By: Susan Joy
This beautifully flavoured, light-textured Pumpkin Sticky Date Pudding is perfect for any occasion.
You can use mashed sweet potato in place of the pumpkin, both taste amazing and the almond meal can be replaced with hazelnut meal for a richer flavour. This naturally sweetened, gluten and grain-free, dairy-free, paleo pudding is delicious served with my lightly salted caramel sauce made with coconut cream (recipe below). No one will guess this delicious pudding contains vegetables.
Ingredients
STICKY DATE PUDDING:
- 15 (1 1/2 cups) Medjool date(s), pitted, plus hot water to soak the dates
- 1 1/4 cups almond meal/flour, or hazelnut meal
- 1/3 cup coconut flour
- 3 Tbsp arrowroot flour
- 2 Tbsp golden flaxseed meal (fine ground)
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp baking soda (bicarb)
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 1/2 cups (400g) cooked, mashed & chilled pumpkin, (don’t overcook, just tender enough to mash). You can also use sweet potato.
- 1/3 cup (80ml) coconut cream, (a thick brand like Ayam)
- 3 lge egg(s)
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup (100%)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract (organic)
CARAMEL SAUCE:
- 400ml canned coconut cream, (a thick brand)
- 1/3 cup (80ml) maple syrup (100%)
- 2 Tbsp ghee, or grass-fed butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (organic)
- A generous pinch of sea salt, or to taste
Directions
Beforehand, simmer your diced pumpkin until just tender (you don’t want it waterlogged), then roughly mash so you can measure it. Set aside to cool.
Place the dates into a heatproof dish and cover with boiling water. Soak for 15 minutes to soften.
Preheat your oven to 170c (fan-forced) and line the base and sides of a 20cm square cake tin with baking paper.
Add the almond meal, coconut flour, arrowroot, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt to a food processor. Blend to combine the dry ingredients for approximately 8 – 10 seconds.
Add the pumpkin, coconut cream, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla to the dry ingredients. Blend to combine and create a smooth moist batter.
Drain the dates and add them to the food processor. Blend for approximately 5 – 6 seconds to incorporate into the batter but leave some bits of dates visible.
Scoop the batter into the prepared tin and smooth over the top with a spatula.
Bake for 45 – 50 minutes or until golden and firm on top. Allow to cool a little in the tin for 15 – 20 minutes, cut the pudding into squares and serve warm with the caramel sauce and dairy-free cream (it’s also delicious served cold). The pudding can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge and warmed before serving.
CARAMEL SAUCE: While the pudding is cooking make the caramel sauce. Add all the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and heat on medium, stirring frequently until it starts to slowly simmer. Reduce to low and stir often while gently simmering for 20 – 25 minutes until the caramel reduces a little and thickens slightly. Watch it doesn’t burn. Allow to cool slightly before serving warm over the pudding. The caramel sauce can be made ahead and stored in the fridge covered, it will thicken in the fridge but will thin out again when warmed (try not to eat by the spoonful straight from the fridge, it’s so delicious).
The pudding and sauce will keep for 4 – 5 days in the fridge.
Article supplied with thanks to The JOYful Table.
About the Author: Susan is an author of The JOYful Table cookbook containing gluten & grain free, and Paleo inspired recipes for good health and wellbeing.
Feature image: Supplied