Homemade Golden Syrup
This homemade golden syrup is rich, buttery, thick and hits all the right spots. If you've discovered a recipe that calls for the use of this British baking ingredient and you don't have it at hand, you can easily make it on your own.
All you'll need is a few simple ingredients and minutes of hands-on time- like my date caramel sauce.
Recently, I've been trying a lot of sweet condiments and sauces. From my all time favorite homemade date sugar to my newest olive oil caramel sauce and pistachio cream, there's a lot for you to choose from if you have a sweet tooth and want to try something interesting to jazz up your favorite foods.
And this time, I wanted to take things a step further and make this sweet, sticky and delicious concoction.
Quick Look
- 🔪 Prep time: 5 minutes.
- ⏲️ Cook time: 40–60 minutes (low and slow).
- 👪 Servings: 8.
- 📋 Main ingredients: White sugar, water, lemon juice, lemon slices.
- ♨️ Cooking method: Combine sugar and water 🡢 heat until dissolved 🡢 add lemon juice and slices 🡢 simmer 40–60 minutes until amber 🡢 cool and jar.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy.
- 🥣 Serving ideas: Use in place of corn syrup in baking, drizzle over porridge or pancakes, or stir into my whipped honey for a lemon-golden syrup version.
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What's So Great About the Recipe?
- You'll need just three ingredients, one pan and then it's completely hands-off once it's on the stove.
- It stays good for months and costs almost nothing to make- just like homemade date syrup. Combined with the cheap ingredient cost, this is one of the most economical things you can make from scratch.
Recipe Ingredients
- Sugar: I used white sugar here, but you can also use light brown sugar if you want to.
- Lemon juice: Fresh lemon juice is what adds that incredible flavor to the syrup. If you don't have fresh lemons, bottled lemon juice can work in a pinch.
See recipe card for quantities.
Variations & Substitutions
- For a hit of fall flavor, feel free to add a pinch of cinnamon or nutmeg spice into the mix towards the end. I like adding my homemade orange zest sometimes.
- If you prefer the syrup to have a deeper caramel-like flavor, start with brown sugar instead of white sugar.
How to Make Golden Syrup
In a saucepan over medium heat, add the water and sugar and mix until the sugar has completely melted.
Now add the lemon juice and a couple of lemon slices and bring the heat down.
Let this cook for about 40-60 minutes or until the mixture gets to this deep amber color.
Take it off heat, allow it to cool down and then transfer it to an airtight container.
💭Top Tip
If the syrup looks runny when you take it off heat, don't worry. It will thicken as it cools down.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Getting the syrup to that perfect amber color takes time, so be patient.
- Remember that it is a low and slow process- don't try to rush things and cook it over high heat, or you'll risk burning the syrup.
- Make sure you use a heavy bottomed saucepan to make the syrup. I always keep this in mind when I'm making my watermelon honey and homemade gingerbread syrup.
- Once you add the sugar, give the mixture a quick stir and then let it cook without disturbing it. This will help prevent crystallization of sugar and you'll get the perfect thick and sticky syrup you're looking for.
- Allow the syrup to cool down a bit before you transfer it to a jar. The syrup is quite hot, and it can risk the glass jar cracking. I realized this when I made my apple cider caramel sauce.
Recipe FAQs
You can store your homemade golden syrup at room temperature for months. Use a clean glass jar or an airtight container to store it, and place it in a cool and dark place away from direct sunlight.
If you're using dark brown sugar, you won't be able to rely on the color to check the doneness of the syrup. In such a case, using a candy thermometer is your best bet.
More Essential Condiments
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this homemade golden syrup or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Homemade Golden Syrup
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1-2 lemon slices
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, add the water and sugar and mix until the sugar has completely melted.
- Now add the lemon juice and a couple of lemon slices and bring the heat down.
- Let this cook for about 40-60 minutes or until the mixture gets to this deep amber color.
- Take it off heat, allow it to cool down and then transfer it to an airtight container.
Notes
- If the syrup looks runny when you take it off heat, don't worry. It will thicken as it cools down.
- Getting the syrup to that perfect amber color takes time, so be patient.
- Remember that it is a low and slow process- don't try to rush things and cook it over high heat, or you'll risk burning the syrup.
- Make sure you use a heavy bottomed saucepan to make the syrup.
- Once you add the sugar, give the mixture a quick stir and then let it cook without disturbing it. This will help prevent crystallization of sugar and you'll get the perfect thick and sticky syrup you're looking for.
- Allow the syrup to cool down a bit before you transfer it to a jar. The syrup is quite hot, and it can risk the glass jar cracking.
