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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHAT YOU GET: A traditional English treacle tart with a simple lemon filling, buttery crust, and a distinctive, pleasing texture. It’s very simple to make — and it uses my foolproof pie crust that anyone can handle.

In my early 20s, I used to cook for retired priests in a priory in Dublin. It was my job to make them lunch, dinner, and, of course, dessert. I would spend the entire day baking for them — and this homemade treacle tart was always high on their wish list.

This simple, but not to be underestimated, traditional treacle tart is made with a buttery crust and filled with a delicious lemony-sweet filling that is sweetened with golden syrup (or light treacle.) To get this tart’s signature texture, fresh breadcrumbs are added to the filling. I like to use my homemade breadcrumbs for this recipe. If you don’t have treacle, you can make a golden syrup substitute at home.

Serve this fan-favorite warm with a nice scoop of clotted cream, homemade crème anglaise, or homemade vanilla ice cream!

What Is Treacle Tart?

Treacle tart is a dessert that’s rich in history, from its earliest documented recipe in the late 19th century to appearing in the classic Chitty Chitty Bang Bang to being known as Harry Potter’s favorite food. The first recipe for a treacle tart is believed to be by Mary Jewry, which was actually printed before the invention of golden syrup! Back then, Mary used black treacle, which is darker than golden syrup and has a stronger, slightly bitter, flavoring.

Since the main ingredient of treacle tart is golden syrup, you can expect a very sweet dessert. By adding lemon juice, you cut the sweetness and give the tart a nice citrus flavor. In order to give it texture, breadcrumbs are added to the syrup mixture.

What Is Golden Syrup?

Golden syrup, or light treacle, is a popular baking ingredient in Ireland. It is a thick, amber-colored syrup that you would use in recipes that include corn syrup. Golden syrup is a form of inverted sugar syrup, which is made in the process of refining sugar cane or sugar beet juice into sugar. It has the same consistency as honey and looks similar as well.

If you can’t find golden syrup, you can make a homemade substitute version or use dark corn syrup.

What Is Blind Baking?

For this recipe, you have to blind bake your pie crust. Baking blind is a method of baking in which a pie crust, or other pastry without the filling, is partially or fully baked before adding in the filling. Learn more about blind baking here.

Tools You Need To Make Treacle Tart

Measuring cups and spoons
9-inch (23cm) shallow pie tin
Pie weights
Parchment paper
Medium saucepan
Mixing bowls

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Traditional Treacle Tart

Use my Flakey Pie Crust recipe. If you don’t have pie weights, dried beans, lentils, or rice work just as well.
This recipe requires the crust to be ‘blind baked. Here is a step-by-step post on How to Blind Bake a Crust.
It’s important to use fresh breadcrumbs for this recipe – dried, pre-packaged breadcrumbs are too fine and won’t give you the right texture. Easily make your own Homemade Breadcrumbs here.
If you don’t have golden syrup, it’s easy to make your own!
You can play around with variations on this tart by adding a teaspoon of fresh, grated ginger or a ½ a teaspoon of a dry spice, like cinnamon. You can even try replacing the lemon zest and juice with the zest and juice of an orange.

Make More Pie!

And don’t forget to buy my Bigger Bolder Baking Cookbook!