British Pudding · uk cuisine
Sticky Toffee Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce
Dates, bicarb, dark sugar. Sauce goes on hot so the sponge drinks it.
From my kitchen notebook
Do not overbake the sponge — it should spring back gently. Hot sauce poured on so it soaks in while the pudding is warm.
Recipe card
Why this recipe works
Sticky toffee pudding converted me to British desserts on a rainy Lake District afternoon. The sponge is humble — dates, brown sugar, bicarbonate for lift — but the warm sauce turns it into something people request by name. I poke holes in the hot sponge and pour on a little sauce so it soaks, then serve with more sauce and cream or vanilla ice cream. It reheats beautifully, which makes it a dinner-party secret weapon.
Expert kitchen tips
- Medjool dates make a richer sponge; standard baking dates still work when chopped fine.
- A pinch of salt in the sauce stops it tasting flat-sweet.
Ingredients
- 200g pitted dates, chopped
- 250ml boiling water, 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 85g butter, 140g dark brown sugar, 2 eggs
- 175g self-raising flour, 1 tsp vanilla, pinch salt
- Sauce: 100g butter, 150g dark brown sugar, 200ml double cream, pinch salt
Step-by-step method
Heat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Grease a baking dish. Pour boiling water over dates, stir in bicarb, rest 10 minutes.- Cream butter and sugar, beat in eggs and vanilla. Fold in flour, then the date mixture.
Bake 35–40 minutes until springy and a skewer comes out clean.- Meanwhile simmer sauce ingredients until smooth and slightly thickened.
Poke sponge, pour over some sauce to soak. Serve warm with extra sauce and cream or ice cream.
Estimated nutrition
About 360 calories per serving (based on 8 servings). Values are estimates for home cooks and vary by brands, oil used, and portion size — not lab-analysed.
Serving ideas & leftovers
Serve hot, taste for seasoning at the table, and store leftovers in an airtight container once cool. Most of these dishes reheat gently on the stove with a splash of water, stock, or the dish’s own sauce so the texture stays kind.
This recipe is original CookMe editorial content for home cooks. Nutrition varies by brands and portions. If you have allergies, check every label. CookMe may display ads via partners such as Mediavine; see our Privacy Policy and Advertising Disclosure.