The Best Simple Golden Syrup Substitutes

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.

3. Dark or Light Corn Syrup

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.

7. Treacle

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.

More Ingredient Substitutes

Also see see the Simple Ingredients Substitutes Index.

Have fun in the kitchen!

With love,
Jules x