Christmas Spiced Sticky Toffee Pudding

Christmas Spiced Sticky Toffee Pudding

This is our ultimate Christmas showstopper and honestly one of the recipes we're most proud of. Sticky, warming, deeply spiced with those classic festive flavours, it hits every single note you want from a winter pudding. The dates melt down into this incredible toffee-like sponge and then you pour that glossy caramel sauce over the top and it's just... yes. We make this every year and it genuinely gets requested before the turkey does. If you've got people to impress this Christmas, this is the one.

Cook: 50 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Preheat oven to 180°C
  • Dariole moulds greased
  • High-speed blender
  • Saucepan
  • Baking tray
  • Small jug
  • Cashews soaked well in advance

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup
  • 6 tbsp canned coconut cream
  • 200g dates
  • 350ml plant-based milk
  • 1 ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 315g plant-based butter
  • 300g dark brown sugar
  • 180g white self-raising flour
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg
  • pinch of ground cloves
  • 75g walnuts toasted, roughly chopped
  • 100g walnuts
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 4 tbsp icing sugar
  • 2 tbsp soft brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp brandy
  • 300g cashews - well soaked
  • 100ml coconut milk

Method

1

Toast the walnuts and prep the dates

  • Spread the walnuts out onto a tray, put the tray in the oven and bake the walnuts for 10 minutes until lightly toasted
  • Put the walnuts to one side
  • Cut the dates into small pieces, removing the stones as you go
  • Put them in the saucepan along with the plant-based milk and vanilla extract and cook until the dates are soft, about 10 minutes
2

Make the batter and cook

  • Take the pan off the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda
  • Let the liquid cool to room temperature
  • Add 115g of the dairy-free butter and 100g of the sugar
  • Add the flour, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and salt, and stir them through a few times with a spoon until just combined, but not over mixed
  • Pour the mixture into the greased dariole moulds, put the dishes in the oven and bake for 35–40 minutes, until risen and a skewer inserted into the centre of the sponges comes out clean
3

Make the sticky toffee sauce

  • Meanwhile, clean the saucepan and put it back on a medium heat
  • Put the golden syrup, the remaining 200g brown sugar and the remaining 200g dairy-free butter into the pan, stir and reduce the heat to low
  • Cook for 5 minutes until you have a syrup
  • Remove the pan from the hob, allow it to cool slightly and then stir in the coconut cream
  • Pour into a small jug
4

For the cashew cream

  • While the tart is baking, make the cashew cream
  • Place all the ingredients in a high speed blender and blitz until completely smooth
5

Finish and serve

  • Remove the puddings from the moulds, place them in bowls, drizzle over toffee sauce, sprinkle over the walnuts, spoon on the brandy cream and serve

Tips & Variations

  • Get ahead: You can make the sponge the day before, wrap it well and reheat gently. The sauce reheats brilliantly too so this is actually a great stress-free Christmas Day dessert.
  • Spice it your way: We love the Christmas spice blend here but if you want to dial it up, add a tiny pinch of black pepper or a bit more clove. Henry always sneaks in a little extra cinnamon.
  • Serve it right: A generous pour of vegan cream or a scoop of vanilla coconut ice cream alongside is non-negotiable in our house. Don't be shy with the toffee sauce either, more is more.

Why This Works

The trick is cooking the dates down properly in the plant-based milk first so they break down completely and give the sponge that deep, sticky richness without any eggs or dairy needed. The Christmas spices don't overpower things, they just add this warm background hum that makes it feel really special. Trust us on this one, toasting the walnuts first makes a massive difference to the final flavour.