Sticky Toffee Pudding

Name: Sticky Toffee Pudding
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: British
Ingredients: 200 g pitted dates, chopped; 250 ml boiling water; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 75 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing; 150 g dark muscovado sugar; 2 medium eggs; 175 g self-raising flour; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 100 g butter; 150 g dark muscovado sugar; 200 ml double cream; pinch of salt

A soft date sponge soaked in hot toffee sauce: one of the best-loved British puddings.

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Published 27 September 2026

AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 35 min
Total: 1 hr
Makes: 8 servings
Difficulty: Easy
Course: Pudding
Cuisine: British

Jump to recipe

Sticky toffee pudding with ice cream and butterscotch sauce — Photo: Andy Li via Wikimedia Commons, CC0

Sticky toffee pudding became famous in the 1970s through the Sharrow Bay hotel on Ullswater in the Lake District, although several places claim to have invented it. The secret ingredient is dates: soaked in boiling water with bicarbonate of soda, they melt into the sponge and make it dark and moist without tasting of dates at all.

Ingredients

Sponge

200 g pitted dates, chopped
250 ml boiling water
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
75 g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
150 g dark muscovado sugar
2 medium eggs
175 g self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract

Toffee sauce

100 g butter
150 g dark muscovado sugar
200 ml double cream
pinch of salt

Equipment

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Method

1
Put the dates in a bowl, pour over the boiling water and stir in the bicarbonate of soda. Leave for 15 minutes, then mash lightly with a fork.
Photo: ORGANIChouse via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
2
Heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4 / 350°F and grease a 20 cm square tin. Beat the butter and sugar together, then beat in the eggs one at a time. Fold in the flour, then the dates with their liquid and the vanilla. The batter will be loose.
Photo: me (w:User:pfctdayelise) via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5, cropped
3
Pour into the tin and bake for 30–35 minutes until risen and springy. Meanwhile, melt the sauce ingredients together in a pan, then simmer for 3 minutes until glossy.
Photo: Ben Sutherland from Crystal Palace, London, UK via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped
4
Prick the warm sponge all over, pour over a third of the sauce and leave for a few minutes to soak in. Cut into squares and serve with more hot sauce, and custard, cream or vanilla ice cream.
Photo: Acabashi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Tips

Make ahead: the sponge and sauce both keep for 2 days in the fridge; warm them through before serving. The sponge also freezes well.

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If it goes wrong

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Sauce split or greasy	Boiled too hard	Whisk in a splash of cream off the heat
Sponge heavy	Batter overmixed after adding flour	Fold in the flour gently, just until combined