Sticky Date Pudding
If you've got pitted dates, chopped and mixed spice, you're most of the way to this vegetarian: about 65 minutes of cooking across 7 steps. You'll find the full ingredient list (with a scaler to change the servings), 7 steps of method, substitutions, and ideas for what to serve alongside.
You'll mainly reach for oven and saucepan. At medium difficulty across 7 steps, it's manageable with a little attention. As written, it's meat-free.
What you'll need
Shopping list (2)
Pantry staples (you likely have these)
🔁 Unit converter
How to make it
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and line an 8-inch (20 cm) square baking tin.
- Bring the water to a boil, pour it over the chopped dates with the bicarbonate of soda, and leave to soak for 10 minutes until softened, then mash lightly.
- Cream the softened butter and brown sugar together until light and fluffy, then beat in the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla.
- Sift in the flour, baking powder, mixed spice, and salt and fold gently, then stir through the date mixture and any soaking liquid until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- While the pudding bakes, make a simple toffee sauce by simmering equal parts brown sugar, butter, and cream for a few minutes until glossy.
- Let the pudding cool for 10 minutes, then cut into squares and serve warm, drizzled generously with the toffee sauce.
You'll use: Oven · Saucepan
Ingredient substitutions
- Butter
- olive oil (¾ the amount) · coconut oil · margarine
- Brown Sugar
- white sugar + 1 tbsp molasses per cup
- Eggs
- ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce (baking) · 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp water per egg
Tips & common questions
How long does Sticky Date Pudding take to make?
About 65 minutes from start to finish — an estimate based on the 7 steps and 11 ingredients. Times vary with your kitchen and how much prep you do ahead.
What can I use instead of butter?
Try olive oil (¾ the amount). See the substitutions section above for more swaps.
Can I scale this recipe up or down?
Yes — use the servings control above the ingredients and every quantity rescales automatically (fractions included). Cooking times stay roughly the same; very large batches may need a little longer.
Is Sticky Date Pudding vegetarian?
Its ingredients contain no meat or fish, so it's suitable for vegetarians. Check any cheeses for animal rennet if that matters to you.
Related recipes
Sticky Date Pudding is an original recipe developed in-house by Consomee. Photo: Sticky Toffee Pudding - The Roundhill Pub 2023-09-24.jpg (CC0) via Wikimedia Commons. We add the serving scaler, ingredient tools, timing and structure on top — how we source recipes.