Ingredients

• 225g/8oz dates
• pitted and chopped
• 200ml/7fl oz boiling water
• 100ml/3½oz rice milk
• 90g/3¼oz dairy-free butter (such as sunflower spread)
• 150g/5½oz coconut palm sugar
• 3 free-range eggs
• 2 tbsp date syrup
• 180g/6oz gluten-free flour or rice flour
• plus extra for flouring the moulds
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• pinch sea salt
• 100g/3½oz dairy-free butter (such as sunflower spread)
• 175g/6oz coconut palm sugar
• 1 tbsp blackstrap molasses or treacle
• 100ml/3½oz maple syrup
• 230ml/8oz soy cream
• plus extra to serve
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Grease and flour the moulds
• then line the bases with a disc of oiled parchment paper.
• To make the pudding
• soak the dates in the boiling water for five minutes
• then blend in a food processor until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and blend again until well combined.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared moulds (but not right to the top
• as they rise quite a bit) and bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes
• or until they are risen and firm. (You can check they are cooked by inserting a skewer into the middle - if it comes out clean
• the pudding is ready.)
• Ten minutes before the puddings are ready
• make the toffee sauce. Melt the butter
• coconut palm sugar
• blackstrap molasses and maple syrup in a saucepan over low heat
• then simmer for a few minutes. Gradually stir in the soy cream
• vanilla extract and salt and bring to the boil for 1–2 minutes
• or until slightly thickened. Keep warm until ready to serve.
• Leave the puddings to cool in their moulds for a few minutes
• then turn out onto serving plates. Spoon the toffee sauce over and around with a little extra soy cream to top it off.