Sticky toffee pudding is the most ordered dessert on British pub and casual dining menus. It also has one of the better GP profiles in the dessert section and — when made correctly — is one of the most forgiving things to run at volume. The pudding batch-bakes once or twice a week, portions easily, reheats consistently in a microwave or steam oven, and the sauce can be held in a squeeze bottle on the warm shelf through service.
This is not a complicated recipe. What it rewards is attention to the dates (Medjool, always), a toffee sauce made with double cream not single, and a willingness to let the pudding rest before portioning.
Serves: 12 portions (from one 30 × 20cm tray) | Prep: 25 min | Cook: 35 min | Suitable for: Pub dessert menu, restaurant à la carte, set-price menus, function catering
Ingredients
For the pudding sponge
- 300g pitted Medjool dates, roughly chopped
- 300ml boiling water
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 85g unsalted butter, softened
- 175g dark muscovado sugar
- 3 medium eggs
- 175g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp mixed spice (optional but recommended for autumn/winter menus)
For the toffee sauce
- 200g unsalted butter
- 300g dark muscovado sugar
- 300ml double cream
- 1 tbsp black treacle
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of flaked sea salt
To serve
- Clotted cream or good vanilla ice cream (or both)
- Optional: extra toffee sauce warmed to order
Method
1. Prep the dates Place the chopped dates in a bowl. Pour over the boiling water, stir in the bicarbonate of soda (it will foam briefly) and leave to soak for 20 minutes. Once softened, blend to a rough purée using a stick blender — leave some texture rather than a completely smooth paste.
2. Make the sponge Preheat oven to 170°C fan / 190°C conventional. Grease a deep 30 × 20cm baking tray and line with parchment. Cream the butter and muscovado sugar together until lighter in colour — about 3–4 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl between each. Add the vanilla. Fold in the flour and spice until just combined, then fold in the date purée — the batter will be loose and dark.
3. Bake Pour into the prepared tray and bake for 30–35 minutes until the surface is set and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tray for 20 minutes before cutting. The pudding is easier to portion once completely cool — refrigerate overnight if batch-prepping for the following day.
4. Make the toffee sauce Melt the butter in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add the muscovado sugar and treacle and stir until dissolved. Pour in the double cream slowly, whisking continuously, and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat a spoon. Add vanilla and salt. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or container. The sauce keeps refrigerated for 7 days — reheat slowly.
5. Portion and reheat to order Cut the cold pudding into 12 equal portions. To serve: place one portion in a microwave-safe dish, pour 2 tbsp toffee sauce over the top, and microwave on high for 60–75 seconds until hot through. Alternatively, reheat in a low steam oven (120°C steam, 8 minutes) covered in foil. Plate, finish with another drizzle of hot toffee sauce, and add clotted cream or ice cream alongside.
Kitchen Notes
The dates — Medjool dates are significantly more moist and flavourful than standard dried dates and make a meaningful difference to the finished pudding. At trade, a 1kg tray of Medjool dates costs around £4–£6 and covers two batches easily.
Batch baking — The full tray recipe covers 12 portions. For a busy weekend service, bake two trays Friday morning. The pudding keeps refrigerated for 4 days, holds for 6 weeks in the freezer (portions individually wrapped). Defrost overnight in the fridge.
Sauce volume — The sauce recipe above covers approximately 20–24 portions. Make a double batch at the start of the week and you're set. The treacle deepens the bitterness and stops it tasting purely sweet — don't skip it.
Microwave vs steam — Microwaving is faster and consistent for à la carte service. Steam ovens produce a marginally more even reheat if you're running a large function where timing matters more than speed.
GP — Full food cost per portion (pudding, sauce, clotted cream portion) typically runs £0.80–£1.20. At a menu price of £7.50–£9.00, the GP sits comfortably above 80%. It's one of the best-performing desserts by margin in the British casual dining sector.
Menu variations — In winter, serve with spiced rum toffee sauce (replace 50ml cream with dark rum, add a pinch of cinnamon). In summer, a light vanilla custard alongside lifts it to a lighter register.
Allergens — Gluten (flour), dairy (butter, cream, clotted cream), eggs. Contains sulphites in some date brands — check your supply.