Quick Recipe Version (TL;DR)
Sticky Toffee Christmas Pudding with Butterscotch Sauce
A wonderfully moist, British-style steamed date pudding with warming spices and orange zest, finished with a generous pour of buttery brown sugar sauce. Add warm vanilla custard for an extra-cozy Christmas dessert.
Quick Ingredients
- Date mixture: 225 g pitted dates, finely chopped; 200 ml boiling water; 1 teaspoon baking soda.
- Pudding base: 100 g softened unsalted butter, plus 5 g for greasing; 150 g dark brown sugar; 2 large eggs, at room temperature.
- Dry ingredients: 175 g all-purpose flour; 1½ teaspoons baking powder; 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 teaspoon ground ginger; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ¼ teaspoon fine salt.
- Flavorings: 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest.
- Butterscotch sauce: 100 g unsalted butter; 150 g dark brown sugar; 200 ml heavy cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; ¼ teaspoon fine salt.
- Optional accompaniment: 400 ml warm vanilla custard.
Do This
- 1. Grease a 1.7-liter pudding basin. Prepare a pleated parchment-and-foil cover and a deep saucepan with a steaming rack.
- 2. Combine the dates, boiling water, and baking soda. Leave for 10 minutes, then mash lightly.
- 3. Beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and zest, then fold in the dry ingredients and the complete date mixture.
- 4. Fill the basin no more than three-quarters full, secure the cover, and steam over gently simmering water for 2 hours. Check the water every 30 minutes.
- 5. During the final 10 minutes, gently heat the sauce butter, sugar, cream, and salt for 5 minutes, simmer for 3 minutes, then stir in the vanilla.
- 6. Check that the pudding is cooked, rest for 10 minutes, then unmold. Pour over warm sauce and serve with the remaining sauce and optional custard.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Deeply moist, never dry: Softened dates and gentle steaming create a tender, spoonable crumb.
- Festive without the fuss: Cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and orange bring Christmas warmth without weeks of maturing.
- A truly generous sauce: There is enough buttery butterscotch to coat the pudding and pass extra at the table.
- Easy to make ahead: Prepare the pudding and sauce in advance, then reheat for a relaxed holiday dessert.
Grocery List
- Produce: 1 orange, for 2 teaspoons finely grated zest.
- Dairy: 205 g unsalted butter in total; 200 ml heavy cream; 400 ml vanilla custard, if serving.
- Eggs: 2 large eggs.
- Pantry: 225 g pitted dates; 300 g dark brown sugar; 175 g all-purpose flour; baking soda; baking powder; ground cinnamon; ground ginger; ground nutmeg; fine salt; vanilla extract.
- Kitchen supplies: Baking parchment, aluminum foil, and kitchen string.
Full Ingredients
For the Steamed Date Pudding
- 225 g soft pitted dates, weighed after pitting and finely chopped
- 200 ml freshly boiled water
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 100 g unsalted butter, softened, plus 5 g for greasing the basin
- 150 g dark brown sugar, with any lumps broken up
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons finely grated orange zest, avoiding the white pith
- 175 g all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
For the Butterscotch Sauce
- 100 g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 150 g dark brown sugar
- 200 ml heavy cream, approximately 36% fat
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To Serve
- 400 ml vanilla custard, warmed, optional
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Prepare the basin and steaming pan
Grease a heatproof, steam-safe 1.7-liter pudding basin with 5 g butter, paying particular attention to the bottom. Cut a small circle of baking parchment to fit the base and press it into place.
Lay a large sheet of foil on the counter and place a slightly smaller sheet of baking parchment on top. Fold a 3 cm pleat through the center of both sheets to allow room for expansion. Set aside.
Place a steaming rack or heatproof trivet in a deep saucepan with a well-fitting lid. The basin must sit above the pan bottom, with enough space to close the lid. Heat a kettle of water; you will use this to fill the pan after adding the basin.
Step 2: Soften the dates
Put the chopped dates in a heatproof bowl. Pour over 200 ml freshly boiled water, stir in the baking soda, and leave for 10 minutes. The mixture may foam briefly; this is normal. Mash with a fork into a thick, chunky paste. Keep all the soaking liquid, and let the mixture cool until warm rather than hot.
Step 3: Beat the butter, sugar, and eggs
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the softened butter and dark brown sugar on medium speed for 3 minutes, until lighter and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 30 seconds after each addition, then mix in the vanilla and orange zest.
If the mixture looks slightly curdled, do not worry: it will come together when the flour is added.
Step 4: Fold together the pudding batter
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Using a spatula, fold half the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, followed by all the warm date mixture, including its liquid. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients just until no flour streaks remain.
Spoon the batter into the prepared basin and level the surface. The basin should be no more than three-quarters full so the pudding has room to rise.
Step 5: Cover and steam gently
Place the prepared cover over the basin with the parchment facing the batter and the foil on the outside. Keep the pleat centered. Tie kitchen string tightly beneath the basin’s rim, then trim excess parchment and foil to leave a 5 cm overhang. Fold the foil around the parchment edges to help keep out water. Add a sturdy string lifting handle if your basin does not have one.
Lower the basin onto the rack. Carefully pour boiling water into the saucepan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the basin, keeping water away from the cover. Put on the saucepan lid and bring the water back to a gentle simmer.
Steam for 2 hours from the point the water returns to a simmer. Maintain a steady, gentle simmer, not a vigorous rolling boil. The water will be approximately 100°C / 212°F at sea level; no oven is needed. Check the water level every 30 minutes and top up with boiling water as needed. Never let the pan boil dry.
Step 6: Make the butterscotch sauce
During the final 10 minutes of steaming, put the sauce butter, dark brown sugar, cream, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the butter melts and the sugar dissolves.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly, until glossy and slightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Keep warm. The sauce should pour easily and will thicken further as it cools; do not boil it down into a chewy caramel.
Step 7: Check the pudding and let it rest
After 2 hours, turn off the heat and carefully lift the basin from the pan using a secure lifting handle or sling and heatproof mitts. Set it on a heatproof surface. Open the cover away from your face to release the hot steam safely.
Insert a long skewer into the center. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter. If needed, re-cover securely and steam for another 10 minutes before checking again. Once cooked, leave the pudding in its basin, loosely covered, for 10 minutes.
Step 8: Unmold, sauce, and serve
Run a thin, blunt knife around the inside edge of the basin. Place a warm, rimmed serving plate over the top, then carefully invert the basin and plate together. Lift away the basin and remove the parchment circle.
Pour about one-third of the warm butterscotch sauce over the pudding, letting it run down the sides. Cut into 8 portions and serve immediately, passing the remaining sauce separately. Add 50 ml warm vanilla custard to each serving, if using.
Pro Tips
- Choose soft dates: Medjool dates give especially rich results, but ordinary soft pitted dates work beautifully. Chop them finely so they distribute evenly.
- Weigh the flour: Too much flour makes steamed pudding heavy. A kitchen scale is the easiest way to keep the crumb tender.
- Keep the cover secure: A tight tie beneath the rim helps prevent steam condensation from dripping into the batter.
- Use boiling water for top-ups: Cold water interrupts the steaming and can lengthen the cooking time.
- Adjust sauce consistency gently: If the sauce thickens too much, warm it over low heat and whisk in 15 ml hot water at a time until pourable.
Variations
- Rum butterscotch: Use 170 ml cream instead of 200 ml, then stir 30 ml dark rum into the finished sauce with the vanilla. The alcohol is not fully cooked off, so keep this version for adults.
- Date and walnut pudding: Fold 50 g finely chopped toasted walnuts into the finished batter. Keep the basin no more than three-quarters full and check doneness as directed.
- Extra ginger warmth: Fold 40 g finely chopped drained stem ginger into the batter for little pockets of sweet, spicy flavor.
Storage & Make-Ahead
Refrigerate: Cool the pudding and sauce promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours of cooking. Store separately in covered containers for up to 4 days.
Make ahead: Prepare both components up to 2 days before serving. Keep the pudding in its basin, covered and refrigerated. To reheat, replace the parchment and foil with a fresh, securely tied cover and steam for 60 minutes. Check that the center reaches 74°C / 165°F; continue steaming in 10-minute intervals if necessary. Warm the sauce separately over low heat, stirring frequently.
Reheat individual portions: Place a slice on a microwave-safe plate, add 15 ml water, and cover loosely. Microwave at 800 watts for 60 seconds, then in 15-second intervals until the center reaches 74°C / 165°F. Spoon over separately warmed sauce.
Freeze: Wrap the cooled pudding tightly and freeze for up to 3 months. Freeze the sauce in a separate airtight container for the same time. Thaw both overnight in the refrigerator before reheating; whisk the sauce gently if it separates.
Nutrition (per serving)
Estimated for one-eighth of the pudding with one-eighth of the sauce. Optional custard and variations are not included.
Calories: 606 kcal | Carbs: 76g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 55g | Sodium: 430mg | Cholesterol: 130mg
