Somehow I went from eating raw cabbage to baking one of the richest desserts known to man.
That’s just how the cookie crumbles sometimes, isn’t it?
However, I should get bonus points for making this classic dessert vegan and almost half the sugar and fat, don’t you think?
Have you ever tried a sticky toffee pudding? Being the sweet tooth that I am, I always loved sticky toffee pudding. You want me to eat a date and sugar filled cake and them dump more sticky toffee sauce on top? AND serve it with ice cream? *dies* There isn’t any pudding actually in this cake, but it’s the method that creates a pudding-like texture.
I figured I could make a vegan version lower in fat and sugar, while still enjoying one of my favourite desserts. So, I set out on a mission to create my first vegan sticky pudding. My goal was simple: Make this toffee pudding taste as good as the original, while slashing the sugar and fat. I also added a whole grain flour to give it a bit of a boost. Traditional British versions vary quite a bit (some steep in tea bags or serve with custard, for example), but I just kept mine basic for the first attempt. I also added in toasted pecans, which isn’t common, but I loved the nutty crunch it added.
And to my surprise, it actually worked! I really cannot imagine this dish being any sweeter than it was.
We have a few holiday gatherings coming up this weekend and next and I’m trying to figure out what I’m making for potlucks and what food gifts I’m going to give. I have a huge list of healthy dinners and desserts I want to make before the year is out and all these crazy recipe ideas popping into my head! So…expect to see a mix of holiday desserts and The 12 Days of Healthy Dinner Recipes over the next while. I’m also in the process of meeting with cookbook publishers over the next couple weeks (which I didn’t expect to happen so soon!). It’s a crazy, but exciting month. I really just want it to slow down so I can do everything I want to do.
Anyways, this was my first time making sticky toffee pudding and I was happy to see how easy it is to make. For such an elegant looking dessert, it’s really fool proof. (Don’t be put off by my long directions….I just made them very detailed so there would be no second guessing.)
We’re having friends over for dinner on Sunday and I will be making this dessert for sure…it’s absolutely amazing straight from the oven, served with warm toffee sauce, with a scoop of vegan ice cream and toasted pecans! This is one of those desserts that are great served on a cold night, cozied up with loved ones watching your favourite holiday show on TV.
Or reality TV shows if you are like us. I don’t know what’s more mind-numbing….watching Kris Humphries or Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer for the 765 time.
Sinless Sticky Toffee Pecan Pudding
This sticky pudding cake has the perfect amount of sweetness, remaining true to the original classic dessert, without going overboard. The cake is fantastic; once the sauce is poured on, it turns into a gooey, moist, and dense cake. The toasted pecans add a lovely texture to this dish and I don’t recommend skipping them unless necessary. Whatever you do…serve this dish WARM!
Inspired by Taste.com.au and Historical Foods.
Yield: 6-8 servings
For the cake:
- 200 grams pitted dates (about 1.5 cups), roughly chopped
- 1.5 cups almond milk
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup Earth Balance (or other vegan butter substitute), lightly softened
- 1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar (75 grams) OR 1/2 cup Sucanat
- 3/4 cup toasted chopped pecans, divided
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 & 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose)
For the toffee sauce:
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp brown rice syrup*
- 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp unpacked brown sugar (35 grams) OR Sucanat
- 3 tbsp Earth Balance
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp almond milk
- salt, to taste
1. Preheat oven to 325F and toast the pecans for about 8-10 mins. Now, preheat oven to 375F. Grease a 9-inch pie dish or an 8-inch square pan with Earth Balance. .
2. In a medium sized pot, bring 1.5 cups of almond milk to a low boil. Add in the chopped and pitted dates and reduce heat to low. Cook for 1 minute, remove from heat, and stir in baking soda. It will froth up a bit.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the softened Earth Balance and brown sugar until no clumps remain. You can also use an electric mixer if desired. Now add in the date & almond milk mixture and stir.
4. Add the dry ingredients (cinnamon, salt, 1/2 cup of pecans, and whole wheat pastry flour) into the wet and stir until just combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish.
5. Bake at 375F for 27-28 minutes, or until the cake gently springs back when you touch it.
6. Toffee sauce: About 10 mins before the cake is done, make your toffee sauce by whisking together the sauce ingredients in a pot (use the same one). Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, and then reduce heat to low, whisking frequently making sure it doesn’t burn. Heat for about 5 minutes while standing over the pot to stir & watch. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Remove cake from oven, let it cool for a few minutes, and then prick with a fork or toothpick all over. I made about 100 holes. Pour 2/3 of the toffee sauce over the top of the cake (reserving the other 1/3 of the sauce for later) and smooth out with a spoon.
8. Scoop out your portions onto plates, drizzle with remaining sauce, and top with toasted pecans. Serve with a side of your favourite vegan ice cream (I love coconut bliss).
*Note: Other liquid sweeteners may work instead of brown rice syrup (you can use honey if you eat it), however the taste and consistency will change slightly. Maple syrup would also work, although it won’t get quite as thick.
After I made this cake, I realized that some recipes actually mix everything straight into the pot on the stove! I think I will certainly try that next time to save cleaning another bowl.
The batter for the sticky toffee cake is quite thick and dense, but far from being dry.
Spoon batter into your prepared dish. I used a pie dish because they photograph better than the 8-inch square pans, but feel free to use whichever you prefer. Single serving ramekins might be fun too! Although, you’d probably have to reduce the cooking time slightly for single servings.
After baking about 28-30 minutes…it’s golden and slowly springs back after being touched.
Grab a fork or toothpick and make about 100 holes all over the top of the cake. Get out all your holiday frustrations! This allows the sauce to sink into the cake and make it all gooey and wonderful!
Pour on 2/3 of your toffee sauce, leaving the rest for later.
The sauce will soak into all those holes and create a gooey and dense, “pudding-like” cake.
Check that out!
Now portion out your servings onto plates or bowls and drizzle on more toffee sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining toasted pecans and serve with a scoop of vegan ice cream.
Prepare yourself for a dessert you won’t soon forget.
You will, however, forget all about the sugar, cream, and butter that I cut out.
Trust me on this one.
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{ 216 comments… read them below or add one }
Just stopped by to browse your recipes for banana bread but these photos caught my eye…sticky..pecan…syrup…YUM!! :)
omg … you have outdone yourself this time … wow .. looks amazing
This looks STUNNING. MY what a wonderful holiday dish. Can’t wait to try it!
Uh-mazing. I’ve never had sticky toffee pudding but you just made it look too good to resist!
Oooh my… my neighbour in Bahrain used to make the most divine sticky toffee pudding and I miss it so so much! I’m loving the sounds of this lightened up version!
I love the transition from yesterday’s post to this :)
Oooh — since it’s sinless, I’ll have twice as much! yum! Thanks for sharing — I want to make this over the weekend for my pecan-loving husband who just finished finals! yeay!
Oh my! This sounds lovely!
Amazing. I was just in England a few weeks ago and have a delicious sticky toffee pudding. I begged the chef for the recipe and have been dying to re-create it (vegan style) at home. So…thanks for doing the work for me!
This looks incredible! Wondering which vegan ice cream(s) you prefer??
Thanks Rebekah, I really enjoy Coconut Bliss brand. It’s expensive so we don’t buy it often, but it’s lovely for a treat.
My father would die if I came home with this! It’s his favorite kind of food. Thanks Angela : )
Yum! I had another dessert planned for Christmas but this looks too yummy not to make! Decisions, decisions! Or maybe I make both ;)
I’ve never had sticky pudding! But I’m in charge of cooking for our Christmas dinner this year, so I might be putting this on the table. It looks amazing!
oh dear, that’s just amazing. I want some for real. I LOVE dates.LOVE them. I put them in so many recipes and love that this is kinda designed FOR them. Amazing.
This looks amazing! Thanks for the amazing vegan desserts you make- I need a few for my parties and dinners!
Oh WOW, you’re killing me over here…seriously this looks like gooey heaven!
HAHAH!!! Kris Humphries really picks my ass, but I still watch that dang Kourtney and Kim take New York…I just caught up on the latest epi last night!
xxoo
I don’t think I’ve ever tried sticky toffee pudding, but I have a killer sweet tooth, so I’d probably love it. Your lightened up version looks fabulous!
I love sticky toffee pudding! And I totally thought I’d never be able to eat it again when I went on a plant based diet. Thank you!
Ohhhh man, this looks amazing! I keep forgetting to make a vegan version of this dessert, but thanks to your post, tonight’s the night! What better to follow a huge salad down with?
I’ve never tried this dessert– but now I DEFINITELY want to!!!
I’m thinking of always dumping toffee into holes on any cake I make from now on. Seriously… how have I never seen or thought of this sooner- instantly the moistest cake ever! SO delicious looking, I’m sure your guest will love it.
I agree, it’s a great method
LOVE it! Wouw, that looks great! Today I had yesterdays salad for lunch and I’ll surely make this incredible recepy this weekend (without the sugar, don’t eat that). Thanks!
you kill me with your desserts. they always look amazing!! this is on my to make list for sure.
where do you buy your brown rice syrup from? is it affordable?
I buy it in bulk (well technically using up leftovers from my bakery…I have huge PAILS of it). But you can find it at loblaws/superstore in the natural food section or Whole Foods has it too, among others. It’s on the pricier side, around $10 or so for a bottle here in Canada I think. I haven’t bought it in a while because I’ve had it in pails for so long. You could probably find it cheaper online, like many natural food products.
Looks sinful! YUM
I’ve been wanting to make a vegan sticky toffee pudding for AGES, and now I’ve got one yaay!! :D
Would I be able to make this without nuts though? Or can you suggest a good sub? Some of my family are allergic!
Yes you can definitely make it without the nuts…it’s optional. :)
WOW! Talk about mouth watering! You are a perfect example of how healthy things can still be decadent and tasty! This recipe sounds amazing!
Oh my goodness. That looks amazing! Thanks for all your hard research, I am very happy to reap the rewards. I think I will try making it over xmas with my family.
Oh my gosh! That looks incredible!! At least you have the raw cabbage to balance you out – I feel like I’m made of sugar these days!
This looks…divine! I love bread puddings and dense “low” cakes that are not overly cakey and puffy; but more dense and flat…this one looks perfect! And then with the sauce. I don’t even need cake or brownies really; just give me a vat of frosting or sauce. I like a little cake with my sauce and brownie with my frosting. lol
Great job on the re-make on this..AND the photos are beautiful. They set the mood, the lighting is wonderful, the dishes are adorable, there is diversity in the angles and the shots…seriously….just gorgeous photography! And the pouring/action shot…you rocked it. I hope you submitted these!
You are too kind Averie…thank you. I adore your photography as well!
Oh, Angela…. you have outdone yourself…… Can’t wait to try it, then have a Back on Track salad the next day!!!
Sticky toffee is one of my all-time favorite holiday desserts… to order in restaurants where I can magically forget all about the sugar and butter. Love how you lightened this up to a point where I can make it from home! :)
You have no idea what this recipe means to me! I grew up with English parents and my aunt made a to-die-for Sticky Toffee Pudding. I went back to England this past May to visit for the first time in ten years and I couldn’t partake in her amazing pudding because sugar just makes me so yuck…:(. I really missed it! Now I can make it myself – I can easily sub in coconut palm sugar or Sucanat for the brown sugar. Yum!
Those sugar subs are a great idea…I will have to try that Sunday! Thanks for the idea :) Im happy that you are excited about it…I hope you like it. Let me know!
Yum! I make a similar vegan sticky date pudding. This reminds me heaps of it :)
OH MY GOD! I have all the ingredients in my kitchen right now. Excuse me, I have some sticky toffee pudding to make.
Ridiculous to make two comments on the same post, maybe? But I have an idea: Sticky toffee pudding overnight oats. Chopped up dates, pecans, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Yep, tomorrow morning’s breakfast. Done.
Umm….wow…can I come over?
Making this. ohmygosh YUM :D
O.M.G. I saw that picture and the words “sticky toffee pecans” and for the first time ever I was not interested in any of your lovely writing. I immediately scrolled down to the recipe! LOL will make this this weekend :-) Ang, you rock! I think i’ve made more of your recipes this month than ever!
haha :) I probably would have too.
I love reading your blog and enjoy your recipes. I was all set to make your brownie pumpkin pie with pecan streusel for my Christmas contribution but now ….. What a dilemma. Sticky Toffee is one of my all time favourites. Thank you for such a wonderful dilemma :-)
Wow I’ve never tried, seen, or even heard of anything like this before! It looks to die for!
Good luck meeting with the cookbook publishers!!!!
Thank you very much! Im a huge ball of nerves right now.
DUDE…I’m not even vegan and I will so be making this. Look at that sauce!
This looks so good!. I’ve made another vegan version of this many times, as it’s my boyfriends favorite dessert. But I like how you’ve lightened up this version. I would like to try it this weekend for a holiday party I’m having. Any ideas of how to do some prep ahead of time so I’m not stuck in the kitchen while the party is going on without me?
Hey Lauren,
Good question! I was wondering the same thing. I’m not sure, but I would think you could make the cake and sauce ahead of time (without adding on the sauce).
Prior to serving you could gently heat the cake in the oven, perhaps? Maybe 5-6 minutes or so to make sure it was heated through. If you do this, you might want to bake the cake for a couple minutes less just to prevent over baking it. You could keep the sauce in the saucepan on the stovetop until ready, and then just reheat it directly on the stove top, pour it over the cake, and reserve some of it for the topping. Of course, the pecans can be toasted ahead of time too. Please let me know if you end up trying it out. I think above all, just make sure it’s warm when serving as its so lovely that way. Have fun at your party!
I’ve just made the pudding for my dinner party tonight! I too wanted to make it ahead of time, so my plan is to only cook for 24 minutes, and then reheat for 5-10 just before serving in a 325 oven. Hopefully it doesn’t overbake! I’ll let you both know how it worked out.
Ps, this recipe couldn’t be simpler! Less than 20 minutes altogether. Thanks Angela!
Holy moly! Can I have some of that right now! That looks amazing!
WOW! Angela, this looks amazzzzzzing!! Now i’m craving something sweet even more!
That looks so good! What a great brunch recipe!
Oh wow!! Sticky toffee is one of my favourites and the fact that this one is vegan and ‘healthy’ just makes me want it all the more! Bookmarked!!! :)
This looks ridiculously good!! I will have to try this recipe out. Never had sticky toffee pudding before!
Thank you!
I’ve never had toffee pecan pudding, but I love love LOVE sticky desserts so this is right up my alley!
Oh, Thank You So Much! I was talking to someone about sticky toffee pudding the other day and thinking…nope, never going to have that again because of the richness and the butter and the cream, etc etc! This was one of my favorite desserts while living in Scotland for 3.5 years. So thank you for thinking it all through! This is just awesome!!
I hope you enjoy it!
Wow. This looks so heavenly! Sinless desserts are my go-to’s. Thanks!
Wow! Thank you for this. I’m British and always make a bee-line for the sticky toffee pudding when we visit. I keep it for those annual treats as it would be just too tempting to go overboard if I made it at home. Thank you for creating this more healthful version. May have to add it to my Christmas menu.
Looks absolutely incredible as always!!
My, oh my, Angela! This looks like heaven on a plate. Thank you!
http://hannahalehandra.blogspot.com/
Ahhhh! I am so excited about this recipe! I found out that this is my favorite dessert on a trip to Australia, but you cannot find it in America at all (or at least not in California). And now you’ve made a vegan and healthier version?? Yes! This is so awesome! Thank you for creating this recipe – I can’t wait to make it myself!!
another delicious recipe!!! I love anything “sinless” during the holidays!!! going to make this when I return home to Minne for the holidays!!! I would love to see some sinless fudge!!!
:|
I’m speechless. I want to eat the whole thing. In fact, I know if I made this I WOULD eat the whole thing. Maybe it’d be worth cutting the ingredients and making it into a 1 serving cake in a small ramekin? My gosh!
That looks absolutely incredible. I honestly have never tried a “pudding” like this, but it looks amazing and certainly sounds delicious too. I’m sure I would love it!
omg. your recipes everyday are just torture. I’ve never had sticky toffee pudding, but I love toffee and I love pecans! Looks amazing <3
oh. my. goodness. This looks like HEAVEN!
I recently tried Sticky Toffee Pudding a couple months ago and I feel in love with the moist gooeyness. I have to try this with slept flour over the holidays!
HOLY YUM. I can feel a cavity coming in just looking at this one but I could care less. Makin dis.
Divine Angela!! I wanted to eat my screen it looks so good – this is one of my favourite desserts. YUMMMMM!!
this looks amazing- a nice bit of traditional english dessert- yay! i really like the sauce concept as it could be used for lots of recipes to make a ‘saucey cake’, mmmm it’s got all sorts of ideas running around my head!
I’m pretty sure if I were wearing jeans, the button would pop straight off. The sheer sight of the dessert just added holiday lbs to my frame. lol. but I will make this. It looks too good to pass up :D
I’ve never had sticky toffee pudding before, but it looks amazing! I can’t say no to any dessert made with dates.
That’s awesome news about meeting with some cookbook publishers! Good luck. :)
My roommate thought this was gorgeous and made it. She subbed out the 1/2 C brown sugar (she’s allergic) with 1 really ripe banana (used honey for the sauce) and it was divine. Thanks!
That’s great to know…thanks for the tip!
Looks so delicious. Great photos too.
This looks really, really good!!! You say that you don’t recommend leaving out the pecans, but would it still work without them? My mom doesn’t like nuts in desserts, but I would still love to try this sometime! :)
yes for sure it would still work great :)
So exciting! Definitely making this for my English in-laws for Christmas :-)
that looks like a great holiday treat!
Wow….this looks fantastic! Do you have any recommendations for subbing in flour to make this recipe gluten free?
And THIS is why of love OSG: healthy meal-time recipes balanced with incredible desserts. Yum.
I trust you,!
This is righteously inexcusable. The most perfect mound of moist cake-like pudding doused in thick, sweet syrup without any ability to make this happen right now right here in front of me. This may be one of the only batters that I would be willing to leave taste-free as an investment in that brilliant final product. This looks outrageously divine – can’t wait to try!
JOLLY GOOD SHOW!
:D I was recently in London accompanying my Father on a business trip and we were lucky enough to stay in the Hotel Chesterfield- beautiful, historic, stick your nose up as you walk in kinda place…
Anyways, every night after our galumphing about the town we would situate ourselves in the “Chesterfield Gentlemen’s Lounge” -ladies permitted now of course- even a lady of the tender age of 17 :D …ANYWAYS. my point. I ordered sticky toffee pudding for the first time ever and practically licked the plate clean… in a gentlemen’s lounge :) hehe!
Turns out I’m a bit of an Anglophile, workin towards a major in British History so this post made me incandescently happy. Thank you! will definitely be making this for my family!
sorry for the story…
looking ever forward to seeing what you make next! <3
Oh my goodness, I’m so excited for this recipe!! In my pre-vegan days, sticky toffee pudding was my absolute favorite dessert. I wanna make this right now! I’m curious though, how does it hold up the next day? Is it a “make it and eat immediately” type of dessert or does it do okay with reheating?
I want to make this for my Dad who is a sticky toffee pudding lover. But I won’t tell him its vegan and somewhat healthy! :)
I can’t even come up with proper words. Magnificent comes to mind.
this will probably sound blasphemous but… i HATE HATE HATE dates, but i love a regular toffee pudding – any ideas how i could make this without the dates? like, if i just left out the dates, would i need to sub in something else?
Bahh if only this was gluten-free! Need to try to make this w a gluten-free flour lend because I’ve never wanted to eat something more in my life.
Hey there! Im jessie and I seriously stop by for so many recipes! Just wanted to say thanks and those pics make we want pie…like now! YUMMY!!
Hey Angela, the classic version of this is probably my husband’s favorite dessert. I decline to eat much of it because it is so loaded with naughty stuff which means I will get to enjoy when I use your recipe! I’m curious if any of the sugar could be substituted with Grade B maple syrup? Somebody above mentioned a coconut palm sugar – I haven’t come across this one yet. Is it granulated and what is the replacement ratio? I’m also curious to know if you have heard of Whey Low? I’m trying to move away completely from refined sugars including brown sugar. I’d love to hear your thoughts. And, from what I have been reading, although fat does equal more calories, fat slows the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream and prevents blood sugar levels from spiking which is when our body starts storing instead of burning. Butter will do the trick and earth balance is an awesome way to go. So don’t let people panic about fat! Thanks for your recipes – your vegan burritos turned out fabulous when I made them the other night!
Im going to try it this weekend with Sucanat as a sweetener and I will report back on how that works. Maple syrup would be tricky as it would change the wet to dry ratio.
I am speechless….. This dish just looks amazing!!!
And I totally know that I’d love it even though I’ve never tried toffe pudding – just from looking at the beautiful pictures.
Good luck with the publisher meetings! I can’t wait to buy your cookbook. :)
sweet baby jesus! this looks amazing
Hey, thanks for putting in the “grams”! Makes it much easier for European readers/cooks :)!
I will keep that in mind :)
Wow this looks delicious. I love how you cut the sugar down too. I’m a big fan of using dates in desserts too. Great photography by the way.
Holy crap Angela! This looks out of this world, and to top it off it seems reasonably healthy, you did it! I bow my head to you!!
I’ve actually never had sticky toffee pudding, but this looks divine. And I love using dates for sweetness in recipes (or a combo of ripe bananas and dates). I often don’t even have to add any additional sugar (or agave, etc.)
I am loving this recipe series!!
You read my mind! My sister and I fell in love with sticky toffee pudding when I studied abroad in England. Her birthday is coming up next week and I was planning on making her one. This is perfect!!
thats so nice of you…enjoy :)
You had me at sticky. Toffee. and Pecan. DONE.
Oh WOW…yet another recipe I’m rushing to the kitchen to make….I”ve always wanted to make a home made pudding but it always looks so difficult and so many ingredients…this one looks perfect and I can’t wait to try!!! :))
Did you say….Sinless Sticky Toffee Pecan Pudding??
I can’t wait to try this. It looks and sounds just fantastic!
Oh and I DO trust you, trust me. ;)
My mouth is watering just looking at that!!! maybe this is what i’ll make for christmas dinner!!
I’d love it if you would check out my new blog at chocolatecoveredsneakers.wordpress.com
The sticky toffee pecan pudding looks wonderful! “I really just want it to slow down so I can do everything I want to do.” <- Amen to that! I know just what you mean :)
Oh my! This looks incredible!!! :D I think I’ll try using a GF flour blend and see if it turns out!
I had no idea what sticky toffee pudding was until last year and I am glad I found out! This looks fantastic. :)
O.M.G! With a capital O! Thank you Angela!
This has nothing to do with the amazing recipe above (Will so being making it soon!) but, I had the stomach flu this past week and I was totally stumped on how to get protein in without upsetting my stomach! I was able to get by on day one with miso soup, rice and toast. But by day two, I was feeling very weak from no protein. I haven’t come across anything online (they just recommend BRAT). It took a full day of high protein food after my stomach calmed down before I stopped feeling woozy : ( I know you also pay attention to healthy protein levels, so I was wondering if you had any ideas?
I wonder if instead of rice you could try quinoa it is high in protein for a grain, may not give you as much as you need but should be more then rice alone but might be gentle on the stomach like rice
quinoa is a great idea….I was also thinking hemp seeds? I find both are very easy on my stomach and hemp is a great protein source.
Do you think that the almond milk could be replaced with coconut milk or soy milk? I’m trying to make a dessert and my sister in law is allergic to nuts
Thanks can’t wait to try this one
yes I cant see why not!
I’m drooling.
My stomach just grumbled reading this, seriously. I’m thinking of foregoing lunch and eating a whole recipe of this myself!
oh. my. gosh. that looks like absolute heaven.
wow this looks sooo amazing!!
Oh my! I am so excited to try making this! Sticky toffee pudding is one of the things I miss most with not eating dairy. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Angela,
I had a Christmas party last night and happened to have all the ingredients in the pantry, so I thought I’d whip this up. I used Turbinado sugar because it’s all I had. This is hands down the best dessert I’ve ever had and all of our friends throughly enjoyed it as well! Thank you for posting! I am making it for Christmas next week too
Omg my mouth is watering. I’ll have to make this tomorrow. Can’t wait.
Um….YES. I love your intention of making an extremely decadent dessert healthier while still retaining the nostalgic flavor and impression of eating something bad for you. But I wouldn’t call it ‘Sinless’ – that may take some of the fun out of it. :)
Thank you for sharing, Angela!
I cannot thank you enough for this recipe. This is my absolute favourite pudding in all the world (although I love it with custard – I’m from the north west of England!), but I very sadly gave up on it years ago. Now, I hope to make this, and if it’s a success it will be my first true “Now I can die happy” moment.
Thank you so much, you wonderful, beautiful, talented lady you :)
I made this on Friday night – amazing!!!!!
Thanks so much for your hard, and delicious, work!!
Glad to hear that!!
Fantastic recipe, I made it and wouldn’t change a thing…except maybe adding a bit of Brandy to the toffee sauce!
Just so you know, a friend of mine in Russia is now desperately trying to find almond milk so she can make this on Saturday (American Christmas Eve).
Wow, good stuff! Can she find soy milk? That would work too
That. Was. DELICIOUS. I made this the day after you posted it, and it was to die for. My whole family gobbled it up in one sitting. It’s definitely a keeper! The sauce was amazing!
My sister wanted to whip up something for me for Christmas and when she asked me what I’d like to have,I decided on this one… It’s soooo good,I guess I haven’t eaten anything compareable for YEARS! Thank you so much for this awesome recipe,Angela!
I just made this for our Christmas Eve dessert and we loved it!! The flavor is so incredibly rich!!
As always, thank you so much for your delicious recipes and wonderful stories!
I made this for my (non-vegan) family on Christmas Eve and it was a huge hit! Absolutely delicious and it had a great toffee flavor.
Just completed the recepie this morning (prepd the cake Christmas eve and decided to add the toffee sauce and dig in for breakfast :) and it is DIVINE. The dates were such a lovely addition and the coconut bliss brought all the flavors together wonderfully. Im in desert heaven. Literally. I write this as i glide atop a fluffy cloud overlooking desertopia. The view is quite nice. This is my first vegan Christmas and by far the best. Love what you do!!
I made this last night for our Christmas dinner and WOW…so amazing! I can’t believe how EVERY recipe of yours turns our so perfectly!! I took a picture of mine and posted to your FB page!! Here’s to a New Year filled with more “Oh She Glows” recipes :))
I made this with Namaste Gluten Free Flour Blend and it turned out beautifully!!! Thanks for a wonderful recipe!
I made this and it turned out perfectly! Only change I made was to use GF AP flour. I think I had to bake it for an extra few minutes due to that. I was wondering though, if you thought it would be possible to turn this into a muffin recipe?
This is amazing! My sister and I created a 5 course vegan dinner for my parents, using lots of your recipes (thank you!) But this dessert was the best! It was the perfect ending to a perfect meal, sweet, sticky, delectable. I used spelt flour instead of all-purpose to keep it all whole grain and it was tastier than ever. Thanks for all the fantastic recipes!
Hi there from Melbourne, Australia. Came across your website and made the enchilada bake and the dessert above, what a WOW factor meal!!! Absolutely delicious!!! I have made some dud recipes (as I have only been vegan for one month!), and yours are definate highlights of my vegan cooking, which I will be making again….and again!!!! And wonderful for non-vegan eaters to enjoy as well!!!
With the pudding, after I took it out of the oven, it had cracks in it, so I brushed the sauce on (where it soaked into the cracks!!!), then placed pecans all over the top and drizzled more sauce on top, it looked fantastic!!!!!
Can’t wait to try more of your recipes, you are amazing!!
Thank you so much Jodi, Im so happy to hear that! Take care :)
We have a nut allergy in our house, and the only nut we can have is almonds. Are the pecans a requirement, or can they be omitted or substituted with something else? This looks too divine to pass up!
just made this (a gluten free version) and it is sooooo amazing. I had to stop myself just now from just eating it out of the pan (after my initial taste test).
Wow! What flour did you use? I need to make a GF vegan dessert for Christmas Eve and this would be perfect, as long as I can do it GF.
Thanks
This may be a silly question, but I am always curious about desserts made with dates… Is the date taste really prominent? I am not a fan of dates, unfortunately, but this and other recipes on here look soooo delicious and I would love to try them!
I cannot get over how amazing this dish is. I made it yesterday for Thanksgiving and it was phenomenal. When I ate dairy, I was a bread pudding fanatic and I thought nothing would ever be as delicious. I was wrong. This is by far the best dessert I’ve ever had. My whole family loved it! This will definitely make an appearance again at Christmas. Outstanding! Thank you so much!
Would this be good gluten free do you think (just sub out a GF flour mix)? I’m in charge of dessert this christmas and am craving sticky toffee pudding but have family members that need GF dessert.
Mmm…made a gluten free version of this for our christmas dessert and it was delicious!
Thanks :)
Hi! Could you let me know what GF flour you used?
Thanks
Rose
so this recipe was to DIE for.
thank you so much for posting XO
Just made this fantastic dessert. All I can say is WOW!!!!!!!! Yippeee! DEEEEELISHHH! YUMM!
Will have tomorrow for New Year’s Eve dinner. Should I refrigerate it until tomorrow?
Thanks and Happy New Year!!
You can pop it in the fridge or leave on the counter (wrapped up) its your call! Enjoy
I have stopped, mid-pudding, to thank you for this amazing recipe! :)
My other half likes his puddings – at a restaurant, he considers it essential to view the dessert menu first, so that he knows how much room to leave!
So, the fact that he thought this was brilliant, is true praise :)
I had no pecans, so substituted walnuts, and used maple syrup rather than rice syrup for the sauce.
I will definitely be making it again!
There are no words for how good this is! I made it last weekend and the hubby and kids all loved it! I ate at least 3/4 of it myself. And I will be making the toffee sauce again and again. It was delicious! Can’t wait to try it on the banana soft serve next!
I am gaining weight just looking at this thing!hahaha
Looks so delicious
I’d never heard of sticky toffee puddings? I’m born and raised in Los Angeles though, and I’m not familiar with English/British dishes
This is the first recipe of yours I’ve ever made and it was SUCH a success. My friend isn’t a vegan, but she is very open to vegan baking so I ended up making this for her birthday. She adored it (as did everyone at the get together). I showed her your website. Needless to day, you’ve got two new fans.
Thank you, I appreciate it!
This has to be one of the best vegan desserts I have ever made, hands down. An excellent recipe, and super easy to make. You won’t be disappointed!
I made this a few months ago (before I knew I had Celiac) And it was DELISH! Can I make a Gluten free version?
Had to tell you–no kidding, I had the raw cabbage salad with tahini dressing for “dinner” and am now eating the sticky pudding. Hey what the hell, my husband is out of town. When he’s gone, I always make something he doesn’t care for: an all grain dinner, or something raw. Both are super delicious, by the way! Thanks, I so love your blog.
Hi, I just HAD to comment. I just made this “pudding” and it was divine. What a wonderful recipe, thank you. And that toffee sauce is amaaaaaazing! I used GF flour (as that’s all that I had) and it came out perfectly. I don’t have enough good things to say about it. Thanks again.
any particular kind of GF flour?
Thanks, Gayle
omg. That sinless sticky toffee pecan pudding sounds sooooo good. Any suggestions on how you might make it gluten free?
Thanks, Gayle
Good Morning! This is the first time I have visited your website and I must say the Sinless Toffee Pudding recipe has my.mouth watering. I will make it for our Thanksgiving in November. My question is: can I substitute 11/4 GF all purpose flour mix for the wheat pastry? Do I use xanthum gum?
Thank you for your help?
Hi Susie,
I’m sorry I haven’t tried it with another flour yet. In my experience, GF all purpose flours can be hit and miss so I wouldnt know. If you do try something out please let me know how it goes. Best of luck and sorry I couldn’t help more.
I made this tonight and it turned out fabulously. Thanks for a wonderful recipe.
I made it gluten free. I had to use a little more flour than listed in the recipe to get the batter the same texture as shown in the pictures. I used 0.5 cup sorghum flour, 0.5 cup millet flour, and 0.5 cup tapioca starch. I didn’t bother with xanthan gum or any other binder. It didn’t seem necessary for a cake I was just going to scoop to serve anyway. It worked fantastically! The texture was dense, but not too dense, and the sauce soaked in really well. Delightful!
I made this today and it was delicious! I used honey, butter and milk and baked only a half portion in a loaf pan for 15 minutes. Only 45 minutes from start to finish!
whats the point then? you made something ethical into something with death ewww.
hi this looks amazing. but i really wish you did not push earth balance due to palm oil being the number one issue facing the murder of orangutans and elephants. there are plenty of vegan butter recipes or canola oil works well in baking. i would implore you to dismiss earth balance, it is not vegan in terms of ethics.
My family LOVED sticky toffee pudding but left it behind when my husband became vegan (the kids and I aren’t strictly vegan yet). I wanted to wow my husband for his birthday and found this recipe. It’s wonderful! Thank you!! BTW – we have always found that the cake part of sticky toffee pudding is always best when made the day before it is consumed. We then reheat it on low before we serve it.
I made this dessert yesterday and it is absolutely fabulous! I cut the ingredients in half and poured the cake into 3 small Corningware ramekin dishes…baked the stuff for 25 minutes. The only change I made was that I blended the almond milk and medjool dates in my Vitamix briefly before heating it on the stove…this mixed the dates well with the milk.
I was able to find the brown rice syrup and I’m so happy that I did…the toffee topping was the perfect texture and flavor.
Thanks so much for a recipe that I will be using again for Christmas dinner…YUM!!
Made this last night for my own belated birthday party. Followed the recipe exactly and it was DELISH. I would double the sauce! And I made the sauce very slightly salty, which I think amped it up a bit. SOOOOOOOOO good. Making it again for Christmas, and for every excuse I can find to bake!
Is there a way to prepare this in advance, like baking the day or at least several hours before and then reheating? I always want to socialize rather than spending my time in the kitchen when we have a houseful of guests.
I am also wondering the same.
I am also wondering how maple syrup would substitute for brown rice syrup.
I made this for Christmas Eve this year (with a few alterations); it was easy and came out so well! Would recommend–although I really can’t convince myself of the “sinless” part…
You’re my favorite person ever! I made this last night, followed recipe exactly, super easy & quick & a miracle in my mouth. I ate 1/2 by myself and only stopped because I was painfully full. Just ate more today and I could just cry tears of joy, it was so dang good. Keep it up & thank you again!
Can yo make this sticky pudding with gluten free flour? It sounds so good!
Words cannot express how amazing this recipe. My dad thinks vegan is a dirty word, but he LOVES this! Thanks for this and your website!
This pudding is AWESOME! I just made it but sadly the flour left lumps in it so I’d highly recommend sifting your flour because there were tiny lumps that didn’t bake out. I used to eat sticky date pudding and I remember eating it until I felt sick, that’s how much I liked it! Is sticky date pudding known as sticky toffee pudding in Canada or have you just called it that for your recipe? I think I could leave out some of the sugar in the recipe, just because dates are sooo sweet alone!
Just made this tonight and it was loved by a diverse group of picky eaters! Everyone had seconds and some had a 3rd serving. I used fresh Barhi dates from The Date People (mail order). Took me longer than the 20-min noted by Shannon, but I made it in a kitchen that wasn’t mine so that added time. Wouldn’t call it “sinless,” but it was very sweet. I will further reduce the sugar next time. Only complaint was that I had to comb the comments for ones from folks who had actually made the dish…it’s nice to hear that people think it looks good, but I like to hear reviews and tips from others.
So delicious! And easy! To make ahead next time I will make half or 3/4 of the toffee sauce and pour on slighly cooled pudding and then just before serving make a smaller batch to top the single servings. My whole family loved this!
My family and I went to England a couple weeks ago and had sticky toffee pudding there. We loved it so I came home and made your recipe. My daughter and I thought this was even better than the one we ate in England and of course yours is vegan! Thank you!!!
I found this recipe as a possible recipe for our upcoming Christmas dinner dessert. I am excited to make it. My daughter requires a gluten-free option. Do you suppose that a gluten-free flour would work in this recipe?
Thanks!
Hi Michelle, I haven’t tried it with another flour so I can’t say for sure, but I think it should work if using a good tasting one that you enjoy :) Let me know if you try anything!
I made this earlier this summer. It was fantastic and a huge hit with my family!
I have a habit of making your recipes for my family, but I leave out the fact that they are vegan until everyone has already taken a bite and fallen in love. This last christmas I made this for my family, and everyone was so surprised it was vegan. They loved it! I love changing the stereotypes of veganism, and you make it so easy.
For people wondering about gluten free flour, oat flour (just gf-oats pulsed in the dry container of a vitamix or in a food processor) has worked for me. In fact, I prefer the texture to the normal flour version.
I start by making my own almond milk (1/3 cup of almonds + 1.5 cups water) in the vitamix. I throw in the pitted whole dates and pulse a few times until they are chopped (if you don’t love the taste or texture of dates, you can blend for even longer until the dates are practically liquidized). Add the baking soda straight to that, no boiling necessary.
Because of the sweetness of the dates and sauce, I have made this with as little as 1 tbs of sugar in the batter and found it to be more than sweet. I don’t add sugar to the sauce, since I use maple syrup, which is plenty sweet. I serve with a dollop of chilled, unsweetened coconut cream.
Hi Angela, I am not very experienced in cooking with dates, what type of dates should I use in this recipe? I know you hear this all of the time but your blog is amazing! I cook from it or your cookbook at least a couple times each week and everything has been great! Thanks for taking the time to share.
Thank you Tobi! I always use Medjool dates in my recipes, but I think regular “honey” dates would probably work too?
Why do you add baking soda to the hot liquid? Seems like you want it to do part if it’s leavening reaction before it mixes into the cake..is there a reason for that? Would it be too much leavening if you added it to the dry?
I’m not exactly sure why, but that is how it is often prepared (at least from the recipe I was inspired by from taste.com.au – see link in my recipe). Enjoy! :)
I have made this twice and it’s pretty much amazing. Loved every bite of it!
I’ve made this a few times. Sooo good. Last night I replaced the Earth Balance in the pudding and the sauce with coconut oil. It was even better. Love this recipe.
Do you think oat flour would work to make it gluten free? Or do you have a different recommendation?
I made this tonight! I’ve been having some trouble showing my other half that vegan food is just as delicious than non-vegan, and better for you! This was a winner for him, and me. God i could of ate the whole damn thing! :) Very tasty and so quick and easy to make.
Would a gluten free flour work in this recipe?
Can you sub gluten free flour for this?
SO good :D Also has half the sugar, fat and flour of normal sticky date recipes.
Great recipe. That toffee sauce looks gorgeous. I came across your recipe from a feature in Homemade which I was also included in. Congrats on the mention and thanks for sharing. P.S. link here: https://www.homemadebyyou.co.uk/articles/cooking/12-tasty-desserts-for-people-who-dont-like-christmas-pudding
Amazing recipe. My husband & brother in law are big sweet eaters and both went back for seconds. I am the only vegan and everyone loved it. Definitely will make again.
A little late to the party but how would you adapt this for single servings? Same amount of mixture but divided up into little ramekins is what I’m thinking!
Hi, looks great, but question about the vanilla extract…is it really 1 TABLEspoon? Equal amount as the almond milk. That seems like really a lot to me…
Angela thanks for this wonderful festive recipe. I love traditional steamed Christmas puddings, but opted for this one instead for Christmas dinner. The flat cake is not much to look at, say compared to a round steamed pudding, but after trying this I will not go back to the steamed pudding. First of all, it was so much easier than pudding (which I prepare in weeks in advance and steam for hours), and the fam, especially the kids, liked it ever more. It’s going to be a Christmas favourite for sure.
This looks great! Is is possible to sub all the vegan butter for coconut oil instead?
Just made this recipe, AMAZING! The toffee sauce wasn’t thick enough for me so I added about 1-2 tsp of cornstarch, that I dissolved in a bit of the sauce before adding it to the rest. This made it beautiful and thick. So good!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, Claire! A thickened up toffee sauce? Yum!!
This is now one of my top favourite desserts. I made this today (used walnuts because wayy cheaper), and it turned out AMAZING!! Thanks so much!!
This was the MOST delicious vegan dessert I have EVER had, and I’ve had more than my fair share!!!! The cake was soooooo moist, that it almost didn’t even need the toffee sauce, but of course I was gunna make it either way ;) Honestly just beautiful, and I can’t wait to make it again super soon. So simple and quick, definitely a new fav!
Thanks so much for the lovely comment Eidan! It’s awesome to hear you enjoyed the recipe so well :)
Thanks for the wonderful recipe makeover. Just as a note, though, this dessert is not supposed to be pudding in the North American sense, and as you mention: in the U.K., “pudding” is what any dessert is called, I.e. “What’s for pudding tonight?”.
This looks fabulous! Has anyone tried just making the cake batter ahead of time (say, the morning of your event), then baking it when you need it? So go up through step 4, then put the dish in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake it? I was thinking about assembling the cake Christmas morning, then just baking it during our meal in the afternoon, but I wasn’t sure if that would work.
In case anyone was wondering, it worked out fine for me to assemble the batter in the morning, then bake the cake during dinner. I can’t say if it was any flatter than expected since that’s the only way I baked it, but I can tell you that it still rose a bit. I used an 8 X 8 square pan which worked out great. And also, this tasted AWESOMELY DELICIOUS! Totally seriously, it was incredibly divine. I always hunt for non-chocolate desserts for the holidays because my mother in law doesn’t like chocolate, and this was a total hit. Since few of us are coconut fans, I served this with Vixen Kitchen Naked Vanilla gelato which was perfect! No coconut taste, no nut taste, just good vanilla flavor which was the perfect complement to the dessert. Very yummy!!
Hi I am hoping to make this at christmas and was just wondering if anyone had already converted the cups to grams/ml by any chance? If I need to convert is it American cup sizes?
Thanks very much
Kate