Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease a rectangular baking dish with dairy-free spread.
In a heatproof bowl, pour the boiling water over the dates and bicarbonate of soda. Let them soak for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, cream together the dairy-free spread and light brown sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then add the vanilla extract, mixing until well combined.
Gradually fold in the gluten-free self-raising flour until you have a smooth batter.
Using a blender or food processor, blitz the soaked dates and water until smooth. Add this date mixture to the batter and stir until evenly distributed.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
While the pudding is baking, prepare the toffee sauce. In a saucepan, melt the dairy-free spread over medium heat. Add the light brown sugar and dairy-free cream, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Set aside to cool slightly.
Once the pudding is baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool for a few minutes.
Serve the warm sticky toffee pudding with the toffee sauce poured generously over the top. Optionally, serve with dairy-free vanilla ice cream or custard.
Enjoy your delicious gluten-free sticky toffee pudding!