Vegan Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding
This Vegan Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding is a plant-based twist on a classic British dessert. Soft, moist sponge infused with caramelised pear and warm spices is drenched in a rich, dairy-free toffee sauce that’s every bit as indulgent as the original. It’s simple to make, beautifully comforting, and the perfect finish to a cosy meal. Best served warm with a scoop of vegan vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of oat cream.
Vegan Pear Sticky Toffee Pudding
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Dessert
Cuisine
Vegan / British
Servings
8
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
45
Calories
295
Even though many sticky toffee puddings rely on butter and cream, this vegan version proves you don’t need dairy to create a decadent dessert. Poached pears infused with cinnamon, star anise, cloves, and citrus zest sit upright in a moist date sponge, all finished with a glossy, spiced syrup. Perfect for autumn evenings, festive dinners, or whenever you crave a comforting, naturally sweet pudding. Serve with vegan ice cream for extra indulgence.
Ingredients
For the pears:
- 8 small firm pears (Conference recommended)
- 200 g golden caster sugar
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 star anise
- 6 cloves
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Zest of 1 orange
- 600 ml water
For the sponge:
- 250 g pitted dates
- 2 tbsp linseeds
- 300 ml unsweetened almond milk
- 200 ml vegetable oil
- Extra oil for greasing
- 175 g dark muscovado sugar
- 200 g self-raising flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1 tsp ground mixed spice
- ½ tsp salt
- Reserved chopped pear scraps from poaching
To serve (optional):
- Vegan ice cream
- Extra reduced syrup
Directions
Peel the pears and trim the bottom so they stand flat. Cut them to fit snugly in your baking tin. Use a melon baller or small knife to remove the pips from the base. Roughly chop the leftover pear scraps, discarding the pips, and set aside.
- In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cinnamon sticks, star anise, cloves, lemon zest, orange zest, and 600 ml water. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the pears, cover with a lid or baking parchment, and poach gently for 15 minutes until a knife slides easily into a pear. Leave to cool in the poaching liquid.
In a saucepan, combine the dates, linseeds, and almond milk. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes until the dates are soft.
- Transfer to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the oil and blend again. Scrape into a bowl and set aside to cool slightly.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan)/Gas 4. Grease and line a 20 x 30 cm baking tin with parchment.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, muscovado sugar, bicarbonate of soda, mixed spice, and salt. Break up any lumps of sugar.
- Stir in the date and oil mixture until well combined. Fold in the chopped pear scraps.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Nestle the poached pears upright so their bottoms are covered by the cake mixture.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If needed, bake an extra 10 minutes.
Bring the reserved pear poaching liquid to the boil and simmer until reduced to a glossy syrup.
- When the pudding is done, cool for 5–10 minutes, then brush with the syrup. Save some extra syrup to serve alongside.
- Serve warm with vegan ice cream if desired.
Recipe Note
This pudding is naturally vegan and packed with fruit sweetness.
Use firm pears like Conference to hold shape during baking.
The poaching syrup can be stored for several days and drizzled over other desserts or pancakes.
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- per serving
- per serving
- Calories
- 295
- Carbs
- 63 grams
- 23%
- Protein
- 3 grams
- 6%
- Sugar
- 38 grams
- 76%
- Fat
- 7 grams
- 10%
- Fiber
- 4 grams
- 15%
