Vegan Sticky Date Pudding Recipe

This is one decadent, sticky, moist, luxurious, tempting and amazing pudding. if you have ever loved sticky date pudding in the past, you will love this even more! It is so amazingly delicious and is so so so naughty. But, who says you can't have a naughty treat once in a while? The datey world of stickiness is in your hands... the more caramel sauce the cake absorbs, the stickier and more decadent it becomes. You control the fate of this lush pudding. Jerome could eat two servings of this while I could only eat 1/2 of a serving... it is so rich! We hope you love it as much as we do :)

serves 6

Pudding:

   300g (2 cups) dates

   250ml (1 cup) boiling water

   1 teaspoon baking soda

   1 cup self-raising flour

   1 cup brown sugar

   1/2 cup margarine

Caramel Sauce:

   130ml canned coconut cream

   2/3 cup brown sugar
   2 tablespoons margarine 

   

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and spray oil a square baking tin (dimensions: 5.5cm deep x 17cm x 17cm).
2. In a small bowl, add the dates, boiling water and baking soda and allow to sit for 10 to 15 minutes until the dates have softened. 
3. In another bowl, add the self-raising flour, brown sugar and margarine.
4. Pour the liquid from the date bowl into the bowl with the flour, and keep the dates separate.
5. In a food processor, add the dates and pulse until finely chopped. Scoop the finely chopped dates into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients.
6. Use electric beaters to beat the mixture until smooth and creamy.
7. Pour the mixture into the baking tin and allow to bake for 45 minutes until risen and a skewer comes out clean when poked into the centre.
8. In the meantime, make the caramel sauce. In a saucepan on high heat, add the coconut cream, brown sugar and margarine. Bring to to the boil while whisking and then reduce the heat to a low simmer. Allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes until it has reduced a little bit and the sugar has dissolved. Place in the fridge until needed (This will make a hot thin sauce. If you want a thick cool sauce, make it the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight to allow it to thicken).
9. Once the pudding has finished baking, allow it to sit and cool for 10 to 15 minutes then cut into 6, drizzle with caramel sauce and serve! 
10. Enjoy and start being amazed by the datey deliciousness!

• The caramel sauce recipe will make a hot thin sauce. If you want a thick cool sauce, make it the night before and leave it in the fridge overnight to allow it to thicken.

The nutrition information above is an approximate guideline.