How To Make Golden Syrup
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If you have a recipe that calls for Golden Syrup and you don’t have it, there’s no need to rush to the store or special order it – this tutorial will show you how to make golden syrup right in your kitchen! Just 3 ingredients, 99% hands off, and it keeps for months!
What Is Golden Syrup?
Golden Syrup is something you may not have heard of unless you’re into British baking. But it’s an indispensable ingredient when it comes to making a number of traditional British recipes. And its versatility extends far beyond that (ideas on ways to use it below). Golden syrup (also known as light treacle) is a thick amber-colored inverted sugar syrup comprised of sugar, water and citric acid. It has a deep caramelized, buttery flavor and has been a kitchen staple in Great Britain for over a century. It’s also popular in Australia and New Zealand.
You’ve probably see the the iconic green and gold cans of Lyle’s Golden Syrup. In 2006 it made history when it was entered into the Guinness World Book of Records for having the world’s oldest branding and packaging. The design and appearance of the cans have remained consistent for nearly 140 years.
This syrup is very thick (significantly thicker than corn syrup) and drizzles slowly. In more recent years Lyle’s has also made their product available in squeeze bottles for convenience to use at the table.
Golden Syrup vs. Corn Syrup
They are not the same: the ingredients, the process, the flavor and the texture are different. Golden syrup is made from sugar whereas corn syrup is made from corn and they are made using different processes. Corn syrup (whether light or dark) isn’t as thick and basically tastes like thick sugar water, lacking any depth of flavor (many people, including myself, think its cloyingly, sickly sweet). In contrast, golden syrup is thicker and has very deep caramelized, buttery, and complex flavor notes. There is no equivalent in the U.S. and substituting corn syrup will not yield the same flavor results.
How Do You Use Golden Syrup?
Golden syrup is very versatile and historically has been used in both sweet and savory applications though today it’s mostly used in baking and desserts. Anything that calls for corn syrup can be substituted with golden syrup for a far superior flavor. (As one example, try it in your next pecan pie to take it to a new flavor level!) You can use your homemade golden syrup as a substitute for any liquid sweetener. Here are a few ways you can use it:
- Cookies/Biscuits (ANZAC Biscuits from Australia/New Zealand are a famous and delicious example)
- Fudge, Chocolates and Candies
- Ice Cream & Sorbets
- British Flapjacks
- Brandy Snaps
- Gingerbread (like my English Parkin)
- Treacle Tart and Treacle Pudding
- Butter Tarts
- Drizzled over pancakes, waffles, oatmeal and porridge
- Drizzled over fruit salads or yogurt
- In savory marinades for a touch of sweetness
- Used in place of simple syrup in drinks
- Baked Apples or Baked Pears
How To Make Golden Syrup
Let’s get started!
This homemade golden syrup recipe is extremely easy to make using just 3 ingredients and is 99% hands off. This recipe makes about 20 ounces (about 3 cups) and don’t worry if you think that’s more than you’ll need for a while because this stuff keeps for several months at room temperature. But if you prefer you can also half this recipe.
Put the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir to combine, and bring to a boil, stirring regularly to prevent burning, and stir very gently to avoid splashing the liquid up the sides of the saucepan. Gently stir in the lemon juice.
Reduce the heat to a VERY low and gentle simmer (I use “3” on my induction cooktop). Leave the saucepan uncovered. DO NOT STIR the syrup again.
Let it gently simmer until it is a rich amber color. This will take upwards of an hour. Do not increase the heat to rush the process – caramelizing sugar is a low and slow process.
Once the syrup is a rich amber color turn off the heat, let it sit for a few minutes, then pour the hot syrup into a glass jar and let it cool completely before closing the jar with a secure lid.
Note: The syrup will be runny while it’s hot but will thicken as it cools.
Store your syrup at room temperature in an airtight glass jar with a sealable lid. It will keep for many months.
Enjoy!
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How To Make Golden Syrup
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups water (300 ml)
- 4 cups (800 g) cane sugar (for a deeper flavor you can substitute a little bit of brown sugar if desired but will need to use a digital thermometer *see Note)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (either fresh or bottled will work but fresh produces a better flavor)
- OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (this can be used instead of lemon juice if you wish to avoid a lemon flavor, however it tends to be slightly bitter)
Instructions
- Place the sugar and water in a saucepan and stir to combine. Bring it to a boil, stirring regularly to prevent burning until the sugar is dissolved. Stir very gently to prevent sugar water from splashing up the sides of the saucepan. Once boiling gently stir in the lemon juice or citric acid. Reduce the heat to a very low and gentle simmer (I use "3" on my induction cooktop but this will vary from cooktop to cooktop) Leave the saucepan uncovered. DO NOT STIR the syrup again. Let it simmer on very low for 40-60 minutes or longer until the sugar is a rich amber color. If you're using a thermometer the temperature should be about 240-250 degrees F.Note: If your syrup is too thick and stiff you can reheat it, adding a little bit of water. If your syrup is too runny then you need to let the syrup caramelize longer.
- Turn off the heat, let it sit for a few minutes, then pour the hot syrup into a glass jar and let it cool completely before closing the jar with tight sealing lid.Store your golden syrup at room temperature where it will keep for several months. This makes approximately 3 cups of golden syrup.
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
Does this have to be made in a nonstick pot?
Hi Anna, no it doesn’t. I use my regular stainless steel pot.
Hi everyone! I’m making this for the first time since I’m a huge Harry Potter fan I bought a cook book that’s called the “unofficial Harry Potter cook book” and it has a recipe for treacle tart but I couldn’t find golden syrup anywhere here in Pennsylvania. I am trying this recipe out but had to use granulated sugar as I didn’t have time to go buy cane sugar and just wanted to add that if you use granulated sugar it has to caramelize longer than an hour. At the hour mark I checked it and it was a very light amber color so I let it simmer for an extra 20 minutes and now it’s perfect! Thank you for this easy recipe it’s amazingly simple and good. Now on to finish my treacle tart!
That’s fantastic, Jeffrey, I’m so glad it was a success and thanks for the feedback about the granulated sugar!
Is there any substitute for the cane sugar, as there is a cane sugar allergy in the family?
Hi Joan, you can use regular granulated sugar (made from sugar beets) instead.
Thanks for the recipe. I cut down on the cooking time by half. I heat half the sugar with 1 tbsp of water, burn it to slightly darker amber color, add remaining water and sugar. Throw in sliced lemon into the syrup n cook until it thickens.
Granulated sugar in the US is made from sugarcane, not sugar beets. The UK uses sugar beets. Chemically, the sugar they produce is identical.
I’m sorry Paula, but we also make sugar from Sugar beets here in the US. Michigan for one, is a state that grows a lot of sugar beets. 50 to 60% of our sugar is made from Sugar beets.
Pretty sure this is just a caramel sauce, I think Golden syrup is a bit more complicated than that
Amazing that you took the time to write this comment and not just google a caramel sauce recipe. Because you would’ve learnt that this is exactly what golden syrup is and absolutely not what caramel sauce is.
No, caramel sauce has dairy and is the one that’s (slightly) more complicated than this.
This recipe created hard candy for me. Anyone else have this issue?
Hi Nicole, that happens when it’s cooked too long. I strongly recommend using a candy or instant read thermometer to ensure you achieve the right consistency.
If it cooks too long, cooks at too high of a temp too quickly, or if sugar granules re-enter the syrup usually from the edges of the pan (it can create a ‘seed’ that hardens the sugar) or if you agitate it too much from over stirring you will get hard candy. Sugar can be a challenge for even experienced bakers and confectioners to get right every time so I would try it again if the first time (or first couple of times) didn’t work out.
A recipe that we love that uses syrup is Sticky Pudding.
In the bottom of a flat casserole dish add 2-3 tablespoons of syrup, and a tablespoon of quince paste (membrillo). Cover with Victoria sponge mix and bake. When the top looks ready, turn the heat down for 10 mins to make sure the middle is cooked. The syrup bubbles up through the cake mix, and is yummy!
Tips for serving syrup:
1. Heat a spoon over gas just just before you scoop the syrup – it will then slip of the spoon.
2. Pour from the tin, and use a knife to slice through the drizzle as it leaves the tin. Rotate to catch the drips.
That sounds yummy, David, I especially like the addition of the quince. Thanks for sharing!
I made this a few days ago and it turned out great, but I thought I might add a few comments for other rookies. I used a half cup of brown sugar, as suggested in the recipe. While I think it added nicely to the flavor, it was hard to tell when the syrup reached the correct “amber-ness” as I’d never made this before. I’d suggest making it once with plain white sugar to see how it works. Also, I had to reheat and add about 1/2 cup of water to thin it out after cooling. It looked right when it was hot, but it thickened up a LOT as it cooled! I used the syrup in my first ever batch of Anzac biscuits, which were also a success.
Thank you, Rick, I’m happy it was a success! Thanks also for the feedback, I’ve added a note to recipe about the increased need of using a digital thermometer if you’re using some brown sugar.
Hi! Any ideas to prevent the syrup from thickening that much? I will try this for the first time as I have a rye bread recipe that calls for golden syrup/corn dark syrup and both are virtually impossible to be found where I live. Thank you!
Hi Santiago, the only way to ensure that is to use a thermometer, something I highly recommend, otherwise it’s a bit of a guessing game! If your syrup turns out too thick you can easily “rescue” it though by reheating it and stirring in a little water.
Thank you, Kimberly! I will let you know how it turns out.
Easy add more water
Having reviewed bakers’ comments, I think, like Kelly, that cane sugar is probably essential in creating an authentic golden syrup. Indeed, like many Scottish sweets, e.g., Scottish Tablet, this golden syrup recipe looks like one that may have originally called for caster sugar, so I will create my own caster sugar using my food processor and see what that yields. Using caster sugar instead of granulated will result in the use of a different measured amount. Caster sugar is finer and thus 2 cups caster will weigh heavier than 2 cups granulated, so the sweetness factor will increase. Caster sugar more readily melts, which will lead to earlier caramelization and – hopefully – reduced risk of burning or scorching, the bitterness of which is quite terrible.
I don’t imagine golden syrup recipes often use brown sugar, and I am certain that vanilla extract would not have been included in the ingredient list, so they’re out.
I’m going to go with my usual preference for fresh lemon juice. No bottled lemon juice and no citric acid, both of which are bitter substitutes for the delicate flavours of fresh lemon citrus.
I plan to use my large ceramic coated cast iron Le Creuset pot – a favourite of mine, I use it for candy, fudge, pasta, sauces, you name it – and after bringing the sugar and water to a boil on my electric stove top (Ugh), I will add the lemon juice and simmer the mixture at the lowest available heat setting.
In Canada we have a golden syrup that is widely available at grocery stores. It is often used as a substitute for corn syrup and it is delicious. I’m sure that Lyle’s is delicious as well, and subsequent to making this golden syrup at home I will endeavour to hunt some up so I’ll have all three to compare.