This post contains affiliate links.
A lot of the time when I come up with a new recipe idea, it starts by recognizing familiar flavors in unexpected places and figuring out how to mash them together. That’s exactly how this Chikoo Chai Sticky Toffee Pudding came to be. Chickoo has the same deep, caramel-like sweetness and soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture that makes classic sticky toffee pudding so comforting. Once I made that connection, combining the two felt inevitable.
What Is Chickoo?
Chickoo, also known as sapodilla, is a tropical fruit commonly grown across India. My family grows chickoo on our farm, and summers were filled with thick, cold chickoo milkshakes blended to beat the heat. The fruit has a naturally sweet, caramel-forward flavor with a texture similar to a ripe pear, which makes it an ideal ingredient for desserts.
In sticky toffee pudding, chickoo works beautifully as a partial substitute for dates. It adds moisture, sweetness, and a softer, fruitier caramel note while keeping the dessert rich and indulgent.
Why Chickoo Works in Sticky Toffee Pudding
Traditional sticky toffee pudding relies heavily on dates for sweetness and structure. In this Chikoo Chai Sticky Toffee Pudding, I replace some of the dates with frozen chickoo, which is often easier to find at Indian grocery stores. Using frozen chickoo makes this recipe more accessible without sacrificing flavor or texture.
To build even more warmth, I simmer the chickoo and dates in chai before blending them into the batter. This extra step infuses the cake with cozy spice and depth while keeping the recipe simple and approachable. The result is a quick-to-assemble cake that stays incredibly moist thanks to the fruit base.
Ginger Chai Toffee Sauce
The toffee sauce fully leans into chai flavors. Fresh ginger, chai, and chai masala are added to the sauce, then poured generously over the baked cake. A quick trip under the broiler transforms everything into a bubbling, glossy layer of ooey-gooey toffee. That final blast of heat creates a caramelized top that sinks into the cake while keeping the interior soft and tender.
Tips & Tricks for the Best Chikoo Chai Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Make ahead: Make the cake and toffee sauce ahead of time. Cover the cake with foil as soon as it comes out of the oven to help retain moisture. When ready to serve, add the toffee sauce on top of the cake and broil for 3-4 minutes.
- Don’t skip the chai soak: Simmering the dates in chai adds depth to this dessert!
- Broil carefully: Keep a close eye on the cake under the broiler. You want bubbles, not burnt sugar!
- No chickoo? Use all dates, or replace with mashed ripe pears or persimmons for a similar texture.
- No chai blend? Use black tea with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, and clove.
- Egg-free: Swap egg for 1/2 cup of sour cream or vanilla Greek yogurt.
- Extra toffee sauce: Sticky Toffee Pudding is traditionally served with additional toffee sauce poured on after broiling. In this recipe, I don’t do that because I find it sweet enough without it, BUT if you feel you need it, double the toffee sauce recipe and use half for broiling and half for drizzling over the ice cream and cake when served.
Chikoo Chai Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Total Time: 35
- Yield: one 9x9 pan, about 9–12 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Ingredients
Chikoo and Date Cake
- 1 tbsp loose-leaf chai
- 1/3 cup hot water
- 1 cup (113 g) frozen or fresh chikoo
- 4–5 (113 g) Medjool Dates, pitted and roughly chopped
- 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp (106 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tsp (76 g) dark brown sugar
- 1/3 cup plus 1 tsp (76 g) Demerera Sugar or Sugar in the Raw
- 2 tsp chai masala
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 3 tbsp (42 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 eggs (or 1/2 cup sour cream or vanilla Greek yogurt)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Ginger Chai Toffee Sauce*
- 5 tbsp (70 g)unsalted butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup (80 g) dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp loose-leaf chai
- 1/2 tsp chai masala
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- whipped cream or ice cream, to serve with
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 or 9-inch square pan with baking spray or butter. Set aside
In a measuring cup, add chai and hot water. Steep for 5 minutes. Strain the chai into a saucepan. Add dates and chikoo to the saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer over low heat, covered, for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
While the chikoo mix cools, grab a medium-sized mixing bowl and add flour, sugars, chai masala, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk well and set aside.
Add the chikoo mixture into a tall container (I used a quart-sized deli container) along with the butter, eggs, and vanilla. Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender, blend in a small blender until smooth.
Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and pulse with an immersion blender until well combined. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use a whisk and whisk until smooth.
Pour into the prepared baking pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 25-28 minutes.
While the cake bakes, make the toffee sauce. Into a saucepan over medium-high heat, add butter and melt. Slowly whisk in heavy cream. Add brown sugar, ginger, chai, chai masala, and salt, and whisk well. Cook, while stirring constantly, until the mixture gets bubbly. Remove from heat and set aside.
When the cake is done, pierce it with a fork and strain the toffee sauce over it. Spread hte sauce over the cake so it’s all covered. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until the sauce is all bubbly and lightly browned. Remove and slice up the cake while it’s warm and serve with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and an additional drizzle of toffee sauce* if you’d like!
Notes
- Adapted from Mark Bittman’s Sticky Toffee Pudding Recipe
- You can make a double sauce if you want to serve it with extra sauce at the end. Pour half the sauce on the cake and broil. Then strain and serve the rest as an optional drizzle with the final served cake.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: dessert
