12 best sticky toffee pudding recipes

With a warm bowl of sticky toffee pudding by your side, winter can do its worst. You’ll be pleased to know that we have a stellar range of sticky toffee puddings to sink your teeth into, including a fail-safe classic, a healthy update and a can’t-believe-it’s-so-quick recipe.

How do you make sticky toffee pudding?

This classic pudding sees a seriously moist sponge, made with soaked dates and muscovado sugar, served with hot toffee sauce.

Tips…

• Whole dates have a naturally caramel-like flavour and they play a crucial role in a sticky toffee sponge. Soak in warm water for about 30 minutes, to allow them to go soft, before mashing to a pulp with a fork. If you don’t like dates, however, we’ve got a fantastic date-free recipe for you.
• The type of sugar used in the sponge varies recipe to recipe, but we think a combination of dates, muscovado sugar and black treacle is optimum for creating a complex and rich flavour.
• In its simplest form, toffee sauce involves mixing butter, sugar and cream over heat until thick and glossy. For a boozy hit, try adding a splash of rum or brandy too.

Can you warm up sticky toffee pudding?

Absolutely! Sticky toffee pudding is best served warm, with a dollop of ice cream or custard to cut through the richness. Reheat in the microwave or oven, for best results.

Can sticky toffee pudding be frozen?

Yes – the finished sponge can be frozen. Once you’ve baked your pudding, wrap well in cling film, then store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, defrost at room temperature and warm through in an oven heated to 170°C/fan 150°C/gas 3 for 20-25 minutes. Reheat the sauce in a saucepan and serve.

12 best-ever sticky toffee pudding recipes:

Sticky toffee pudding

Comfort food at its finest; this recipe stays true to the traditional with its sticky, sweet flavour and dense (but not too heavy) sponge. Drench in lashings of the hot toffee sauce before serving in generous portions.

Microwaved sticky toffee pudding

Don’t have the time (or patience) to wait for an oven-baked pudding? Don’t fret. Follow this simple microwaveable recipe and you’ll have a sticky toffee pudding ready to dunk your spoon into in just 15 minutes. Sometimes, you just can’t knock the magic of a microwave!

Healthier sticky toffee pudding

For a proper pudding with slightly healthier leaning, look no further than our lighter sticky toffee pudding recipe. It’s lower in fat and calories than a traditional version but doesn’t compromise on its essential element –  stickiness!

Orange and date sticky toffee pudding

Our cheat’s recipe requires just four ingredients and gets a zingy update with the addition of orange zest. Make it from start to finish in just 20 minutes!

Love the sound of a speedy pud? We’ve got lots of 20-minute desserts to get excited about.

Fat-free sticky toffee puddings

These little fatless toffee sponges are ever so light but will still satisfy your craving for something sweet. They’re free from refined sugar too!

The best sticky toffee pudding

We hate to blow our own trumpet, but this might be one of the best sticky toffee puddings you’ll ever taste. The trick is to prick the baked sponge before drizzling over the toffee sauce (as you would a lemon drizzle cake) so it seeps into the pudding and becomes incredibly moist. You’re going to want to make this one – it’s a winner.

Sticky toffee pudding with caramel sauce

If you’re looking for a fuss-free dessert to serve at a dinner party, this is your ticket. We’ve used a ready-made caramel sauce to save time, but no one would be able to tell the difference!

Sticky toffee pudding cake

There’s nothing subtle about this sticky toffee pudding cake by Martha Collison. It’s rich, sweet, messy and show-stopping!

Let the thick toffee sauce drip down the sides of the cake for maximum impact, then decorate with chopped pecans and medjool dates.

Beer-laced sticky toffee and ginger pudding

Turn up the gooey factor with this multi-layered flavour combination which marries stem ginger, dark ale and cream. The dense sponge is smothered in an ultra-rich toffee sauce – all it needs is a final splash of cream before serving.

Toffee apple sticky toffee pudding

This impressive recipe is everything a pudding should be AND more. A traditional sticky toffee pud is taken to new heights with a crown of toffee apples – perfect for Halloween celebrations.

Sticky fig and caramel pudding

Not a fan of dates? This dark and sticky pudding swaps dates for dried figs for a similar sweet and sticky effect. We’ve added a pinch of cinnamon, too, to level-up the warming flavour. Serve with tart crème fraiche dolloped on top to cut through the sweetness.

Sticky walnut puddings with maple butterscotch sauce

Add extra oomph to this classic pud with fiery ginger, crunchy walnuts and a maple-y butterscotch sauce. We’ve served them as charming individual puddings, but if you want to make one big dish, use a 1.5 litre ovenproof dish and cook for around 50 minutes, covering it with foil if it darkens too quickly.

We’ve got lots more tempting recipes for you to discover in our British pudding collection.