Steamed Sticky Toffee Pudding

I LOVE to make it in the slow cooker (crock pot if you're American). You can steam it traditionally in a saucepan too but the simplicity that the slow cooker affords can't be beaten.

It also makes the sponge incredibly light and moist and there is no need to think about it again once it goes in. It's a gamechanger.

I thought nothing could pull me away from my tried and tested baked Sticky Toffee Pudding....

Flick a switch, go and do something less boring instead, and 3 and a half hours later...as luscious as it gets, sticky toffee boom.....you're so welcome.

You will need a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding bowl. I like to use the plastic lidded ones for easiness.

You can steam this pudding in a saucepan too for 2 hr and 30 minutes.

Ingredients Required

• 120 grams Dates - stoned dates
• 45 grams Butter - salted or unsalted. You can use baking spread like Stork too but I prefer butter here.
• 120 grams Brown Sugar - soft brown sugar is best because it already has a toffee flavour from the get go.
• 1 Egg - large
• 1 tbsp Black Treacle - I always have black treacle in the squeezy plastic bottles because the tins are so difficult to use.
• 1 tbsp Golden Syrup - as above really. It's so much easier to squeeze syrup than dribble it from a spoon.
• half a tsp Vanilla Extract - extract is better than essence but use double if essence is all you have.
• 150 grams Self Raising Flour - if plain is all you have then add a tsp of baking powder.
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• 150 mls Water

Toffee Sauce

• 2 tbsp Black Treacle
• 200 grams Butter - salted or unsalted but not baking spread this time.
• 200 grams Brown Sugar - again the toffee flavour of brown sugar is needed here. If you have only caster sugar then add an extra tbsp of black treacle.
• 200 mls Cream - double cream or heavy cream if you're American.

Recipe Step by Step Instructions

Toffee Sauce

• Put the butter and sugar into a medium sized saucepan.

• Melt the butter and sugar and keep stirring so that the two come together.

• Take off the heat and add the cream and black treacle.

• Mix together and let it bubble back on the heat for a minute whilst stirring gently.

• Remove from the heat and set to one side. Fill your kettle and put it on to boil.

• Grease a 1.2 litre/2 pint pudding basin with butter. I use the plastic lidded bowls that are made for steamed puddings as I struggle/cannot be bothered with all the pleating and tying of string that is required for the ceramic bowls. Sometimes I miss the greasing out and it hasn't stuck yet but don't hold me to it.
• Tip about 2 cm of toffee sauce into the bottom of your pudding pot and put the pot to one side.

• Switch your slow cooker onto High and put the lid on it empty.

Sticky Toffee Pudding Sponge

• Place the dates in a saucepan with the water and bring to a gentle simmer. Set to one side.

• To make the date sponge then begin by beating the butter and sugar together in a large mixing bowl for a couple of minutes with an electric whisk or free standing mixer.

• It will look like sandy rubble.

• Add the egg, black treacle, syrup and vanilla extract and beat again for a couple of minutes.

• It will look a bit curdled. Ignore it.

• Add the flour and mix in thoroughly.

• Whizz the dates and water in a food processor until pureed. Add the bicarbonate of soda and whizz again. It will bubble up and turn paler in colour. Add to the sponge batter in the bowl.

• Beat the puree into the sponge batter for about a minute until it's all mixed well together.

• Carefully spoon the batter on top of the toffee sauce in the pot.

• Put the lid on and place in your slow cooker. I don't bother to put anything underneath it to stop the bottom burning.
• Fill the slow cooker bowl with your just boiled water up to just over half way up your pudding pot. Too much and it will float then rise unevenly.

• Cook on high for 3 and a half hours. Carefully remove from the bowl and set down. Remove the lid and carefully invert the pot onto a plate and then slide the pot up leaving the sponge behind on the plate.

• Heat your toffee sauce back up and pour a little or a big fat lot on top to serve. Serve extra sauce to pour on top of individual wedges.

Tips & Tricks for Steamed Sticky Toffee Pudding

• You can make this a couple of days ahead and store still in the pot in the fridge. The same goes for the toffee sauce.
• The toffee sauce freezes well so I often make a double batch and freeze what's left over for icecream drizzles and just because.
• Reheat in individual portions covered in the microwave. Obvs this goes for leftovers too.
• You can use the microwave to reheat the toffee sauce (covered) or I find it's easier to do this back on the hob.
• You can steam this pudding in a saucepan too for 2 hrs and 30 minutes.

More comfort food desserts

• Steamed Chocolate Sponge Pudding
• Steamed Lemon Sponge Pudding
• Steamed Jam Sponge Pudding
• Spotted Dick
• Treacle Tart
• Apple Crumble
• Treacle Sponge
• Apple Crumble Cake
• Biscoff and Raspberry Croissant Pudding