Allow me to introduce you to your new food soul mate.
If you’ve never had sticky toffee pudding, then I’m setting up on the greatest blind date of your life. Drop dead gorgeous, very sensible, and as sweet as can be. Can I sing at your wedding?
In its typical unhealthy form, sticky toffee pudding is a fabulously incredibly amazing European confection that is fabulous and incredible and amazing. You’re welcome for the descriptive description.
Many moons ago, I had the opportunity to accompany my mother and grandmother on a trans-generational adventure to explore and reunite with our family in the homeland of Ireland. It was like-changing to say the least.
Knowing that the very adorable little girl in question would grow up to be a food blogger, one of the indelible moments of this journey was the sticky toffee pudding.
Don’t tell me you can’t see why. Admit this looks pretty flippin’ fantastic.
Anyway, we drove all over Ireland in a Budget rental car and took a two night stop at the Twelve hotel. It had air conditioning, so I was sold. The super nice staff didn’t hurt either. They had this funky restaurant which they were obviously proud of, and rightfully so. Our dinner at the place was absolutely lovely, until the dessert consisting of the foreign sticky toffee pudding arrived.
Hold the phone.
I stood up, fork in hand, and publicly declared it was the best thing I had ever eaten. Remember this girl was (excuse me, IS) very adorable, so I got away with it. It was so rich and sticky but not too sticky and oozing with caramel and I truly am in love with caramel and I had them deliver a second one to my room but I wanted them to make me a life-size version so I could live in it and eat away at it whenever I wanted which would be all the time. Wow. Apparently I’m still recovering from the sugar rush.
That was over five years ago, and I think about that slice of bliss to this very day. I still call it the best thing I ever ate (gosh, I should be on the Food Network), so it was only natural that I would want to make a homemade healthy version.
Yup. Nailed it.
Wait! This needs ice cream.
Much better. Let’s get this party started.
Have you ever just wanted to poke something? Of course you have. Poking things is fun. Now you get to poke this cake! About a hundred times! Wee!
Pour on the toffee sauce. Bask in the glory of the action shot.
If a dessert could win a beauty pageant, this sticky toffee pudding would be Miss Universe. Yes. That’s even beating those pretty Martians.
Now where is her sash?
Heck with sashes. All we’re going to need is some forks.
Adapted from the fabulous Angela.
Yield: 9 servings
15 minPrep Time:
30 minCook Time:
45 minTotal Time:
Ingredients
- 1 cup dates, chopped and pitted
- 1.5 cups almond milk
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup brown sugar OR erythritol plus 1/2 teaspoon molasses
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups white whole wheat OR 2/3 cup almond flour plus 2/3 cup coconut flour
- 1 tablespoon butter or Earth Balance
- 1/2 cup erythritol or cane sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon molasses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease or spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium pot, bring the almond milk to a gentle boil. Add in the dates and cook for a minute. Take the pot off heat and stir in the baking soda. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, stir together the unsweetened applesauce and brown sugar or erythritol until completely combined. Stir in the almond milk date mixture. Add in the cinnamon, salt, and white whole wheat or almond milk plus coconut flour until just combined and uniform. Spread the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Bake in the oven at 375°F for 27-29 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Meanwhile, in the same pot you used to make the almond milk date mixture, melt the butter or Earth Balance. Stir in the erythritol or cane sugar, almond milk, vanilla extract, and molasses. Cook until the erythritol or cane sugar is completely melted and the mixture is a toffee golden brown, stirring constantly as it burns easily, about 3-5 minutes.
- Once the cake is done, fetch it from the oven and get ready to have some fun. Using either a toothpick or a fork, poke a whole bunch of holes in the top of the cake. Pour the toffee sauce over the top and spread so the entire surface gets doused it toffee goodness. Serve warm and devour.
Notes
You may substitute your milk of choice for the unsweetened almond milk.
Nutritional information calculated with 10 dates (Sunsweet brand) making up a cup, erythritol, whipped Earth Balance, and white whole wheat flour.
Nutrition
P.S. Please do me a favor. A dear reader named Elsie, whom I met while discussing cookie dough, has been struggling with lymphoma for 4 years. It has now spread to her lungs, liver, and kidneys. I was devastated to hear her say she doesn’t have much fight left in her, and she feels she won’t be with us much longer. I want to compile a dedication to her, so if you could please leave a kind note of support or wisdom for this extraordinary lady, I would so appreciate it. The world can’t afford to lose such a beautiful soul.
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