Individual Sticky Toffee Puddings

There’s something undeniably comforting about the rich, caramel flavor of a sticky toffee pudding that I fell in love with while living in England. This classic British dessert satisfies my sweet tooth and I’m not ashamed to say, I pretty much tried it every time it was offered on a menu. Inspired by these memories and countless spoonfuls of this dessert, I’ve recreated the flavor experience in these Individual Sticky Toffee Puddings. They’re easy to bake, perfectly portioned, incredibly moist and drenched in that signature toffee sauce. A perfect dessert to serve at a gathering, or indulge yourself on a cozy night inside.

Prepping the Ingredients

Most of this recipe is mixing the ingredients, but you can save yourself some time by prepping a few of the elements ahead of time. For the medjool dates, I would recommend buying them already pitted as it will save you time. Using a 2-3/4″ Paring Knife, cut the dates in half, lengthwise.

Measure out both the dry and wet ingredients in advance to make the mixing process easier.

Using a 7-5/8″ Petite Chef Knife, chop up the pecans (if you are using them to top the puddings).

Making the Individual Puddings

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease two 12-cup muffin tins.

For this recipe, the dates need to be softened. Add them to either a food processor or blender and pour a cup of hot black tea over the top, letting the mixture sit for five minutes.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, cream together room-temperature butter and brown sugar. Once combined, add the eggs one at a time until thoroughly combined. Add the molasses and maple syrup to the batter and mix until fully incorporated.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt, mixing the ingredients together. Gradually stir the dry ingredients into the butter and brown sugar mixture and mix until combined.

Now that the dates have steeped in the hot tea, blend them until smooth. Add the baking soda and mix to combine. Pour the date mixture into the brown sugar batter and fold until the ingredients are completely combined. Make sure not to overmix the batter.

Fill the muffin tins to three-quarters full. The pudding cakes will expand and you don’t want to overflow the cups. I recommend dropping the tins on the counter a few times to remove any air bubbles and then placing them into oven to bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Check the pudding cakes at 15 minutes to make sure you don’t overbake them. Additionally, if you have two tins, bake them separately. Once a toothpick is inserted into the pudding cakes and comes out clean, remove the tin from the oven and allow it to cool for approximately 15 minutes. 

Making the Toffee Sauce

While the pudding cakes are cooling, you can prepare the toffee sauce. Start by cutting the cold butter into slices, using a Table Knife.

In a medium saucepan over low heat, add the cream, butter slices, brown sugar and salt. Cook until the sugar is completely dissolved and the sauce has thickened a bit. Remove the sauce from the heat and, using a Mix-Stir, whisk in the vanilla.

Putting the Dessert Together

Run a thin rubber spatula along the edges of the pudding cakes to remove them from the muffin tin. Serve them with the flat, smaller side up and spoon the toffee sauce over each pudding. Garnish with pecans and whipped cream, if desired, and serve while warm.

Individual Sticky Toffee Puddings are a decadent dessert with just the right amount of sweet and saltiness to satisfy any sweet tooth. Easy to bake and perfectly portioned, these desserts are great to bring to a party or to enjoy with family. Just don’t be surprised if you want more than one.