Sounds too good to be true right? Usually filled with refined sugar, eggs and butter, sticky date pudding has been something I've avoided since switching to a whole food, plant-based diet. This recipe is sweet, spicy and satisfying. Even better, it doesn't contain any refined sugar, gluten or oil.
INGREDIENTS
Pudding
200g medjool dates, pitted
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1 ripe banana, peeled
1 cup soy milk
2 tbsp flaxseed meal
Sticky date sauce
1 ripe banana
100g medjool dates, pitted
4 tbsp soy milk
1 tsp low sodium miso
1/2 tsp cinnamon
METHOD
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.
Roughly chop the pitted dates and cover them in boiling water.
Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.
Drain dates but reserve soaking liquid. Mix flaxseed meal with four tablespoons of the date liquid to create the flax "egg".
Blend 2/3 of the dates, banana, soy milk and flax egg. Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
Transfer the batter into a baking dish lined with parchment paper or individual moulds/ramekins. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes until just cooked and slightly golden.
While the pudding is cooking, make the sticky date sauce by blending the banana, remaining dates, miso, soy milk and cinnamon in a high speed blender until smooth. Add more soy milk if needed to blend properly (but it should be fairly thick).
Serve individual puddings, or slices, on a dollop of the sticky date sauce. Finish with a spoonful of soy yoghurt or cashew cream.