Treacle Tart (Harry Potter Recipe)
Treacle tarts are beloved by wizards and Muggles alike! If you’ve ever wanted to feel just like Harry Potter, serve up this classic British treat. This dessert is every bit as magical as you would expect from a wizarding world!
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My family and I are big Harry Potter fans.
We’ve read the books.
And every year when fall and the holidays roll around, we watch the movies.
All of them.
So I go out of my way to turn our movie nights into events complete with Harry Potter themed food and drinks.
And this treacle tart is Harry’s favorite dessert.
Once you taste it yourself, you’ll see why!
We’re talking a buttery shortbread crust and a bright sweet citrus golden syrup filling.
It’s every bit as magical as you’d expect a dessert from the wizarding world to be!
What is a treacle tart?
A treacle tart is a classic British dessert.
Treacle is a thick, dark, sweet syrup made from processing sugar.
It’s a liquid sweetener similar to corn syrup or molasses that comes in two varieties- light and dark.
This treacle tart uses corn syrup to make a light treacle style syrup also known as golden syrup.
The syrup is the main ingredient in the rich custard filling that sits on a buttery shortbread tart crust.
Ingredients
Let’s break this down into a set of ingredients for the crust and a second set for the filling.
For the crust you’ll need:
- Flour– All purpose
- Butter– Make sure it’s cold. And for this you’ll want unsalted.
- Sugar– Granulated
- Egg
- Water– Cold
And for the filling you’ll need:
- Sugar– Granulated
- Water
- Corn syrup– Dark golden. You can find it in the baking aisle in your grocery store or online here.
- Lemon juice– Fresh is best but bottled will work
- Lemon zest– For the extra intense lemon flavor
- Butter– Unsalted
- Eggs
- Breadcrumbs– Freshly made, coarsely ground homemade breadcrumbs will give you the best results
- Powdered sugar– For dusting
How to Make
Let’s break down this recipe into making the crust and making the filling
How to Make the Crust
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter and sugar.
Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
Stir in the egg and 2 tablespoons of water with a sturdy spoon until it comes together, adding additional water 1 teaspoon at a time if necessary.
Shape the dough into a disk shape and tightly wrap it in plastic wrap.
Refrigerate it for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400F.
While the oven preheats, roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to be about 11” in diameter.
Carefully transfer the dough to a 9” tart pan and trim the excess dough along the outside so you have nice, clean edges.
Line the pan with parchment paper and fill it with pie weights.
Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden.
Remove the pie weights and set the crust aside until you are ready to use it.
How to Make the Filling
Turn the oven down to 350F.
While the crust is cooling, stir together the sugar, water and dark golden corn syrup in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
Bring the mixture to a boil.
As soon as it boils, turn down the heat so it just slowly simmers.
Let the mixture simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is amber colored.
Stir in the lemon juice and zest.
Whisk in the butter until the filling is smooth.
Take the mixture off the heat and let it cool slightly.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
Strain the filling over a mesh colander set over a large bowl to remove any lumps.
Stir in the breadcrumbs and then transfer the whole filling mixture to the prepared tart crust.
Set the tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any spill.
Bake the treacle tart in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is soft set with some wobble left.
Take it out of the oven and let it cool for at least 1 hour before sprinkling with powdered sugar.
Serve as is or top with whipped cream.
Enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
Wrap the room temperature tart in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 3 days.
Let it sit out at room temperature to take the chill off prior to serving again.
Tips and Tricks
- The mixture may bubble up when you add the lemon juice and zest. This is ok! Just stir until it is smooth.
- If the syrup gets hard and does not dissolve into the lemon juice heat the syrup over low to medium low heat until it’s smooth.
- Let the filling cool a bit prior to beating in the eggs one at a time. If you don’t let it cool a bit, your eggs will scramble.
- Straining the filling is a must and helps ensure a silky, smooth filling.
Other Harry Potter Recipes
This treacle tart is sure to delight any Harry Potter fan.
Make it and enjoy!
Looking for other Harry Potter recipes?
Try these:
If you’ve tried this TREACLE TART, or any other recipe on the site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!
Treacle Tart (Harry Potter Recipe)
Ingredients
For The Crust
- 1 ¾ cup flour
- ½ cup cold butter
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- 2-3 tablespoons cold water
For The Filling
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup water
- ½ cup dark golden corn syrup
- ½ cup lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ½ cups breadcrumbs fresh coarse homemade crumbs work best
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
To Make The Crust
- In a large bowl, add the flour, butter and sugar. Use a pastry cutter to cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse crumbs.1 ¾ cup flour, ½ cup cold butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Add the egg and 2 tablespoons of water and stir with a sturdy spoon until it comes together, adding additional water 1 teaspoon at a time if necessary.1 large egg, 2-3 tablespoons cold water
- Form the dough into a disk shape, then wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Roll the dough out on a lightly floured surface to be about 11” in diameter. Carefully transfer the dough to a 9” tart pan and trim the excess dough along the outside.
- Line the pan with parchment paper, then fill with pie weights. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the crust is lightly golden.
- Remove the pie weights and set aside until ready to use.
To Make The Filling
- Turn the oven down to 350F.
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, add the sugar, water and dark golden corn syrup. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat until it reaches a low simmer. Allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mixture is amber colored.2 cups granulated sugar, ½ cup water, ½ cup dark golden corn syrup
- Add the lemon juice and zest, mixture may bubble up, stir until smooth. If the syrup gets hard and does not dissolve into the lemon juice gently heat until smooth.½ cup lemon juice, 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- Add the butter and whisk until smooth.¼ cup butter
- Allow the mixture to cool slightly before adding the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Strain into a large bowl to remove any lumps.3 large eggs
- Mix in the breadcrumbs, then transfer the whole filling mixture to the prepared tart crust.1 ½ cups breadcrumbs
- Place the tart pan on a baking sheet to catch any spills, then bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes, or until the filling is set but still wobbly.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool for at least 1 hour before sprinkling with powdered sugarPowdered sugar for dusting
Notes
- The mixture may bubble up when you add the lemon juice and zest. This is ok! Just stir until it is smooth.
- If the syrup gets hard and does not dissolve into the lemon juice heat the syrup over low to medium low heat until it's smooth.
- Let the filling cool a bit prior to beating in the eggs one at a time. If you don't let it cool a bit, your eggs will scramble.
- Straining the filling is a must and helps ensure a silky, smooth filling.
Nutrition
This post may contain affiliate links. As an amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. See my full Disclosure Policy for details. As always, all opinions are my own.
