Part of our comprehensive guide
The Complete Guide to Sugar Alternatives: Everything You Need to Know →Sticky Toffee Pudding with Jaca
A British pub classic — a tender, deeply moist date sponge cake soaked in a glossy, warm butterscotch sauce and served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. The brown sugar in both the cake and the butterscotch sauce is replaced with Jaca (allulose) at double the amount, so you still get that rich, caramelized sweetness without the conventional sugar. Adapted from RecipeTin Eats. This is a Jaca-adjusted healthier version.
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted dates, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1/2 cup Jaca (allulose) (for the pudding — replaces 1/4 cup brown sugar at 2x ratio, loosely packed)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (for the pudding)
- 2 whole large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 cups Jaca (allulose) (for the butterscotch sauce — replaces 1 cup brown sugar at 2x ratio, tightly packed)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (for the butterscotch sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (for the butterscotch sauce)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter (for the butterscotch sauce)
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream or whipped cream (for serving)
Sweetener Used
1/2 cup Jaca (allulose) in the cake, 2 cups Jaca in the butterscotch sauce Allulose
Replaces: 1/4 cup brown sugar in the cake, 1 cup brown sugar in the sauce
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-inch square cake pan and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on two sides for easy removal. (Or grease 7 individual pudding moulds.)
- 2
In a heatproof bowl, combine the chopped dates and baking soda. Pour the boiling water over the top and let sit for 10 minutes to soften. Mash thoroughly with a potato masher or fork until the mixture looks like a sloppy porridge.
- 3
In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 1/2 cup Jaca together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until fully incorporated.
- 4
Add the flour and sprinkle the baking powder evenly over the surface. Stir gently until just combined, then quickly fold in the mashed dates with a spatula. The batter will look wet — that is correct.
- 5
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 35 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. (For individual moulds, fill 2/3 full and bake 25 minutes.)
- 6
While the pudding bakes, make the butterscotch sauce: combine 2 cups Jaca, the heavy cream, vanilla extract, and 5 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, stir gently and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.
- 7
As soon as the pudding comes out of the oven, use a skewer to poke about 40 holes evenly across the top. Slowly pour 1/2 cup of the warm butterscotch sauce over the surface and let it soak in for 10 minutes. (For individual puddings, spoon 1 tablespoon of sauce per pudding, soak 10 minutes, then invert onto plates.)
- 8
Cut the pudding into squares and serve warm with extra butterscotch sauce poured over the top and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream alongside.
Pro Tips
- Use soft Medjool dates if you can find them — they mash down faster and give a more pronounced caramel-toffee flavor than dry baking dates.
- Do not skip the baking soda step on the dates. It softens the skins and helps the dates dissolve into the batter for that signature smooth, dark crumb.
- Jaca caramelizes faster than brown sugar — keep the heat at medium, not high, when making the butterscotch sauce, and stir constantly once the butter melts to prevent scorching.
- The poke-and-soak step is what makes sticky toffee pudding sticky. Do it while the cake is still hot from the oven so the sauce pulls all the way down through the sponge.
- Leftovers reheat beautifully — microwave individual squares for 20-30 seconds and pour fresh warm sauce over the top. Tastes like it just came out of the oven.
- For a grown-up version, stir 1 tablespoon of dark rum or bourbon into the butterscotch sauce after removing it from the heat.