I wasn’t familiar with sticky toffee pudding until I started blogging and really paying attention to different dishes from around the world. Sticky toffee pudding is a classic British dessert. Here in the states where I live it’s not as common, and we probably would have given it a different name, like sticky toffee cakes. Pudding, to me, is a variation on custard — a creamy dessert that you eat out of a cup with a spoon, like rice pudding, chocolate pudding, or tapioca pudding. But I’ve learned that it’s more of a catchall term for all kinds of desserts in the U.K. In any event, if this dish is a new one for you, you’re in for a major treat! It consists of little sponge cakes flavored with brown sugar and dates, and, here’s the best part: they’re served smothered in sticky, gooey toffee sauce. OH YEAH. There are a handful of ways of making the dish, some involving steps like baking on the toffee coating or layering it with the cake, but I kept thing simple when creating my vegan sticky toffee pudding recipe. We’re just making single-serving cakes and pouring on the sauce. Additional accompaniments like nuts and non-dairy ice cream are optional, but wonderful additions!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Dried medjool dates. Most grocery stores carry these near the other dried fruits, or in the produce aisle. Buy pitted ones if you can. This will save you the step of having to remove the pits yourself. Apple cider vinegar. See my list of apple cider vinegar substitutes if you need one. Non-dairy milk. Any variety that’s unflavored and unsweetened will work just fine for this recipe. My guide to dairy-free milks can help if you’re lost! Ground flaxseed. Flour. We’re using all-purpose wheat flour, otherwise known as white flour. Other varieties like spelt and whole wheat pastry flour will probably work, but I haven’t tested the recipe with them, so no guarantees. Baking powder. Baking soda. Salt. Vegan butter. Vegan butter can be found near the regular butter in most supermarkets. I developed this recipe using Earth Balance, so that’s my top recommendation if you need one. Brown sugar. Use organic brown sugar to keep the recipe vegan. Conventional brown sugar may be processed using animal bone char. Vanilla extract. Coconut cream. This is sold in cans, near the canned coconut milk. If you can’t find it, grab a couple of cans of full-fat coconut milk instead, and chill them in the fridge overnight. The coconut milk will separate into coconut water and a thick white solid portion, which is the coconut cream.
Tip: While not required, toppings and accompaniments are great with sticky toffee pudding. Try vegan vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, and nuts like chopped pecans or walnuts.
How It’s Made
The following is a detailed photo tutorial on how to make this dish. Scroll all the way down if you’d like to skip right to the recipe! Tip: Make sure your non-dairy milk is at about room temperature. This might mean warming it up if it’s been in the fridge. Transfer the batter to six lightly oiled ramekins. Place them on a baking sheet and pop it in the oven. Bake the cakes until a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean. Tip: Ideally you’ll want to use four ounce ramekins for this recipe, but if you don’t have them, use a muffin tin instead. Since muffin tins are a bit smaller, you’ll need to make seven cakes and shave a few minutes off of the bake time. Make the toffee sauce while the cakes bake. Combine coconut cream, vegan butter, brown sugar, and salt in a saucepan. Heat everything up to melt the butter and coconut cream, then bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Take the pot off of heat and let the sauce cool. It will thicken up as it does. Tip: You can serve the toffee sauce warm if you’d like — it’ll just be thinner. Once your cakes have cooled, carefully remove them from the ramekins. Invert each cake on a plate or in a bowl and drizzle it with the sauce. Optionally, you can pile toppings like nuts and non-dairy ice cream on your vegan sticky toffee pudding. Dig in!
Leftovers & Storage
Store leftover cakes and toffee sauce separately in airtight containers in the fridge. They’ll keep for up to five days. The cakes can also be frozen for up to three months.
More Vegan Holiday Desserts
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