Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding: The Ultimate Plant-Based Twist on Britain’s Favourite Dessert

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Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding: The Ultimate Plant-Based Twist on Britain's Favourite Dessert

Yield: 6

Discover our delicious vegan sticky toffee pudding recipe – a plant-based version of Britain's beloved Lake District classic, made with naturally sweet dates and rich toffee sauce.

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Ingredients

For the sticky toffee pudding

• 200g stoned dates, roughly chopped
• 250ml soya plant-based alternative to milk
• 100ml water
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 115g dairy-free spread or vegan margarine
• 115g soft brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g self-raising flour
• pinch ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 250g toasted pecans

• soya plant-based alternative to cream to serve

For the pear toffee sauce

• 75g dairy-free spread or vegan margarine
• 3 Conference pears, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped (or tinned pears)
• 110g light muscovado sugar
• 75g caster sugar
• 225ml soya plant-based alternative to cream
• 1½ tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/Fan 170°C/Gas 5. Line a cake tin or baking dish (about 18-20cm) with baking paper.
2. Add the chopped dates, soya drink and water to a small saucepan and bring to a boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 2 minutes or until the dates are soft.
3. Stir in the bicarbonate of soda, then remove from the heat. The mixture should foam, turn slightly green, then return to a dark colour.
4. Blend the date mixture (with a stick blender or by beating thoroughly by hand) to create a paste-like consistency. Set aside to cool slightly.
5. Beat together the dairy-free spread, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. Beat in the cooled date mixture, then sieve in the flour and spices. Fold together until smooth and fully combined.
6. Roughly chop 100g of the toasted pecans and stir them through the pudding batter.
7. Transfer the mixture to the prepared tin and smooth the top. Bake for 20-30 minutes until firm to the touch. Check the pudding is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre of the sponge; it should come out cleanly (no batter on the skewer). If not, return to the oven for 5 minutes and check again.

To make the pear toffee sauce

1. Melt the dairy-free spread in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add the chopped pears and cook for 2-3 minutes, until they just begin to soften.
2. Add both sugars and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until beginning to turn a rich golden colour.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the soya plant-based alternative to cream and vanilla extract until smooth. Keep warm, or make it ahead and set it aside until just before the pudding comes out of the oven.

To finish and serve

1. Towards the end of the pudding cooking time, gently reheat the toffee sauce if needed, then stir through the pinch of salt and remaining 150g whole toasted pecans.
2. As soon as the pudding is ready, remove the tin from the oven and poke small holes all over the sponge with a skewer. Pour half the hot pear toffee sauce all over the top of the hot pudding, letting it soak into the holes. Set aside for a few minutes so the sauce fully absorbs into the sponge.
3. Serve slices of the sponge with the remaining toffee sauce and extra cream alternative to pour over

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 1005Total Fat: 58gSaturated Fat: 9gUnsaturated Fat: 49gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 35mgCarbohydrates: 125gFiber: 11gSugar: 101gProtein: 8g

Few desserts capture the essence of British comfort food quite like sticky toffee pudding. This gloriously indulgent treat has warmed hearts across the nation for decades, and now you can enjoy every last drop of that heavenly toffee sauce with our completely plant-based version. This vegan sticky toffee pudding delivers all the nostalgic flavours you crave whilst being entirely free from dairy and eggs.

The Fascinating Origins of Sticky Toffee Pudding

Sticky toffee pudding has become synonymous with British cuisine, yet its origins remain delightfully mysterious. The dessert is widely celebrated as a culinary symbol of the Lake District in northwest England, where it has been perfected and popularised over the years.

The most widely accepted story credits Francis Coulson, who began serving the pudding at his Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel in the 1970s. However, the plot thickens with a Canadian connection – it’s believed the original recipe may have been shared by Royal Canadian Air Force pilots stationed in Britain during the Second World War. Some food historians even suggest links to Quebec’s pouding chômeur, a butterscotch-heavy dessert that could have inspired the British version.

According to Wikipedia, the dessert consists of two essential components: a moist sponge cake filled with finely chopped dates and a rich toffee sauce typically made with double cream and dark sugars. Our vegan version stays true to these fundamentals whilst using plant-based alternatives.

Why Dates Make the Magic Happen

Dates are the unsung hero of sticky toffee pudding, providing natural sweetness and that characteristic moist texture. These ancient fruits have been cultivated for over 5,000 years and bring far more than just flavour to your dessert. According to Healthline, dates are packed with fibre, antioxidants, and essential minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and copper.

The dates in this vegan sticky toffee pudding provide roughly 7 grams of fibre per 100-gram serving – similar to a cup of cooked wholemeal pasta. They also contain powerful antioxidants called flavonoids, carotenoids, and phenolic acids, which help protect your cells from damage. Despite their natural sweetness, dates have a relatively low glycaemic index, meaning they won’t cause the dramatic blood sugar spikes associated with refined sugars.

The Health Benefits of Going Vegan with Your Pudding

Choosing a vegan sticky toffee pudding offers several advantages beyond ethical considerations. Traditional sticky toffee pudding relies heavily on butter and cream, both of which are high in saturated fat. By using plant-based alternatives such as coconut cream and vegan butter, this recipe significantly reduces the saturated fat content whilst maintaining that luxuriously rich mouthfeel.

Plant-based desserts often incorporate heart-healthy fats from sources like coconut oil, which contains medium-chain triglycerides that your body processes differently from animal fats. Additionally, vegan baking opens the door to people with dairy allergies or lactose intolerance, allowing more people to enjoy this beloved British classic. If you love plant-based baking, be sure to explore my full collection of vegan bakes for more inspiration.

Fun Facts About Sticky Toffee Pudding

Ready for some sticky toffee pudding trivia? Francis Coulson originally called his creation the ‘icky sticky toffee pudding’ – a name that perfectly captures its gloriously gooey nature. In Australia and New Zealand, the same dessert goes by ‘sticky date pudding’, highlighting the importance of its star ingredient.

The Cartmel Village Shop in the Lake District has sold over 10 million sticky toffee puddings since 1984, making it a veritable pilgrimage site for pudding enthusiasts. The dessert has even caught celebrity attention – pop star Olivia Rodrigo famously declared her love for sticky toffee pudding at Glastonbury Festival, confessing she’d eaten three since arriving in England!

Interestingly, despite its old-fashioned feel, sticky toffee pudding is actually a relatively modern invention. Unlike Christmas pudding or spotted dick, which have centuries of history, sticky toffee pudding only became widely popular in the 1970s and 1980s.

Serving Your Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding

For the ultimate indulgence, serve this vegan sticky toffee pudding warm with a generous drizzle of extra toffee sauce. The traditional accompaniments work beautifully in plant-based form – try a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or a dollop of coconut whipped cream. The contrast between the warm, gooey pudding and cold cream creates that perfect balance of temperatures and textures.

This pudding keeps wonderfully in the refrigerator for several days and reheats beautifully in the microwave or oven. Simply warm individual portions for 30-40 seconds in the microwave, then top with freshly warmed sauce for a dessert that tastes just as good as when first made.

Whether you’re a lifelong vegan, exploring plant-based eating, or simply looking for a delicious dessert that everyone can enjoy, this vegan sticky toffee pudding proves that compassionate cooking never means compromising on taste. For another beloved British dessert with a vegan twist, try my Glorious Salted Caramel Apple Crumble. Give this pudding a try and discover why this British classic has captured hearts around the world – now in a version that’s kinder to animals and the planet.