If you’re looking for a little something to stand tall front and center in your Christmas dessert spread, look no further. This healthy, grain-free, naturally sweetened sticky date pudding is dressed to impress… and don’t forget the tinsel!
This stunning recipe comes from Lisa at Mummy Made It. You can get this dessert and more in Mummy Made It: A Healthy Christmas. Find out more about the cookbook here.
Sticky date pudding will be a hit at the holiday table this year. It makes a lovely dessert year-round, but its warming qualities are especially welcome in the winter months during a festive celebration.
It’s a fantastic alternative to a boxed fruitcake, and this recipe boasts loads of whole food ingredients including a hidden veggie – sweet potato!
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- 1½ cup pitted dates, chopped
- 1½ cups plus 3 Tablespoons Water
- 1½ tsp bicarb soda (baking soda)
- 1½ tsp fresh, minced ginger
- ⅓ cup plus ½ tbsp milk
- 150 g baked sweet potato puree (to make sweet potato puree; place a whole sweet potato in a moderate oven for 60 minutes, or until soft and mushy inside. Peel the sweet potato and use the mushy insides)
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- ½ cup maple syrup/rice malt syrup
- 9 eggs
- ¾ cup coconut flour
- ¾ tsp mixed spice
- ⅓ tsp cloves
- 4½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ cups coconut cream (dairy cream can be used)
- (or place 1-2 400ml opened cans of coconut milk in the fridge overnight and spoon out thickened cream)
- 3 tbsp maple syrup/rice malt syrup
- 3 tbsp golden syrup (molasses, honey or more maple syrup can be substituted)
- Grease a 2-litre pudding basin. Place a small piece of greased baking paper on the bottom of the basin.
- Place the chopped dates and water in a small saucepan over medium/high heat. Bring the mixture to the boil.
- Immediately remove from the heat and add the bicarb soda. Allow the mixture to cool for minutes then add the ginger and stir to combine.
- In the clean bowl of a kitchen stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium until soft peaks form. Add the maple syrup and whisk until combined. Add the purred/mashed sweet potato, milk and egg yolks. Beat until combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients together.
- Add the date mixture and the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix.
- Pour the mixture into the pudding basin and place a greased piece of baking paper over the opening. Place the lid on.
- Place a small plate/trivet on the bottom of a large saucepan and place the pudding on top. Fill the saucepan with water to ¾ the height of the pudding basin. Bring the water out the boil then simmer over a medium heat for 5 hours. Check the height of the water regularly and add boiling water when required to keep the water level constant.
- After 5 hours check that the pudding has been cooked through. If not return the pudding basin to the boiling water and cook for a further 30 minutes.
- Allow the pudding to sit for 10 minutes then remove from the tin. Immediately poke lots of holes over the top and sides of the pudding and evenly pour ½ cup of sauce over the top. Keep the rest of the sauce for serving. Let the cake sit for minutes. Serve the cake with the extra sauce and whipped cream.
- Make the sauce just before the cake is cooked.
- Place the coconut cream and both sweeteners in a small saucepan. Stir over a medium/high heat until boiling.
- Reduce the heat to medium/low for 1-2 minutes then remove from the heat. Use immediately.
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Can this be kept for a week before eating
Sharen, you could probably keep it in the freezer for a week. The fridge might be cutting it close, but it should taste fine out of the freezer if you let it thaw the night before!
I did not expect this to look so yummy! Didn’t think I was a date fan but this might change me!
Desserts and sweets are my weakness, thank you for the recipe a great way to entertain those you love
Omg this is amazing!! My mom makes a pudding every year at Christmas, and it’s so nice to have a healthier option. Can’t wait!
Sticky date pudding is one of my all-time favorite desserts that reminds me of home. This gluten free rendition is a great option that doesn’t take away any flavor. Can’t wait to have this during the holiday season!
This is the perfect dessert to satisfy my sweet-tooth. I was not expecting dates to taste so good, but they really do!
The wait time for cooking is well worth it! Mine wasn’t as pretty as the pictures, but usually never is! lol… Very tasty nevertheless !
I can’t wait to make this during Christmas time! I tried it recently and used dairy cream instead of coconut cream as suggested. It tasted so good. It may take a while, but it will be worth it in the end.
This dessert will surely be the star of the holidays! Its sweet delectable taste will make the guests to surely ask for more so better prepare another serving! This will surely be on my table on the coming holidays!
When I saw pictures I knew that I have to make this. And it’s tastier than I expected. I am fan of every kind of sweets and this is amazing one. And healthy!
Looks sooo amazing. I am definitely going to try this recipe. My parents have a date tree in their back yard and my Mother is always drying the dates out anyway.
Didn’t expect this to taste so good. Glad I was wrong . Dates and pudding are great together
Is there any way this dessert could be made in a crock pot? It looks so delicious, but I am unable to leave something on the stove cooking that long.
Probably – yes! I would experiment with it – I can’t see why it wouldn’t fluff up just the same.
Hi I made this for Christmas ran out of time to make a big pudding, I spooned it into silicone muffin tins and ssteamed in my steam oven for 25 mins at 100 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes, they were delicious light and flfluffy individual puds, there was heaps of mix left over of which I am steaming in one big pudding for five hours in my steam oven.
My daughter can’t eat gluten and enjoyed immensely, The gluten eaters in my household were also huge converts.
Thanks for the delicious recipe