How to Make Homemade Golden Syrup
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Sugar, water, and a slice of lemon are all you need to make homemade Golden Syrup – a buttery caramel flavored syrup that’s popular in the UK and elsewhere in the world. Use this recipe to make it at home!
This is a detailed tutorial where I share my golden syrup making experiments with you so you can learn from them and make perfect golden syrup the first time.
If you’d rather go right to the recipe, click the Jump to Recipe button above.
Contents
- 1 ? About This Recipe
- 2 ❓FAQ
- 3 What is golden syrup?
- 4 What is in golden syrup?
- 5 Is golden syrup the same as Golden Eagle Syrup?
- 6 Is golden syrup vegan?
- 7 Golden syrup vs corn syrup – is there a difference?
- 8 What about golden syrup vs maple syrup?
- 9 And golden syrup vs honey?
- 10 Where can I buy golden syrup in the USA?
- 11 How can I use golden syrup?
- 12 Is there a good golden syrup substitute?
- 13 Does golden syrup expire?
- 14 Is golden syrup healthy?
- 15 ? What You Need to Make This Recipe
- 16 BTW, here’s an easy DIY holiday foodie gift: yummy golden syrup in a cute reusable jar!
- 17 Swirl or stir? An experiment to help you make the best syrup the first time.
- 18 How to Make Golden Syrup at Home The Easy Way
- 19 Looking for More Delicious British & Irish Recipes?
- 20 Easy Homemade Golden Syrup Recipe
- 21 Homemade Golden Syrup
- 22 Golden Syrup Ice Cream
- 23 Golden Syrup Ice Cream
? About This Recipe
Golden syrup is easy to make at home but a few things can go wrong so I’ve created this detailed recipe tutorial for you, as well as the downloadable cheatsheet below!
Golden syrup, where have you been all my life?!!
Golden syrup is a key ingredient in many dessert recipes (pecan pie, cookies, flapjacks, to name a few). You can also simply drizzle on oatmeal, yogurt, ice cream or add even to your BBQ sauce.
I had no idea what I was missing until I made a batch using this super easy golden syrup recipe (scroll all the way down or click on the “jump to recipe” button above).
It tastes just like Tate and Lyle’s Golden Syrup (I did a taste test – homemade vs Lyle’s) but it’s so much cheaper.
If you live where you can’t buy a bottle of Lyle’s or if you need a large amount for a recipe, I highly recommend using this simple recipe for golden syrup to make a batch at home. It makes a great Lyle’s Golden Syrup substitute.
If you’re not sure what to do with this buttery syrup after you make it, check out this post about 5 easy international food gifts to (DIY or buy). Golden syrup in cute jars makes a great holiday, house-warming or host/hostess gift! And read on for several golden syrup dessert ideas.
Whenever I make an international dessert it usually means I miss being abroad…and yep, I was really missing the UK recently. Plus, I’d eaten all of the scones and clotted cream I’d made and was looking for a new delicious sweet treat to try.
I decided on English golden syrup because it’s a key ingredient in treacle tarts (Harry Potter’s favorite!), which I also recently made (and now I see why it’s Harry’s favorite).
Plus, I like that it doesn’t go off quickly, so you can make up a batch, store it in a jar in your cupboard, and use it up slowly.
❓FAQ
What is golden syrup?
It’s a thick, smooth golden-colored syrup made from cane sugar that has a unique buttery scent and a light caramel flavor. It’s less sweet than, say, corn syrup.
It’s also called light treacle (not to be confused with dark treacle, which is similar to molasses). This syrup can be used to flavor things like porridge or you can use it for baking cookies, tarts, cakes, etc.
What is in golden syrup?
Golden syrup ingredients are a simple combination of sugar, water, and a slice of lemon.
Is golden syrup the same as Golden Eagle Syrup?
From what I can tell, no.
Golden eagle syrup (from the Golden Eagle Syrup Company in Alabama, USA) is a blend of corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar syrup, cane molasses, and honey. Golden syrup is made from sugar, water, and a slice of lemon.
Is golden syrup vegan?
Yes! In fact, it seems to be a popular honey substitute.
Golden syrup vs corn syrup – is there a difference?
While both syrups are similar in color, they are very different items.
Corn syrup is made from corn(starch), whereas golden syrup is made from sugar. The flavor is also different.
Corn syrup has a very mild flavor, whereas golden syrup has a more pronounced buttery caramel flavor.
What about golden syrup vs maple syrup?
They’re both syrups but they taste very different. Golden syrup has a buttery caramel flavor, whereas maple syrup is….well, maple flavored. Maple syrup may also be a bit runnier.
And golden syrup vs honey?
Golden syrup may look like honey in color and texture but they taste very different. That said, golden syrup can be a vegan substitute for honey, if you’re ok with a different taste.
Where can I buy golden syrup in the USA?
While not as easy to find in the US as in the UK, I was able to buy a bottle of Lyle’s at World Market.
From what I’ve read online, you might be able to find it at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or Wegmanns. I’ve heard (but can’t confirm) that you might even be able to find golden syrup at Walmart.
The easiest thing to do is add a bottle of Lyle’s Golden Syrup to your next Amazon order (click here to get a bottle on Amazon).
How can I use golden syrup?
There are SO many ways you can use this delicious syrup! Once you try it, you’ll want to put it in an on everything. Trust me on that! 😉
You can drizzle golden syrup on:
- pancakes
- waffles
- french toast
- scones
- ice cream
- fruit salad
- Greek yogurt
- fruit pavlova
You can make porridge with golden syrup (yum!).
Or try adding a bit to your coffee, tea, smoothies, BBQ sauce – anywhere you want a bit of sweetness. I recently made BBQ sauce with golden syrup and it was outstanding.
You can also bake a great many tasty things with it! I’ve been compiling a list of recipes that use golden syrup so I can start baking my way though the list. Here are some ideas I’ve gathered so far…
- Golden syrup cake (loaf cake with syrup in and on the cake – also chocolate and oat versions)
- GS icing (I added a couple tablespoons of golden syrup to my brown butter mascarpone Swiss meringue icing and wow!!)
- Golden syrup dumplings
- Flapjacks (I’ve discovered that these are like cookie bars, not flapjack pancakes!)
- Golden syrup cookies (check out my recipe for 3 different kinds of GS cookies)
- Golden syrup rice crispy cakes
- Steamed GS pudding
- GS cornflake cake (I’m really curious about this one)
- GS cupcakes
- Self-saucing pudding (you had me at self-saucing)
- GS muffins
- Oat slice, Mars bar slice, caramel slice
- GS pecan pie (this would be good for Thanksgiving or Christmas)
- Anzac biscuits
- Golden syrup chex mix (so good!!)
- GS sponge cake
- GS ginger cake (also great for Christmas)
- GS tart (I have a recipe for mini treacle tarts right here)
Quite a list, isn’t it? Have you made any of these recipes? I’d love to hear how you use golden syrup in your baking!
Is there a good golden syrup substitute?
If you want to replace golden syrup in a baking recipe, use light corn syrup.
Do note, however, that they don’t have the same flavor! So you’ll lose the unique golden syrup flavor, which may impact your recipe.
But if you’re just looking for a golden syrup alternative where the specific flavor isn’t super important, corn syrup is a good substitute for golden syrup because they share the same properties and should therefore bake the same way.
Does golden syrup expire?
If you store your fresh syrup in a sterilized glass jar in a dark and dry cupboard it should last a couple years — or even longer.
Over time, you might find some granulation in your syrup.
That said, I have a jar that’s been in my cupboard for a year now and there’s no granulation yet. You can still eat it that way, it’s just not as smooth.
If you see mold or if it smells weird, I’d toss it out. It’s is so cheap and easy to make, I wouldn’t chance it.
Overall, properly stored, golden syrup preserves well and will keep for a long time.
Is golden syrup healthy?
Well, it’s made from sugar but I’ll let you decide if golden syrup is healthy within your diet. 🙂
? What You Need to Make This Recipe
What do you need to make golden syrup?
Not much in the way of ingredients or cooking tools!
Ingredients:
- white sugar
- water
- slice of fresh lemon
Note – I’ve been asked whether you can use a slice of orange or lime instead of lemon. Oranges aren’t acidic enough to work as well as a lemon, and limes will give your syrup a lime flavor. A little lemon juice, however, will probably work in place of a slice.
Kitchen tools:
- saucepan
- electric kettle to boil water in
- measuring cup or kitchen scale
- sterilized glass jar with tight fitting lid
Speaking of glass jars, I really like Ball glass canning jars and use them for everything. (Click here to grab a set of Ball wide-mouth canning jars.) BUT…I’ve been eyeing this set of super cute Weck Tulip glass jelly jars and these high quality French Le Parfait jars that a reader turned me on to.
BTW, here’s an easy DIY holiday foodie gift: yummy golden syrup in a cute reusable jar!
Make up an extra batch of syrup, pour into a cute jar, and decorate. Here’s what you need:
- Cute jars and lids (I really like these and these)
- Reusable holiday gift bags – perfect for jar gifts (like this one)
- Festive labels, washi tape (this is super cute), ribbon or a card
- One batch of Golden Syrup – see below!
Make your gift even better by adding this Lyle’s Golden Syrup e-cookbook.
Swirl or stir? An experiment to help you make the best syrup the first time.
Golden syrup is one of the first international recipes I made after starting this blog.
I looked at a bunch of recipes and watched videos to make sure I was doing it correctly. The first time I made it, it turned out perfectly!
The second time it dried out. Arg.
The third and fourth times? Again, perfect.
Following the recipes I’d found, I stirred the syrup early in the simmering processes to help dissolve the sugar.
Then I made caramel for the first time, and you probably know that you swirl – but do not stir – caramel.
If you look through the comments for this recipe, you’ll see that some people said their syrup dried out and wondered if the stirring had something to do with it?
Maybe swirling this syrup would be better, since you swirl caramel?
But…golden syrup isn’t really caramel, it’s syrup.
But…then again, the goal is to turn the syrup a nice caramel-y color and flavor.
So I conducted an experiment!
I used the same saucepan, the same burner, and the same temperature.
So that the only difference between three batches of golden syrup was swirling vs stirring.
Here are the results:
First, I made a batch using only the swirl method. There was some crystallization around the sides of the pan, but the syrup tuned out perfectly.
Then, I made a batch and stirred frequently during the first round of simmering. This batch dried out and I tossed it.
For the third batch I stirred just a few times just after adding the sugar. This batch also had some crystallization around the side but the syrup turned out perfectly.
So, I don’t recommend a lot of stirring, especially once the syrup starts simmering, but a little stirring right after you add the sugar seems to be ok.
That said, if you prefer to stick to just swirling, do that!
How to Make Golden Syrup at Home The Easy Way
First, pour 3 Tbsp water and 1/2 cup [100g] sugar into a saucepan.
Carefully swirl the saucepan a couple times to combine the water and sugar.
Heat uncovered to a simmer over medium heat.
Ultimately you want to heat the syrup to about 350F/175C, which is the temperature at which it will caramelize.
Keep an eye on it as it simmers because it will look like it’s not doing much of anything for 10, 15 or 20 minutes (maybe more), and then it will suddenly turn a golden caramel color!
(If your syrup dries out before it turns golden, the problem is that the water evaporated before it reached the caramelization temperature. You can try adding a tablespoon of water and turning up the heat a bit (it helps to have a thermometer to check the temp) or just start over.)
When the syrup is a nice caramel color, slowly add the boiling water (I pre-heat the water in my countertop water kettle).
BE CAREFUL when you pour the water into the syrup! The water will sputter and steam when it hits the syrup, so pour slowly and carefully.
Then add 2 1/2 cups [500g] of sugar and bring the syrup back to a simmer. You can swirl the pot a bit or stir it a couple times right after adding the sugar — or just leave it alone. The sugar will dissolve as it reheats to a simmer.
(In my video you’ll notice I added the sugar before the water – it works fine in that order, too.)
Add a slice of lemon (it keeps the syrup from crystalizing as it simmers).
Turn the heat down to low and let the syrup lightly simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes.
Then take out the lemon slice and let the syrup cool for a few minutes.
Pour the syrup into a sterilized jar. The syrup will be thin at this point but will thicken up as it cools in the jar.
Now you have delicious golden syrup!
This recipe makes about 16oz of syrup. Store in a cool, dry place.
Looking for More Delicious British & Irish Recipes?
- How to make perfect scones
- Clotted cream the easy way
- Easy Irish Soda Bread
- Best ever Mini Mince Pies
- Quick Strawberry Fool with Roasted Strawberries
Easy Homemade Golden Syrup Recipe
Homemade Golden Syrup
Sugar, water and a slice of lemon are all you need to make this buttery caramel flavored syrup!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon water
- 1/2 cup [100g] sugar
- 1 1/4 cup [280ml] boiling water
- 2 1/2 cups [500g] sugar
- 1 lemon slice
Instructions
- Pour 3 tablespoon water and 1/2 cup [100g] sugar into a saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer (uncovered) over medium-low to medium heat.
- Once the mixture turns a caramel color (it should turn after reaching 350F/175C), slowly and very carefully add the boiling water (I pre-heated the water my countertop hot water kettle).
- Add 2 1/2 cups [500g] sugar and bring to a low simmer.
- Add a slice of lemon. The lemon will keep the syrup from crystalizing as it simmers.
- Turn the heat down to low and let the syrup simmer uncovered for about 45 minutes.
- Remove the candied lemon slice. Let syrup cool down for a few minutes before pouring it into a sterilized glass jar. The syrup will be thin at this point but will thicken up as it cools in the jar.
- Store in a cool, dry place.
Notes
Based on this recipe
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Golden Syrup Ice Cream
Looking for an easy summer treat? Try this golden syrup ice cream recipe! All you need is a jar and a spoon – no ice cream maker required. I’ve been enjoying these single-serve ice creams all summer long and this golden syrup version is one of my favorites.
Golden Syrup Ice Cream
If you like the flavor of golden syrup, you'll love this quick and easy golden syrup ice cream - no ice cream machine required!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup [120 ml] heavy cream
- 1 TBSP golden syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
- golden syrup for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into a small jar that has a lid. (I typically use an 8oz jam jar.)
- Stir until ingredients are well combined.
- Put the lid on the jar and then shake the jar several times until the cream has thickened. (I usually shake it 20-25 times.)
- Place the jar in freezer for 1-2 hours.
- When you're ready to eat the ice cream, take the jar out of the freezer and let it warm up for a few minutes.
- Drizzle golden syrup over the top (optional).
Notes
If you want to make homemade golden syrup, here’s my easy golden syrup recipe and tutorial. If you’d rather order it, click here to get a bottle of Lyle’s golden syrup.
Yum! My hubby is English. His recipes sometimes call for this. I never even thought about making it. Looks like I’ll be trying soon. Pinned and scheduled again for later. Thanks for sharing at To Grandma’s House We Go.
Hi Stephanie, it’s so easy to make from scratch and it’s SO good! It tastes just like the bottled golden syrup that I bought at World Market. Enjoy!
I’m not sure how mine will turn out. I couldn’t get my sugar to turn golden in the beginning. It actually dried out a couple times still clear and I kept adding a smidge more boiling water. I finally turned it up to a med high and got it to turn. Now I’ve got it on low but it wasn’t “simmering”, just sitting, so I cranked that up a touch too… but I’m afraid to turn it up too much. Normally this stove seems to run a little hot, so I’m confused! This is why I don’t usually do sugar/candy lol Maybe I should stick baking and try to find the syrup for when I make flapjacks 🙂
Hi Molly! I’ve had my sugar dry out and I just keep stirring until it turns golden, sometimes adding a bit of water here and there. I often adjust the stove temp, especially when simmering. Since the syrup simmered for so long, I left it pretty low (but definitely simmering). At different points I wasn’t sure if my Golden Syrup would turn out but it came together in the end. How did yours turn out?
This is great! I’m from Australia, but living in India at the moment to visit my hubby’s family. Been craving golden syrup dumplings so bad but couldn’t find golden syrup anywhere here! Been using it in baking my whole life but never knew you could make it at home haha. Aussies use it in ANZAC biscuits mainly.
Ohhh, golden syrup dumplings and ANZAC biscuits…I need to make both of those things!
i want to make it tomorrow hope its good!
Can I use the juice of lemon because I have squeezed lemon
Good question! From what I read, it’s best to use a slice of lemon because you’ll get just enough lemon to keep the syrup from crystallizing without making it too lemony.
Is it possible to double the recipe quantities (start out with 1 cup sugar 6tbsp water, then add 2.5 cups water and 5 cups sugar)?
I would imagine so!
I picked up a couple of cans of golden syrup while in England for a wedding this last June. I’ll admit, I’ve been a little worried about opening them because I’m afraid it will disappear too quickly. Now I can use them and make more whenever I need. Thank You.
You’re welcome, Diana! Golden syrup is so easy to make and so delicious. 🙂
Hi! I try the recipe but the syrup turned out hard, no super hard but not with syrup consistency, I dont know how to explain it. What do you think I did wrong?
Thank you!
Hmmmm….it does thicken up as it cools in the jar but it should still be pourable. If it turned out too thick, it could be that it cooked too long or at too high of a temperature.
@Daniela, mine did too. Was yours also too dark? I don’t know where I went wrong
The syrup can turn dark very quickly when it caramelizes. It will look like nothing is happening, and then suddenly it turns! Once you make it a few times you’ll get a feel for how long it takes to caramelize on your stove and when to take it off the heat before it turns too dark. If it tastes ok, you can still use it. If not, give it another go. 🙂
Mine also hardened–I should have monitored the coloring because it was a bit darker at the end than I thought it should be. We dumped what I didn’t use in the gingersnaps recipe onto a cookie sheet, buttered our hands, and made candy taffy-style before it fully hardened!
Great way to use it up!
Try golden syrup in your favourite caramel popcorn recipe instead of corn syrup. Mmmmmm….
Ohhh….that sounds great! I used golden syrup in caramels this weekend (instead of corn syrup) – also delicious!
When I got the syrup to simmer, it was good. But when I got to the part to make it start turning golden, it just wouldn’t. It kept drying out and turning out differently.
That’s happened to me before! Here are two things to try:
– bring the syrup to a simmer over a lower heat (so it doesn’t dry out before turning golden)
– if it does start to dry out add a tablespoon or two of water and see if that helps
Good luck! I’m sure it will work next time!
Hi! I would love to try this, however, are the ’cups’ in your recipe US or UK cups? I’m using desilitres in cooking and baking, so I’m trying to figure out the right amount. Thanks!
Hi! The cups are US cups. 🙂
We have two very light syrups made locally here in Alabama, Golden Eagle Syrup and Yellow Label Syrup I am not sure if they are what you call golden syrup, but they are not traditional pancake syrups which have maple or some other strong flavor. Just a good buttery sweet flavor.
But now you have me wanting to make my own!
🙂 gwingal
I wonder if I could find them in North Carolina? I’ll keep my eye out for them. I’m curious if they’re similar to golden syrup. Do try making it at home sometime!
I live in India and have never seen golden syrup here and I do miss it. I had no idea you could make your own, I am so thrilled to have found this recipe thank you so much. I am off to give it ago now, so excited ?
Glad you found it! Enjoy! 🙂
Recipes for caramel insist on swirling the pan rather than stirring in the first stage because stirring can cause crystallization. Could that be why my attempt at this version of golden syrup never turned golden but simply crystalized?
Hi Sara, you’re right that you don’t want to stir caramel but golden syrup isn’t that kind of caramel. The recipes I looked at recommend stirring, so that’s what I’ve done…but you don’t want to stir it too much. 🙂 That said, I decided to try an experiment to see how much stirring is ok…I’m going to update the blog post in a bit but here’s the short version: swirling is the easiest and probably the most correct way to go. If you stir, just stir a little to dissolve the sugar. If yours crystalized before turning golden (that happened to me once), the water evaporated too quickly, which can be caused by over-stirring or too high heat. You can try adding a little water but if that doesn’t work (if it’s added too late), just toss that out and try it again. It’s only a little bit of sugar and water. 🙂 It can take a while for the syrup to turn golden brown – it always takes longer than I expect. Thanks for your comment and I hope your next batch turns out well!
I’m in the process of making this now! Just added the slice of lemon and turned it down. We’ll see how it turns out. Fingers crossed!!!
I’m making it bc it’s an ingredient in the German Schichttorte I’m making tomorrow
Mmmmm….Schichttorte 🙂
I made this tonight and it turned out perfectly!!! I followed the recipe and got almost 16 oz so I’m not sure why there was so much more than you got. But it looks perfect and tastes buttery. I’ll take it ?
I’m so glad it turned out, Deborah! I just looked at the jar I poured the syrup into and realized that I read it wrong–I got 16 oz, too! I just changed it in the recipe. 🙂 It’s good stuff, isn’t it?!
I don’t know how to can, nor am I comfortable with it…can I just pour this into a heat proof pyrex?
Hi Samantha! Yep, you can pour it right into a pyrex (no canning knowledge necessary). If you’re going to store it for more than a couple days in a pyrex, sterilize it first.
Preheat your oven to 225 degrees, put the jars in for about 15 minutes and they will be sterilized. I do it all the time for my jams.
Thanks for the tip!
Can I use brown cane sugar instead? Would it give the same result as I don’t have white granulated sugar.
I haven’t tried using brown cane sugar so I can’t say for sure. But I’d give it a try – and if you do, let us know how it turned out!
Golden syrup was an ingredient in a vegan cake that I am making for my daughter’s birthday. I followed your recipe exactly and it turned out perfect. I did swirl and not stir. Thank you for your recipe.
Thanks, Sheila!
FYI: White sugar is often NOT vegan because animal bones are used to bleach the sugar to make it white. If you want to be certain, make sure the label says the sugar is VEGAN.
Treacle is similar to unsulfered molasses.
What temperature should the syrup reach?
It doesn’t need to reach a specific temperature. Just bring it to a simmer over medium-ish heat for the first part, and then turn it down to a low simmer over low heat for the second. As long as it’s simmering and doesn’t boil, it should be fine!
Hi, I tried making this but I encountered a few problems with the end result, I’m not sure if I simply did something wrong but heres what happened.
I got the colour to come through perfectly fine first try, but the second part took a while to thicken, I kept taste-testing as it went along but I never got that golden flavour, just sugar. I didn’t add in the lemon slice as I didnt have any but it didn’t either, however once it started cooling I noticed it started to form a thick skin and almost solidify. I don’t know if it was just because I didn’t add in the lemon slice or not or if I left it simmering for too long, any advice?
Definitely try it again with the lemon slice! It won’t turn out quite right without it. 🙂
Mine just tasted like sugar syrup too don’t feel bad. I did used lemon slice.
It definitely should not only change color but also develop a buttery caramel flavor. It can take 20 minutes or more to caramelize during that first stage. You just might not have let it simmer long enough to develop the flavor. Watch it carefully during that first simmer — you want to take it off the heat (and then add rest of the water and sugar) before it gets too dark but you want it dark enough to develop flavor. I started keeping track of the exact temperature and timing that works for my stove and my color/flavor preference, which makes it easier to replicate. Try it again and let us know how it turns out! 🙂
Hi, I made this the other day and thought that it had worked well, but I noticed the next day that I have half solidified sugar at he bottom of my jar and thin syrup at the top half :/ do you know what I might have done wrong? And do you know if i can re-melt the sugar in the jar to get my syrup back 🙂 thanks!
I don’t think you can re-melt the sugar in the jar but you could try pouring it into a saucepan and simmering it longer – be sure to add the lemon slice if you try this! The lemon keeps the sugar from crystalizing. If that doesn’t work, I’d just start over. 🙂
Hii i made dis syrup n it turn out as i want it thnk u i too ve a query can i add lemon juice instead of slice ??
Sorry, I didn’t see this until just now! I haven’t tried making it with lemon juice but from what I’ve read, it’s best to use a slice of lemon because you’ll get just enough lemon to keep the syrup from crystallizing without making it too lemony. If you try it again with just lemon juice, let me know how it turns out!
I made this, but I needed the 3rd batch to get it right. The first time, it was late and I thought it had turned golden (I have a copper pot and it was hard to see). It looked like our light corn syrup. The next time, I was distracted and it burnt. The third time, the charm, I ignored cats, dogs and husband until it turned a deep gold. I used it to make Flapjacks (recipe from Smitten Kitchen) and it turned out fantastic! I will use the syrup in other recipes, but it was totally worth it.
I’m so glad the third batch turned out well! I’m going to have to try those flapjacks. Golden syrup is also delicious on oatmeal, Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, ice cream… 🙂
I’ve been buying golden syrup for donkies years snd had no idea you could make it! Mine has turned out beautifully so far. I’m just waiting for it to cool. I HAD to test it… …twas delicious ?. Giving Tate & Lyle a run for their money and it’s much cheaper. Your recipe is spot on & I’m making it in England. Thanks for posting this for us to use for free.
I’m so glad it worked for you! Enjoy!
This came out great! My only issue was that it did dry out & crystallize but I added some of the boiling water and waited and waited and it finally turned carmel color. Followed the rest of the recipe to a T. I can’t wait to use it. I have a recipe for a Bourbon Pecan Pie that calls for golden syrup and after seeing how expensive it is to purchase, I’m so thankful to have found this recipe! Thank you for posting!
Bourbon Pecan Pie sounds so good!! Let me know how it tastes with the Golden Syrup!
This does become a caramel color suddenly! I quickly had to bring my water back up to a boil and got it in just in time, I think. The color and flavor are a bit deeperthan I probably would have liked, but I think it will go really well in my pecan pie. Thanks so much for the recipe! Have you ever tried this in marshmallows, by the way? I would love to be able to substitute out corn syrup.
I haven’t tried it in marshmallows but now I want to!! If you try it, let me know how it goes. I made a golden syrup cake with orange butter glaze yesterday and that turned out really well. I want to put golden syrup in all the things now! 🙂
Hi! I’ve tried this a few times and the first time it turned out the perfect colour but it simmered for over an hour and ended uo way too thick, then crystallised next few times, and my last time the consistency was perfect as I stopped simmering at 45 mins but the colour is very very light but tastes great, is this okay to use still?? Thanks!
If it tastes good it should be good to use! Sometimes mine comes out on the lighter side and it works just fine. You might try simmering it a bit longer next time but on a lower temperature towards the end…and keep a close eye on it at that end stage! 🙂
Hi. I have tried this and the syrup hardened. Any recommendations to avoid it?
Hi Sophia! You could try re-heating it in a saucepan with a slice of lemon and a bit of water. That might get it syrup-y again. If that doesn’t work, I’d try making it again. Be sure to use a slice of lemon because that keeps the sugar from crystalizing, which is probably why it hardened. 🙂
Hi Cate,
Thanks for the recommendations. Have tried it again and its absolutely amazing!
Oh good, I’m glad it worked the second time! Thanks for the update! 🙂
I tried this and in the morning, my syrup completely solidified in the jar! I have to try again, but not sure what to do differently.
Hi Catherine! Was it cold where you stored your golden syrup? If it gets too cold, the golden syrup could become too thick. It could also be that it crystalized too much while simmering. You could try reheating it slowly in a saucepan with a slice of lemon and maybe a bit of water (if you can get it out of the jar). If that doesn’t work, I’d toss it out and try again. 🙂
Turned out great the third time. Quick question do you refrigerate it or leaving it out is ok?
I’m so glad! I store mine in the cupboard.
Love this! It turned out beautiful and delicious!!
Yay! I’m so glad!
Cate – can an orange slice be used instead of lemon slice?
Hi Sophie, I don’t think so, they’re not acidic enough to keep the sugar from crystalizing. I’d stick with adding a slice of lemon!
I made this just today for a “spiced apple and golden syrup pie”. It turned out wonderfully and was a beautiful amber color by the time I took it off. I’m not sure yet if it’ll be too thick after it cools but I’m keeping my fingers crossed!!
For me it took a lot longer to Cook down the initial sugar and water so I ended up adding another 2 TB water and turning up the heat to medium-high for 3-4 minutes and then returning to a simmer. (After it had already simmered for 20-25 minutes on the stove top without a significant colorchange).
Thank you so much for this recipe! It tastes wonderful!
That apple pie sounds delicious! I’m so glad the golden syrup recipe worked for you. 🙂
You were not kidding about how quick the color changes after about 15 minutes. I have been making English Toffee for years, which requires constant stirring, so I did not panic about only swirling it when the sugar was forming some crystal chunks in the syrup when I added the boiling water and sugar. It all eventually dissolved and came out just fine. I am making a British themed meal and the dessert is Sticky Toffee Pudding. I think I have found a new condiment to keep on hand for when we have our tea.
I love Sticky Toffee Pudding! I keep a jar of golden syrup in my cupboard at all times. 🙂 I ran out of maple syrup the other day and used golden syrup as a substitute on my Greek Yogurt and it was so good.
I haven’t made this yet (out of lemon), but lots of candy and candies that begin with a syrup recommend sing a pastry brush and water to “wash down: the sides of the pan to keep it from crystallizing, Have you tried that rather than stir? This method can be used at any stage os the syrup, because you are only swabbing the sides with water. Do not let the brush touch the syrup.
I haven’t tried that method. If you try it, let me know how it works when making golden syrup!
Americans are addicted to their processed white sugar. White sugar is more addictive than heroin. I do not use or buy or keep in my house any white processed sugar. I wonder what would happen if I used coconut sugar instead of white? You are the expert. Please tell me what you think
I haven’t used coconut sugar but I did some research (and now I really want to go get some coconut sugar to try it out). From what I read, you can easily replace white sugar with coconut sugar in baked goods. With candy-type recipes it’s a little bit tricker because the coconut sugar burns more quickly and at a lower temperature. So it sounds like it could work but I’d turn the heat down a bit and watch it VERY carefully. Let me know how it turns out!!
hello there Cate
I have tried your golden syrup twice. each time I simmered for the recommended 45 minutes but each time it pours very very slowly and is for me, far too thick.
I would ideally like to have the syrup around the same viscosity of honey so if I reduced the simmering time to say 42 or 43 minutes do you think this would do the trick?.
I would very much appreciate your advice many thanks
best regards
Next time try simmering it on a lower temperature and/or for less time. Since every stove is different, the time in the recipe is just an estimate. Make sure you have a good sized slice of lemon, too!
In the begging my syrup wasn’t turning golden it stayed white so I had to add more sugar but in the end it turned golden and it was delicious this is such a good recipe I didn’t even know you were able to make golden syrup at home until today thank you
I’m glad you liked the recipe! Every time I make golden syrup I wonder if it’ll ever turn golden…it takes a long time but when it does turn, it turns in the blink of an eye. Be sure to check back soon for my golden syrup cookie recipe!
i made it but it didn’t work at all. the texture was very hard and the flavour does not even remember the golden syrup.
I’m sorry it didn’t work for you! Try simmering it over a low temperature. The one time it hardened on me was when I simmered it on too high a temperature. How was the flavor different than you remember? I compared the homemade syrup to store-bought Lyle’s and it tasted them same!
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!!! I can’t believe it was so easy! I’m half Kiwi and was craving some traditional gingernuts from our Edmonds cookbook, and I’m so excited that I’ll be able to make them for my fam! Cheers!
I’m so glad you liked it! 🙂
I made this syrup and it tastes AMAZING!! But it’s not a light golden. It’s darker. It has a very buttery sugary flavor but I’m wondering if I did it wrong or not. THANK YOU FOR THIS RECIPE!
I’m glad you like it! Depending on how long I do the initial simmer, sometimes mine is lighter and sometimes it’s darker. Always tastes great, though!
Unfortunately, after spending two hours, trying to get the first part to turn, I gave up. I was really hoping this worked, as golden syrup, where I live, costs a lot because it’s imported. Oh well.
I’m sorry to hear that it didn’t work for you! I’m wondering why it didn’t turn golden…maybe try upping the temperature? If it didn’t turn after 2 hours I’d think it’s just not simmering at a high enough temperature. Whenever I’ve made it, it took about 15-20 minutes over medium heat (sometimes I’d turn it down to medium low once it started simmering). You may need to start on medium high to get it to a simmer, then turn it down. Do give it another go – the end result is worth it! 🙂
I tried increasing the heat a bit, but it just dried out. I’m attempting it again as I type this out. This time, I’ll start with a higher heat and just swirl a little at the beginning *fingers crossed*
I hope it works for you this time! I’ve had it not turn dark and I’ve had it dry out – usually because I’m multi-tasking while making it. 🙂 You’ve just got to find the right heat setting for your stove. Good luck!!
Ok, I finally did it! After 2 hours, it turned, lol. I’m happy and will be making it again, however, I think it might be my water. This may sound weird, but when I made caramel the other day, which didn’t require water, the sugar turned in 10 minutes. So I’m thinking maybe it’ll have to change before adding any water.
I’m glad it worked!
Is it true you shouldn’t use a non-stick pan to make caramel? I tried to make this and during the first stage the sugar crystalized.
A non-stick saucepan should work. That said, I’ve had good success with my stainless steel saucepan. The times my sugar has crystalized was when I heated it too quickly and over too high a heat. Keep it fairly low until the sugar has completely dissolved, then raise the temp. If your sugar crystalizes, you can try adding some room temp water and then bring the temp back up. That should dissolve the sugar crystals. It took me a few tries to figure out the right temps for my stove. Good luck! 🙂
I tried making this last night and it tastes wonderful but after cooling is very thick. It can be spooned out but very thick, thicker than honey. Is it okay to still use for recipes? Or how do I thin it to make it the consistency it’s supposed to be?
I’ve had batches that have turned out thick, and others have been on the thinner side. They’ve all worked great in recipes!
Thank you. I’m sure it’s like most things, you get better with time. I can’t wait to try it in baking
I had another go at making this and I made it in a stainless steel pan. Worked like a charm! It’s a little darker in color than your pics, but it smells gorgeous and tastes great!
Yay! I’m glad it worked! Thanks for letting me know, I always love to hear updates. 🙂
I saw you said an orange slice wouldn’t be acidic enough; but what about lome instead of lemon? Think that would work? Or a slice of both lol
Lime*
Lime would probably be acidic enough but it would add a lime flavor to the syrup. To be safe I’d use lemon…but if you try the lime, let me know how it turns out flavor-wise!
I tried to make this last night. I turned off heat after 45 minutes and let it cool. After two hours, the whole mixture crystallized. Not sure what I did wrong and if I can simply heat the sugar/water again to make it into golden syrup.
You can try slowly heating it again with a little water. If that doesn’t work, try making it again. Make sure you have a good sized slice of lemon because that helps prevent it from crystalizing. Sometimes it takes a time or two to figure out the right temp setting for your stove, how long to let it simmer on your stove, etc. 🙂
If after doubling or tripling the recipe would it be possible to preserve the syrup by placing in Ball Jars then a water bath canner so I can keep it for at least 6 months?
Good question! I don’t know much about canning, so I did a little research and found this: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/fresh-berry-syrup It’s a recipe for fresh berry syrup but it has directions for canning the syrup, so I assume you could do the same thing with golden syrup. That said, I keep my syrup in a sterilized a Ball jar, using it here and there, and it’s been fine for 6+ months at a time. Hope that helps! 🙂
Mine cooked very well but at the very end got very dark. It’s smells good but do you know if it means it’s ruined since it’s so dark??
As long as it smells and tasted ok, it’s fine! Sometimes mine turns out lighter, sometimes darker. It often turns out darker if I let the first bit of sugar simmer longer than usual. It can turn dark quickly. I hope you enjoy the syrup!
Uh… YUM!!!!!!???? Great recipe! I needed golden syrup to make a sauce for a sticky toffee pudding inspired cake, and the syrup came out so delicious that I skipped the sauce and just used the syrup! I used 1/2 tsp of lemon juice instead of the peel, and it came out perfectly. For those who had crystallization issues, I find that covering the pan with a glass lid while the syrup cooks prevents crystallization and drying out. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you like it! Thanks for sharing the tips about the lemon juice and adding a glass lid!
Can you help me to figure out what I’m doing wrong? I’ve tried this three times and each time all I’ve gotten was hardened and crystalized sugar in the bottom of my saucepan. It never turned golden, always stayed clear up to the point that it hardened. First try I put in the sugar and water on med-low heat and kept watch over it. Never turned color even after 20 minutes, just hardened on the bottom. Second try, figured maybe I wasn’t using high enough of a temp since you say med-low to med. Same result, just in less time. Third try, kept it low so it would only lightly simmer. 45 minutes but still not golden color. Am I supposed to cover the saucepan? How does this work for everyone else but me?? This is really depressing because I want to make my pecan pie for Christmas and can’t find golden syrup down here.
I’d try it again on that lower temp but watch it very carefully during that first stage. I watch mine like a hawk so I can adjust the temp if needed and so I can catch it when it starts to turn golden. It always seems to take forever to turn – and I often wonder if it’s ever going to turn – then it happens so quickly. As you watch it you can adjust the temp as you go. You may need to keep it at that lower temp and let it simmer longer. If it looks like it’s starting to harden, you could try adding a little water. I’ve had it dry out at that first stage but I haven’t had it harden, so I’m not exactly sure what’s causing that, but I suspect the water is getting simmered out before it has a chance to turn golden. I’ve had the syrup harden during the second stage, and that’s happened when I’ve simmered it at too high a temp for too long. If it still doesn’t turn out, you can buy Lyle’s on Amazon. 🙂
P.S. I’m planning to make another batch of golden syrup this afternoon so I’ll use my candy thermometer and will let you know the exact temp for that first stage. Maybe that will help!
Hi, Cate! Thanks so much for replying back with some advice. I tried the recipe again yesterday and the fourth time finally worked! For your reference- as well as for any other readers who may have similar problems, I’ll note what I did differently.
I read through all of the previous comments to see if others had the same issues I encountered, and I found a couple comments about similar experiences. Since in every instance the sugar hardened without any caramelization, I figured that it was drying out before it had a chance to caramelize. I also researched temperatures required for the caramelization process to start, and there I realized that my water & sugar solution wasn’t getting hot enough. So I had two problems I was facing.
I followed a suggestion from another poster here, who said she kept a lid on the saucepan during the initial stage. I kept the lid on the saucepan for 10 minutes until I started seeing very faint hints of colorization, then removed the lid for the last five minutes and it eventually turned a beautiful light golden color (you are not joking at how fast the color changes!). I also kept the heat right at the border between med-low and medium, and I since I don’t have a candy thermometer I improvised and used my digital kitchen thermometer to make sure the solution was staying high enough to caramelize. However, I would be interested to know what your thermometer reads for future reference.
Once I got past that first hurdle, making the full batch was quite easy and I’m very pleased with how it turned out. But I’d also welcome any feedback from you on my adjustments in case there is anything I should be aware of. Cheers!
I’m so glad it worked! Thanks for the update, they’re always helpful so I can update the recipe with more info and tips. 🙂 I did the first step three times to check temps. The first time I set the stove temp on the lower side and it dried out before caramelizing. The second two times I turned the heat up to medium, heated the sugar and water to about 350F and it turned golden in about 20 minutes. I also used a little water to wash down the sides of the pan where there a few sugar crystals had formed in the first few minutes. Leaving the lid on for the first 10 minutes sounds like a good idea. I’m going to try that next time. Using the thermometer helped because I could estimate when it would turn golden. Thanks again for the update and enjoy your golden syrup!
Hi Cate,
Could you share your dumpling recipe??!
Thanks!
I’ll put that on my blog recipe list. 🙂
Delicious! Half way through making this but I’ve encountered a problem… I may have none left by the time it’s simmered for 45 mins. It keeps falling into my mouth! ??
Thank you for the recipe. They turned out great! 🙂 A tip: when you chill the whole syrup before putting them into the jar, leave a little syrup in another bowl to see if they hardened in room temp so you can still save the remaining warm syrup before they get hardened by adding a little water & lemon then simmer them again for a few minutes 🙂
Thanks for the tip!
Hi! I wanted to know, can one substitute plain citric acid for the lemon? I happen to have it lying about and would like to use it if I could. Would that change the flavor too drastically?
Thanks!
I’m not sure! Readers have said using jarred lemon juice works, so it doesn’t necessarily have to be a fresh lemon slice…so it might work. I just read that 1/4 tsp citric acid equals one tablespoon lemon juice, so you wouldn’t need very much. Looks like people use it when making jam when they run out of lemons, so it sounds like it might work!
Hello Cate,
Can you please help me out? Wonderful recipe, thank you very much! I followed the recipe precisely and had no problems with the color turning, left it for 45 minutes, poured it and let cool. It’s a little runny. What should I do different next time? Increase the simmering temp or time? Thanks in advance!
I’ve had that happen with a few batches. I’d increase the simmering temp a bit and let it simmer a little longer. Sometimes it takes making it a few times to figure out the right temp and time for your stove. Glad you liked the recipe!
I made this tonight and it’s amazing! I only have canning sugar (very large granules) in the house, so not all of my sugar dissolved. I let it continue to boil for quite a long time, hoping that the sugar would eventually dissolve, but it didn’t. I’m familiar with making caramel and was afraid to stir it. If I’d read your post more carefully (and the comments) I would have known that stirring would have been OK! I kept it on low heat/very slow simmer in an attempt to compensate for the large sugar granules. Anyway, by the time I pulled it off the heat, it was really quite thick. I poured it into jars and realized that the melted sugar was hardening on the spoon into lollipop (hard crack) consistency. I emptied the jars back into the saucepan, added a little more water, and let it boil for a minute or two and it seems to be perfect. I’ll know more in the morning but I taste-tested a spoonful tonight and it was delish! We’re in the middle of cornonavirus lockdown, so going to the store for golden syrup isn’t something I want to do right now. I’m super excited to make flap jack tomorrow and am looking forward to having a sweet treat in the house! Thanks for the awesome recipe! (Also, no lemons in the house so I used bottled lemon juice, probably about 1/2 tsp. and it seems to have worked perfectly.)
I’m glad you like it! Also glad to know about the lemon juice. I just bought a large bottle of it to use when I don’t have fresh lemons on hand and I need to make another batch of Golden Syrup! Re: the sugar – could you run the canning sugar through a food processor or even a coffee grinder to make it finer so it would dissolve more easily?
Is it possible to cook golden syrup in a double-boiler?
Great question! I’d think you could, since you mostly simmer it, and double boilers are great for gentle simmering. I’m going to give it a try and see how it works. If you do, too, let us know how it turns out!
I made this recipe and it’s delicious. I had never heard of golden syrup and now I’m hooked. One question, I have a lot of crystallizing in the jars I am storing the syrup in. Is there something I am doing incorrectly? How can I prevent this? Thank you.
Did the crystallization occur as it cooled? The lemon slice is supposed to prevent crystallization…next time you could try adding a larger lemon slice, use a pastry brush and water to wet down the sides of the saucepan (also helps prevent crystallization from forming as it simmers), and be sure to simmer on low heat (if the heat it too high, the syrup will sometimes harden too much as it cools).
My first attempt at making this.. great colour, great consistency, taste like sugar and lemon however.. I believe I didn’t allow enough time for it to caramel in the first stage. Attempt number two is underway ?
?
Technique suggestions here: (best results using a digital thermometer)
1) Keep the sides of the pot TOTALLY free of crystallized sugar. At first I was using the stirring spoon to try to dissolve it back in, but it put even more sugar on the pan sides. Then I read how to solve this, because ANY crystallized sugar in the final jar will cause it to crystallize.
2) At the start of the 45 min cooking, dip a basting brush in a cup of hot water and brush along the walls of the pot to let the water run down into the syrup. This helps prevent the sugar from crystallizing along the walls of the pot. Get it all clear. If the pan sides are/were heavy with sugar, change out the hot water frequently so you use water and not syrup to wash the sides.
3) The FASTER you cook to 230 – 239 degrees F, the LIGHTER the color. Mine was light gold at 239F, and I wanted med amber, so I added 1/4 water (brought it to 225F) and moved to a small burner at a setting which barely boiled, and when it again reached 239 it was a beautiful amber. (Always measure temp with a CLEAN thermometer, no crystals)
4)Check on the syrup every 10 minutes during simmering. If you notice ANY crystal-like masses appearing on the walls of the pot, even close to the surface of the syrup, brush water over the mass to dissolve it and let it run down into the syrup.
5) Final cooking info: Around 230F (in the last 10 min of cooking), the color of the syrup turns darker and it has more boil bubbles on the surface. Watch the temp like a hawk and measure every few minutes with a CLEAN thermometer each time. Do not let it go past 239 degrees F or it may solidify upon cooling.
Mine turned out medium amber and quite delicious. Thanks for this recipe.
Thank you for sharing these tips!
Holy cow I had to scroll FOREVER to get to the recipe. Really? Great though.
You can click on “jump to recipe” at the top of the post and automatically scroll past all of the recipe notes!
Recently made this recipe to use for making honeycomb, and it turned out great!
I’m so glad! And..honeycomb – yum!
I made the golden syrup yesterday and it turned very dark and hard. Going to try and thin it down with some boiled water to thin it to syrup . I’ll let you know if it works.
I’ve had that happen, too. When you make it again watch carefully so you can take it off the heat before the sugar caramelizes too dark. After making it a few times you’ll more easily recognize when to take it off so it’s not too light or too dark — and you’ll have a better idea of the right temp for your particular stove. You can also try simmering it on a bit lower temp after adding the rest of the sugar, water, and lemon. Good luck!:)
Hi, Cate! Thank you for this recipe. I just finished making them. It’s heavenly golden and delicious! Will use it for scones and a Gooey Mars Bar Brownies recipe I found.
I’m glad you like it! It’s so good, isn’t it? And Mars Bar Brownies…yum!
i want to make it tomorrow hope its good!
Okay I have tried this and third time is the charm I made it. My sugar was crystallizing for the first and second time time so here is what I did:
-In the first step, I put it on low heat not medium and it was still crystallizing.
-I added approx. 3-4 table spoons of water as soon as I noticed that it was crystallizing again. AND I stirred.
– I kept stirring once it was getting too bubbly, for me it didn’t work when I left it alone.
-All these steps were done on lowest heat possible.
And it worked, after a while it was golden colored!
Yay! I’m glad it worked!
Made this yesterday, all worked well and tasted delicious when still warm, but the morning after, too hard! Managed to scrape a spoonful out and softened it in the microwave then it tasted like the boiled sweet, Spangles! Must have gone wrong somewhere ?
That’s happened to me, too. When that happens it’s usually because I’ve simmered the syrup at too high a temperature or left it simmering too long. Hopefully it will work better next time!
I made this homemade golden syrup and I followed exactly all the steps. It looked like I was doing a progress, but when it cooled down why did my golden syrup harden?
When that happens it often because it simmered too long or at too high a temperature. Sometimes it takes a time or two to figure out the exact settings that work for your stove. It’s happened to many of us who’ve made golden syrup! 🙂
I only added 1/4 cup of boiling water. For me, the 1 1/4 looked like 11/4 =) and thought it was a typo. =) I see now it’s 1 1/4 cups of boiling water.
Syrup came out very dark and almost burned but not quite. I may still be able to use it. It was fun making it.
Thank you,
Delia
When you make it again just watch it carefully so you can catch it before it gets to dark. That’s happened to me a few times…it looks like it’s not going to caramelize and then suddenly it’s very dark! 🙂
just noticed the browser changes the font!
Oh, interesting! I just switched to a new website template to make the site faster and I’ve been noticing a few differences between browsers. I’ll take a look at the fonts. 🙂
Needed Golden Syrup to make some stem ginger cookies. Had never heard of golden syrup before but I love this stuff. Easy recipe. Tastes wonderful.
I’m glad you liked it!
Hi,
I made the golden syrup last night and i followed the instructions carefully, good colour, no crystalisation, but this morning its still very runny? Itd very clear though. What can i do to make it thicker? I need it for some Christmas cakes and rocky roads ?
Many thanks ??
You can *probably* still use it in your recipes but if you do need it thicker, I’d just made it again. Sometimes it takes a time or two of making golden syrup to figure out the exact right temp for your stove and to get a feel for the whole process. Try bumping up the temp a bit during the first simmer (did you heat it to 350F/175C?) and/or cooking it longer during the second simmer. Just don’t simmer it too long – if you do it might get too thick. 🙂
We don’t have lemons here where I live in Ecuador. Would a couple small lime or orange slices work? Thanks
Do you have just plain lemon juice? Readers have said a few drops of that have worked. Oranges aren’t as acidic as lemons but it might work (I haven’t tried it). Let me know if it works!
My syrup turned solid in the jar. What did I do wrong?
It’s happened to a lot of us at one time or another! 🙂 It could be that your simmered it at too high a heat or for too long. Try it again and watch the temperature closely. It sometimes takes making it a time or two to figure out the right temp setting for your stove. And be sure to use a lemon slice or lemon juice.
Hi Cate, thanks for replying. I should have said a lot more in my comment than HELP! ?. After I posted I read all of the comments below and I there’s a lot of good advice. I might even be able to turn out a good batch next time ?! I am going to try again this weekend, if I can wait that long. I can’t wait to see if I can get it to work. Thanks for your recipe and advice.
? I’m sure you can get it to work!
Hello! I want to make this so I can make caramel but I don’t ever use this syrup otherwise, so could I just half the recipe?
That should work fine!
I have just made this as I am English and an expat and prices in the shops are ridiculous. I had no problems at all. I stirred until there were no sugar crystals, then swirled only (same as a caramel). You do need to get in there with a spoon for the second addition – the caramel sets on the bottom and you need to get it off so it will dissolve back. A very useful recipe which I will use a lot. Extremely easy plus you have a slice of crystallised lemon at the end, which I reckon would be lovely chopped up small and mixed with greek yogurt. Thank you for this.
You’re welcome! And thanks for sharing those tips. I agree that chopped up candied lemon would be delicious on Greek yogurt!
I have to make this. Believe it or not I got here because of playing Farm Town on Facebook. there is a taste of New Zealand restaurant you can buy and you get to make foods from that country. there was Hokey Pokey. this got me curious and I found an ingredient was Golden Syrup. butter sugar GS and baking soda. With Hokey Pokey you can make Hokey Pokey ice cream. Well, I first had to find golden syrup now I am on the trail of the recipe for Hokey Pokey. Mind you the game is forgotten at this point. One last thought I am a fiend for pineapple. Golden Syrup pineapple upside-down cake and also pineapple cheesecake. I have my schedule filled. I may not get back to the game for some time.
Thanks for sharing that, Mike. 🙂 Now I want to make golden syrup pineapple upside-down cake, pineapple cheesecake, and hokey pokey ice cream (I had to look that up and it sounds delicious)!
I have been trying to find out if the caramel type syrup (not as thick or sticky as actual caramel) that is used in coffee is the same thing as golden syrup?
Hmmmm…could be! Either that or a flavored simple syrup.
tried with swerve…..disaster!!!
Thanks for letting us know that it didn’t work! I was just reading that adding xantham gum might work but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. If you find something that does work, do let me know!
Thanks for your recipe. I’ve never used golden syrup. I believe it’s not something commonly in this part of South East Asia that I’m in. It was mentioned in ginger bread man recipe which I want to attempt on for this Christmas. Fortunately I come across your site and I don’t have to made a trip out to hunt for this. To caramelized the syrup,I simmer it on low fire in a sauce pot with the lid on. Took me about 20 min but it turns out beautifully.
I’m so glad you like it!
I’d also like to mention that one of the reasons it could be crystalizing is that the stuff you buy in shops is an invert sugar syrup; all this means is that the sugar in the syrup is broken down while cooking into glucose and fructose. This means that you’ve damage the crystalline structure of each sugar granule so that a bit like tempering chocolate they can’t realign easily to crystalize out anymore. If anyone’s having a problem with crystalizing you might want to ditch the single lemon slice and replace it with an eighth of a teaspoon of either tartaric or citric acid depending on which acid is easier for you to obtain in the half cup of sugar used in the beginning of the recipe. This will hopefully help to expedite the breaking down of the sugar grains and stop it from crystalizing out on you and forcing you to pitch it and start over again.
Thanks for the tips!
Thank you for this recipe. I’m going to try making pistachio filled Mooncakes with this. Mine is simmering on the stove now 🙂
Your welcome! 🙂
This recipe is excellent.
One thing I noticed is the yield figure for the base golden syrup recipe is too low. I’m getting about 750g of product at the end, rather than 450g. 450g is less than even just the sugar in the recipe!
Hope that helps!
Thanks for letting me know about that – I’m planning to make more next week so I’ll double check the yield!
Not usually one to leave a comment, but this recipe totally earned the expression of my gratitude. THANK YOU so much for this! My syrup is currently cooling and it’s sooo purty. Was lucky to get it right the first time around (used a candy thermometer to predict point of caramelization, and added ¾ tsp lemon juice instead of slice). Your directions were quite clear and helpful. Gonna try out a new recipe for gingerbread this weekend!
That’s so great to hear! You’ll probably want to always have a jar of golden syrup in your cupboard now – you can use it in so many recipes! 🙂
Hi, I am very excited to find this recipe. So far I have tried it with 3 different sugars. First, I tried it with golden brown cane sugar and it was delicious and syrup consistency was great as well. I needed it with white sugar so I purchased 2 different types of pure cane sugars. They both turned out hard. They taste delicious, but it is hard. I do need the syrup consistency. Anybody figured out what is causing it? I will keep trying but figured I will ask for some tips. I simmered it exactly 45 min on low.
That’s happened to me before, too. I’d try it again and lower the temp and/or cooking time a bit because it’s probably gone over temp a bit. If you have a candy thermometer, use it to make sure it doesn’t go over 230-235F /106-112C (thread stage).
Did you notice any flavor difference using the golden brown cane sugar vs white sugar?
Here’s the catch. Granulated sugar is frequently not vegan. The process used to granulated uses bone meal and some remains. Vegan can be a tricky thing and you can’t assume that because the main ingredient is plant based that animal products aren’t used in the precessing or other products processed in the same equipment.
Thanks for sharing that! I didn’t realize that about sugar. Are there any brands or types of sugar you can recommend that are vegan?
I just finished making golden syrup. Thank you. It is available in the US, especially in southeast Pennsylvania, as Mrs. Explorer’s Turkey Golden Syrup. It’s used in a number of Pennśylvania Dutch recipes.
Someone else mentioned that once. The one I looked at was darker than the Lyle’s Golden Syrup I’ve used. If they’re not the same, they’re probably similar!
This took a REALLY long time to get the initial sugar to 350 degrees. The sugar would start to dry out and crystalize and I had to add more boiling water. This would cool the syrup down and then it would have to return to temperature. It stayed between 200 and 250 forever! But it finally turned golden and I still added the full 1 1/4 cup boiling water, sugar and lemon. After simmering for 45 minutes, it looked and tasted wonderful. Also I didn’t read the blog entirely before starting, so I began with stirring constantly until it occurred to me that this was similar to making caramel and that I probably could leave it alone. And it did fine. Next time I will not stir.
Next time I will start with a larger volume of water (maybe 1 cup) with the initial 1/2 cup of sugar to see if this will speed up the process.