Everything You Need to Know About Treacle Tart

Famed on the big screen and as a classic school dinner pudding – the treacle tart has been a British staple for generations.

Read on to learn more about this famous dessert and discover tips and tricks on how to make a delicious treacle tart with Lyle’s Golden Syrup.

A treacle tart is a delicious British pudding, but it doesn’t contain treacle – the main ingredient is actually golden syrup (often referred to as light treacle).

With a buttery shortcrust pastry base, this classic pudding is filled with a mixture made from golden syrup, breadcrumbs, lemon zest, butter, egg and cream – creating a luscious, sweet treat. The breadcrumbs are used to bind the filling together, to give it some bite and to help it hold its shape when it’s cut.

The sweet, buttery and caramelised flavours of golden syrup are what make this pudding so indulgent, and the addition of lemon zest cuts through the sweetness and gives a zesty kick!

This iconic dessert has been featured in famous films like Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and its magical flavours are well-known for being Harry Potter’s favourite dessert.

While a well-made treacle tart is undeniably delicious on its own, there’s no reason you can’t take it up a notch with the perfect topping.

Whether you’re looking for a creamy accompaniment to enhance the gooey filling or a zesty contrast to balance out the sweetness, there are loads of options to choose from, including:

Clotted cream

Whipped cream

Toasted coconut flakes

Melted chocolate

Crème Fraiche

Chopped nuts

Custard

Fresh fruit

Ice cream

Is the thought of this dessert making your mouth water? Check out our super simple recipe and make your own!

If you’re vegan, gluten intolerant, or just looking for some alternative options, we’ve got you covered! Making a scrumptious treacle tart that caters to your dietary requirements is easier than you think.

No need to miss out on this British classic if you can’t have gluten, you can use gluten-free breadcrumbs and gluten-free flour.

Say goodbye to traditional butter! Swap it out for coconut oil or vegan butter to keep your tart dairy-free.

There are plenty of egg substitutes out there. For example, to replace one egg simply mix one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds with three tablespoons of water and let it sit for 15 minutes to thicken.

Alternatively, you can try our Union Jack treacle tart recipe which is entirely egg-free!

Don’t fret if you’re avoiding dairy! Coconut cream, coconut milk, or dairy-free yoghurt make excellent double cream replacements.

Some treacle tart recipes call for milk, but that’s no problem here. You can switch it up with coconut milk, almond milk, or oat milk to keep things plant-based.

You can easily make your own breadcrumbs at home, you can either:

1. Take some fresh bread, leave it out for a day and blitz it in the food processor until it looks like breadcrumbs.

2. If you don’t have as much time, you can toast the bread, leave to cool and blend it in the food processor instead.

You can even make breadcrumbs and keep them in the freezer for up to three months, to make your life even easier!

If you’re short on time, don’t worry! You can use a food processor or blender to make a gorgeous, buttery pastry for your delicious dessert.

Tarts with a liquid filling often require the pastry base to be blind baked, this is because the liquid filling can finish cooking before the pastry. Blind baking makes sure that the pastry base is fully cooked – helping you avoid the dreaded soggy bottom.

To blind bake your pastry, prick the base with a fork, place parchment paper on top of the pastry and fill the loose-bottomed tart tin with baking beans or uncooked rice – this stops the pastry from rising while it’s cooking.

Take care not to prick the base too much, otherwise, you’ll risk your filling leaking through the pastry. If you think you have pricked it too much, don’t panic! You can seal your base by brushing egg white over the pastry and placing it in the oven for a few minutes.

You can either pop your tart in the fridge or keep it in an air-tight container for up to two days – make sure the tart has cooled to room temperature before putting it in the fridge.

Yes, you can! Simply cook your tart and leave to cool, then cover it with foil and it will keep in the freezer for up to three months. When you fancy a slice of your yummy tart, put it in a preheated oven until it’s warmed through and enjoy!

If you don’t want something a bit different, try out these recipes instead!

Now you have all the information you need, it’s time to get stuck in! Make sure you grab some Lyle’s Golden Syrup before you start baking.