Tired of being disappointed with dry, average sticky toffee pudding cakes? No longer! Say hello to the easiest recipe that makes the softest sticky toffee pudding with fresh dates and a delicious butterscotch sauce made with just 3 ingredients. It’s super simple to make and is an absolute crowd favorite.
There’s nothing more warming on a cold winter day than a warm sticky toffee pudding jam-packed with dates and soaked in an indulgent and rich butterscotch sauce. It really beats every other winter dessert, at least for me!
My encounters with sticky toffee pudding, however, have not been so pleasant. Every time I order it from any cafe or restaurant, I leave disappointed after being served a hunk of dry cake that barely tastes like dates and is doused in overly sweet butterscotch sauce.
That’s NOT what it’s supposed to be!
I was so tired of wasting my money on these overpriced, terrible renditions of sticky toffee pudding that I knew I had to give it my own spin.
In my head, I knew exactly what a sticky toffee pudding is meant to be – an almost chewy cake that’s JAM-PACKED with dates, so moist that you can just sink your teeth into it, and doused in a silky, smooth, and delicious butterscotch sauce that adds to the tenderness of the pudding. And guys, this recipe creates EXACTLY that.
What Makes This Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe SO GOOD?
Let me tell you what makes this recipe so amazing.
- The amount of dates.
Dates are the most important ingredient in sticky toffee pudding; it’s supposed to be the star ingredient. While most recipes use only a moderate amount of dates, this one is FILLED with them. You’ll taste the dates front and center in every bite. - The brown butter
This recipe uses brown butter instead of regular butter, which adds more depth of flavor to the dessert. We use it in both the pudding and the butterscotch sauce, so that’s double the flavor! You can substitute it for regular butter, but using brown butter takes it to a whole new level.
How To Make Brown Butter
Brown butter is an easy way to add more flavor to desserts, and it’s really simple to make. Think of it like regular bread vs. toasted bread – just as toasted bread has a more roasty, toasty, and nutty flavor, brown butter has a deeper, nutty flavor thanks to the toasted milk solids.
Making brown butter basically just means cooking the butter, but you have to make sure that the milk solids are perfectly toasted but not burnt.
You can go through my full brown butter guide for detailed instructions!
How To Make Homemade Date Puree
To make the date puree, choose any soft and sweet dates that you can find. I used Sukkari dates as they’re quite sweet and soften easily.
Here are the steps to make the date puree.
- Remove the pits from the dates before measuring, then cut them into small pieces and place them in a saucepan with water.
- Let the dates cook on medium heat for 10-15 minutes until they soften and the water almost evaporates.
- Blend the dates with the remaining water until the puree is smooth and has no chunks. The dates should blend very easily as they have already been softened.
- Let the puree cool before adding it to the batter.
This date puree can be made in advance and stored to make the process easier for you.
How To Make The Butterscotch Sauce
This butterscotch sauce is one of the easiest things to make. It’s made with only 3 ingredients – brown sugar, butter, and heavy cream (or liquid whipping cream)- and follows a NO-FUSS recipe.
Here are the steps to make the butterscotch sauce.
- Add the brown butter, brown sugar, and butter into a pan and let the ingredients melt completely.
- Whisk the sauce until fully combined, making sure that the sugar has melted completely.
- Cook the sauce for 60-90 seconds, then take it off the heat, add the salt, and whisk until combined.
- Blend the sauce immediately (while it’s still hot) to emulsify the ingredients properly. Don’t wait for the sauce to cool down, or the cream will start to whip and thicken the sauce when blended.
The butterscotch sauce is INTEGRAL to this sticky toffee pudding, so make sure you’re pouring it generously on your pudding – once right after baking, then again before serving. Your pudding should be soaking in syrup.
The sauce can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 10 days, and it makes for the perfect topping for ice cream and cakes and tastes delicious in a cup of coffee or hot chocolate!
Tips for Making the Best Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Make sure the brown sugar isn’t clumpy. Oftentimes, brown sugar forms clumps during storage. Make sure to break them down before whisking it with eggs for a smoother, more consistent mix.
- Don’t over-whisk the eggs and brown sugar. The pudding is meant to be dense and fudgy, not light and airy, so we don’t want to aerate the eggs too much. It already has baking powder and soda, which will help with the rise.
- Mix the dry ingredients separately before adding them to the eggs so that they are evenly mixed throughout the batter.
- Don’t overmix the batter after adding the flour. We want the pudding to be extremely moist, and the less we mix, the lower amount of gluten forms and the softer the cake.
- Make sure the date paste is evenly mixed into the batter so that there are no chunks of it in the cake.
- Bake the pudding until it’s just set and still slightly soft in the center. This makes sure that the cake does not dry out. In other words, when you poke it with a toothpick to check if it’s done, there should still be a few crumbs on it, and it should not be entirely clean.
- Poke proper holes all the way to the bottom into the pudding before pouring the butterscotch sauce. This makes sure that the pudding is properly soaked throughout.
- Pour the butterscotch sauce on the pudding while it’s still hot to make sure that the sauce is properly absorbed into it.
So, are you ready to make the most delicious sticky toffee pudding? Let’s get started!
PS: I always measure ingredients in grams, never in cups. Using a measuring scale is the only way to bake accurately. Cups are unreliable and can give different measurements, so I suggest you buy a measuring scale before you start baking! If you can’t get your hands on one, you can use the online tools for converting grams into cups; however, I do not guarantee their accuracy.
Sticky Toffee Pudding With Butterscotch Sauce
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Blender
- Hand whisk
- 7" square baking pan
Ingredients
Sticky Toffee Pudding
- 215 grams pitted dates weigh without the seed
- 100 ml water
- 2 eggs
- 185 grams packed brown sugar
- 50 grams brown butter, melted and cooled sub for 60 grams regular unsalted butter
- 200 grams all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4th tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
Butterscotch Sauce
- 120 grams brown butter sub for 150 grams regular unsalted butter
- 265 grams packed brown sugar
- 210 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream use 190 ml cream if using regular butter instead of brown butter
Instructions
- Make the Date Puree: In a saucepan, add the dates and water and bring to a boil on high heat, then let it simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until the dates are soft, and most of the water has evaporated. Transfer the dates (with the remaining water) into a blender and blend until completely smooth. Let the date puree cool before using.215 grams pitted dates, 100 ml water
- Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius and prepare the 7" square pan with parchment paper or butter.
- Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl – flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.200 grams all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 3/4th tsp baking soda, 1/2 tsp salt
- Add eggs and brown sugar in a separate bowl and mix using a hand whisk until combined, 2-5 minutes. Add the melted butter and mix again until combined.2 eggs, 185 grams packed brown sugar, 50 grams brown butter, melted and cooled
- Add the dry ingredients to the batter in 3 parts and fold them in using a silicone spatula until fully combined.
- Once the dry ingredients are fully mixed into the liquid ingredients, add the cooled date puree and fold it into the batter using a silicone spatula until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the pudding is set in the center but still soft. A toothpick should come out with a few crumbs. While the pudding bakes, make the butterscotch sauce.
- Make the Butterscotch Sauce: Add all the ingredients to a saucepan and cook on medium-high heat while stirring until the butter melts. Once the sauce starts boiling, bring the heat down and let it simmer for 60-90 seconds until the sauce thickens. Take off the heat and blend immediately.120 grams brown butter, 210 ml liquid whipping cream/heavy cream, 265 grams packed brown sugar
- Once the pudding is baked, poke holes in it using a fork and pour a generous amount of sauce while the cake is still hot. Let the cake soak in the sauce for 30 minutes before serving. PS: Don't forget to save some sauce for serving!
- Serve warm with ice cream and extra butterscotch sauce.
Notes
- This sticky toffee pudding can be stored for up to 3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Remember to heat it before serving.
- The butterscotch sauce can be stored for up to 10 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator and can be made ahead. If the sauce gets thick, heat it in the microwave before serving to soften it.
This will be your new favorite recipe if you love dates and butterscotch sauce! If you give it a try, let me know how you liked it in the comments, and share it with me on Instagram!
Until next time
