Pantry Staples
Golden Syrup Conversion
Golden Syrup weighs 340g per US cup.
| Amount | Grams | Ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 1 cup | 340.0 g | 11.99 oz |
| 1/2 cup | 170.0 g | 6.00 oz |
| 1/4 cup | 85.0 g | 3.00 oz |
| 1 tbsp | 21.3 g | 0.75 oz |
| 1 tsp | 7.1 g | 0.25 oz |
| 100 g | 100.0 g | 3.53 oz |
Need a different amount? Use the full Ingredient Converter tool.
Golden syrup weighs 340 grams per cup, on the heavier end of this site's syrups, and is a distinctly British product — an inverted sugar syrup made by partially breaking down sugar with acid or enzymes, giving it a deep golden color and a buttery, caramel-like flavor that's genuinely different from corn syrup despite similar uses in baking.
It's a defining ingredient in British baking specifically, most famously in treacle tart (which, confusingly, is actually made primarily with golden syrup rather than treacle) and in flapjacks (a British oat bar, not the American pancake), and Lyle's Golden Syrup, first produced in 1883, remains the best-known brand and one of the oldest continuously produced branded foods in the world.
Because golden syrup isn't a standard US grocery item the way corn syrup is, American bakers following a British recipe sometimes substitute light corn syrup or a corn-syrup-and-molasses blend — a workable approximation, but not an exact flavor match, since golden syrup's inversion process gives it a distinct character neither substitute fully replicates.
Warming the bottle briefly in hot water makes an especially thick batch pour more easily on a cold day without needing to microwave it directly.
Golden syrup's inverted-sugar composition, made by partially breaking down sucrose during refining, gives it the same resistance to spoilage that honey has, so a sealed tin in a cool cabinet keeps it usable indefinitely.
It's also used in some traditional British candy recipes, like honeycomb toffee, where its inversion chemistry helps produce the characteristic bubbly, brittle texture when combined with baking soda and heated to a specific temperature.
Golden syrup's thick, pourable consistency at room temperature, without needing refrigeration or warming, makes it a genuinely convenient pantry staple in British baking, unlike honey, which can crystallize, or corn syrup, which some home bakers find harder to source.
It's sometimes used as a finishing drizzle over porridge or pancakes in British and Commonwealth breakfast traditions, a simpler, more everyday use than its role in a more involved baked treacle tart.
Frequently asked questions
Is golden syrup the same as corn syrup?
No — golden syrup is made from sugar through an inversion process (partially breaking it down with acid or enzymes), while corn syrup is derived from corn starch; they're used similarly in baking but have genuinely different flavors, golden syrup being richer and more caramel-like.
What is treacle tart actually made from?
Despite the name, traditional treacle tart is made primarily with golden syrup, not treacle (which is a darker, more molasses-like product) — a naming quirk rooted in older British usage where "treacle" once referred more broadly to any sugar syrup.
Can I substitute corn syrup for golden syrup?
Light corn syrup works reasonably well as a texture substitute, though it lacks golden syrup's distinctive buttery, caramel-like flavor — some bakers blend light corn syrup with a small amount of molasses to get closer to golden syrup's flavor profile.
Why is Lyle's Golden Syrup notable?
First produced in 1883, it's one of the oldest continuously produced branded food products in the world and remains the dominant, most recognized brand of golden syrup, especially in British and Commonwealth baking.
Is golden syrup vegan?
Yes — it's made entirely from sugar (cane or beet, depending on the producer) through a chemical or enzymatic process, with no animal-derived ingredients, unlike honey.