Gluten-Free Sticky Toffee Pudding

From the Sweet Laurel cookbook by Laurel Gallucci & Claire Thomas who write, “Few things smell as good as a kitchen halfway through the making of a sticky toffee pudding. The warm dates and vanilla, the maple syrup reducing, apples caramelizing in the oven–these golden smells will perfume your entire house and make it practically impossible to wait for the pudding to cool before devouring it. We added a stack of roasted apples on top, which give the pudding a delicious brightness in every bite.”

Borrowed this cookbook from Cate and made this dessert for New Year’s Eve 2024.

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Gluten-Free Sticky Toffee Pudding

  • Total time: 2 Hours
  • Servings: 8 Servings

Ingredients

For the Pudding:

  • 1/4 Cup Coconut oil, solid, plus more for greasing the dish
  • Arrowroot Powder, for dusting the dish
  • 8 oz Whole Medjool Dates
  • 1/2 Cup Boiling Water
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 2/3 Cup Almond Flour
  • 1 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
  • 2/3 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 Cup Unsweetened Applesauce

For the Sauce:

  • 1 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 1/4 Cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk
  • 1 Tbsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1 pinch Himalayan Pink Salt

For the Roasted Apples:

  • 3 Apples, peeled, cored, and cut into quarters
  • 1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
  • 1 Tbsp Coconut Oil, melted

Directions

  • 1)

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 6-cup soufflé dish with coconut oil and coat with arrowroot powder, shaking to discard any excess.

  • 2)

    Make the Pudding: Remove the pits and dice the dates. Put them in a medium bowl and cover with the boiling water. Let the dates soak for about 30 minutes, until room temperature, and then mash slightly with a fork. Stir in the vanilla.

  • 3)

    While the dates are soaking, in a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With an electric mixer, beat the coconut oil and maple syrup together for a few minutes, until thick and smooth. Add the eggs on at a time, beating well after each one. Gently fold in one-third of the flour mixture, then half the applesauce. Repeat until all the flour and applesauce are used. Stir the soaked dates and their liquid (it should be mostly soaked into the dates) into the pudding batter. Spread it evenly into the dish and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until risen and firm.

  • 4)

    Make the Sauce: Put the maple syrup in a medium saucepan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, raise the heat slightly, and let the mixture reduce for 10 to 15 minutes, until you have a thick syrup. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. Set aside. If the sauce hardens, just heat it up again to make it liquid.

  • 5)

    Make the Roasted Apples: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the apples, maple syrup, and coconut oil, stirring to coat the fruit. Spread the apples over the baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tender and caramelized.

  • 6)

    Remove the pudding from the oven. It should be quite puffy, but it will collapse a bit as it cools. Leave it in the dish for a few minutes, and then loosen it with a small knife before turning it out onto a serving plate. Top with roasted apples and drizzle with sauce. This is best served warm, and is even better heated up the next day.

Notes

From the book: “This pudding is marvelous as a large cake, but it can easily be made in individual ramekins as well. Simply bake in eight deep 8-ounce ramekins for 20 to 30 minutes.”

Source: “Sweet Laurel: Recipes for Whole Food, Grain-Free Desserts” by Laurel Gallucci & Claire Thomas, pgs. 200-201.