Go Back
sticky toffee pudding

Sticky Toffee Pudding with Toffee Sauce and Homemade Vanilla Bean Gelato

Individual sticky toffee pudding baked in ramekins, finished with warm toffee sauce and a scoop of vanilla gelato. A private chef dessert that is easier than it looks and impossible to forget.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pudding
  • 1 cup Medjool dates pitted and chopped
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Toffee Sauce
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch salt
Vanilla Bean Gelato
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 vanilla bean or 1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
  • 5 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Equipment

  • Cuisinart ICE-21P1 Ice Cream Maker
  • Mora 6oz Ceramic Ramekins, Set of 6

Method
 

Prep
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease four 6-ounce ramekins well, including the rim.
    2. Grease generously. A well-buttered ramekin is the difference between a pudding that releases cleanly and one that tears.
  2. Combine the chopped dates, boiling water, and baking soda in a bowl. Let stand for 10 minutes to fully soften. Mash lightly with a fork.
    3. Ten minutes minimum. The baking soda breaks down the dates so they dissolve into the batter. Rush this step and you get lumps.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Pudding Batter
  1. Cream the butter and brown sugar together until pale and light, about 2 minutes.
    2. Pale and light matters. This step builds the structure of the sponge. Do not skip it or rush it.
  2. Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.
  3. Fold in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Do not overmix.
  4. Stir in the date mixture until the batter comes together smoothly. Divide evenly between the four prepared ramekins.
Bake
  1. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the tops are springy. Let rest 2 to 3 minutes before unmolding.
Toffee Sauce
  1. Combine the brown sugar, heavy cream, butter, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a steady simmer over medium heat, stirring.
  2. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
    3. Medium heat, not high. If the sauce splits it turns greasy and grainy. Keep it at a gentle simmer and pull it off the heat the moment it coats a spoon.
Vanilla Bean Gelato
  1. Combine the whole milk and heavy cream in a medium saucepan. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds. Add both the seeds and the pod to the pan. Heat over medium until just about to boil, then remove from heat and steep for 15 to 20 minutes.
  2. Whisk the egg yolks, granulated sugar, and salt in a bowl until pale and slightly thickened.
  3. Slowly ladle about 1/2 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the tempered yolk mixture back into the saucepan, whisking continuously.
    4. Add the hot milk slowly. A splash at a time at first. If you rush the tempering the yolks will scramble and you will be starting over.
  4. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches 170 to 175 degrees F. Do not let it boil.
    5. The test: coat the back of a spoon and drag your finger through it. The line should hold clean. Pull it off the heat the moment it does.
  5. Remove the vanilla bean pod. Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.
  6. Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until the gelato has a soft, creamy texture.
Serve
  1. Run a small knife around the inside edge of each ramekin. Invert onto a warmed plate. Tap the bottom once if it sticks.
  2. Spoon warm toffee sauce generously over each pudding, letting it pool on the plate.
  3. Place a scoop of vanilla bean gelato alongside the pudding and serve immediately.

Notes

Plating. Invert the warm pudding onto a warmed plate. Sauce goes over the top, pooling on the plate. Gelato placed to the side, touching the pudding, so it melts into the sauce at the edge. Serve the moment the plate leaves your hands.
Wine pairing. A Sauternes or late-harvest Riesling works well here. The sweetness of the wine echoes the toffee sauce without competing with it, and the acidity cuts through the richness of the sponge. A Pedro Ximenez sherry is another strong option if you want something heavier.
Prep ahead. The toffee sauce can be made up to 4 days ahead and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat with a splash of cream. The unbaked batter can rest at room temperature for up to 2 hours before baking. The baked puddings can be kept in their ramekins and reheated in a water bath at 300F for 10 to 12 minutes before service.
Feeding more people. The recipe doubles and triples cleanly. Batter ratio stays the same. Bake time does not change because you are still using individual ramekins. Make one large batch of sauce regardless of how many puddings you are serving.
Swaps. Brown sugar in the sponge can be swapped for muscovado if you want a deeper, more bitter molasses flavor. Heavy cream can replace some of the sauce butter for a slightly thinner sauce. The vanilla gelato can be swapped for clotted cream or a good creme fraiche. Do not skip the dates or try to replace them with dried figs or prunes. The baking soda reaction is specific to dates and the texture will not be the same.