Sticky date puddings & lush caramel sauce
This recipe (from my first cookbook At My Table) is the ultimate in dessert indulgence and just so perfect for a chilly night in. Soft, sweet, buttery pudding enrobed in a gorgeous caramelly sauce – it’s pudding done properly! And I think it should be served with a large scoop of ice cream on the side, because the contrast between hot and cold really take it to the next level. If you’d like to add another nice bit of texture, you could roast some walnuts, pecans or almonds at 180c for 10 minutes, toss in a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Then chop and scatter over the puddings.
If you’re gluten-free, you can substitute gluten-free flour mix quite happily in this recipe.
Serves 6
Prep time – 20 minutes
Cooking time – 40 minutes
Ingredients
Puddings
1 cup water
400g pitted dates, chopped roughly
150g butter
2 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup plain flour (or use gluten-free flour mix)
2 tsp cinnamon
2 free-range eggs, lightly beaten
Caramel sauce
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup golden syrup
50g butter
1 cup cream
1 tsp vanilla essence
Method
Preheat the oven to 180c conventional bake, and grease either ramekins or a large baking dish with butter.
Add the water, dates, butter, golden syrup and sugar to a large saucepan over a medium-high heat. Stir, bring to the boil and let boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat. Leave to cool for 15 minutes or so or until warm.
Add the baking soda to the date mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to combine.
Sift in the flour and cinnamon, and add the eggs. Stir the mixture until everything is combined evenly.
Spoon the mixture into ramekins, to the top (or one larger pie or baking dish) and bake in the oven for 35 minutes (15 minutes longer if in a large dish).
To make the caramel sauce, heat all the ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat until dissolved, stirring. Increase the heat, bring to the boil then reduce heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes or just until the sauce turns a lovely golden caramel colour.
Pour the warm sauce over the pudding/s and serve with lovely cold creamy ice cream.
I’m going to make the gluten free version today, sure it will be enjoyed by all. Just wondering if gluten free flours vary in quality. I am going to use Healtheries Baking Mix. Chelsea, do you have a preferred brand? Thanks
Keep an eye on Tasty (the new cookbook) for a GF flour blend x
If I make a few of these in round tins and stack them on top of each other, would it work as a cake? Was thinking of marscapone or cream cheese icing in between but wondered if the pudding would be too heavy stacked up ????
Probably too heavy to be a layer cake x
My wife was high fiving me repeatedly after I made this for desert. Bangin’ recipe!!
Hi Chelsea, I wanted to make the sauce a boozy sauce, how much dark spirits would you add to this recipe? Thank you for replying to all of us so quickly. X
Made the Pudding Date Pudding gluten free for a dear old friend last night remembered it was his favorite, every body ate and didn’t know it was G/F, as i’m the only one at table who is. Thank you I will be keeping this recipe handy.
Can the sauce be made in advance, refrigerated, and reheated the following day?
Yes :)
This is our families favourite dessert. I make them in muffin cups (in muffin trays). For my three teenage boys they find one muffin size each is enough for them as it’s rich and delicious. The rest go into the freezer for when I can’t be bothered. This is also THE BEST caramel sauce ever!!!! Thanks Chelsea. :0)
Hi Chelsea I have used your recipe many times both for the pudding and as a date loaf, it’s delicious, thanks so much!
If I make this in 2 days in advance and freeze it, does it still taste good?
Yes!
Hi Chelsea, would I be able to bake these in muffin tins vs ramekins? thank you :)
Yep! Might need 15 minutes less in the oven.
Made this the other night, amazing! I have made a few and I love that this one uses more dates rather than sugar for sweetness. Also just thought I would mention that I didn’t have golden syrup but replaced with maple syrup and you wouldn’t even know. Love love love.
Made this today it was devine, took a friends for a pot luck lunch. Everyone loved it. Used a muffin pan instead of rampkins or a oven dish worked perfectly. Thanks for another amazing recipe Chelsea
Awesome! x
Hi Chelsea
I love your recipes. Tried lamb shanks last week and pork belly this week. Fabulous recipes. My grandson loves sticky date pudding so am going to try this tonight. If I cook them in large muffin tins would they take the same amount of cooking? Many thanks.
Should be OK with the same time!
Instead of ramekins I used a muffin tray and it worked really well. One batch made 12 small muffin-sized puddings which were perfect for us! Thanks for the recipe, everyone LOVED it!
Oh this is a brilliant idea! We don’t currently own ramekins and muffin tins would make great portion size serves…
Now, I wonder if it’s freezable…
Sure is!
You’re a star thanks! Will make it after we finish your Moroccan Lamb Shanks x
Hi Chelsea, could you prepare in advance as have people coming over and don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen if possible. Thx
The baking soda will start reacting as soon as you combine it so you need to just have the ingredients ready to go and then quickly mix and put in the oven when people arrive :)
Hi Chelsea – we live in the middle east and are surrounded by dates at the supermarket, would you know which ones would work best for this recipe please?
Thanks,
Amba
Any dates will work :)
Hi Chelsea…can I use coconut cream instead?my daughter is allergic to dairy…would love her to try this…
Sure, give it a crack!
Hi Chelsea.
I have your first cookbook – and I see this recipe is in there bar a few changes (amount of golden syrup, sugar, butter, no lemon zest) just wondered – is this the better one to use as you have ‘tweaked’ it over time?
This is the tweaked version, yes – although I don’t know whether there would be any discernible difference to the diner!
This has to be one of my favourite puddings :-)
Hi Chelsea,
I’m just wondering how many people this recipe would serve? How many ramekins would it fill? Looking forward to trying it out!
Thanks!
Should serve 6 people :)
Hi Chelsea
How many people do you think this recipe would feel? I have 9 people coming for dinner tomorrow and thought I might need to double the recipe?
Thanks
Yes I’d double it :)
Hey Chelsea, I’m making this tonight. Just wondering if these would keep and be microwaved later? Or would the become quite tough? Can’t wait to try it ☺
Hi Chelsea, just wondering how many servings this recipe makes?
Enough for 6 people.
Hi Chelsea,
This recipe sounds delicious thanks! I’d like to make individual puddings but don’t have enough ramekins. Could I do them in muffin pans?
Thanks :-)
Oh my goodness, this is the best sticky date pudding I have ever had. Such a good recipe. Love the little bit of extra cinnamon, really makes it
I made this last night for my husband as it was his birthday. He is a big fan of sticky date puddings, and said that this one was one of the most delicious he has ever tasted, restaurant quality. My two boys said it was the best dessert I have ever made! Bonus. Great recipe, thanks!
Hi there. As a senior I have a lot of digestive trouble with any recipe containing baking soda and dates! Any suggestions for a substitute? Thanks. I enjoy your recipes and see some of my friends have won and or purchased your books…..Cheers!
Thank you Chelsea! One of my favourite desserts is Sticky Date Pudding and having taken gluten out of my diet this year I was feeling a little sad about missing out on it – you are marvellous! I am so excited to see that I can make this gluten free and I know that it will be devine (all of your recipes are) x
Enjoy x