Classic British comfort feels right at home on a Texas table. Few desserts capture this better than sticky toffee pudding—its deep, caramel warmth speaks straight to the Southern soul. For the best flavor and texture, opt for Barton Springs Mill’s Sonora ‘00’. It has a nutty, almost buttery quality that flatters the toffee beautifully. It’s the kind of dessert that fills the house with butter and spice—best served warm, glossy with sauce, and shared with the people you love most.
Active time: 35 min • Total time: 1 hr 10 min
1 (9-inch) pudding or 8 individual ramekins
6 oz
8
• Kitchen scale • One 9-inch baking dish (or eight 6-ounce ramekins) • Stand mixer with paddle attachment • Parchment paper
Ingredients
Pudding:
- 225 g pitted dates, small-diced
- Boiling water
- 85 g unsalted butter, softened
- 150 g dark brown sugar
- Zest of 1 large orange
- 2 large eggs
- 8 g vanilla extract
- 40 g molasses
- 180 g ‘00’ flour
- 6 g baking soda
- 3 g ground cinnamon
- 2 g ground cardamom
- Heavy pinch ground clove
- 4 g fine sea salt
- 100 g whole milk, room temperature
Toffee Sauce:
- 180 g dark brown sugar
- 60 g unsalted butter, cubed
- 225 g heavy cream
- 20 g molasses
- 3 g fine sea salt
Sourcing & Substitution Tip:
I like to use Barton Springs Mill Sonora ‘00’ Flour for its fine texture and subtle sweetness—qualities that give the pudding its signature tenderness and golden hue. If you can’t source ‘00’, choose another soft white wheat flour with similar low protein for the most comparable result. Avoid strong bread flours, which can toughen the crumb.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Soak the dates: Place the diced dates in a small bowl and pour in just enough boiling water to cover the fruit. Stir and let soak for 25 minutes, until softened. While the dates soak, measure the remaining ingredients and prepare the baking vessel.
- Prepare the pan: Grease eight 6-ounce ramekins or a 9-inch baking dish with pan spray, lining the bottom with a parchment round for easy release.
- Make the batter:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, dark brown sugar, and orange zest until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, vanilla, and molasses; mix until fully emulsified.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, cardamom, clove, and salt.
- With the mixer on low, alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk in three additions, mixing just until no dry streaks remain.
- Fold in the soaked dates along with any remaining liquid.
- Bake the puddings:
- For individual ramekins: Fill each about ⅔ full with batter and arrange in a large casserole dish at least 2 inches deep. Pour hot water into the dish until it reaches about 1 inch up the sides of the ramekins. Bake 40–45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- For a 9-inch baking dish: Prepare and bake as above, increasing the bake time to 45–55 minutes. The pudding is done when the top feels springy and a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake—the texture should stay tender and slightly sticky.
- Make the toffee sauce: In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, cream, molasses, and salt. Whisk continuously over medium heat until smooth and simmering steadily. Still whisking, bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook until slightly thickened—about 1–2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before loosening the edges with a paring knife and unmolding.
While the pudding bakes, prepare the toffee sauce.
Serving & Storage Suggestions
- To serve: Serve warm—right after unmolding or gently reheated. Spoon warm toffee sauce over each pudding and serve at once.
- Pairs well with: For extra indulgence, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
- Storage / Best by:
- Puddings: Cool completely, then wrap each pudding tightly in plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container. Keeps up to 5 days at room temperature or 1 week refrigerated.
- Toffee sauce: Cool completely, then transfer to a sealed container. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.
- Make-ahead optionality: Sticky toffee pudding is a dream for advance prep. For best results:
- Up to 2 days ahead: Bake, cool completely, and wrap tightly in plastic or transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temperature. Rewarm in a 325°F oven for 10–15 minutes before serving.
- Up to 1 month ahead: Wrap cooled puddings well and freeze. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then warm gently before serving as instructed above.
- Toffee sauce: Make up to 5 days in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight jar and reheat over low heat or in 20-second microwave bursts until pourable.
Original Source: https://bartonspringsmill.com/blogs/recipes/sticky-toffee-pudding-dec?_pos=2&_sid=8ec157aa6&_ss=r
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