Classic British Treacle Tart

Nov 3, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Pies tarts Easy

A buttery shortcrust shell holds a sticky, amber filling of golden syrup thickened with fresh breadcrumbs and brightened with lemon. It is served warm or cool, ideally with cream or custard. Makes 1 9-inch tart in about 2 hr 10 min.

Prep 30 min

Cook 40 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 2 hr 10 min

Yield 1 9-inch tart

Ingredients

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9-inch tart

1 ⅔ cups (200 g)all-purpose flour
½ cup (100 g)cold unsalted butter, cubed
2 ½ tbsp (20 g)powdered sugar
1 pinchfine salt
2 ½ tbsp (40 ml)cold water, plus a little more if needed
1 cup (340 g)golden syrup
1 cup (100 g)fresh white breadcrumbs
1 tbsp (6 g)finely grated lemon zest
2 tbsp (30 ml)lemon juice
½ tsp (1 g)ground ginger

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Instructions

Rub the butter into the flour, powdered sugar and salt with your fingertips until it looks like coarse crumbs. Add the cold water and bring together into a dough without overworking it.
Flatten into a disc, wrap and chill for 1 hour.
Heat the oven to 350 F (175 C). Roll the pastry to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick and line a 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan, trimming the edge. Chill the lined pan 15 minutes and save the scraps.
Line with parchment and baking weights and bake for 15 minutes. Remove the weights and bake 5 minutes more, until pale golden.
Warm the golden syrup gently in a saucepan until runny, then stir in the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, lemon juice and ginger. Let it stand 5 minutes so the crumbs soak up the syrup.
Pour the filling into the warm shell. Roll the scraps and cut thin strips for a lattice if you like.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the filling is set at the edges and just wobbly in the center and the top is deep golden.
Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing; the filling firms as it cools.

Tips

Use soft, fresh breadcrumbs from white bread with the crusts off, not dry packaged crumbs.
The lemon cuts the sweetness; do not skip it.
Serve with cream, ice cream or custard.
Good with pouring cream or hot tea.