A warm, spiced Christmas hug in pudding form — small-batch, cosy, and ridiculously good.
Let me paint a picture.
It’s early December, you’ve finally put up the fairy lights, the weather is trying its best to be festive without tipping into sweaty Christmas territory, and suddenly all you want is something warm, sticky, spiced, comforting, and — let’s be honest — drowning in sauce.
Enter: Gingerbread Sticky Date Puddings.
Think classic sticky date meets gingerbread spice.
Think warm caramel sauce running down the sides.
Think small-batch so you don’t end up eating pudding for breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the next three days (unless you want to — no judgement).
This recipe makes four perfectly sized puddings, ideal for a small gathering, gifting, or a solo eater’s “I want dessert for three nights but not the full Christmas catering experience”.
🌟 Why This Pudding Is Perfect for Solo Eaters
Sticky date can be a big commitment — and yes, sometimes deliciousness becomes a burden when you realise you’ve made enough to feed the choir at Midnight Mass.
This version solves everything:
- 🟤 Small batch — makes exactly four
- 🟤 Lighter than the classic but still gloriously sticky
- 🟤 Infused with gingerbread spices
- 🟤 Ridiculously easy — beginner-friendly
- 🟤 Scalable — make one, make eight, or make a loaf
- 🟤 Sauce included — because if there’s no sauce, it’s just a cupcake pretending
This is Christmas baking without the overwhelm.
❤️ Hero Ingredients & Nutritional Wins
Dates
- Fibre-rich
- Naturally sweet
- Create that classic sticky texture
Gingerbread spices (ginger, cinnamon, allspice)
- Anti-inflammatory
- Warming
- Make your kitchen smell like a Christmas market
Brown sugar
- Adds caramel notes without making the pudding heavy
Egg + butter
- Give tenderness and moisture
Self-raising flour
- Makes this recipe quick — no need for fancy leavening rituals
Basically, you’re making a dessert that tastes indulgent but still has some wholesome ingredients tucked in. Festive loophole.
🎅 Gingerbread Sticky Date Puddings
Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 18–20 minutes
Special equipment: 4 ramekins or muffin moulds
🎁 Ingredients
For the puddings
- ¾ cup pitted dates, chopped
- ½ cup boiling water
- ½ tsp bicarbonate soda
- 40 g butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch of allspice
- ½ cup self-raising flour
For the ginger caramel sauce
- 40 g butter
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup cream
- Pinch of ground ginger (optional but encouraged)
👩🍳 Step-by-Step (Beginner Friendly)
Step 1: Soften the dates
Place chopped dates in a small bowl.
Pour over boiling water.
Add bicarbonate soda.
Let them sit for 10 minutes — they’ll soften beautifully.
Step 2: Mix the wet ingredients
In a medium bowl, whisk together:
- melted butter
- brown sugar
- egg
Whisk until smooth and glossy.
Step 3: Add spices + flour
Add:
- ginger
- cinnamon
- allspice
Then fold in the self-raising flour.
Step 4: Add the date mixture
Pour in the softened dates and the soaking liquid.
Mix gently — it doesn’t need to be perfect.
Step 5: Bake
Grease 4 ramekins and divide batter between them.
Bake at 170°C for 18–20 minutes or until risen and soft.
Step 6: Make the sauce
In a small saucepan:
- melt butter
- add brown sugar
- stir until it melts
- add cream and ginger
- simmer 2–3 minutes
The sauce should be glossy and slightly thickened.
Step 7: Serve
Turn puddings out onto plates or serve straight in ramekins.
Drench in sauce.
Eat while warm.
Make noises of festive joy.
🔄 Variations & Swaps
Make it extra gingery
Add:
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1–2 tbsp chopped crystallised ginger
Make it lighter
Swap half the brown sugar for apple puree.
Make it gluten-free
Use gluten-free self-raising flour.
Make it dairy-free
Swap butter → coconut oil
Swap cream → coconut cream
(The flavour is incredible!)
Add nuts
Chopped pecans or walnuts work beautifully.
❄️ Storage & Leftovers
Fridge
Store puddings (without sauce) for 4–5 days.
Reheat 20–30 seconds in the microwave.
Freezer
Wrap each pudding and freeze up to 2 months.
Sauce can also be frozen in small containers.
Reheat
Microwave from frozen for 45 seconds.
Or bake 10 minutes at 150°C.
📏 Scaling Guide
Make just ONE pudding
Divide everything by 4.
Bake 12–14 minutes.
Make eight puddings
Double the recipe.
Bake in muffin tin for 15–17 minutes.
Make one large pudding
Double the recipe.
Bake in a lined loaf tin for 30–35 minutes.
🎄 When to Make This
This pudding is perfect for:
- Solo Christmas dessert nights
- Small gatherings
- Christmas Eve comfort food
- Edible gifting
- Dessert grazers
- A “treat yourself” December moment
If you want a dessert that feels festive without being fussy, this is the one.
💬 Final Thoughts
This Gingerbread Sticky Date Pudding might just be the coziest dessert of the Christmas season. Warm, sticky, spiced, and incredibly comforting — it’s everything you want after a long December day.
And because it’s small-batch, you can enjoy the Christmas flavours without the Christmas leftovers.
💌 Share and Subscribe
Enjoyed this festive hug in pudding form?
✨ Share this recipe with a friend who loves sticky date
✨ Leave a comment on Plan4One.com
✨ Subscribe for more small-batch Christmas treats
