Individual Sticky Toffee Puddings made in the Air Fryer and served with a rich and indulgent butterscotch sauce, a wonderfully decadent dessert for the festive season, but also all year round. Moist and flavourful, these mini puddings can be made ahead and reheated when needed, making them ideal for the busy Christmas time.
Sticky toffee pudding is one of my absolute favourite British desserts. It's extremely luxurious and decadent without being overly sweet, and the sponge is wonderfully moist and light despite it looking heavy.
True, it's very rich, hence why I would definitely serve it for special occasions, and Christmas is the best time for such luscious desserts. I have made before traybake sticky toffee pudding and Christmas sticky toffee pudding, which has added dried fruit and spices for a festive touch.
Now, these individual sticky toffee puddings are perfect for entertaining and portion control, plus they look really elegant and special. And they are made in the air fryer, rather than baked in the oven, which cuts down the cooking time considerably.
Not to say that they can't be made in the oven, they certainly can, but if you have an air fryer, it's best to make the most of it. Plus, at this festive time of the year, when the oven is used heavily, that's one less thing to worry about having to go in the oven.
The sauce is made on the cooker, and it's served with the puddings while they are still warm and delicious. You can also serve them with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream and you are in for a real treat!
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Go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact quantities and detailed instructions!
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Ingredients overview - the sponges
- dates - you can use any dates you have around, I used deglet, but any would do
- black treacle - or molasses, adds depth of colour and intense flavour
- hot water - it's used to soften the dates, it will then be blended together into a sticky paste
- eggs - I used 2 medium-sized eggs
- self-raising flour - for a light sponge
- baking powder & bicarb of soda- help with a nice lift
- spices - I used ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves for a nice festive touch
- dark brown sugar - gives the sponge a lovely caramel touch
- butter - salted or unsalted
Step-by-step photos and instructions - the sponges
- add the dates to a bowl, pour the hot water over them and allow them to soak for 10 minutes
- meanwhile, add the soft butter and sugar to a large mixing bowl, and use a hand mixer to beat them together until creamy
- add the eggs one by one, beating well after every egg added
- add the baking powder and treacle
- use a hand blender or a food processor to blitz the dates until you have a smooth paste, then add it to the rest of the ingredients together with the sifted flour
- use a spatula to mix all the ingredients
- divide the mixture between 8 ramekins or foil aluminum cases
- air fry for 15-17 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius (320 Fahrenheit) until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean
Ingredients overview - the sauce
- butter - I used salted, it works really nicely with the sweetness of the sugar and treacle
- cream - double cream in the UK, heavy cream in the US
- dark brown sugar - adds a caramel-like flavour and a deeper, darker colour than the light brown sugar
- black treacle - for an intense colour and flavour
Step-by-step photos and instructions - the sauce
- add all the ingredients to a pan set over a medium heat
- use a whisk to mix everything, and leave it to simmer until it turns into a smooth, rich sauce
Expert tips
I used foil / aluminum pudding cases that work perfectly well with puddings, muffins and cupcakes. Since they are non-stick, I did not grease them, however, if you use china ramekins, butter them well before adding the batter.
The mini sticky toffee puddings can also be baked in the oven, although the cooking time will increase to 20-22 minutes, just keep an eye on them after 20 minutes. Sponges cook really well in the air fryer, I used this technique for my air fryer cupcakes with wonderful results.
Make sure the dates are blended well, the paste should be smooth, or the sponges will be lumpy. The paste also adds flavour, the smoother, the better results. The dates will soak much better in hot water.
Check the puddings for doneness after 15 minutes, overcooking them will result in dry, tough sponges. The skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, freeze the puddings without the sauce, individually wrapped. Make sure to thaw them completely before reheating.
Overcooking is usually the main culprit. Check the sponges after 15 minutes, different ramekins will take a different amount of batter, which is alter the air frying time slightly.
You can, but then the sponges and sauce will have a lighter colour, plus they will be sweeter. The bitterness of the black treacle works wonderfully well with the rest of the ingredients for a complex flavour and texture.
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Individual Sticky Toffee Puddings in the Air Fryer
Ingredients
For the sponges
- 160 g pitted dates (5 oz)
- 250 ml hot water ( 1 cup)
- 200 g self-raising flour ( 1 â…” cups)
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 160 g butter, soft (¾ cup)
- 160 g dark brown sugar (¾ cup +2 tbsp)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoon black treacle (molasses)
For the sauce
- 300 ml double cream (heavy cream, 10 oz)
- 100 g salted butter (½ cup)
- 125 g dark brown sugar (â…” cup)
- 2 tablespoon black treacle (molasses)
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Instructions
- To make the sponges, add the pitted dates to a bowl.
- Pour the hot water over them and leave them to soak for 10 minutes.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the soft butter and sugar, and use a hand mixer to beat them well until you have a creamy texture.
- Add the eggs one by one, beating well after every egg added.
- Add the bicarb of soda, baking powder, sifted flour and treacle.
- Use a hand mixer or a blender to blend the dates in the hot water until you have a sticky, smooth paste.
- Add it to the rest of the ingredients, and use a spatula to mix them all together into a batter.
- Divide the batter between 8 ramekins or aluminum muffin cases and air fry at 160 degrees Celsius (320 Fahrenheit) for 15-17 minutes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Remove them from the air fryer ( you might have to air fry in batches).
- To make the sauce, add all the ingredients to a pan set over a medium heat, and leave it to simmer, whisking often, until you get a smooth sauce.
- To serve, remove the puddings from their cases, and pour the sauce over.
Video
Notes
- I used foil / aluminum pudding cases that work perfectly well with mini puddings / pies, muffins and cupcakes. Since they are non-stick, I did not grease them, however, if you use china ramekins, butter them well before adding the batter.
- The mini sticky toffee puddings can also be baked in the oven, although the cooking time will increase to 20-22 minutes, just keep an eye on them after 20 minutes.Â
- Make sure the dates are blended well, the paste should be smooth, or the sponges will be lumpy. The paste also adds flavour, the smoother, the better results. The dates will soak much better in hot water.
- Check the puddings for doneness after 15 minutes, overcooking them will result in dry, tough sponges. The skewer should come out with a few moist crumbs, not wet batter.
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