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If you're not familiar with this iconic British treat you're about to be introduced to one of the most delicious desserts on the planet!
I must admit though, before I wrote this post, I had a major misconception about it.
In the past, whenever I thought of sticky toffee pudding, my mind would conjure up images of England in days gone by. I pictured rustic little pudding/cakes swimming in sweet, sticky toffee sauce being eaten by kings, knights, lords and ladies-in-waiting. In my imagination, they might have even gathered around a round table or partied in a huge, guilded banquet hall as they indulged in this decadent and crazy-delicious, dessert.
Was I ever misinformed! I hate to disillusion you too, but the truth must prevail; Sticky Toffee Pudding is actually a relatively modern dessert - and didn't originate in England! The story is told that the dessert  was first served in the 1970's by Francis Coulson at his Sharro Bay Country House Hotel in the Lake District of England. It's claimed that he received the recipe from a friend and fellow hotelier who had originally gotten the recipe from two Canadian air force officers who had stayed at her hotel during the second world war. Canadian? Yes!
Not quite how I imagined, but you know what? It doesn't matter a bit, it's still one of the most delicious desserts on the planet and no history (or lack of history) can change that!
I've been making this Sticky Toffee Pudding since 2002, when it first appeared in Food and Wine, but I have adapted it a bit over the years. I'm a bit lazy, so instead of using a food processor and a mixer (as instructed in the Food and Wine recipe), I've figured out how to get the same results with just the mixer. And, in a nod to my affection for delicious, yet simple recipes, I've switched out the 40 minute caramel sauce for my Ridiculously Easy Caramel Sauce, which comes together in 5 minutes. To me, it tastes just as good (actually ridiculously good). I've made a few other small adaptions, but for the most part, I follow the Food and Wine recipe with wonderful results.
The directions call for slicing the cakes in two after baking and drizzling each layer with the delicious, buttery toffee sauce. The layers are put back together and then returned to the oven for a short stint. This is where the sauce and the cake magically become one, and an ordinary little cake is transformed into something super extraordinary!
So pin or bookmark this one in your upcoming holiday recipe collection. Serve it slightly warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of the caramel sauce. Don't worry if you  notice one or two guests picking up their dessert plate and licking it clean - that's perfectly normal behavior for Sticky Toffee Pudding!
P.S. If you missed our last post, London Life, you might not be aware that we're posting from London this week, where we're visiting our daughter and her family. Hence the classic British recipe today.
Tomorrow, Scott and I will be heading to France, where we've rented a flat in Provence for a week. We'll be sharing our adventures (including a day of cooking at a Provencal cooking school!) as well as some wonderful southern French recipes, starting with this amazing Beef Daube, an incredibly delicious, make-ahead dinner in a bowl. Beef stew, Provencal style!
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Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ingredients
- For the sticky toffee pudding cake:
- 6 ounces chopped, pitted dates
- Âľ cup water
- Âľ cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ÂĽ teaspoon baking soda
- ÂĽ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter, softened
- Âľ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For the sticky toffee pudding sauce:
- 1 stick butter, 4 ounces
- Âľ cup dark brown sugar, you can use light brown sugar too, but the sauce will be a bit lighter in color
- ½ cup whipping or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla bean paste
- a pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- For the cakes, simmer the dates and the water in a medium-size pan over moderately low heat until the water is nearly absorbed and the dates are soft, about 15 minutes. With a sturdy spoon, vigorously stir the date mixture till smooth. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Generous grease six ½-cup ramekins. In a small bowl, whisk the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter with the brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and beat well, then add the date puree and mix until combined.
- On low speed, add the dry ingredients, mixing just until flour disappears. Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins and smooth the tops.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean; let cool slightly.
- Using a sharp, serrated knife, trim the tops of the cakes level with the rims of the ramekins.
- Unmold the cakes and invert them onto a wire rack. Slice each cake in half horizontally. Wipe out the ramekins and spoon 1 tablespoon of the toffee sauce into each. Return the bottom layers of the cakes to the ramekins, cut side up. Spoon another tablespoon of the toffee sauce into the ramekins and top with the remaining cake layers. Spoon another tablespoon of the toffee sauce over the cakes and spread evenly. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the toffee is bubbling around the edges.*
- Serve warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- While the cakes are baking, make the sauce. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Add brown sugar and whisk vigorously till combined and bubbly.
- Add cream and continue stirring until completely incorporated.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add vanilla and a pinch of sea salt. Stir until combined.
- Serve warm or allow to cool. Stir vigorously, then store in refrigerator. Mixture will thicken as it cools. After refrigeration, warm slightly in the microwave or on the stovetop.
Notes
I sometimes use 3-ounce ramekins for these little puddings which gives me 8 desserts.
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I made this sticky toffee pudding for my nieces. So, the 5 stars are based on their comments. I didn’t have any. During our visit to Belfast in 2018 and to London in 2019, my nieces had sticky toffee pudding in both places. My nieces said this recipe tasted better than the sticky toffee pudding they ate in Belfast and in London.
One of my top favorite desserts (possibly even foods)! Never met a STP I didn't like. I honestly don't think you can mess it up! I'm naughty and sometimes add some booze to my sauce, oh my!
Beautiful photos!!
Pinning immediately to try next time we have company! It sounds heavenly with the ice cream. The pinch of sea salt is perfect.
Chris, can the cakes be frozen? I am thinking about making these ahead of time, freezing them, then defrost, slice, sauce and warm on Thanksgiving Day. I have too much going on to actually make and bake on Thanksgiving. Thanks!
Hi Michele,
I think they should freeze just fine. I haven’t frozen these but freeze lots of other cakes. Hope you enjoy them!
And to think that I thought this was the only good thing that came out of jolly old England! Well, at least now I only have to go as far as Canada! Seriously though- I've had this and made this and it is killer! Have fun!
Thanks so much Abbe!
One of my favourite desserts and can't wait to try your recipe, Chris! Have a wonderful holiday 🙂
Thanks Jennifer, you too!
I never knew this was originally a Canadian recipe! I've never had this (and obviously haven't made it). Love the idea of it, though, and yours looks just wonderful. Thanks!
Enjoy John! It will turn you into a sticky toffee addict, if you're not careful!
It looks sinfully decadent and tempting! That beef stew is totally irresistible.
Thanks Angie! The pudding is very tempting! On the daube; we walked into a local Provencal delicatessen, and there it was, in all it's glory! It's fun to see local cuisine in it's true locale!
This is just such a treat! I have made it many times but look forward to trying your recipe. I agree that a scoop of good vanilla ice cream is the perfect accompaniment.
Have a wonderful time in France!
Thanks! I agree with you on the ice cream, it just balances the sweetness of the pudding.
Years ago I watched a tv show that had contestants trying to make the new Hagen Daaz (or maybe it was Ben and Jerry's) ice cream flavor. The winner was a Sticky Toffee Pudding flavor. I waited for it to hit the stores and bought some. DEEE LISH! So excited for this recipe! Have fun in London. Can't wait for your Provence blogs since we will be taking a river cruise through that area next spring!
You will be enchanted with Provence Donna. We have only been here 30 hours, and are already in love with the food, the people, the scenery and the history! We rented bikes for the next week, so we'll cover it from car, bike and on foot! Stay tuned!
This is an iconic dessert in Australia too. When my son visited from the states years ago I said I was going to make sticky date pudding and he made a face.
"Seriously, Al, it's good," I said.
"Dates in a pudding? Just give me a teaspoon."
So I did and his eyes lit up and he cleaned out his son's plate and looked at me with sheepish eyes and wanted to know if it was all gone.
This looks fantastic!
Maureen, I love your story, it really tickled me! I agree, this recipe is a game changer for many people!
As soon as I saw this recipe this afternoon, I knew we had to try it for dessert tonight. I doubled the recipe, because there are a lot of us. I cooked them for about 26 minutes, the middles had sunk in, not sure what I did, so they didn't look as good as yours. They tasted fabulous, I definitely needed the ice cream, the cakes were so sweet, almost couldn't finish one.. I make Cranberry Plum Pudding every Christmas, my hubby's favorite, but this pudding is really great! I tweeted you a photo.
So glad you enjoyed them Marion! Every oven is a little different, you may need to bake them a little longer next time. That cranberry plum pudding sounds absolutely divine!
Love Sticky Toffee Pudding and yours looks wonderful! You have all the fun - can't wait to see more.
Thanks Tricia!
Hi! I am not able to eat dairy and love this dessert. Do you know of anything that could be substituted for the whipping cream?
Honestly Cathy, I've only made the sauce with whipping cream, but maybe you could find a good dairy-free caramel/toffee sauce.
Hi Chris and Scott, can't wait to hear about your kitchen adventures in France, know there will be something wonderful involved. Love, love this pudding, perfect for the holidays.
Thanks Cheri! We are putting the first Provence post together, as I write!
Oh I waited for this recipe since your last london mail ... oh my god! I have to bake it tomorrow. You know you are my favorite food blog? <3 Best regards from foggy Switzerland
Evelyn, that's so sweet! Thank you, and keep reading, we've got some fun adventures in Provence coming up!
I always thought Sticky Toffee Pudding originated in England too! Wow - how interesting - thanks Chris! As for this Canadian Sticky pudding of yours, it looks decadent - simply decadent!
So good Shashi! Scott downed one right after the shoot, and it was only 11 a.m.!
I think I found my Christmas dinner dessert, this looks so amazing and I just know everybody in the family will love. So decadent!!
It would make an excellent holiday dessert Adina - very memorable!
For some insane reason I haven't had the pleasure of making or tasting this. If these beautiful pictures and your glowing recommendation don't convince me I don't know what will.
It is definitely, "mouth candy" Sandra, enjoy!
I love sticky toffee pudding. I have an old recipe I really must pull out of my file to make. Yours sounds incredible and looks so pretty. I will definitely save this to try for the holidays or sooner.
It's truly delicious, Vicki! So rich and full of flavor!