Treacle tart is a classic British sweet that confounds many non-Brits. Learn what treacle is, and how to make it into a delicious tart filling using stale breadcrumbs and a lemon.

Homemade Treacle Tart Recipe: How to Make Treacle Tart

Treacle tart is a traditional British dessert consisting of a flaky [shortcrust pastry](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-pastries) crust filled with a thick, creamy confectionery filling flavored with treacle. This sweet syrup is combined with simple pantry staples like heavy cream, [breadcrumbs](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-breadcrumbs-recipe), eggs, and lemon juice to create a luxuriously rich dessert filling with notes of caramel. This rustic treat, which dates back to the nineteenth century, is perfect for teatime snacking or a holiday dessert spread. Despite its long history, Harry Potter fans around the world likely know treacle tart best as a certain boy wizard’s favorite dessert. 
The primary flavor of treacle tart comes from the syrupy substance that lends it its name: treacle. This thick, sticky ingredient—which is made from partly refined sugar—comes in two varieties: light treacle, also known as golden syrup, and the darker, richer black treacle (aka [molasses](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-cooking-with-molasses)). While both types of treacle have a syrupy texture and sugary taste, black treacle has a slightly bitter flavor while light treacle has a more buttery, [caramelized](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-how-to-caramelize-11-caramelizing-recipes) flavor. For this reason, corn syrup, which is sweet but relatively flavorless, should not be substituted for treacle. This treacle tart recipe, which calls for light treacle, has a creamy, rich flavor with hints of lemon set against a buttery tart shell. 

Bakers of all skill levels can successfully master this classic dessert. These easy-to-follow tips will help you make the most of your treacle tart. 

1. __Make the crust first__. Plan ahead so that you have plenty of time to [blind bake](https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-blind-bake) your homemade shortcrust pastry dough. If you’re short on time, you can use a store-bought pie crust as the base of this recipe to majorly cut down on prep time. 
2. __Make your own breadcrumbs__. For the best flavor and texture, use homemade breadcrumbs, rather than the store-bought variety. To make your own breadcrumbs, toast some fresh bread—or let it sit out on the counter for a day—before pulsing it in a blender or food processor until you get fine breadcrumbs. 
3. __Change up the fat__. While this recipe calls for butter, for an extra rich and flaky tart, try swapping out half of the butter for lard. This old-fashioned pastry ingredient will produce the flakiest crust possible. 

Treacle tart is a classic British sweet that confounds many non-Brits. Learn what treacle is, and how to make it into a delicious tart filling using stale breadcrumbs and a lemon.

Treacle tart is a traditional British dessert consisting of a flaky <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-pastries' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-pastries","linkCopy":"shortcrust pastry","category":null}'>shortcrust pastry</a> crust filled with a thick, creamy confectionery filling flavored with treacle. This sweet syrup is combined with simple pantry staples like heavy cream, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-breadcrumbs-recipe' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-make-breadcrumbs-recipe","linkCopy":"breadcrumbs","category":null}'>breadcrumbs</a>, eggs, and lemon juice to create a luxuriously rich dessert filling with notes of caramel. This rustic treat, which dates back to the nineteenth century, is perfect for teatime snacking or a holiday dessert spread. Despite its long history, Harry Potter fans around the world likely know treacle tart best as a certain boy wizard’s favorite dessert.

What Is Treacle Tart?

The primary flavor of treacle tart comes from the syrupy substance that lends it its name: treacle. This thick, sticky ingredient—which is made from partly refined sugar—comes in two varieties: light treacle, also known as golden syrup, and the darker, richer black treacle (aka <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-cooking-with-molasses' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/a-guide-to-cooking-with-molasses","linkCopy":"molasses","category":null}'>molasses</a>). While both types of treacle have a syrupy texture and sugary taste, black treacle has a slightly bitter flavor while light treacle has a more buttery, <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-how-to-caramelize-11-caramelizing-recipes' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/learn-how-to-caramelize-11-caramelizing-recipes","linkCopy":"caramelized","category":null}'>caramelized</a> flavor. For this reason, corn syrup, which is sweet but relatively flavorless, should not be substituted for treacle. This treacle tart recipe, which calls for light treacle, has a creamy, rich flavor with hints of lemon set against a buttery tart shell.

What Does Treacle Tart Taste Like?

Bakers of all skill levels can successfully master this classic dessert. These easy-to-follow tips will help you make the most of your treacle tart. <ol class="mc-m-4"><li class="mc-my-4"> 1. Make the crust first. Plan ahead so that you have plenty of time to <a href='https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-blind-bake' target='_blank' class='mc-text--link' data-mc-segment-trigger='true' data-mc-segment-event-type='Article Page Click' data-event-obj='{"textTag":"p","href":"https://www.masterclass.com/articles/how-to-blind-bake","linkCopy":"blind bake","category":null}'>blind bake</a> your homemade shortcrust pastry dough. If you’re short on time, you can use a store-bought pie crust as the base of this recipe to majorly cut down on prep time. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 2. Make your own breadcrumbs. For the best flavor and texture, use homemade breadcrumbs, rather than the store-bought variety. To make your own breadcrumbs, toast some fresh bread—or let it sit out on the counter for a day—before pulsing it in a blender or food processor until you get fine breadcrumbs. </li><li class="mc-my-4"> 3. Change up the fat. While this recipe calls for butter, for an extra rich and flaky tart, try swapping out half of the butter for lard. This old-fashioned pastry ingredient will produce the flakiest crust possible. </li></ol>

3 Tips for Making Treacle Tart

Treacle Tart Recipe

Treacle tart is a classic British sweet that confounds many non-Brits. Learn what treacle is, and how to make it into a delicious tart filling using stale breadcrumbs and a lemon.

Treacle tart is a classic British sweet that confounds many non-Brits. Learn what treacle is, and how to make it into a delicious tart filling using stale breadcrumbs and a lemon.
