If the Great British Bake Off has made you want to get creative in the kitchen, we have just the thing.
Plant-based chef Bettina Campolucci Bordi has a vegan sticky toffee pudding recipe that’s an updated twist on the classic dessert.
Not only is it dairy-free but it’s also wheat-free – as Bettina is intolerant herself.
She says: ‘It upset me for a very long time when I discovered that I was intolerant to gluten, particularly when I realised that I would not be able to enjoy one of my favourite desserts. I promise you this is better than the original.’
Sticky toffee pudding is the ultimate crowd-pleasing dessert, and this free-from recipe means it can be enjoyed by everyone around the dinner table.
It’s also the perfect winter warmer with the colder months fast-approaching, and tastes best served with a generous dollop of ice cream (which can also be plant-based).
So if you’ve got the baking bug, why not give Bettina’s 10-step recipe a go?
It’s also worth pointing out that the cake, custard and toffee sauce all last for a long time in the fridge – that is, if you can keep your hands off them.
Vegan sticky toffee pudding recipe (serves six):
Ingredients
- 250 ml almond milk or plant milk
- 300g medjool dates, stoned (pitted)
- 80g coconut sugar
- 125 ml coconut oil
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 95g gluten-free flour
- 1 vanilla pod (bean), seeds scraped
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground clove
- pinch of pink Himalayan salt
For the sticky toffee sauce:
- 140g coconut sugar
- 250ml
- coconut milk 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the vanilla custard (makes 500ml):
- 2 tbsp very fine cornflour (cornstarch)
- 500ml coconut milk
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 whole vanilla pod (bean), seeds scraped
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190oC (375oF/Gas 5). Line a 20 cm round cake tin (pan) with greaseproof paper (wax paper) or use a good-quality silicone mould.
2. Start with the pudding. In a small saucepan gently heat the milk and dates for 5–10 minutes until the dates have softened. Once softened, set aside.
3. In a blender, blitz the coconut sugar and coconut oil until the sugar has mostly disintegrated.
4. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the milk and date mix – it will start to fizz and bubble, but that is OK.
5. Pour into the cake tin (pan) and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
6. While the pudding is cooking, make the sauce. Heat a pan over medium heat, add the coconut sugar and coconut milk and let it heat through.
7. Add the salt and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let it simmer for 20 minutes until the caramel has thickened. Stir it occasionally to make sure it doesn’t burn. A great way of knowing if it’s ready is to see if it sticks to the back of your spoon.
8. Stir in a little more salt if desired and either use it straightaway or let it cool down before storing in a glass jar – it will become even thicker as it cools.
9. To make the custard, blend the cornflour with a little bit of the coconut milk in a saucepan set over a medium heat, whisking until you have an even consistency. Then add the coconut milk, maple syrup and the reserved vanilla pod, whisking until the cornflour and vanilla are fully incorporated into the coconut milk and the custard starts to thicken. As soon as the mixture begins to boil, take it off the heat and allow to cool.
10. Once the cake is done, transfer to a wire rack to cool and enjoy with a home-made custard and a drizzle of sticky toffee sauce.
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