Gluten free sticky toffee pudding

I always knew, that one day, I’d share a recipe for a gluten free version of the sticky toffee pudding my mum used to make. Well, that day has arrived, and here it is just for you in all its sticky toffee glory! 

Sticky toffee pudding is up there as one of my all-time favourite hot puddings. I love the soft, dark, date filled sponge, topped with bubbling toffee sauce. And I especially like it, when served up with a good *vanilla ice cream. I always get slightly giddy, when I spot gluten free sticky toffee pudding on a menu, and unless I’m completely stuffed, it’s a done deal that I will be ordering it.

This sticky toffee pudding recipe, taken from my mum’s handwritten recipe book (the original recipe came from her friend, Sheila) is nice and easy to make and is delicious. I hope you love it as much as I do!

Ingredients

For the pudding
175g (6oz) *dates, roughly chopped
300ml (½ pint) cold water
50g (2oz) butter, softened (salted or unsalted)
175g (6oz) light brown muscovado sugar
2 large beaten eggs
1 teaspoon *vanilla extract
175g (6oz) gluten free self-raising flour or mix (add a ¼ teaspoon of xanthan gum to the flour if it doesn’t already contain this or guar gum)
1 teaspoon *bicarbonate of soda

For the toffee sauce
6 tablespoons double cream
200g (7oz) light brown muscovado sugar
110g (4oz) butter, cubed (salted or unsalted)
1 teaspoon *vanilla extract

Method

Grease and line an 8-inch square tin. 

To make the pudding 

Pour the water into a pan and add the chopped dates.

Pop the pan on the heat and bring to the boil. Once boiling reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. After this time, stir to combine the dates and water and then remove the pan from the heat and set to one side.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4/160C Fan. 

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until blended. It won’t cream together like a normal sponge mixture at this stage, as there is so little butter to sugar. 

Add the beaten eggs and vanilla extract and whisk, ideally with an electric mixer.

Sift in the gluten free self-raising flour and bicarb and whisk briefly until smooth and creamy. 

Stir in the date mixture and then transfer into the prepared tin.

Bake for 40-45 minutes (check after 40 minutes). The sponge should feel soft and springy when fully baked. To be doubly sure it’s good to go, you can always slip a cake skewer into the centre of the cake. All is well when the skewer comes out nice and clean.

To make the sticky toffee sauce (best to make this whilst the pudding is baking)

Put all the ingredients for the sauce into a pan.

Give everything a good stir and then pop the pan onto a low heat. Once the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved, turn the heat up and bring the sauce to a boil. Keep stirring and boil for a minute or so, until the sauce is smooth and glossy. Remove the pan from the heat.

Once the sponge is baked, remove from the oven and leave to stand for about 10 minutes before turning out, upside down into a heatproof dish; one that is large enough to accommodate the pudding and sauce. 

Peel of the greaseproof paper and then pour over the toffee sauce.

Pop under the grill (set to medium heat) until the sauce starts to bubble. Leave the pudding to stand for a moment or so before tucking in!

Recipe notes and suggestions:

This sticky toffee pudding is at its absolute best when eaten more or less straight away, as unfortunately the sticky toffee sauce once cooled doesn’t heat up well; it’s texture and appearance change.

If you don’t feel that you’ll be able to polish the pudding off in one go, you could make the sponge in advance, portion it up as you like and just make the amount of sauce you require at the time. 

The pudding/sponge without the sauce can be frozen. 

Sticky toffee pudding is rather tremendous with the usual hot pudding accompaniments; cream, ice cream and good old fashioned *custard!

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Thanks for checking out this sticky toffee recipe. Don’t forget to leave comments on my blog or tag me on social media if you make anything I share, as it will encourage other people to give the recipes a go too. And, seeing people make the things I share and getting so much joy out of food, makes me extremely happy!

For now,
Liz x 

*Check this product out to ensure no gluten containing ingredients or ‘may contain’ or ‘not suitable’ warnings on the pack. If in doubt, leave it out.