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!
I made 1/5 of the recipe, as I only needed a few tablespoons of syrup for some cookies. If you’re going to work with that small an amount of syrup, you have to keep an eye on it after the 40-minute mark because it goes from clear to lightly golden in 5 minutes! It took roughly 1h 10m for mine to get perfectly amber, and I may have slightly overcooked it after that because it turned solid after cooling down (nothing a reheat with some water couldn’t fix!). I’m really happy with the colour and texture; I can’t remember what commercial golden syrup tastes like, but I don’t have any complaints for what I made. Thank you for the recipe!
That’s great, Jina, thank you so much for taking the time to leave detailed feedback!
I recently located my Grandmother’s recipe for suet pudding, and bought the pudding mold to make it at the holidays. Several recipes for the mold included golden syrup, so I decided to try your recipe.
I found the process very easy, and the product quite tasty. Did a 3/4 batch to fit a pint jar; went just a bit over. Cooked to 245° temped with a probe thermometer, which took a couple hours. Apparently I could have used a higher heat setting?
My wife and I were wondering if the lemon juice was there for something other than flavor?
Thank you for the feedback, Wayne, I’m happy it was a success. The lemon juice is a more pleasant substitute for the citric acid which is included in the commercial golden syrup. It provides a bit of balance to the sweetness but it can be omitted if you prefer. I’m excited for you to make your Grandmother’s suet pudding, that will be such a lovely addition to your holiday table.
Lyle’s has been a staple in my house all my life. a real treat for dipping toast into. Most Americans probably don’t know what you mean by butter tarts.
next time I run out of syrup, I’m going to make this.
Great recipe but what are you looking for with the digital thermometer if doing this with brown sugar?
Hi Shane, it’s at the end of Step 4 – you’ll want to get the temperature to 240-250 degrees F. Using a thermometer is a good idea anyway because it removes the guesswork, but when you’re using brown sugar the mixture is already darker in color, making guesswork even trickier.
Thanks so much for your recipe. It was perfect. I’ll never buy store bought golden syrup again.
Fantastic, Shona, I’m so glad you enjoyed it and appreciate the feedback!
I have never heard of golden syrup before, so this is my first time making it. It turned out wonderful!
I’m so glad, Julee, thank you for the feedback!
I just finished making this (I think!). I apparently cooked it too low as it took most of the afternoon and also some tweaking of my stove to get it to amber and 243 degrees. It is still quite runny, but my fingers are crossed that it will thicken up as it cools. I have had no experience with golden syrup, but I have a recipe for Dorset Fair Gingerbreads from my Favorite Biscuits Recipes book that uses it. My granddaughter has been pestering me for days to make these!
If my mother only knew! I’d always thought this was a special syrup that grew up with (Mom bought in a pail) and now I find it so easy and economical to make my own. Thank you very much for this recipie!
Sincerly,
Barbara
I’m so glad, Barbara, thank you for the feedback!
I made this today and did exactly what the recipe says to do and it came out perfectly. Now I am looking for recipes to use it in, marshmallows I think will be first! Thank you for writing such an easy to follow recipe and sharing it :)
Thank you for the recipe. Syrup is an all time favorite in SA. You can also use it as a spread on bread or make a peanut butter and syrup sandwich. Delicious.