Is there anything better than the smell of a sticky date pudding or loaf in the oven on a rainy, cold winter day? Well, yes. The only thing better than that comforting smell is the pleasure that comes with eating it!
Sticky date pudding brings back all kinds of nostalgic memories of mum making this classic English recipe on special occasions and us kids re-heating the left over pudding during the week and slathering it with delicious, rich butterscotch sauce (and usually ice cream). I wanted to relive this warm feeling with a healthier, vegan version of the traditional pudding and sauce.
This recipe, firstly, is a loaf not a pudding so is a little lighter and also includes walnuts for a bit of extra texture and nutrients (high in omega 3s!). “Healthy” is a spectrum and many people wouldn’t call this recipe healthy at all. It has coconut oil which is a saturated fat and despite the recent health claims and popularity its received, shouldn’t be consumed in excess. But, it tastes great in this recipe so that’s why it’s included! Also, I love brown sugar and think you can’t go past it in sticky date recipes so you’ll find it here too. You could try a different sweetener like maple or rice malt syrup (lower GI for a slower glucose release) but they are still SUGARS. To compensate for these less “healthy” ingredients, the loaf includes flaxseeds, a great source of fibre and omega 3s and of course is built around delicious dates which are a good source of iron and fibre and do wonders for your digestion. So it’s a “healthier” version, and well worth the compromise if you divert from the traditional buttery version. The sauce is also delicious, but is not as rich, meaning you can eat more of it!
I hope you enjoy this one and it makes you feel all warm and cosy inside like it did us!
Ingredients
Date loaf
1 cup dates
1 cup water
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 tbsp water
2 tsp bicarbonate soda
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil
1 large banana, mashed
1 1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 almond flour
1/2 cup walnuts, crushed
Salted caramel icing
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup dates
1/2 cup date water
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp salt
Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 180 degrees celsius.
- Line and grease a 21 x 11cm cake tin.
- Add dates, water and apple cider vinegar to a small saucepan and place on low heat.
- Create your flaxseed egg by adding warm water to your flaxseed, mix together and leave to rest.
- Mash banana in a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar, coconut oil and the flaxseed egg and stir together.
- Add bicarbonate soda to the date mix on the stove. It should froth up. Quickly add it to the other wet ingredients and stir again. Add all other dry ingredients and crushed walnuts and mix together thoroughly.
- Poor date mixture into the prepared cake tin.
- Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes. Check on the loaf every five minutes after 45 minutes has passed. You can tell if the loaf is cooked by inserting a bamboo skewer. If the skewer comes out clean, it’s cooked! A golden, cracked crust on the top of the loaf is also a good indication it’s ready.
- Leave to cool for at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Salted caramel icing
- Soak cashews and dates in water overnight or in boiling water for 15 minutes.
- Blitz cashews, dates, date water (1 cup), icing sugar and 1/2 tsp of salt together in a high speed blender until smooth.
- Poor over, or slather on the sticky date loaf and enjoy!
