This rich and treacly vegan sticky toffee pudding is an easy, crowd-pleasing dessert, best served with a scoop of vegan ice cream.
🍴Why you will love this recipe
Hands up if you don't like sticky toffee pudding? No, I thought not.... so here's a deliciously decadent vegan sticky toffee pudding recipe that no-one will believe is plant-based!
If you're a baking novice you might think sticky toffee pudding sounds a bit daunting, but don't be put off - it really is straightforward. The toffee sauce is a chuck-it-all-in-the-microwave affair, and the sponge is an easy one-bowl job - give it a go.
I like making these little individual puddings - in mini pudding basins or muffin tins, but you could also make one large pudding in a cake tin or baking dish and cut sticky slices for your guests.
📝 What you need
Chopped Dates give the puddings their characteristic moist and fruity flavour and texture. I buy ready-chopped dates to save time but by all means chop your own.
Vegan Yoghurt works as an egg-replacer. Soya is best as it has the highest protein content, but if you prefer you can use oat or nut yoghurt instead. Make sure it is unsweetened - these puddings are absolutely sweet enough already!
Vegan Butter Use a good quality dairy-free block margarine (rather than a tub of spread as their water content is too high). I like Flora Plant Butter or Naturli Block.
Pecan Nuts are a perfect pairing with the toffee sauce - sometimes I sprinkle chopped pecans over the puddings too for added crunch. If you prefer you could use walnuts or hazelnuts instead.
Equipment
I like to make these puddings in individual pudding moulds - mine are these Aluminium Pudding Basins which are ideal. Alternatively you can make them in a muffin tin, they still turn out very well.
You might prefer to make one larger sticky toffee pudding, in which case you can use the quantities below to fill a single baking dish roughly 20-22cm across.
👩🏽🍳 How to make your vegan sticky toffee pudding
For a full, printable recipe with ingredients and detailed instructions, scroll to the bottom of this page 👇🏼.
Soak the chopped dates in boiling water and bicarbonate of soda and set aside. Finely chop the pecan nuts.
Beat together the vegan butter, dark brown and caster sugars. Add the vegan yoghurt, then the flour and baking powder.
Divide between greased pudding basins (or muffin tins), and bake for 17-20 minutes. Meanwhile make the toffee sauce in a saucepan or microwave. When the puddings come out of the oven, prick them all over and pour over toffee sauce. Leave for the sauce to soak in for 10 minutes. To serve, turn out the puddings and serve with more toffee sauce poured over each pudding.
🔪 Top Tips & FAQs
Aim to pour about half of the toffee sauce over the puddings as they come out of the oven, and the other half poured over just as you serve them. If you're freezing them or making ahead, just make up half the quantity of sauce to pour over as they come out of the oven, and make the other half just before serving for best results.
Don't panic if your pudding mix looks quite thick and dry as you are making it - the dates and their soaking water add all the moisture at the last minute.
If you don't have individual pudding basins, you could make these in muffin tins, or make one large pudding in a baking dish roughly 20-22cm wide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, they freeze well in airtight containers. I recommend making just half the quantity of sauce to pour over the puddings before freezing, then when you come to serve them, make another half quantity to pour over at the table.
The sauce takes just minutes to make in the microwave (or in a saucepan), so this really doesn't add much extra work.
Yes you can make the puddings up to 24 hours before serving. I would recommend making half the quantity of toffee sauce to pour over the puddings as they come out of the oven, then make the other half just before serving to pour over the puddings at the table.
You could substitute prunes in place of dates for a similar texture and flavour.
They are perfect just as they are with toffee sauce poured over them, but they are also delicious with a small scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream on the side.
🍽 If you liked that...
.... you might also enjoy these vegan recipes from The Veg Space:
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding
Ingredients
For the Puddings:
- 170 g chopped dates
- 1.5 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 60 g pecan nuts
- 50 g dairy-free butter / margarine
- 80 g caster sugar
- 80 g dark brown sugar
- 50 g dairy-free yoghurt
- 175 g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
For the Toffee Sauce:
- 100 g dairy-free butter / block margarine
- 65 g caster sugar
- 30 g dark brown sugar
- 100 ml dairy-free cream
Instructions
To make the puddings:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4.
- Put the dates and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and just cover with boiling water. Set aside to soak.
- Chop the pecans.
- Grease your pudding bowls or muffin tins.
- In a food mixer or large bowl, beat the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy, then add the yoghurt and mix until fully combined.
- Add the flour and baking powder along with a pinch of salt, then beat again.
- Add the dates with all their soaking water, and the chopped pecans. Mix.
- Divide the mixture between the 12 tins / bowls and bake for 17-20 minutes until an inserted skewer or knife comes out clean. Whilst they are in the oven, make the toffee sauce.
To make the toffee sauce:
- To make in the microwave: Put all the sauce ingredients in a large microwaveable jug or bowl, (make sure it is big enough for the sauce to bubble up quite a way without spilling over). Add a pinch of salt.
- Microwave on full power for 1 minute 30 seconds, then stir and repeat for another 1 minute 30 seconds. If the sauce has bubbled up, remove and set aside to cool and thicken. If it hasn't yet bubbled up, continue to microwave for 30 second blasts until it does so.
- To make in a saucepan: Combine all the sauce ingredients in a saucepan. Heat until bubbling, then set aside to cool.
To serve:
- When the puddings come out of the oven, prick the top of each pudding with a skewer or cocktail stick, then pour over half of the toffee sauce. Leave them to cool in their tins for at least 10 minutes.
- Serve with the remaining toffee sauce poured over the top, and a scoop of dairy-free ice cream.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Val says
OMG wonderful, been meaning to make the sticky toffee puddings for ages and seeing the recipe on Facebook made me try them. They turned out absolutely beautiful. I only had 4 snall pudding basins but had a set of 6 small loaf pans I bought for Xmas last year and used them as well. Many thanks once again Kate. 😋🍸
Shirley says
What can I use to replace the nuts for someone with a nut allergy please?
Kate Ford says
Hi Shirley, absolutely fine to just leave the nuts out completely - will still taste delicious and won't affect the baking. Enjoy!
Claudia Lamascolo says
Wow I wanted to lick the screen I just got to make this recipe a great treat for summer so yummy!
Lyn says
One of my absolute favorite desserts! Can't wait to try this vegan version. Thank you for the recipe!
Toni says
My family couldn't believe this is vegan!! It tastes really good!
Natalie says
Wow, your vegan pudding is delicious and very kid-friendly, thanks!
Sisley White - Sew White says
So good! You wouldn't know it was Vegan on taste and a great way to feed everyone at the table... Vegan, vegetarians and carnivores alike all enjoyed it.
Helen says
Really pleased with this recipe. Easy to make and enjoyed by vegans and non vegans alike. My only improvement would be to say that you need double the amount of sauce as in the recipe as its so delicious!
Kate Ford says
That's great to hear, thanks Helen!
Clare Harden says
Delicious! You must try it. It’s so easy to do. I chopped the pecans in the food processor so fine as I was making them for my mum & she doesn’t like hard bits in a sponge cake & she thought they were really nice. No one would guess that they are vegan - a good recipe to serve up to the turned-up-noses-to-vegan-foods people (plenty of those!) A bowl of comfort.
Kate Ford says
That's so great to hear, thanks Clare x
Jess says
AMAZING! Made these for a dinner with vegans and meat eaters and nobody could tell any difference between normal sticky toffee pudding! Light and fluffy, full of flavour and so indulgent. Would make these again over the usual sticky toffee recipe I use. 5 stars!
Kate Ford says
Hurrah! Glad to hear it! X
Chloe says
Can't wait to try this recipe! How long would you recommend for bake time when baking it in a large dish to make one pudding?
Ali says
I'd love to know this as well as I'm sure it'll be easier to freeze in one pudding bowl. I can't figure out how to freeze the little ones once you've added the sauce unless you keep them in the muffin tin, otherwise won't you get sauce everywhere transferring them into another container? Unless you don't add the sauce before freezing and then just make that up before serving....?
Kate Ford says
Hi Ali (and Chloe). If you're baking in one large tin/dish I would start to check it after 35 minutes, and test just as you would a cake - does an inserted knife come out clean, or does it spring back when poked with a finger? Ali - you should find that if you pour in the sauce whilst they are still warm they absorb most of it, so you just end up with a really moist sponge rather than sauce sloshing everywhere. I tend to do this, turn them out onto a chopping board then put them in old takeaway containers in pairs, then pour over any remaining toffee sauce once they are in the tubs. When you defrost you can then just warm them up in the microwave whilst still in the tubs, and transfer them into bowls with any leftover sauce. If I was making them for a dinner party I would do as you suggest and make the sauce on the day, and freeze just the sponges on their own. Hope that helps! x
Ali says
Yes this helps enormously, thank you! I have non vegan guests coming to stay and I'm trying to cook all the good stuff ahead as much as possible.
Michael Gilsenan says
Is the bicarb meant to be in there twice?
Kate Ford says
No! Thanks for spotting this - it is the correct amount but should all be in one go - I've now amended the recipe. The perils of re-testing and tweaking a recipe many times! Kate
Wendy Henshall says
Can this be frozen?
Kate Ford says
Hi Wendy, yes absolutely - see the paragraph above 'Freezing your Sticky Toffee Pudding' for more info. Kate x
Scarlet says
Oh! That looks amazing! I am pinning this vegan sticky toffee pudding to try really soon.
Keira Ball says
Thanks for sharing. Loved it.
Jessica Formicola says
I loooooove sticky toffee pudding! I must try this vegan version- thanks so much for sharing!
Beth says
This recipe looks so delicious and yummy! My family is going to love this recipe! Can't wait!
Kate Ford says
Thanks Beth - hope they enjoy it! Let me know how it goes x
Ashley says
Oh yum! This was the sticky sweet and full of flavor sweet treat I needed! Thanks for this recipe!
Kate Ford says
Oh great Ashley, glad you enjoyed it!
Beth Sachs says
My all time favourite pudding! So tasty and delicious, the whole family loved it.
Kate Ford says
Mine too! So glad they all enjoyed it x
Sue says
This looks absolutely dreamy, I've been planning to make sticky pudding for months, and this has inspired me to do it! I can't believe it's vegan, it looks decadently delish.
Kate Ford says
Thanks Sue - enjoy!
Leigh Taylor says
Omg, these are amazing!!! Blew my mind. And they are a nice light texture too. And I finally ordered myself some medjool dates for this recipe after hearing so much about them in so many recipes, (but I perservered with shop ones.) But now Ive had medjool, omg, Ill never go back !
Kate Ford says
That's great to hear, thanks Leigh!