Medjool Date Sticky Toffee Pudding – a healthier spin on this sweet holiday dessert with a rich grain-free sponge cake soaked in the easiest blender toffee sauce!
THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY NATURAL DELIGHTS®
It’s not that I’m trying to skip over Thanksgiving. Its just that the moment Medjool Date Sticky Toffee Pudding entered my life, I knew I needed to share it with you as soon as possible.
Maybe it is a little more appropriate for Christmas than for a week before Thanksgiving. But we’re already breaking all the rules by making it without butter or refined sugar or grains, so may as well just eat it whenever we want too. And trust me, that time is NOW.
When I think of pudding I think of creamy and chocolate. Actually the first thing I think of is plastic cups layered chocolate-vanilla-chocolate and my middle school cafeteria. But this is a pudding very unlike either of those.
Let your imagination feast on this: rich, grain-free caramel sponge cake with flecks of Medjool dates throughout generously drizzled with the easiest no-cook toffee sauce so it soaks into every cake-y crevasse to create a deliciously moist, slightly dense, cake-meets-pudding perfect bite.
I’ve never had anything quite like it before. The British certainly know what they’re doing when it comes to holiday desserts. Even if I’ve put my own not-so-traditional spin on it.
I love sneaking Medjool dates in to sweeten recipes they aren’t typically used in, but in this case Medjool dates are already a key ingredient in sticky toffee pudding. Where we are veering from tradition is by using only Medjool dates to sweeten (no added sugar!) and keeping the whole thing vegan and paleo with a surprisingly simple list of ingredients too.
We’ve got:
- Medjool dates. I recommend Natural Delights® Medjool dates since they are always perfectly fresh and sweet. I used the organic pitted variety for this recipe because hello EXTRA easy.
- Water or brewed coffee. Coffee makes for a deeper richer flavor, but it’s up to you. Either way it needs to be HOT to soak and soften the dates.
- Baking soda.
- Cashew butter. Or almond butter. Or even tahini could be delicious here.
- Vanilla.
- Lemon juice. Or apple cider vinegar.
- Coconut flour. But don’t worry these aren’t weird and crumbly like coconut flour stuff can sometimes be because of…
- Tapioca starch.
- Salt. Very important in all caramel-y things.
And the toffee sauce is almost too easy – just Medjool dates blended with full-fat coconut milk and a little salt and vanilla for flavor. And yes you will want to drink it with a straw.
I baked my cute little cakes into mini bundts, but you could use a muffin pan instead. Or even sticky toffee pudding donuts sounds good to me…no rules here.
Bake. Flip. Toffee drown. And devour!
If you wanted to vote pecan pie off the Thanksgiving island table and replace it with Medjool Date Sticky Toffee Pudding, I would 100% support that decision. And after one bite I’m pretty sure your family would be very fine with it too.
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Medjool Date Sticky Toffee Pudding – a healthier spin on this sweet holiday dessert with a rich grain-free sponge cake soaked in the easiest blender toffee sauce!
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200g) Natural Delights® Organic Pitted Medjool Dates
- 3/4 cup (120g) boiling water or brewed coffee*
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup (125g) cashew butter**
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup (30g) coconut flour
- 1/4 cup (30g) tapioca starch***
- 1/4 tsp salt
Medjool Date Toffee Sauce
- 1/2 (100g) cup Natural Delights® Organic Pitted Medjool Dates
- 1 cup (225g) full-fat coconut milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pour the boiling water or coffee over the pitted dates. Add baking soda. Stir, then soak for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Transfer the dates, water/coffee, and baking soda mixture to a food processor.
- Add the cashew butter, lemon juice, and vanilla.
- Process briefly, you want there to be some chunks of date left. (Consider leaving out half of the water for the initial blend as food processors tend to spray if there is too much liquid! Blend briefly, then add the remaining water.)
- Add the coconut flour, tapioca starch, and salt. Process to combine.
- Transer to oiled mini bundt pans or muffin tin.
- Bake for 30 minutes at 350F or until the center feels firm to the touch.
- Remove from the oven. Cool for 10-15 minutes before flipping onto a cooling rack.
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Adjust with more milk if needed to get a pourable consistency.
- Pour the sauce over the cakes right before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
*Coffee will give it a deeper more complex flavor, but either is fine.
**Almond butter would be good too, or even tahini.
***You can substitute arrowroot or cornstarch.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cake
- Calories: 385
- Sugar: 35g
- Fat: 16g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 57g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 8g
Keywords: vegan, paleo, grain-free, christmas, cake, dessert, gluten-free, healthy
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If making ahead, could I freeze it?
Yes, you could freeze the cakes and then just make the sauce right before serving😊
My son is allergic to coconut. Could I subsitute it for the coconut flour? Or would it ruin the texture?
Hmm so there is not other flour that subs 1-for-1 with coconut, but you could try this date-based vanilla cake with oat flour instead and then just use the same sauce on top: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/healthy-vanilla-cake-chocolate-fudge-frosting/
Would almond flour not work?
Not for this one, sorry! But I do have some almond flour muffins you could jazz up with these spices and the same sauce on top: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/vegan-chai-muffins/#tasty-recipes-16610
HOW HOW HOW did you know I was searching for a Shabbat dinner dessert??? This looks like it will fit the bill perfectly! You are, as always, AMAZING!!
OMGOSH..this was amazingly yummy!! I ended up with 6, not 4.. Made in my Mini-bundt silicone cupcake pan with each mold filled to the top. Sooooo good!!! Thank you!!
★★★★★
Omg you already tried it (sorry just saw this) Wahooooo this just made my morning🤗🤗 I am thrilled to hear you loved it, thanks for the amazing feedback!
Yep, I’m a dessert psychic haha! I am so happy the timing worked out so well, and I hope it is the perfect sweet treat for your dinner🤗 Let me know what you think, Iris!
Looks so good! Could this also be made as 1 big loaf/cake instead of minis?
Sure! I’d try it in a loaf pan, and you will probably need to bake an extra 5-10 minutes or so or until the center of the cake feels firm to the touch so it won’t sink after you take it out 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Recently, I’ve been wondering if there would be a healthier version of sticky toffee pudding. Also, sticky toffee pudding is not available in stores or on the menu of eateries where I live (a crime, I know!). So this is like heavensent for me! Thanks for creating this recipe! I made it and wow! It’s so so good! 😀
★★★★★
Right?! It’s such a delicious dessert, but very underrated and hard to find here too sadly. I hope you try and love this version, it’s definitely one of my new found holiday favorites❤️
I made these into muffins as I didn’t have buntcake pans, they are the only vegan/gf muffins I have been able to get to rise and have the perfect texture (just like a regular muffin). Warmed and with the sauce, they are really delicious! A perk that they are naturally sweetened.
★★★★★
Wahooooo! I am so so happy you liked them and that they rose so perfectly for you🤗 Normally I hate coconut flour, but with this combo of ingredients it works so well and makes for a surprisingly fluffy texture. Thanks for the feedback Bethany!
So happy to have found this. American husband is NOT a fan of pumpkin pie so will be making this instead. Should the puddings be warmed or served at room temperature? I am making them this week to freeze ahead.
★★★★★
I like it warm, the sauce soaks in better that way! And I am so happy you saw this recipe then, hope everyone loves them🤗
Girl, these look INCREDIBLE. They look SO MOIST, but not like nasty mushy wet moist, haha, you know what I mean?? Definitely fitting the bill of toffee sticky pudding dense since the traditional is that to a T. Looks like you nailed it and cannot believe it’s all made with dates too….um, again, date queen strikes again! I personally just think that Medjool Dates Natural Delights should rename their company to Natalie the Date Queen because nobody does date desserts better than you, hahaha! Seriously, even that toffee pudding looks so creamy and amazing! And again, you made coconut flour look appetizing and not obviously coconut flour. Looks like another winner girl!
It’s been too long since I went ALL OUT medjool date crazy, I feel much better now lol☺️ Hahaha you are so sweet! They are just so naturally gooey and yummy, made for recipes like this. The gooeyness of dates and the dry as a desert-ness of coconut flour seem to be a good match for one another😂
DEAR LORD these look amazing! Another make-ahead question: if I don’t want to compromise the texture, how should I best do this? Bake then freeze then defrost then microwave on the day to serve? Or reheat in the oven (from defrosted or frozen)? Or make the batter ahead and try to bake at my in-laws on the day? Sorry, argh! I’ve only had terrible experiences with reheating in a textural sense so don’t want to put my culinary reputation (ha) on the line here (or all of the nice ingredients to waste). Thanks in advance for your advice and THANKS AGAIN for the recipe!!
Baked goods are just never the same after freezing and reheating, especially healthier recipes like this unfortunately, but I think defrosting slowly and then reheating in the oven will be your best bet! I would recommend making the sauce the day of though. Hope it works out and happy Thanksgiving to you!
Too bad I’m done with Downton Abbey—these would have been the perfect dessert to have while watching, but I still feel terribly British having toffee pudding (so glad you called them that—date bundt cake wouldn’t have had the same panache). I’m a chocoholic, but I don’t feel at all deprived having these—they are so flavorful I don’t miss the chocolate. Both the pudding and the sauce are wondrous. I had some dates that needed to be used up, so what a terrific way to do that—and have a healthy, unique, uber-flavorful dessert. We even bought a mini bundt cake tray for this, which I don’t regret, since this will be a frequent repeater. I normally don’t really like coconut flour, but you couldn’t taste it at all with this. This is so incredibly good!
★★★★★
Hi! Can we substitute tapioca with something else? X
Corn starch would work, as would arrowroot!
I made this on a whim because I was hankering for a dessert and you’re my go-to-gal.
My kiddo’s first bite was followed with “Mmmm… this is amazing!”. Hubby approved too 🙂 Thanks for ANOTHER amazing recipe.
★★★★★
Aww that makes me so happy to hear Jojo😊😊 I am thrilled that you guys all loved this one and honored to be your go-to for sweet dessert stuff!
Could these be made in a regular size bundt pan, not the mini?
Hmm haven’t tested it so not sure it will cook through properly and how long it would take. I’d recommend a muffin pan as an alternative to the mini bundt instead😊
i really want to make this for xmas. looks soooooo good. what brand of cashew butter did you use ? i have artisana and it’s really thick compared to the one in your video. im afraid it won’t come out the same. any thoughts ?
I used the Trader Joe’s brand which is quite runny, maybe go with a different type of nut butter with a more similar consistency instead or thin it out with oil!
hello, gorgeous cake! simple steps to follow and looks so good. bookmarking. 😘
This one is sooooo yummy! I hope you try and love it, happy holidays💚
This sounds fabulous. I’m on the autoimmune protocol – all ingredients except the cashew butter are compliant – is there a possible substitute?
Thanks!
I’m pretty sure the only nut/seed butter you can have is coconut, yes? You could try it with that although not sure it will work😕
I loved the intent behind this recipe it was just a little to healthy for me. Let’s say I want to cut the health factor in half by adding back in butter and eggs but keeping everything else the same how would I do that?
Hmm those are two pretty big modifications, and as someone who bakes mostly vegan so rarely uses butter or eggs I can’t really advise here. You will have to experiment for yourself 🙂
To the guy above me, I just have to say, that’d require totally reworking the recipe! Like tons and tons of hours of testing. Why not just use a regular sticky toffee pudding recipe? The feature of this recipe is that it’s eggless and butterless!
I made it as written (as muffins) and loved it! I didn’t even make the sauce. I made it again and added cinnamon and frozen berries on top of each muffin. Yummy!
Do you have any more recipes that use this coconut flour + tapioca combination? I looked at your tapioca flour tag but it only has two recipes listed. Please make more recipes with this combination! I love your oat flour recipes but love this way more. 🙂 Thank you!
★★★★★
YAY!! I am so happy you liked them, and yes the cake itself is so yummy I loved them without sauce too😋 Your cinnamon + berries presentation sounds delicious, I gotta try that! I do have this one with tapioca + coconut flour combo as well: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/ice-cream-sundae-brownie-cups/ It’s a personal fave of mine, so I will definitely try to use it more soon!
Thanks for the link! I definitely want to try those. But they’re flourless and don’t have tapioca or coconut flour! Were you thinking of another recipe? 🙂
Bahahaha!! I’m losing it😂 Yeah let’s try that again: https://www.feastingonfruit.com/coconut-flour-waffles/
Oooh. I can’t wait to try those waffles! I don’t have a waffle iron. I resisted getting one for so many years because I’d eat 2 huge Belgian waffles and go into a carb-coma and be useless for the rest of the day. But now I have one in my Amazon cart. 😀 Will report back soon! Until then… I’m going to make those brownies. They look awesome!
Order it! I getcha, but they are just so much better than pancakes imo with the crispy edges😋 Hope you enjoy both!
Made this pudding last night and it was delicious! Everyone liked it – even those that are
kind of picky eaters. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Woohoo!! That is always the best kind of feedback to get, I am so happy it was a success Faith 🙂
looks amazing. i need to make it ahead of time, do you think i can heat the sauce up before serving to make it deliciuos and warm?
★★★★★
Yes I think that’s a great idea! Hope you enjoy Rachel 🙂
wow thank you for this great recipe! the sauce is absolutely heaven, especially when its hot! we really enjoyed it. any ideas what else i could use this sauce for?
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I am so happy you liked it!! Mmm I imagine it would be amazing on top of ice cream or pancakes too😋 I mean endless possibilities really, think of it just like a caramel sauce!
Hi, would this recipe work in a large bundt pan?
It won’t quite fill a full size bundt pan, but if you have a smaller 8-10 cup that could work! You may need to add 5-10 minutes to the bake time 🙂
I purchased something from the FB Marketplace and when I arrived to pick up my purchase, there was this INCREDIBLE scent, wafting thru the door! I told the woman whom I made a purchase, “What is that incredible smell?”. I thought she would say she was cooking a roast, but she told me a cake. The scent was layers upon layers that I couldn’t stop thinking about! I texted her when I got home and she gave me your link to the recipe. I’m salivating just thinking about it, lol. I cannot wait to buy the ingredients and make this! Thanks so much for sharing! GOD bless you ~ 🤗💞
Hahaha!! That is an amazing backstory😂 And I cannot wait for you to try it, keep me updated Karenina! Happy weekend😊😊
Just made this… and damn… it’s delicious. I’ve never used dates before and the natural sweetness is amazing! I subbed the coconut for a little less than a 1/4 cup of oat flour and then added a little more tapioca starch. It’s dense and moist but not mushy and gooey. Thanks so much for the recipe!
Yay I am so so happy you enjoyed it Helen! I love this one, perfect one to pick for your intro to dates in baking. And great to know that the oat flour worked too 🙂
Hey Natalie, My only restriction is to not have eggs, else, I am open to dairy. If I have to make this vegetarian and NOT vegan, can I do 1-1 replacement of coconut milk with dairy milk, coconut flour with all purpose flour and cashew butter with normal butter?
Hi Nikita! The regular milk should be fine although I’d recommend something higher in fat like whole milk. Coconut flora for AP will not work unfortunately, coconut flour is VERY dry compared to normal flour so you will need quite a bit more normal flour to make that sub and I can’t say for sure how much without testing it. And the regular butter melts unlike cashew butter so again can’t say how that will affect the texture of the cake–could work, idk. You may be better off finding a more mainstream sticky toffee pudding recipe, sorry!
We substituted nut butter with sunflower seed butter and it was still absolutely delicious, a favourite in our house. Can you tell me how best to store the sticky toffee pudding; airtight container or fridge. Not that it will last that long, gets eaten pretty quicly
YAY! I am so happy you guys liked it, I bet its delish with sunbutter too😋 And yep, store the cakes in an airtight container in the fridge and just warm up and add the sauce right before serving!
Hi,
I wanted to ask if it’s necessery to add the cashew butter… Can I do it without it? Having already dates in this receipe won’t it make it overly sweet by adding cashew butter ?
The cashew butter isn’t there for sweetness, its really there for moisture and structure. Without it the texture won’t be right so I don’t recommend omitting it. You could use a different nut butter if you prefer though!
I made this today and oh my god. It tasted exactly how I remember the sticky toffee pudding of my childhood tasting (this is coming from a Brit haha). My non-vegan and super hard to please brother and dad loved it as well- my brother is especially scornful of ‘healthy’ desserts but he ate every mouthful! I made a sauce with date syrup, cashew butter and salt instead of the coconut but wow. What a recipe! Thank you so much <3
★★★★★
YAY!! And I am honored that you approved because it’s definitely not something I grew up eating so you are probably a much better critic than me even. I bet it was super dreamy with the cashew butter sauce too😋 So so happy you and your family loved it Dolly!