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This surprisingly easy Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding drenches a moist date sponge cake in homemade toffee sauce. It’s one of the most impressive holiday desserts, with mouthwatering caramel flavors in every slice! Vegan, Gluten-Free Option.
When it comes to showstopping desserts, nothing compares to this Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding. A decadent date cake is soaked in homemade toffee sauce, then served with vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of sauce on top. From the ultra-moist cake to the layers of caramel in each bite, your guests may have a hard time believing this one isn’t made with any dairy or eggs!
Table of Contents
What Is Sticky Toffee Pudding?
Sticky toffee pudding (AKA sticky date pudding) is an ooey gooey, utterly delicious British dessert. If you saw the pictures and thought, “That doesn’t look like pudding,” that’s because it isn’t (by American standards). It’s a classic British pudding that envelops a moist date sponge cake in toffee sauce and serves every slice with ice cream, whipped cream, or custard on top.
One of my favorite things about this recipe is how deceptive it is. It looks complicated to make (especially without eggs and dairy), and it tastes overly sweet, right? Wrong!
I tested this Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe and instantly fell for its decadence and just-sweet-enough caramel notes. Even better, I was sitting down with a toffee sauce-drenched slice in less than an hour! Give it a try and you’ll realize that this is a dessert that instantly turns a regular evening into a special occasion.
Ingredients for Dairy-Free Sticky Toffee Pudding
I’ve broken down the ingredients into two categories: the spiced brown sugar cake and the toffee sauce. These are the key components needed for this English dessert:
- Medjool Dates: there is no substitute for dates in this recipe. Pitted and soaked Medjool dates are blended into a paste before being mixed into the cake batter for a little more sweetness and caramel flavor. Deglet Noor dates should work as a substitute, but since they’re smaller and firmer, you may need one or two more.
- Vegan Butter: salted dairy-free butter is recommended. Go ahead and use unsalted butter if that’s all you have! Just remember to add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to the cake batter and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the toffee sauce.
- Brown Sugar: there’s no substitute for brown sugar here—it’s truly the star of the cake and toffee sauce. Combined with molasses, date paste, and optional warm spices, your cake will be moist and just sweet enough. It also gives the toffee sauce deeper, more complex layers of wintery flavors that regular white sugar just can’t match.
- Warm Spices: a mix of cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg is an optional addition in the cake. They add a warm coziness that makes the cake particularly comforting when it’s cold outside.
- Full-Fat Plant Milk: the creamier and fattier your milk is, the better. You can’t go wrong with full-fat oat milk, coconut milk, or dairy-free heavy whipping cream here. All three will yield a thick and silky sauce to drizzle over the cake.
How to Make Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Soak the dates in hot water until softened. Transfer the soaked dates and the soaking liquid to a food processor and blend until a thick paste forms.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Cream the melted butter, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, and ground flax together in a large bowl until the sugar dissolves. Next, whisk in the date paste.
- Fold half of the dry flour mixture into the wet mixture until just combined. Add the remaining flour and mix gently again.
- Transfer the cake batter to a baking dish and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached.
- Meanwhile, heat the milk, butter, and sugar together in a small saucepan. Stir only when it starts to simmer. Continue to stir occasionally until the sauce reduces and darkens in color. Transfer it to a glass measuring cup and set it aside to cool.
- Use a toothpick to poke holes all over the top of the cake. Pour 1/2 cup of the sauce over the cake and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Slice the cake and serve with a scoop of vegan ice cream and a drizzle of toffee sauce on top. Enjoy!
Caitlin’s Cooking Tips
- Blend the dates with their soaking liquid. The liquid will not only make them easier to blend, but it will also yield a smoother date paste that’s a breeze to incorporate into the cake batter.
- Do not overmix the cake batter. I recommend using a silicone spatula to gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two batches. Work from the outside of the bowl in, scraping the edges and gently folding until you no longer see dry flour in the batter. If you stir too long or overwork the batter, your cake will be dense and gummy rather than light and fluffy.
- Vegan caramel sauce 101: Toffee sauce is technically different from caramel, but most of the same rules apply to both recipes! First, always use a rich and creamy plant milk (like full-fat oat milk or canned coconut milk) to mimic the results you’d get from heavy cream or butter in traditional caramel sauce. Next, only stir the caramel after it starts to simmer. Stirring too early will slow down the process. The sauce should take on a dark golden color after about 7 to 10 minutes. Lastly, if it seems too thin, just give it some time to cool down from the heat—it will thicken over time!
Serving Suggestions
Just like this Vegan Coffee Cake and these Vegan Sugar Cookies, this vegan sticky toffee pudding is always on my Christmas dessert menu. The warm slices topped with melty vanilla ice cream and plenty of extra toffee sauce are impossible to resist by anyone at the table, vegan or not!
Is someone at the table not an ice cream fan? Serve the cake with a hefty dollop of vegan whipped cream or a sprinkle of these Stovetop Candied Pecans on top instead. Or, simply skip the toppings and treat them to an extra drizzle of sauce.
If you’re looking for more impressive vegan holiday desserts, you’ll also love this Vegan Apple Crumble, this Vegan Pecan Pie, and this Pecan & Pumpkin Custard Pie!
How to Store Leftover Sticky Toffee Pudding
Cover the whole cake in foil or transfer the individual slices to smaller containers. Store the toffee sauce separately in an airtight container. Both will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, freeze the cake and sauce separately for up to 3 months. Thaw the toffee sauce overnight in the fridge and defrost the cake on the counter a few hours before serving.
Reheat the sauce in a small saucepan over medium heat until it’s smooth and pourable again. The cake slices can be served at room temperature or warmed up in the microwave or a 350ºF oven for 5 minutes.
Substitutions and Variations
- Gluten-Free Variation: I only tested this recipe with all-purpose flour, but a quality gluten-free flour mix may work as a substitute. Let me know if you try it!
- Less Sweet Option: This dessert isn’t overly sweet, but it does use a good amount of sugar in the cake and toffee sauce. You can pour my healthier 3 Ingredient Salted Caramel Sauce over the cake instead of the toffee sauce, but the dessert will taste very different.
Recipe FAQs
Traditionally, no. The true British recipe uses eggs in the cake batter and butter and heavy cream in the toffee sauce.
his cake is meant to be incredibly moist, and baking it more than a few hours in advance may dry it out. If you do need to save some time, I’d suggest baking and soaking the cake in the morning and serving it for dessert that evening.
Yes! Sticky toffee pudding muffins are a great alternative if you’re making this dessert for a crowd. Just bake the cake batter in a standard muffin tin for 22 to 25 minutes, then serve with ice cream and sauce.
Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊
Amazing Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding with Cinnamon
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 8 ounces medjool dates, pitted and torn into quarters
- 1 cup ml boiling water
- 10 tablespoons salted dairy-free butter melted
- 2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed
- 1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger optional
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg optional
For the Toffee Sauce:
- 3/4 cup full-fat oat milk, coconut milk, or dairy-free heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup salted dairy-free butter
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and grease and line a 9×9 baking dish with parchment paper.
- Make the Date Paste: Add the dates to a heat-proof bowl and cover with 1 cup of boiling water; cover the bowl with a plate and let soak for 10 minutes, until softened (I like to measure and prep the remaining ingredients during this time). Transfer the dates and the soaking liquid to a food processor. Process for 45 to 60 seconds, until a thick paste forms that is reminiscent of applesauce. Set aside.
- Dry Ingredients: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, optional spices, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cream the Butter: Add the melted butter, brown sugar, and molasses, vanilla, and ground flax to a large bowl and whisk until the brown sugar has dissolved. Add the prepared date paste and whisk again, until combined.
- Combine: Add half of the flour mixture to the bowl and use a spatula to fold it into the batter. Repeat with the remaining half of the flour, trying not to overmix.
- Bake: Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes for the baking pan (or 22 to 25 minutes for the muffins).
Make the Caramel Sauce:
- In the meantime, bring the milk, butter, and sugar to a small sauce pan over medium heat. Do not stir until the mixture comes to a simmer; then, stir occasionally while the sauce reduces and darkens in color, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the caramel to a glass measuring cup and set aside to let cool and thicken slightly.
- Cool Slightly: Place the baking dish on a wire rack and let sit for 10 minutes. Use a long toothpick to poke many holes into the cake about 1/2” apart, then pour 1/2 cup (ml) of the caramel sauce over the top of the cake. Let sit for 5 additional minutes, while the cake cools and absorbs the caramel.
- Slice & Serve: Use the parchment paper to remove the cake from the baking dish, then slice into 9-16 portions. Divide between serving plates and top each cake with a spoon of vanilla ice cream and an extra drizzle of the toffee sauce. Serve warm.
- Storage: Store the cake and toffee sauce leftovers in separate containers in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Recipe Notes
- Unsalted Butter: I prefer to use salted butter for this recipe, but if you only have unsalted that will work as well! I recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to the cake batter, and 1/4 teaspoon of salt to the toffee sauce
I made this. Absolutely delicious. Will definitely make again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed, Leigh!
I made this for Christmas, and it was delicious! I’ll be making this recipe for years to come.
So happy you loved it!
I made this for a Christmas dessert and it was a HUGE hit with everyone (vegans and non-vegans)! I’ve never had a cake that was so moist. It dried out a little after a day but was still amazing (especially with ice cream and toffee sauce on top).
I am so happy you and everyone enjoyed!!
This was absolutely delicious! Such a hit at Christmas dinner with the lovely cozy flavors. I did not have medjool dates so I subbed deglet noor. I wish the recipe had the dates also listed in weight so it was easier to estimate the equivalent. I had to add additional dates to my food processor to thicken the date paste a bit.
Noted, thanks for your feedback! I’m glad it worked out regardless!
First learned to appreciate STP in Scotland in 2008. Is there any alternative to make the sauce without vegan butter/oil?
I’d say the butter is pretty essential in this recipe to keep things moist and decadent!