Date Sticky Toffee Pudding Perfect for Tu Bishvat!
February is the month of Tu Bishvat, an agricultural holiday that celebrates the “Seven Species”: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives and dates, that grow in Israel, and also happen to grow right here in California.
Tu Bishvat is known as the New Year of the Trees, and is often used as an Earth Day, as we navigate a world with an ever-changing climate and environmental landscape. There’s no better way to celebrate than with a plant-based dish that features the seven species in it.
This recipe for a Vegan Date and Fig Sticky Toffee Pudding fits the bill, highlighting three (dates, figs, wheat). The caramel and toffee flavors of dates are complemented by spicy cinnamon and spice blend, coffee hawaij.
Hawaij is a combination of ginger, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. If you can’t find hawaij, simply use ground ginger for an equally delicious dessert.
I like to make my sticky toffee pudding in muffin tins for an easy, single-serve dessert – no slices, no finnicky ramekins, it’s as simple as making your favorite muffin recipe.
Toffee sauce can feel intimidating, but this is a simple, foolproof way to get a silky-smooth sauce to drench your cake in – don’t feel like making it? Try a caramel or toffee sundae sauce for a dessert that’s on the table in a flash.
Date Sticky Toffee Pudding for Tu Bishvat
Author: Micah Siva
Serves: 8 to 10
Ingredients
- 1 cup pitted medjool dates, packed (approximately 15 dates)
- 1 ½ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- ½ cup vegan butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ¼ tsp. orange zest
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 1 tsp. ground coffee hawaij or ginger
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 cup dried figs, roughly chopped
Toffee sauce:
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup vegan butter
- 1/3 cup coconut cream
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- ½ tsp. kosher salt
To serve:
- Vegan whipped cream
Preparation:
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Generously coat a standard sized muffin tin with cooking spray.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the pitted dates and almond milk. Stir frequently, until the dates have softened, about 10 to 12 minutes. Mash with a potato masher or fork.
- Remove from heat, and add the vanilla extract, vegan butter, and brown sugar, and orange zest, mixing until the butter has fully melted.
- In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon.
- Add the date mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Gently fold in the chopped figs.
- Divide the batter into the muffin tins, and bake for 18 to 22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let co
Make the toffee: In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the maple syrup, brown sugar, and butter. Stir constantly, until the sugar has fully melted. Let boil for 3 minutes, whisking to combine, and remove from heat. Add the coconut cream and salt and mix to combine. Let cool. The mixture will thicken as it cools.
To serve, top the cake with a dollop of whipped cream and a generous spoonful of toffee syrup.