with warm toffee sauce and is that the same as the recipe you have for Molasses Carmel Sauce?
Crosby Molasses
Hi Valerie, Yes, it’s the molasses caramel sauce recipe. It’s lovely with the sticky toffee pudding.
Joan Chipman
I love trying new recipes, especially those that make me think of days gone by. I have the dates to try Sticky Pudding. I have been searching for a recipe for real butterscotch sauce. I learned the difference between caramel and butterscotch is brown sugar. And dark brown sugar makes the best butterscotch, because …. ta da! of the molasses. l try a lot of caramel recipes. I want to see if my friends can taste the difference. Thanks for all the recipes.
Lynn Purdy
Joan, so happy that we enticed you with the Swoon-worthy Sticky toffee pudding. I am sure no one will be disappointed.