Mary Berry Treacle Tart Recipe

This one takes me right back to school dinners—served lukewarm with a ladle of custard and a whiff of nostalgia. But honestly? Homemade is so much better. I made this version on a Sunday when I needed a dessert that felt like effort—but wasn’t actually that much work.

First time I made it, I didn’t chill the pastry case properly. It shrank like mad, and I ended up trying to patch the sides with offcuts. Rookie move. Now I give it a full half-hour in the fridge and use a fluted tin—it makes the whole thing look fancy without trying.

Let me show you how to get that gooey filling, crisp base, and just the right lemony zing.

WHY THIS ONE WORKS SO WELL

It’s all about balance—sweet golden syrup, sharp lemon, and soft breadcrumbs. The filling sets just enough to slice, but still has a bit of wobble. And that sharpness from the lemon stops it tasting like just a sugar bomb.

The pastry’s simple shortcrust, but chilling it and blind baking make all the difference. No soggy bottoms here.

INGREDIENTS + WHY THEY MATTER

Golden Syrup (500g) – The heart of the tart. No, it’s not actual treacle—but that’s what we call it.
Lemon (zest + juice) – Cuts the sweetness. Don’t skip this.
White Breadcrumbs (175g) – Best from slightly stale bread. Too fresh and they’ll go gluey.
Plain Flour (175g) – For the shortcrust base.
Cold Butter (75g) – Needs to be cold for a crisp crust.
Icing Sugar (2 tbsp) – Lightly sweetens the pastry without making it biscuit-like.
Egg (1, beaten) – Binds the pastry.
Extra Butter – For greasing the tart tin.

MAKING IT YOURS (WITHOUT RUINING IT)

No food processor? Rub the butter into the flour with fingertips—takes a bit longer but it works.
Gluten-free? I tested this with GF shortcrust mix. Still crisp, but the base is a bit more delicate—cool it fully before slicing.
Want to fancy it up? Add a pinch of ground ginger or cinnamon to the filling. Not traditional, but warming.
No lemon? Use orange zest and juice for a softer flavour—but it’ll be sweeter overall.

MISTAKES I’VE MADE (AND HOW TO AVOID THEM)

What Went Wrong	Why It Happens	How to Fix It
Pastry shrank	Didn’t chill it long enough	Chill in the tin for at least 30 mins
Filling overflowed	Used too much syrup or underbaked	Stick to the amounts and check doneness
Base was soggy	Skipped blind bake	Always blind bake until golden and crisp
Filling too firm	Overbaked it	Take it out when it still has a slight wobble

HOW TO MAKE MARY BERRY’S TREACLE TART

1. Prep the Tin
Grease a 20cm fluted tart tin with a bit of butter. Loose-bottomed if you’ve got one—it makes life easier later.

2. Make the Pastry
I chuck the flour, icing sugar, and cold cubes of butter straight into the food processor and give it a few short pulses—just until it looks a bit like breadcrumbs. Then I add the egg and pulse again until it just starts clumping. The second it looks like it might form a ball, I stop. If you go too far, it turns greasy fast.

No processor? I’ve done it by hand plenty of times. Rub the butter into the flour with your fingertips until it feels like soft sand—not perfectly even, just mostly broken down. Then I drizzle in the egg and stir it around with a dinner knife until the dough starts sticking together. From there, I press it gently into a ball—no kneading, just enough to hold. That’s it.

3. Roll and Chill
Dust your work surface with flour and roll the pastry out to about the thickness of a pound coin. You want it slightly bigger than the tin so it fits up the sides.
Lift it into the tin, press it gently into all the edges (I use the side of my thumb), and trim the excess with a small knife. Chill the whole thing in the fridge for 30 minutes—don’t skip this or it’ll shrink like mad in the oven.

4. Blind Bake
Get your oven on—200°C (180°C fan).
Take your chilled pastry case out of the fridge and prick the base a few times with a fork (stops it puffing). Grab some baking paper, scrunch it up, flatten it out again, and press it into the pastry. Fill it with baking beans—or just dried rice or lentils if that’s what you’ve got.
Bake it for 15 minutes, then take it out, carefully lift out the paper and beans (they’ll be hot!), and pop the pastry back in for another 5 minutes until it’s just golden and feels dry—not soft or doughy.

5. Make the Filling
Drop the oven down to 180°C (160°C fan).
Pour the golden syrup into a small pan and warm it gently—just enough so it loosens up. Don’t let it bubble. Once it’s runny, stir in the lemon zest, juice, and the breadcrumbs. Mix it well—it’ll look a bit thick and sloppy, that’s fine. Let it sit for 5 minutes so the crumbs soak up the syrup.

6. Assemble and Bake
Pour the filling into your baked pastry case. Use the back of a spoon to smooth it out—it won’t level itself in the oven, so get it as even as you can now.
Bake it for 30–40 minutes. You’re looking for a pale golden top, just set at the edges, with a bit of softness still in the middle. When you give the tin a little wobble, it should jiggle slightly but not look soupy.
Let it cool for at least 15–20 minutes in the tin before slicing. It sets as it cools, so don’t rush it or you’ll get syrupy sludge instead of neat slices.

7. Cool and Serve
Let it cool for 15–20 minutes before slicing. It firms up more as it cools. Serve warm or at room temp—with custard, cream, or just a fork.

TIPS FROM MY KITCHEN

I warm the syrup gently—not hot, just enough to stir through.
I press the pastry into the fluted edges with the side of my thumb—easier than trimming with a knife.
I use fresh breadcrumbs from stale white bread. Food processor pulse, don’t grind.

STORAGE + SERVING

Keeps: 3 days in the fridge, covered.
Freezes: Wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to 1 month.
Reheats: Low oven for 10 minutes or a short blast in the microwave.
Serve with: Custard (classic), clotted cream (decadent), or a dollop of Greek yogurt if you want to feel grown-up about it.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Q: Can I use actual treacle instead of golden syrup?
A: You can, but it’ll taste more bitter and heavy. I sometimes use half golden, half treacle for a deeper flavour—but golden syrup is the classic.

Q: Why is my pastry tough?
A: Probably overworked it or added too much flour when rolling. Handle it lightly and keep everything cold.

Q: Can I use shop-bought pastry?
A: Of course. It’s not a sin. Just get all-butter shortcrust if you can—it makes a big difference.

Q: My tart sunk in the middle—why?
A: It’s normal for it to settle a bit. But if it sinks too much, it may have been overbaked or had too much syrup.

Try More Recipes:

• Mary Berry French Apple Tart
• Mary Berry Glazed Fruit Tartlets
• Mary Berry Lemon Tart With Lemon Passion Fruit Curd