Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

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Old Fashioned Date Pudding features a date cake with a rich, sticky caramel sauce that separates to the bottom while cooking. Serve warm with the sticky sauce poured over top and a dollop of whipped cream. One whiff or bite will take you back to Grandma’s kitchen.

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Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe

I love a challenge, especially with an ending that puts a big bowl of warm date pudding cake in front of me. My friend, Patty asked if I could find a Date Pudding like the one her mom used to make. Now, Patty is the woman behind our favorite French Onion Joes recipe, so I knew that if I could find this recipe, it would be one that I would want for myself too.

While sticky date cake isn’t something that I had ever eaten previously, it is now one of my favorite old fashioned desserts.

Sticky Date Loaf Cake Ingredients

  • Water
  • Brown Sugar
  • Butter
  • Vanilla
  • All Purpose Flour
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt
  • Granulated Sugar
  • Dried Dates
  • Chopped Nuts (optional)
  • Milk

Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Patty remembers her mom making this vintage recipe around Thanksgiving or Christmas. In her words, “this recipe is special.” This is exactly what I love about recipes. One smell or one bite can instantly take you back in time.

Patty described her mom’s date pudding recipe as a kind of traditional bread pudding where you spoon the sauce over the top after you dish out a portion on the serving plate. So I set out on the hunt for a sticky date pudding recipe. Turns out, I didn’t have to look far. I found not one, but six different versions of this pudding in one of my favorite cookbooks.

Date Pudding Cobbler

The star of this recipe is the dates, and dried dates are easy to find at least during the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons. I bought a big box of California Figs from Costco and chopped them myself for this recipe. If you use whole dates, watch out for the seeds. You’ll want to remove them before adding to the pudding, or buy pitted dates or the ones pre-chopped.

If you’ve never tried a date, you are missing out. They are very sweet because they are high in sugar, but they are also high in fiber and protein. So watch out, don’t eat too many at once.

Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (5)

How to Make Sticky Date Pudding

Step by Step Instructions

  1. For the sauce, boil water, brown sugar and butter for three minutes; add vanilla and take off heat to cool slightly.
  2. Meanwhile, mix sugar, flour, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl; add in chopped dates, nuts and milk and stir to form a sticky pudding batter.
  3. Spread the batter in a bread pan sprayed with cooking spray; pour sauce over top.
  4. Bake in a 300 degree F oven for 1 hour or until the center is not gooey.
  5. Serve with the sticky sauce poured over top (it falls to the bottom) and whipped cream.

Storage Instructions

Let leftovers cool. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container, and store in the refrigerator.

For the full recipe steps and ingredientamounts for this old fashioned date pudding recipe, scroll to the bottom of this post.

Can you refrigerate sticky toffee pudding?

I recommend you do refrigerate sticky toffee pudding to extend it’s shelf life.

Recipe FAQs

  • This sticky date pudding has two parts – a fudge-like cake layer and a sticky butterscotch sauce that falls to the bottom.
  • To serve, spoon the butterscotch sauce from the bottom of the pan over top the date cake. Homemade whipped cream is the perfect complement, so try this recipe from Vintage Tin.
  • Swap margarine for butter if needed or desired.
  • This old fashioned date pudding cake calls for 1 cup chopped dates, but you can add a little more if desired. Try a heaping cup!
  • Either buy the dates pre-chopped or chop your own, but be sure to remove the seeds while chopping.
  • This date pudding recipe takes about an hour in the oven, but if the center looks wet and not completely cooked, leave it in the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes until it matches the rest of the cake. However, you don’t want to overcook, it is supposed to be sticky – just not wet.
  • We love old fashioned desserts. Try Grandma’s Cherry Fluff, Apple Pudding Cake, and Rhubarb Cake.

The Best Old Fashioned Desserts

Lemon Meringue Pie

Rhubarb Crunch

Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Caramel Sauce

Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (11)

Print Recipe

Old Fashioned Date Pudding – Sticky Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Old Fashioned Date Pudding features a date cake with a rich, sticky caramel sauce that separates to the bottom while cooking. Serve warm with the sticky sauce poured over top and a dollop of whipped cream. One whiff or bite will take you back to Grandma's kitchen.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time1 hour hr

Total Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Date Pudding, Date Pudding Cake, Old Fashioned Date Pudding, Sticky Date Pudding, Sticky Date Pudding Cake, sticky date pudding with caramel sauce

Servings: 8 people

Calories: 407kcal

Author: Barbara

Ingredients

Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Pudding Cake

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup chopped dates (seeds removed)
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1/2 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Instructions

  • Spray a 9 x 5 inch pan (bread pan) with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

  • For the sauce, boil together water, brown sugar and butter for 3 minutes in a small saucepan; add vanilla and take off heat to slightly cool while putting together pudding.

    Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (12)

  • In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt; add milk, chopped dates and vanilla. Mix together until a thick, sticky batter forms.

    Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (13)

  • Spread pudding cake mixture into prepared bread pan; pour sauce over batter.

    Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (14)

  • Bake for approximately 1 hour. If the center still looks wet after an hour, continue to cook 5 to 10 minutes until the center is set. The cake will be sticky, and the sauce layer will move to the bottom.

    Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (15)

  • Serve warm or cold, topped with the sauce from the bottom of the pan. Dollop with whipped cream if desired.

    Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (16)

Notes

Notes About Sticky Date Pudding Cake:

  • This sticky date pudding has two parts – a fudge-like cake layer and a sticky butterscotch sauce that falls to the bottom.
  • To serve, spoon the butterscotch sauce from the bottom of the pan over top the date cake. Homemade whipped cream is the perfect complement.
  • Swap margarine for butter if needed or desired.
  • This old fashioned date pudding cake calls for 1 cup chopped dates, but you can add a little more if desired. Try a heaping cup!
  • Either buy the dates pre-chopped or chop your own, but be sure to remove the seeds while chopping.
  • This date pudding recipe takes about an hour in the oven, but if the center looks wet and not completely cooked, leave it in the oven for 5 to 10 more minutes until it matches the rest of the cake. However, you don’t want to overcook this dessert. it is supposed to be sticky – just not wet.
  • We love old fashioned desserts. Try Grandma’s Cherry Fluff, Apple Pudding Cake, and Rhubarb Cake.
  • The nutritional information is auto-calculated and can vary depending on the products used.

Nutrition

Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 80g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 13mg | Sodium: 452mg | Potassium: 222mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 64g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Calcium: 116mg | Iron: 1mg

Linking up to Weekend Potluck.

Old Fashioned Date Pudding Recipe - These Old Cookbooks (2024)

FAQs

What is date pudding made of? ›

In a bowl, combine the dates, walnuts and sugar. In another bowl, beat egg, milk and vanilla. Add to date mixture; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to the date mixture.

What is the history of date pudding? ›

The invention of what is known in the UK as Sticky Toffee Pudding is generally attributed to Francis Coulson of the Sharrow Bay Country House Hotel in England's Lake District in 1960, although this has been challenged by writers from Scotland and Yorkshire.

What does sticky date pudding taste like? ›

– Sticky Date Pudding is indulgent and very sweet, from both the dates + sugar in sauce. If you don't have a sweet tooth, this dessert is not for you! To reduce sweetness, you can skimp on the sauce. Or make a lighter, less sweet sauce as follows: Use half the sugar, butter and cream, make per recipe.

What's the difference between sticky date pudding and sticky toffee pudding? ›

Sticky toffee pudding, known as sticky date pudding in Australia and New Zealand, is a British dessert consisting of a moist sponge cake made with finely chopped dates (optional), covered in a toffee sauce and often served with a vanilla custard or vanilla ice-cream.

What are the 3 types of pudding? ›

Baked, steamed, and boiled puddings

These puddings are baked, steamed, or boiled. Depending on its ingredients, such a pudding may be served as a part of the main course or as a dessert. Steamed pies consisting of a filling completely enclosed by suet pastry are also known as puddings.

What is another name for sticky date pudding? ›

What is toffee pudding? Toffee pudding is the term used in the US for what we refer to as sticky date pudding. Their version may or may not contain dates, which seems a shame as when they break down, they add an even extra sweet caramel flavour as well as adding moisture to the pudding.

What nationality is sticky date pudding? ›

sticky toffee pudding, a classic British dessert consisting of a dark, dense sponge cake made with chopped dates that is topped with a sweet toffee sauce; it may also be served with vanilla ice cream or custard.

What was the first pudding ever made? ›

Food historians generally agree the first puddings made by ancient cooks produced foods similar to sausages. The British claim pudding as part of their culinary heritage. Medieval puddings (black and white) were still mostly meat-based.

What does baking soda do to dates? ›

The baking soda helps to soften the dates as well as lighten the texture of the cake. Boiling Water – used to soak the dates and once soaked, the dates including the liquid, is added to the cake.

Is figgy pudding the same as sticky pudding? ›

Like the Christmas pudding and figgy puddings before it, the sticky toffee pudding is usually steamed for maximum moisture. Instead of figs, however, very finely chopped dates are added to the cake, which gets covered in a toffee sauce.

Do the Irish eat sticky toffee pudding? ›

A taste of Sticky Toffee Pudding

The Irish love to eat it as a dessert or snack, accompanied by vanilla ice cream (for a touch of freshness!). You'll find them in most local restaurants serving Irish cuisine, but you can also find them in pastry shops.

Why can't you reheat sticky toffee pudding? ›

The sponge is at its best on the day it is made as if the whole sponge is reheated in an oven there is the risk that it can dry out a little. The sponge will also become firmer when it is stored in the fridge.

How do you eat sticky date pudding? ›

Serve the pudding with ice cream or cream and pour over the caramel sauce. Ovens vary, please adjust times if necessary. Keep frozen.

What country is sticky date pudding from? ›

sticky toffee pudding, a classic British dessert consisting of a dark, dense sponge cake made with chopped dates that is topped with a sweet toffee sauce; it may also be served with vanilla ice cream or custard.

Are dates a healthy dessert? ›

Dates are a source of fructose, which is a natural type of sugar found in fruit ( 1 ). For this reason, dates are very sweet and also have a subtle caramel-like taste. They make a great healthy substitute for white sugar in recipes due to the nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants that they provide.

How much sugar is in sticky date pudding? ›

Full Nutritional Value
Serves/Pack 1180g QTY/ServeQTY/100g
FAT, TOTAL46.7 g18.7 g
– SATURATED30.1 g12 g
CARBOHYDRATE, TOTAL101 g40.4 g
– SUGARS83.8 g33.5 g
3 more rows

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