Looking for an alternative to Golden Syrup? You’re in the right place! Keep reading for my favourite simple Golden Syrup substitutes.
What is Golden Syrup?
Golden Syrup also sometimes called light treacle is a liquid sweetener that is a syrup of caramelized cane sugar. It’s about 75% sugar with the remainder being water.
The Best Golden Syrup Substitutes
1. Maple Syrup
If you prefer not to use refined sugars, maple syrup will work with a 1:1 substitution. It’s much more expensive than golden syrup and has a more complex flavour which I think is generally a good thing.
2. Honey
As with maple syrup, honey will work as a 1:1 substitute for golden syrup. Again you’ll get more complex flavour from honey which will mostly be a good thing.
Dark corn syrup will be closer in colour and flavour but either work as a 1:1 substitute for golden syrup.
4. Brown Sugar + Water
Regular brown sugar is essentially a solid form of golden syrup – so it works really well as a substitute. You’ll just need to adjust the quantity and add extra water. So by weight you’ll use 3 parts brown sugar and one part water.
5. White Sugar + Water
The main function of golden syrup is to provide sweetness. So white sugar will work from that perspective. You’ll just need to add extra water as per the notes on brown sugar above. You’ll miss out on the extra caramel flavours but it generally won’t be a problem.
6. Coconut Sugar + Water
Coconut sugar is a type of palm sugar made from you guessed it… coconut trees. It has a brown crumbly texture and delicious caramelly flavour. While it does contain more minerals than white sugar, it’s essentially the same as white sugar from a nutritional perspective. So can be used as a golden syrup substitute in a similar way.
Treacle is a much darker more intensely flavoured syrup. While the sugar content is comparable to golden syrup, the flavour have more deeply caramelised bitter notes. It wouldn’t be my first choice – but if you do have treacle – I’d start by using half treacle and making the rest up with one of the other milder flavoured options listed above.
The Best Sugar-Free Golden Syrup Substitutes
1. Golden Monkfruit + Water
If I want to avoid adding carbs to a dish, a little golden monkfruit and water will be the closest match to golden syrup. Monkfruit tends to be much sweeter than sugar so start with less than you think you’ll need and add more to taste.
2. Stevia
Granular white stevia is another sugar-free option. It can have an unpleasant aftertaste but generally you won’t notice if there are lots of other strong flavours in your dish. As with monkfruit it tends to be more intense so start with less.
In the U.S., golden syrup is usually sold under the name of light treacle, but it's not readily available in many grocery stores. In cooking recipes, molasses and light treacle are often used interchangeably because their textures and flavor profiles are similar.
In the U.S., golden syrup is usually sold under the name of light treacle, but it's not readily available in many grocery stores. In cooking recipes, molasses and light treacle are often used interchangeably because their textures and flavor profiles are similar.
If you're looking for a simple syrup substitute, there are three favorites you probably have right in your home: honey, maple syrup and agave. For honey or agave, add warm water to them, to help turn the mix to syrup. You can also use a sweet, juicy fruit, like an orange.
They are both good natural sweeteners and have the merit of having a lower GI than regular refined sugar and being more nutritional. They are mainly composed of fructose, recognised for its reduced hyperglycaemic effect. Agave and maple syrups are ideal for baking.
The best substitution for golden syrup is a light corn syrup, also called maize syrup. It's a refined sugar syrup made from corn starch and usually flavoured with vanilla too. This is usually a bit thinner than golden syrup but should add the same sweetness, with only a slightly different flavour and lighter colour.
Nutritionally, maple syrup is generally considered the better choice for a healthy diet, owing to its lower sugar content and glycaemic index, along with a higher level of vitamins and minerals.
Also known as light treacle, golden syrup makes its way into recipes with treacle in the title, like this Blood Orange Treacle Pudding. It's not to be confused with treacle, however, which is closer to molasses or dark corn syrup in its consistency, though it doesn't quite have the same flavor.
All the sweet syrups contain around 20 per cent water and only 70 to 85 per cent sugars so they're always going to give you fewer kilojoules (Calories) and sugars than white or raw sugar which is 100 per cent sugar (sucrose).
Simple syrup has two main forms: standard syrup, which is made with equal parts sugar and water (1:1 ratio), and rich syrup, which is made with twice as much sugar as water (2:1 ratio) and therefore more viscous.
It comes in handy whenever you need an easy way to impart sweetness and smooth flavor to whatever you might be pouring or serving up. Its use allows for greater consistency of taste and greater speed in drink making than using granulated sugar or sugar cubes in your recipes.
If open, keep covered in the refrigerator, and it should last 1 year before you need to discard for safety reasons. Any granulation that develops on/in the syrup will usually dissolve with heating of the syrup.
Also known as light treacle, golden syrup makes its way into recipes with treacle in the title, like this Blood Orange Treacle Pudding. It's not to be confused with treacle, however, which is closer to molasses or dark corn syrup in its consistency, though it doesn't quite have the same flavor.
Beyond its sweetening powers, golden syrup also plays a crucial role as a binding agent in cakes. It helps to bring the dry ingredients together and create the perfect texture, helping to achieve a light and fluffy sponge.
Honey. Because golden syrup and honey look similar, people often assume they're more of less the same. Each can act as a substitute for the other, but honey is a byproduct of bees and flowers, and golden syrup comes from sugar cane or sugar beets. Honey is not a vegan product, but golden syrup is.
Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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