Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding (Gluten-Free)

Vegan sticky toffee pudding in a bowl with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a spoon

Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding (Gluten-Free)

This Vegan Sticky Toffee Pudding is a super comforting dessert: a moist, caramel-flavoured sponge covered in a thick, indulgent toffee sauce. It's easy to make, and perfect for Christmas and the winter season!

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword gluten-free sticky toffee pudding, vegan sticky toffee pudding, vegan toffee sauce

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 426kcal

Author Rhian Williams

Ingredients

For the dates:

150 g (¾ cup) pitted dates , chopped into small pieces
150 ml (⅔ cup) boiling hot water

For the sticky toffee pudding:

60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
150 ml (⅔ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
8 tablespoons (8 tablespoons) coconut sugar (or sub normal sugar or any other sweetener)
1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) apple cider vinegar * (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Pinch (Pinch) salt
150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) **
150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
2 heaped teaspoons (2 heaped teaspoons) baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

For the toffee sauce:

4 tablespoons (4 tablespoons) smooth cashew butter (or sub any other smooth nut butter or coconut butter)
10 tablespoons (10 tablespoons) coconut sugar (or sub normal sugar or any other sweetener)
180 ml (¾ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract
Pinch (Pinch) salt
Splash (Splash) brandy (to taste/optional. Or sub any other liqueur of choice - ensure vegan/gluten-free if necessary)

Instructions

For the dates:

Place the chopped dates into a bowl and pour over boiling hot water.
Leave to soak for 15 minutes, while assembling the rest of the ingredients.
Use a fork to gently mash the soaked dates until you get a rough paste.

For the sticky toffee pudding:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit).
Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil).
Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the coconut sugar, vinegar, vanilla, salt and ground almonds.
Add the mashed soaked dates, including all the water.
Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it's looking too dry.
Transfer the batter into a baking dish - I used one measuring 26 cm (10 inch) by 18 cm (7 inch) and 7 cm (2 ½ inch) tall. 
Smooth over the top of the batter.
Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

For the toffee sauce:

While the pudding is baking in the oven, make the toffee sauce by placing all the ingredients in a saucepan.
Heat gently on a low heat, mixing well to get rid of any clumps of nut butter - you can use a whisk to do this.
Keep stirring while you heat the sauce, and cook until it starts to bubble gently. Be careful to not let it burn!
Pour some of the sauce over the pudding as soon as it’s out of the oven - it will absorb better while it’s still hot. Keep the rest for pouring over extra toffee sauce when serving.
Best enjoyed immediately! Pour over extra toffee sauce to serve. Tastes especially good with some vegan vanilla ice cream or custard.
Keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days. The sauce won't stay runny when cold, but it can be re-heated gently in a saucepan until it reaches your desired consistency.

Notes

*If you don’t want to use vinegar, replace it with 2 tablespoons lemon juice as you need something acidic to react with the alkali bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to make the sponge fluffy.

**You can alternatively use almond flour.

Nutrition