Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding With Butterscotch Sauce
Author
Jess Emin
A food photographer, food stylist, and food TV host whose life revolves around food.
There are certain desserts that just feel like fall. For me, it’s this pumpkin sticky toffee pudding. It’s cozy, spiced, and indulgent—basically all the things you want when the leaves turn and sweater weather makes a comeback. If you’re looking for a dessert that’s just as perfect for a casual weekend bake as it is for your holiday table or Thanksgiving spread, this one delivers big time. I’ve always loved a classic British sticky toffee pudding cake recipe, but I wanted to bring it into fall with a twist—pumpkin.
Ingredients:
For the Cake
- 1 1/2 cups pitted Medjool dates, chopped small
- 2/3 cup salted butter, melted
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 cup boiling water
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 4 tbsp molasses
- 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp pumpkin spice
- 1/2 tsp salt
For the Salted Pumpkin Butterscotch
- 5 tbsp salted butter
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt or sea salt
- 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Instructions:
Make the Pumpkin Butterscotch Sauce
- In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the brown sugar, salt, and heavy cream. Stir with a rubber spatula until blended.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 4–5 minutes, scraping down the sides.
- Remove from heat, then stir in vanilla extract, pumpkin puree, and cinnamon.
- Transfer sauce to a container to cool. Set aside
Prepare the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray or shortening and line with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, combine chopped dates, melted butter, baking soda, and baking powder. Pour boiling water on top, stir, and let sit for 20 minutes until dates have softened.
- In another medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Set aside.
- Once softened, mash the date mixture slightly with a fork.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine pumpkin puree, sour cream, brown sugar, molasses, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Stir in the date mixture until smooth.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly.
- Bake for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes.
- Use a chopstick, skewer, or the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes all over the cake.
- Pour ⅔ of the pumpkin butterscotch sauce over the warm cake to let it soak in.
- Slice into squares and serve warm.
- Top with a drizzle of extra butterscotch, a sprinkle of flaky sea salt, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
Why Pumpkin Works So Well in Sticky Toffee Pudding
Traditional sticky toffee pudding relies on Medjool dates for sweetness and moisture. The softened date mixture gives the spongey texture we love, and this time we’re adding pumpkin purée too. Quick reminder: we’re talking about 100% pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling (that’s already sweetened and spiced). The purée keeps the cake super moist and gives it that unmistakable fall flavor.
This is the kind of dessert where the batter feels almost too simple—wet ingredients whisked together in a large mixing bowl, dry ingredients folded in, and then into the oven it goes. But when the pudding bakes, it transforms into something much greater than the sum of its ingredients: tender pumpkin cake with just the right amount of sweetness, begging for an extra drizzle of sauce and maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
A Sauce That Steals the Show
Let’s talk sauce. I’m not exaggerating when I say the pumpkin butterscotch toffee sauce is what makes this dish. Start with butter and dark brown sugar, then add heavy cream, simmering until the mixture becomes glossy and rich. From there, pumpkin puree, cinnamon, and vanilla transform it into something even cozier.
I like to poke holes in the cake with the end of a wooden spoon while it’s still warm, then pour part of the sauce overtop. The rest goes into a small ramekin or dish to serve on the side for extra spooning. Trust me, people will ask for more. If you’ve got leftovers, reheat in the microwave or over medium heat in a saucepan—just stir and enjoy.
Tips and Tricks for the Perfect Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
Here are a few of my favorite tricks:
- Soak your dates properly: Give them the time they need to soften in boiling water with a little butter and baking soda. That’s what breaks them down into that luscious paste that keeps the cake tender.
- Room temperature eggs: This helps them incorporate smoothly into the wet ingredients and keeps the cake batter uniform. Cold eggs can seize up the fat and mess with the texture.
- Check doneness with a toothpick: The pudding bakes for about 55 minutes, but ovens vary. You’re looking for a clean toothpick or one with just a few moist crumbs.
- Use parchment paper: Lining your pan makes it easier to lift out and slice the cake into even squares.
- Serving tip: This fall dessert is perfect with ice cream, whipped cream, or a splash of bourbon-spiked cream
- Poke holes: Use the end of a wooden spoon to poke holes in the cake and pour the sauce right on top.
Pumpkin Sticky Toffee Pudding: Substitutions & Variations
This is one of those pumpkin cake recipes you can riff on depending what’s in your pantry.
- Plant-based butter and coconut cream can easily make this dairy-free.
- Swap the butterscotch for a caramel sauce if that’s what you’ve got. Store-bought works in a pinch, though I’ll argue that homemade with pumpkin has a deeper flavor.
- For individual portions, divide the batter into ramekins and reduce the baking time. Perfect for a dinner partywhere everyone gets their own little warm pudding.
- A splash of rum or brandy in the sauce turns this into a more grown-up version.
Storage & Leftovers
The beauty of this cake is that it holds up really well. Store squares in an airtight container wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to three days, or freeze in a freezer-safe bag for longer. The cake warms nicely in the microwave or oven, and the sauce thickens a bit in the fridge but loosens back up with gentle reheating. If you’re prepping for Thanksgiving or a big holiday table, you can easily make this a day ahead and reheat.
Final Thoughts
When I think about pumpkin recipes for fall, this one always rises to the top. It’s got everything: the cozy spices, the nostalgic sweetness of dates, the comforting warmth of pumpkin, and that decadent sauce that drips into every slice. The combination of warm pudding and cold ice cream is honestly the dream team, and it’s the kind of dessert that gets you rave reviews from guests every time.
So next time you’re looking for an ultimate fall dessert, skip the pie and whip up this pumpkin sticky toffee pudding cake recipe. It’s nostalgic, indulgent, and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser—whether you’re serving it at Thanksgiving, at a dinner party, or just on a Sunday night when you want your kitchen to smell like pure comfort.
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Jess Emin
Every aspect of Jessica Emin’s personal and professional life revolves around food; she’s a food photographer, a food stylist, a sommelier and has hosted two food TV series. Jess credits all the people she’s met along her culinary journey for her confidence in the kitchen–she’s picked up tips, tricks and technique from hundreds of pros–from working pie dough at the age of ten with her mom, to shucking tutorials with oyster farmers, to foraging with chefs to find perfect mushrooms, and watching chefs in Canada’s best restaurants. She lives and breathes the East coast, and its incredible food offerings.
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I made this for Canadian Thanksgiving last weekend, and it was really delicious! It was also quite easy to make.
I used an immersion blender after soaking the dates (mashing didn’t seem to do the trick).
Is the brown sugar in the cake part meant to be packed? The recipe doesn’t specify, but I did pack it down, and the cake didn’t seem to be overly sweet.
It would be really helpful for the recipe to include a weight for the dates, instead of/in addition to the volume – they are difficult to measure as a volume.
The batter amount was almost too much for my 9″ x 9″ pan; I was worried it might overflow (it didn’t).
Somehow, I had leftover butterscotch sauce, which I used on a piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream – it was amazing on there as well.
I will definitely be making this again!!
So happy to hear this was a hit, Christine! Thanks so much for sharing!
Can this be made ahead and frozen? Can I use gluten free flour?
We’ve never tried this one with GF flour, but a 1:1 ration should work okay! Let me know how it turns out, Jeanne.
This recipe looks amazing. I am making it for some friends next weekend. I don’t suppose you have a metric version kicking around? I love me some grams, vs cups!
Thank you!
Hi Chris, we’re hoping to start incorporating both measurements in the future. For now, feel free to plug the numbers into a free online tool for the conversion!
Can this be made a day in advance?? If so, how would you serve it the next day for optimal flavor?
Hi Deborah! Yes, you can definitely make this a day in advance! In fact, the flavors get even better as the sauce soaks in. Just cover and store the cake in the pan at room temperature (or in the fridge if your kitchen is warm). The next day, warm slices in the oven or microwave, then drizzle with the reserved butterscotch sauce right before serving.