How to Make Golden Syrup: 3 Ingredients - The Woks of Life (2024)

Golden syrup isn’t an ingredient commonly used here in the U.S. However, it’s often essential to British cooking and baking, and it’s also used in some Chinese traditional desserts, like mooncakes.

Golden syrup is extremely easy to make at home, requiring just 3 common ingredients (regular sugar, water, and lemon juice), and very little active preparation.

What Is Golden Syrup?

Golden syrup, also known as light treacle in the U.K., is an inverted sugar syrup, made by either refining sugar or by adding acid to a sugar water solution. It has a beautiful amber color and a texture similar to honey.

Lyle’s Golden syrup has been sold in England since 1885, which I guess is why it’s so integral to British baking—as a glaze, sweetener, or even as a topping. The ingredient never really crossed the pond, however, as I know most Americans have never heard of it.

It’s also why I learned to make it myself at home. It’s not usually available in American grocery stores, and it can be pretty expensive online. Good thing the process is so easy!

The description of the syrup as “inverted” has something to do with how light passes through the mixture after it’s converted from pure sucrose into a mix of sucrose, fructose, and glucose. But that’s as much science as I’ll get into. Fun fact: I never passed Chemistry in college!

Using Golden Syrup in Chinese Baked Goods

The biggest reason why I’m posting this golden syrup recipe is because it plays an important role in making mooncakes, like my Lotus Mooncakes with Salted Egg Yolks, and my .

Golden syrup is known as zhuǎnhuà tángjiāng (转化糖浆) in Mandarin, and it is key to giving traditional mooncakes their signature moisture, texture and flavor.

Just 3 Ingredients

While this golden syrup takes a little over an hour to make, the process really could not be simpler. You need just 3 ingredients and low heat.

Just leave the pot on the stove, and let the ingredients do their thing. You’re not even supposed to stir it, so you really can just set it and forget it until the hour of simmering is up!

Ok, let’s get into the recipe.

How to Make Golden Syrup: Instructions

Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

When the sugar solution begins to boil…

Pour in the lemon juice through a fine meshed strainer, and stir. Immediately turn the heat down to low.

Keep the lid off of the saucepan, set the timer for 60 minutes and let it simmer at low heat. Do NOT stir. The solution will first appear clear, and slowly turn pale yellow…

After 60 minutes, it will end up a golden/amber color:

After 60 minutes have elapsed, the liquid might look a bit thin. However, it will thicken to the consistency of honey once it cools.

Pour the warm syrup into a heatproof container, and let it cool completely before sealing and storing.

It will keep for at least a year at room temperature, as long as the container is sanitized, and you always use clean utensils when handling!