Is Sticky Toffee Pudding Vegan? Everything You Need To Know
If you’re new to veganism and thinking about your old favourites, I wrote this for you! In this post, we’ll look at the question “Is sticky toffee pudding vegan?” as well as where to buy it.
Sticky toffee pudding is an indulgent dessert that originates from the UK. It’s made with dates and brown sugar, which are what give the pudding its rich toffee flavour and sticky texture. Sticky toffee pudding is often served warm with cream or vanilla ice cream and it is particularly popular in the colder months. If you love comfort food then you’ll adore sticky toffee pudding!
Ingredients
Let’s take a quick look at the key ingredients of a sticky toffee pudding recipe.
- Dates. Dates are the most important ingredient for this pudding. Dates are a fruit and are therefore plant-based.
- Self-raising flour. Self-raising flour provides structure to the pudding and helps to make it fluffy. Flour is vegan-friendly.
- Baking soda. Along with the flour, baking soda (or bicarbonate of soda) helps the pudding to rise. This ingredient is plant-based.
- Butter. Butter acts as the main source of fat for this dessert and keeps it moist. As butter is made from cow’s milk, it is not vegan.
- Brown sugar. Brown sugar may or may not be vegan depending on the source. All sugar produced in the UK is vegan but some sugar in the USA can be processed with bone char. If you’re not in the UK, you can buy organic sugar to make sure it’s vegan.
- Eggs. Eggs provide moisture and leavening to the pudding. As they come from a hen, eggs are not vegan.
- Milk. Milk helps the batter come together and ensures the final dessert is not dry. Milk is from a cow so this ingredient isn’t vegan either!
Is sticky toffee pudding vegan?
No, traditional sticky toffee pudding is not vegan because it contains butter, milk, and eggs. In addition, it is often accompanied by cream, custard, or ice cream, which are also dairy-based.
It is easy to make your own vegan version at home by using plant-based substitutes such as vegan butter. In my sticky toffee pudding recipe, I used dairy-free margarine instead of butter, black tea instead of milk and eggs, plus a few extra dates to help everything stick together.
Is sticky toffee pudding gluten-free?
Traditionally, no, as it’s usually made with wheat flour. Although, as with the dairy and egg substitutes, it is possible to make your own gluten-free sticky toffee pudding at home using a gluten-free flour blend. I don’t have my own recipe for that yet but there are plenty online for you to choose from.
Where to buy plant-based sticky toffee pudding
If you prefer to buy your pudding rather than make it yourself, here are two vegan options I found:
- Wicked Kitchen sticky toffee pudding (available from Tesco)
- We Love Cake free from sticky toffee pudding (available from Morrison’s)
Summary
Sticky toffee pudding is not vegan because it’s traditionally made with eggs and dairy products. However, it is possible to make your own vegan version by using substitutes for animal products. There are also a couple of vegan options available if you prefer to buy your pudding ready-made.
