The ultimate indulgent vegan sticky date pudding served with a generous drizzle of caramel sauce. This is the classic recipe you know and love just made dairy and egg free!
This vegan sticky date pudding is a classic Eight Forest Lane recipe, originally published way back in 2016. It’s been featured in every top 10 recipes of the year list since I started doing them in 2018 and while it has been updated a couple of times over the years, the recipe remains unchanged and very worthy of all the 5 star reviews!
Sticky date pudding is the ultimate nostalgic comfort food. I’m not sure if mum made it often when I was a kid, or if I just remember it that way because we would request it for pretty much every special occasion.
Sticky date pudding also called sticky toffee pudding, is rich, sweet and warming. It should be really sweet, decedent and literally sticky when you eat it. It is exactly what a dessert is meant to be and is perfect for special occasions and even Christmas.
This version is exactly like the sticky date pudding I grew up with but with a few simple swaps that make it dairy-free and vegan.
I love this recipe because it’s a little bit fancy and an all time crowd pleaser, but it’s actually really easy and simple to make meaning it’s perfect for beginners wanting to impress with a family favourite recipe.
You definitely don’t need to be vegan to appreciate how delicious this pudding actually is, but it’s great to finally have a recipe that allows non-dairy eaters to indulge in a little (ok, a lot) of caramel!
Key Ingredients
There are two components to this recipe; the pudding itself and the caramel sauce. Both of which contain most of the same ingredients!
Note all ingredients and their quantities are laid out in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Dates – I use regular, dried dates for this recipe. You can use medjool if you want but it’s really not necessary.
- Bicarbonate soda and boiling water – you’ll soak the dates in this mixture to soften them and help break down the dates. The reserved water will also be used in the cake to make it super soft and sticky.
- Self-raising flour – common in most Australian and UK households, however if you don’t have it, a combination of plain flour and baking powder can be used instead. You can also use gluten free flour which results in an even more moist and sticky pudding!
- Coconut sugar – the only unusual ingredient in this recipe, coconut sugar can be found at the supermarket or on Amazon, and is a low GI, unrefined sugar with deep and rich caramel flavours making it perfect for this recipe while keeping the sweetness under control. If you don’t have it you can substitute with brown sugar.
- Coconut oil – will ensure the cake holds together and remains nice and soft and moist.
- Vanilla – for extra flavour, enhancing the rich caramel toffee flavours.
This caramel is a little different to my regular vegan caramel sauce in that we swap out some of the ingredients to use what you’ll already have on hand based on the cake ingredients.
- Coconut sugar – this sugar gives the caramel a deep, rich flavour and I find it much less sweet than traditional refined white sugar.
- Canned coconut milk – quality coconut milk is essential to deliver a thick, creamy texture. You always want to use one from the can, and find one that’s not watery or full of preservatives. I love the TCC brand from Woolworths and use it for everything that calls for coconut milk.
- Coconut oil – instead of using butter for the caramel, we are replacing it with coconut oil.
- Vanilla – further rounding out the flavour of this sauce.
- Salt – we don’t want this to be a salted caramel, but just a little pinch of salt will cut some of the sweetness and let us focus on the rich caramel flavour.
How to make vegan sticky date pudding
The sticky date cake is really simple to make. You’ll need an 8 inch/20 cm square cake pan, food processor or bullet blender, 2 bowls and a whisk to get started.
In a small bowl, soften the dried dates in boiling water with bicarbonate soda for 15 minutes. Whatever you do, do not throw away this water as you will need it to make the pudding!!
Strain the dates (reserving the water!) and add them to a food processor or bullet blender and chop up them up until they form a chunky paste.
In your large bowl, use a whisk to mix together the melted coconut oil, coconut blossom sugar and vanilla. Add in the flour and reserved date water and use your whisk or a hand held electric mixer to mix until a batter forms.
Add in the chopped dates and beat until well combined.
Pour the batter into your baking pan that has been lined and greased with baking paper and cooking oil spray, and bake in a moderate oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a skewer when inserted comes out just clean. A few crumbs are ok as we want the cake to be super moist.
While the cake is cooking, make the caramel by adding all of the ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the caramel gently simmer for 15 minutes to thicken and darken in colour.
You need to make sure you are watching and whisking this occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn or boil over. For this reason I recommend using a saucepan with nice tall sides.
Once the caramel is done, take it off the heat and allow to cool. The caramel will still be quite thin but it will continue to thicken as it cools. For a really thick caramel, make it ahead of time and store in the fridge until ready to serve.
Like most puddings, this is best served while the pudding is warm. Slice into squares and drizzle with a very generous amount of the caramel sauce. Add a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream and let it melt into the caramel as well if you’re feeling super indulgent.
Freezing and Storing Instructions
You can make the cake and caramel in advance if you like. The cake portion will keep in the fridge for up to 4 days, and you can freeze it for up to 3 months by wrapping it in plastic wrap and then a layer of aluminium foil to prevent it from drying out.
To defrost, leave it in the fridge or on the kitchen counter overnight.
Warm up your slices in the microwave for a few seconds for that freshly baked feeling!
For the caramel, it will store in the fridge for about a week however it will get super thick. To use, simply warm up the caramel by putting the container in a bowl of warm water until the caramel reaches drizzly consistency. I don’t recommend freezing the caramel.
Recipe FAQs
Yes you can! This is actually one of those recipes similar to my vegan brownies that I prefer to make gluten-free as the result is even more soft and sticky. I like to make sure to use a good quality gluten free baking flour such as Bob’s Red Mill which I buy on Amazon for the best results. Just make sure to also add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder.
Serve this at a party or gathering and I guarantee know one will feel disappointed with this vegan and gluten free dessert – they wont even know!
Over the years I have received a few comments from people saying that they had problems with the caramel not thickening. The key to getting a thicker caramel is allowing it to cool. When the caramel is simmering it will get a little thicker, but not super thick, but the colder it gets, the thicker it gets.
The consistency of the caramel in my photos is at room temperature on a cooler day however if you store it in the fridge before serving it will get even thicker.
If you serve the caramel immediately, it will still taste delicious but it will be quite runny.
As written, this recipe uses self raising flour which is a common ingredient in Australian and UK pantries and is used in the classic version of this recipe. Self raising flour already contains a leavener so baking powder is not required.
If you’re based in the US and are more familiar with using all purpose flour or just have plain flour in your pantry, you can add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder to create self raising flour.
More vegan dessert recipes:
Vegan Caramel Cake
Mini Vegan Chocolate Cake
Vegan Red Velvet Cupcakes
Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes
Homemade Tim Tams (Vegan)
Vegan Caramel Slice
Vegan Sticky Date Pudding With Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
For The Pudding
- 2 cups dates
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
- 1 cup self-raising flour
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For The Caramel Sauce
- ¾ cup coconut sugar
- 1 x 400ml can coconut milk
- 3 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- pinch salt to taste
Instructions
For The Pudding
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F and prepare a 20cm (8 inch) square baking pan with a light spray of cooking oil and baking paper.
- Add dates, boiling water and bicarb soda in a bowl and set aside for 15 minutes until dates have softened.
- Add coconut oil, coconut sugar and vanilla to a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Once the dates are soft, strain and save the water. Finely chop up dates using a food processor or bullet blender.
- To the sugar and coconut oil mixture, add the sifted flour and the water from the dates. Using an electric hand held mixer, beat everything together until well combined.
- Add in chopped dates and mix until smooth.
- Pour mixture into a prepared baking tray and place in the preheated oven for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out mostly clean (a few crumbs are ok!).
For The Caramel Sauce
- In a small saucepan on high, add coconut oil, coconut sugar and coconut milk. Using a whisk, slowly stir until mixture comes to the boil.
- Turn down heat and continue to stir for 15 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken and become a darker caramel colour. Add the vanilla and a pinch of salt to taste. The mixture will still be runny but will continue to thicken after you take it off the heat.
- Allow to cool to room temperature to thicken before generously drizzling the caramel sauce over the pudding.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
This post was originally published in 2016 and updated again in 2020. In 2024, it has been republished to include better instructions, more helpful information and new photos.
Stephanie Wilkinson says
Delicious!! As I saw someone else comment, our caramel didn’t thicken like the photo either, but it was yummy anyway! We enjoyed it even better the next day cold from the fridge with coffee! Will definitely make again 😍
Sally says
Thanks Stephanie! So glad you enjoyed it!
Toni Morgan says
This was lovely! My dad (very non vegan) was surprised and loved it. I used vegan butter in exchange for the oil in the sauce and it was great! I also use the Vegan butter in the cake too and it was still moist and fluffy.
Thanks for a great recipe! Super easy too!
Sally says
These are always my favourite comments to read! Thanks so much for sharing Toni and I’m glad you and your dad enjoyed it!
Ella says
Only made the caramel sauce recipie but was very disappointed. Swapped to brown sugar and coconut cream but same quantities and followed the steps carefully. The sauce was simmering for a good 30 min and I even tried flat out boiling for another 10; still no caramel colour or thickening. It tastes OK so I’ll still use it but a massive let down considering I was after thick golden sauce like the photo for my Christmas dessert.
Sally says
Hi Ella. Sorry this happened for you. I cannot guarantee the same results with a recipe when using different ingredients as I haven’t tested it myself. The sauce should be still thin when cooking but thickens up as it cools.
Delia says
Thanks for this gorgeous recipe! We used GF flour vs normal, and reduced the sweetener and it was still awesome! Thank you so much!
Sally says
So happy you enjoyed it and were able to make it GF! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Dayna says
I never bother rating recipes but this was delicious! You wouldn’t even know it’s vegan, it’s that good! The pudding/cake on its own is beautiful and is lovely with a tea or coffee. I’ve struggled making date cakes before as they usually come out too doughy and tough, but this is the perfect mix of moist and sticky. Going to be saving this recipe for a long time. Thank you very much! 🙂
Sally says
Thanks so much for your wonderful comment Dayna – so happy you enjoyed this recipe x
Amy (@i_love_cooking_plants) says
I have made this recipe twice now, once as described and once double quantity, both worked perfectly. I baked the double quantity in a round 23cm tin and it just took a little bit longer. SO extremely delicious, an excellent recipe! Xxx
Sally says
Thanks so much Amy – so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Sansha says
Cooked this for Christmas as my brother and sister in law are vegan. Cooked for 20 mins in. A well greased muffin tray (did 10 puds) and reduced to 160 degrees as I find my over runs hot. Puds are very soft so take care when tipping out.
I soaked chopped dates over night and didn’t further blitz them. Only added 1/2 cup of the sugar and a dash of cinnamon. I also used canola oil as I was finding with the coconut in the butterscotch sauce, and in the vegan ice cream, the coconut flavour was really dominating for me.
Thanks for a great easy to follow recipe.
Sally says
Merry Christmas Sansha, thank you for choosing this recipe for your family 🙂
Al says
Hi, I was hoping to make this in a muffin tin for individual servings – how would you recommend adjusting the baking time?
Sally says
Hi Al, I haven’t tried it myself but I would start at 20 minutes and then continue at 5 minute intervals until it’s cooked through. Let me know how you go!
Pascale says
I made this tonight, was absolutely yummmmmy.
I made the cake as is but ran out of coconut oil for the sauce so Used one tablespoon coconut oil and substituted two tablespoons for vegan butter, it took a little longer to thicken up. And I used a 20cm round tin. Cake was so delicious and sauce went perfect. Keeping this recipe for the make often pile. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Blue says
Are eggs not needed in this recipe?
Sally says
No, this recipe is made without eggs.
Pascale says
Hi Sally 😊
Could I replace the flour for Gluten Free self raising?
Also how do you think this would go in a load pan, round pan and muffin pan?
Thank you
Sally says
I haven’t tried using gluten free flour in this, but I would imagine it would work fine. You may just have a slightly denser cake and that wouldn’t be bad with this recipe. Many readers have baked this in a loaf pan with good results. If you do change the pan size, just make sure you alter the cooking time as this will vary. Hope you enjoy!
Simone says
I actually made this yesterday and used 1 cup gluten free flour + 1.5 tsp baking powder and used a loaf pan. It was perfect! I also added a dash of my homemade rum vanilla to the sauce 🙂
Guin says
What type of dates do you use – dried or Medjool? What size cake pan do you recommend?
Sally says
Hi Guin. I use regular dried dates as they are soaked before using. And I use a 20cm square pan. Thanks!
Snigdha Gupta says
Hi Sally,
I made this recipe as is, only left the caramel sauce out.
Its perfect, beautiful texture and flavour. I added a bit of cinnamon and nutmeg and it tasted amazing.
Maybe next time, I’ll reduce the sugar in the cake and make the caramel sauce.
Sticky date pudding is one of my favourite desserts, thank you for creating a great easy to follow recipe 🙂
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Morgan Tucker says
Can you use maple syrup to replace coconut sugar in pudding and sauce??
Sally says
Hi Morgan. We have never tried this so cannot say how it will turn out. My first thought is that if you wanted to try, you may need to reduce the other liquids as you would be replacing a dry ingredient with a liquid and this may impact the texture of both, but let me know if you do try it.
Vineeta Gogia says
Hi instead of coconut oil what can we sub ? Can we use the same recepie for a large batch and increase it 6 times
Sally says
Hi Vineeta! Canola oil would work as a replacement in the pudding itself, but I wouldn’t recommend that in the caramel. For the caramel, I would use a vegan butter substitute if you really wanted to replace the coconut oil. Note that I have not done this myself, so let me know if you do try! As for increasing the recipe by 6x, I have never done that so the only thing I would say is be careful when dealing with that much mixture as to not over-mix.
Mari says
Excited to try this recipe as my first foray into dairy free cooking for a friend! Would u mind explaining using the coconut blossom sugar vs. brown sugar? Thank you so much
Sally says
Hi Mari, coconut blossom sugar is unrefined compared to brown sugar. It therefore is low GI and contains several nutrients that brown sugar does not. I find it has a rich caramel flavour that works perfectly in this dessert, which is why I use it.
Rowena Bucklow says
Oooh this looks really good. You mention about fridge storage – do you think I could freeze the pudding and / or the sauce?
Sally says
Thanks Rowena. Sure, you could definitely freeze the pudding. Just wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months, defrost in the fridge overnight or on the kitchen bench. You can then reheat slices in the microwave if you want 🙂 For the caramel sauce, no, I wouldn’t freeze it as it could cause it to crystallise and change the texture.
Lillie says
This recipe is incredible made it for a bunch of none vegans and they loved it. I haven’t had sticky date since going vegan and his was so incredible thank you so much!!!!
Sally says
Thanks so much for your comment Lillie, I am so happy to hear everyone loved it 🙂
Michelle hughes says
Absolutely delicious ! I used brown sugar because I didn’t have coconut sugar. I also added 1/2 a teaspoon of ginger powder – yum yum yum.
Sally says
Sounds great Michelle! So glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Dana says
I don’t have any coconut sugar for the Carmel sauce – would date sugar work?
Sally says
Hi Dana. I haven’t used date sugar myself but as I understand it has a similar flavour profile so should yield a similar result. The only thing to consider is as date sugar is made from the fruit, it may not dissolve 100%. This however shouldn’t effect the taste. Let me know how you go.
Dee says
HI, just wondering what size can of coconut milk please ? thank you
Sally says
Hi Dee! Just a standard 400ml can.
Emily S says
This was awesome, I’m so glad that I chose to follow this recipe for my first sticky date pudding. I made this recipe without any oil and instead of the caramel I used custard. It was amazing. Thank you so much!
Sally says
So glad you loved it Emily!
Lisa says
Hi Sally! I’m so excited to make this! Just wondering though for the pudding how much coconut oil is actually needed? (There’s no cup or table spoon measurement). Thank you!! 😊
Sally says
Hi Lisa, thank you so much for letting me know about that typo! It is 1/2 cup of coconut oil in it’s liquid state. This gives the pudding its beautiful soft, sticky texture. I have updated the recipe as well for future 🙂 I hope you love it!
Lisa says
Thanks Sally, I thought so 🙂 I just made it this afternoon!!! It was sooooo delicious, I’m recommending it to everyone hehe. And you’re right it’s so beautiful and soft 😀
Sally says
Glad you loved it as much as I did Lisa! Thanks 🙂
Germaine says
Absolutely delicious!! Thoroughly enjoyed by the whole family. Will definitely be making this again 🙂
Thank you for the recipe!
Sally says
So great to hear Germaine, glad you enjoyed it!
Bryanna Modolo says
Wow! I never thought such delicious caramelly goodness could be vegan friendly. This melt-in-the-mouth sticky date pudding had me licking the plate clean! 😍
Sally says
Thanks so much Bryanna! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Annette says
Delicious recipe – couldn’t take photo as it was eaten too fast
Sally says
So glad you enjoyed it!