The Daring Gourmet

Grappling Each Dish By The Horns

Sign up for our newsletter!
No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop

Home » Disclosure » How To Make Golden Syrup

How To Make Golden Syrup

April 25, 2020 by Kimberly Killebrew · 177 Comments

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. See my disclosure policy.

4450 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

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!

golden syrup how to make homemade recipe light treacle Lyle's copycat British English

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 – Are They The Same?

No.  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.

golden syrup how to make homemade recipe light treacle Lyle's copycat British English

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 whole new and incredible flavor level!)

And it can be used as a substitute for any liquid sweetener.

Here are a few ways to use golden syrup:

  • Cookies/Biscuits (ANZAC Biscuits from Australia/New Zealand are a famous and delicious example)
  • Fudge
  • Candies
  • Chocolates
  • Ice Cream & Sorbets
  • Flapjacks
  • Brandy Snaps
  • Gingerbread
  • Treacle Tart
  • Treacle Pudding
  • Cakes (English Parkin is a classic example)
  • 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
  • ….and more!

golden syrup how to make homemade recipe light treacle Lyle's copycat British English

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.

putting ingredients in a saucepan

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.

caramelizing sugar

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.

pouring into a jar

Store your syrup at room temperature in an airtight glass jar with a sealable lid.  It will keep for many months.

Enjoy!

golden syrup how to make homemade recipe light treacle Lyle's copycat British English

PIN ME!

golden syrup how to make homemade recipe light treacle Lyle's copycat British English

 

golden syrup how to make homemade recipe light treacle Lyle's copycat British English

How To Make Golden Syrup

Kimberly Killebrew
No need to rush to the store or special order your Golden Syrup. With just 3 ingredients you can make your own. It's easy, is 99% hands off, and your syrup will keep for months!
Print Recipe
4.91 from 52 votes
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 1 hr
Total Time 1 hr 5 mins
Course condiment, Syrup
Cuisine British, english
Servings 24 servings
Calories 65 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 cups water (300 ml)
  • 4 cups (800 g) sugar (for a deeper flavor try substituting a little brown sugar)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice (either fresh or bottled will work)
  • OR 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (instead of the lemon juice)

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.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 65kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
Keyword Golden Syrup
Tried this recipe? Mention @daringgourmet or hashtag #daringgourmet
4450 shares
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email

177 Comments →

« Pineapple Cake with Marzipan
Greek Seasoning »

177 Responses

  1. Diane says

    April 3, 2022 at 8:08 am

    Can I use stevia instead of sugar? Not supposed to eat sugar? Thank you

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      April 3, 2022 at 5:28 pm

      Hi Diane, sugar caramelizes and thickens when heated resulting in this syrup. An alternative sweetener like stevia will not caramelize or thicken unfortunately.

      Reply
  2. Kurt says

    March 27, 2022 at 12:57 pm

    I am making this for the first time and the syrup is no long boiling it’s just still, the temperature is 245 and going to let it cook a little longer but not seeing anything like a simmer
    I tested it with two different thermometers both say 245
    Is this normal?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 28, 2022 at 7:26 pm

      Hi Kurt, I can’t say that I’ve experienced that before. But if you’re syrup is a dark amber color like in the pictures it’s ready.

      Reply
  3. Lisa says

    March 9, 2022 at 3:56 pm

    Hi… I used your recipe and it was very easy to follow. The picture references for colour changes were a great help. In reading the comments, I was sure to bring my syrup to the proper temperature 240-250. After cooling in the jar, the colour is quite dark. Is this normal? I was hoping to make sponge toffee with it but don’t want to ruin that candy if I’ve ruined this syrup somehow. Thanks for your help!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      March 9, 2022 at 7:16 pm

      Hi Lisa, the longer you simmer it and the higher the temperature, the darker it becomes. So yes, that’s very normal. My golden syrup in the photos is quite dark as well and that’s with a lot of bright lighting. As long as your golden syrup is runny and not so hard that you can’t scoop or pour it out you’re good to go!

      Reply
      • Lisa says

        March 10, 2022 at 8:49 am

        Hi Kimberly, Thanks so much for such a quick response! It scoops like yours in the pictures so, I think I’m good. It also tastes ah-may-zing! Thanks for everything!

        Reply
  4. David says

    February 24, 2022 at 3:00 am

    Hi Kimberley

    I’m British but I live in Poland and golden syrup is not available except from one or two specialist shops (where it costs a small fortune) so I was eager to try your recipe.

    It was so much fun, watching the sugar/water suddenly clear when it boils is miraculous and I’m now fascinated by sugar chemistry!!

    Sure it doesn’t taste the same as Lyle’s but I didn’t expect it to.
    The reason for this is that Lyles uses a more complex process rather than a particular source of sugar. Basically their process is to chemically split the sugar into glucose and fructose, then make a syrup of each and blend the result to create a more complex flavour. As an analogy, think of the difference between Single Malt and Blended Scotch Whisky.

    As you can imagine, their process is pretty much impossible to replicate in a home kitchen unless it comes with a chemistry lab.

    Anyway – thanks again so much for posting this

    Reply
  5. Dina says

    January 23, 2022 at 12:34 pm

    Hello! I have two questions. 1. If I do half white sugar and half brown sugar, should the brown sugar be packed? And 2. Which is best, the fresh lemon juice or citric acid?

    Thank you! I’m looking forward to using this to make marshmallows.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      January 23, 2022 at 12:52 pm

      Hi Dina, white sugar is generally more dense than brown sugar so yes, I’d go ahead and pack the brown. Both lemon juice and citric acid work equally well, it largely comes down to whether you want the lemon flavor or not. Happy cooking!

      Reply
  6. Steph says

    January 15, 2022 at 12:13 pm

    Have just made thus. I ed 2 cups white sugar and 2 cups golden brown sugar. The consistency is lovely. It tastez just like Rogers Golden Syrup, which is the one available in Canada. GREAT directions!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      January 15, 2022 at 4:38 pm

      Thank you, Steph, I’m happy it was a success!

      Reply
  7. Martin says

    January 9, 2022 at 7:40 am

    Hi I was wondering if I could use baking powder or baking soda instead of lemon juice or citric acid. I am from Oshkosh, Wisconsin in the United States and really love this recipe and Thank You.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      January 9, 2022 at 1:05 pm

      Thank you, Martin! The purpose for adding the lemon juice or citric acid is that they are acidic. Baking soda is alkaline and baking powder is only very weakly acidic, so neither is an adequate substitute.

      Reply
  8. Luke says

    December 29, 2021 at 4:40 am

    Hi Kimberly, thanks for the recipe 😊 I want to make a syrup which is as thick as golden syrup but clear. Is it the caramelisation process that brings the thickness or could I take it off the hob once the sugar is dissolved? I’ve been making toffee popcorn but would like to add some colour to the toffee. With the syrup being a caramel colour it would take away from the added colour. Hope that makes sense!

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 29, 2021 at 7:01 pm

      Hi Luke, yes it’s the caramelization process that turns the color golden but it’s also that same process that enables the sugar/water mixture to thicken into syrup. In other words, it you simply heat the mixture until the sugar is dissolved it will not thicken.

      Reply
  9. Anonymous says

    December 13, 2021 at 6:07 am

    Growing up my Mum used Lyle’s Golden Syrup often so I was glad to find this recipe. I made a batch and it turned out great but it does not taste the same as the Lyle’s Golden Syrup I have. I was wondering if you knew what makes the subtle difference between this recipe and the Lyle’s version.

    Reply
    • Danielle says

      January 4, 2022 at 1:12 pm

      I wonder if this is because this recipe uses white sugar instead of cane sugar. Cane sugar is less refined and has some of the molasses flavor. That would make it taste differently when caramelized.

      Reply
      • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

        January 4, 2022 at 8:51 pm

        Danielle, I don’t specify white sugar over cane sugar in this recipe. I specifically leave it open because you can use either.

        Reply
  10. Lindsay says

    December 4, 2021 at 8:12 pm

    Fantastic recipe! Thank you! I was looking for an alternative to corn syrup for making caramel and honeycomb candy. I halved the recipe and it worked the very first try! The pictures were especially helpful for determining when the syrup was getting close to temperature. A 1/4 cup swapped perfectly for the corn syrup in the recipe for caramel sauce.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      December 5, 2021 at 12:15 pm

      Thank you, Lindsay, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  11. Lisa Stifel says

    November 26, 2021 at 6:04 pm

    Oops, I meant Kimberly, not Daniella.

    Reply
  12. Lisa Stifel says

    November 26, 2021 at 1:36 pm

    Hi Daniella, I am making this now and substituted just 1/2 cup granulated sugar with light brown sugar so it already started out with a nice caramel color. I am using a thermometer which I have to altitude adjust. So 225F is my 240F. It still looks a little thin but I don’t want to overcook it. Should I just cook a few minutes longer?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 26, 2021 at 9:10 pm

      Hi Lisa, you can take a spoon of syrup out, put it on a plate and stick it in the fridge or freezer to cool down for a few minutes to test the consistency and then decide whether it needs to simmer a little longer. If the syrup is too thin simmer it longer, if it is too thick you can reheat and stir in a little water.

      Reply
  13. Daniela Valles says

    November 25, 2021 at 11:09 am

    Hi. My syrup has been on a low heat for 60 min. And it’s a very light golden color. Any recommendations what to do next? Do I up the heat? And how much longer do I wait? I also think I added more lemon juice on accident. Because I halved the recipe I but did 1 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 25, 2021 at 2:25 pm

      Hi Daniela, it sounds like the heat was a little too low so yes, increase the heat a little bit and cook it some more. Use a thermometer to ensure it gets to the right temp, between 240-250 F.

      Reply
  14. Parker says

    November 23, 2021 at 4:15 pm

    I made this and the syrup dried like a chewy candy, a bit hard and not like a syrup. Did I cook it too long? How to do I fix this?

    Reply
    • Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says

      November 24, 2021 at 9:46 pm

      Hi Parker, yes it was cooked for too long. It needs to cook until it reaches a temp of 240-250 F to get the right consistency. You can fix it by reheating it and adding a little water to thin it out.

      Reply
  15. Amber says

    November 23, 2021 at 11:18 am

    Its not even done simmering yet and smells and looks so good! I plan on using this for pecan pie, so I took the option of swapping in brown sugar to heart – 3 cups white and 1 brown. Looking very delicious so far, albeit hard to tell if its changing color. I think its going to be so much more flavorful than Karo for this pie!

    Reply
« Older Comments
Newer Comments »

Add your Response Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sign up for our newsletter!

Receive the latest from The Daring Gourmet!

No SPAM. Ever.Check out our privacy policy
  • About
  • Request
  • Contact
  • Privacy

Copyright © 2022 · The Daring Gourmet · All Rights Reserved

  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Home & Garden
  • Travel
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Shop