Gluten-free Treacle Tarts Recipe – BEST EVER!

Here’s my gluten-free treacle tart recipe, made in a cupcake tin! Think flaky, buttery pastry that doesn’t crumble to dust and a gooey, almost caramelised filling with a little lemon and ginger. Extremely easy to make them dairy-free too!

Treacle tart is something I missed out on for well over a decade. There’s a full-size version in my second book, but this time I wanted to make individual gluten-free treacle tarts that you can lift out of the tin and serve as they are. Portioned, portable perfection. They’re exactly the sort of old-school pudding I’d happily go back for seconds of!

Welcome back to the eighth instalment of ‘How To Make Bake Off Gluten-free’! I actually can’t believe I’ve stuck to baking alongside each episode… so far! After last week’s gluten-free celebration cake, Episode 8 was Caramel Week. Treacle tart was the Signature, which was all the excuse I needed to make it again… especially since I’ve already done gluten-free millionaire’s shortbread many, many, many, many times already!

Not that I needed another reason to make it over another millionaire’s recipe, but I’d also recently read that treacle tart was one of the old-school bakes people reckoned was at risk of dying out. So of course I have to do my bit to keep it going!

Before you start, make and chill one batch of the sweet version of my ultimate gluten-free shortcrust pastry. It’s the same dough I use for all sorts of sweet and savoury bakes, with caster sugar added for these tarts. Once it’s chilled, come back here for the filling, shaping and baking.

Why you’ll love my Gluten-free Treacle Tart Recipe

1. That gooey treacle tart filling in every bite. A little black treacle gives the golden syrup a deeper flavour, with lemon and ginger to balance the sweetness.
2. You can make them in a cupcake tin. A fluted round cutter and a tin are all you need to shape the individual cases. This one uses equipment that I think everyone likely has already… whereas not everyone necessarily owns a 23cm fluted tart tin to make a big one!
3. No need to blind bake the pastry. Chill the cases, spoon in the filling and put them straight in the oven. That’s a bit of a time save AND this recipe ensures you won’t get soggy bottoms even without it!
4. It’s a good way to use up a few slices of gluten-free bread. A slightly stale loaf is ideal for blitzing into fine breadcrumbs. It’s often too expensive to waste, so put a few slices to good use here!

Ingredients for my Gluten-free Treacle Tart Recipe

Start with a batch of my sweet gluten-free shortcrust pastry. For that, you’ll need gluten-free plain flour, xanthan gum, caster sugar, cold butter and large eggs. The shortcrust pastry recipe has the amounts and both the food processor and by-hand methods. You can easily make it dairy-free too, if you fancy.

For the filling, golden syrup is the most important ingredient. You only need a little black treacle alongside it. I’ve explained the difference further down, including what to look for if you’re shopping in the US.

Use white gluten-free bread for the breadcrumbs. A day or two old is ideal. Blitz it finely so the crumbs soak up the syrup evenly. If you’re wondering why there’s bread in a tart, it’s what gives the filling that lovely soft, sticky texture.

You’ll also need butter, a large egg and a little double cream. The lemon juice and ground ginger round out the flavour. Measure the lemon juice with a teaspoon, as the amount you get from a whole lemon can vary quite a bit.

Shopping list:

Here’s what you’ll need for one batch of sweet pastry and the treacle tart filling. The pastry recipe gives you the dough method, and the recipe card below takes you through making the tarts.

• 300g gluten-free plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 1½ tsp xanthan gum
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• 190g butter in total (145g for the pastry and 45g for the filling)
• 3 large eggs (2 for the pastry and 1 for the filling)
• 125g gluten-free white bread (about 3 full-sized slices for me)
• 305g golden syrup
• 10g black treacle
• 20ml double cream
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• ¾ tsp ground ginger
• Vanilla ice cream, to serve if you like

How to make my Gluten-free Treacle Tart Recipe

1. Make and chill the sweet shortcrust pastry. Blitz the gluten-free bread into fine breadcrumbs.
2. Roll the pastry to about 3mm thick, cut out rounds and gently press them directly into the holes of two non-stick cupcake tins. Prick the bases and chill the cases.
3. Gently heat the butter, golden syrup and black treacle until the butter melts. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool until lukewarm.
4. Beat in the egg, cream, lemon juice and ginger. Stir in the breadcrumbs, let them soak for a few minutes, then stir again.
5. Spoon the filling into the chilled cases, leaving a little room at the top. Bake until the pastry is golden and the filling is set.
6. Let the tarts firm up in the tins before lifting them onto a wire rack. If you’re using one tin, let it cool completely before baking the remaining tarts as directed in the recipe card.

A few tips before you start

If the pastry is quite firm straight from the fridge, give it a few minutes at room temperature. Lift the edge of each round a little and ease it into the hole. That lets the pastry settle into the base without stretching it.

Give the filling a good stir before you spoon it into the cases. About 25g per tart is a good starting point. Simply zero your digital scales with the saucepan of filling on them already, then you can see how much you’re removing. Leave a little room below the pastry rim, as the filling will rise in the oven and the depth of cupcake tins varies.

Give the baked tarts about 10 minutes in the tins before trying to lift them out. This gives the pastry and filling a chance to firm up.

Storage and leftovers

Serve the tarts warm with vanilla ice cream, or let them cool and serve them cold. Keep leftovers covered in the fridge and eat them within two days.

Can I freeze them?

Yes! Let the baked tarts cool completely, then wrap them individually and pop them in an airtight container in the freezer. Defrost them overnight in the fridge.

Recipe tips, swaps and FAQs

Is this recipe gluten-free? Is it suitable for people with coeliac disease?

Yes! Provided all the ingredients you use are gluten-free, including the bread you blitz into breadcrumbs and the flour you use for dusting. If you’re baking for someone with coeliac disease, follow Coeliac UK’s advice on avoiding cross-contamination.

Can I make these dairy-free?

Yes! Use a hard dairy-free alternative to butter in both the pastry and filling, and a dairy-free cream with around 30% fat. If you’re serving them with ice cream, use a dairy-free one too.

Can I make these low lactose?

Yes! Use lactose-free cream with around 30% fat in the filling. If you’re serving them with ice cream, check that’s suitable too.

Are these gluten-free treacle tarts low FODMAP?

No, these aren’t low FODMAP as written. Golden syrup is low FODMAP in small amounts, but each mini tart contains more than Monash’s low FODMAP serving for golden syrup.

Is golden syrup gluten-free? What about black treacle?

Yes! Lyle’s Golden Syrup and Lyle’s Black Treacle are both gluten-free. If you’re using another brand, check the ingredients and allergy advice on the pack.

What gluten-free bread should I use? Can I use packet breadcrumbs?

Use white gluten-free bread – if it’s a little stale, it helps. Mine wasn’t so I just left it out on a plate for a few hours. I’d skip dried packet breadcrumbs as they can give you a much drier, firmer filling. Just blitz your bread in a food processor or blender until you have fine crumbs.

Do I need to blind-bake the cases? Can I use shop-bought pastry?

No, you don’t need to blind-bake the cases. Spoon the filling straight into the raw, chilled cases and bake the pastry and filling together. You can try ready-made gluten-free shortcrust and check the packet for baking guidance, as the timing can vary.

I use the sweet version of my ultimate gluten-free shortcrust pastry, so make and chill that before you start. If it’s very firm, give it a few minutes at room temperature before rolling.

What equipment do I need to make these mini treacle tarts?

• Two standard 12-hole non-stick cupcake or muffin tins and a 9cm (3½in) fluted round biscuit cutter. If you have one tin, you can bake in two batches.
• A rolling pin with guides and non-stick baking paper for rolling out the pastry. The 3mm guides make it easy to roll the pastry to an even thickness.
• A food processor or blender to blitz the bread into fine crumbs.
• A small saucepan and a whisk for making the filling.
• Digital kitchen scales to weigh the ingredients and portion about 25g of filling into each case.
• A wire cooling rack for the tarts once they’re firm enough to lift out of the tins.

Can I make one big treacle tart?

Yes! Follow my gluten-free shortcrust pastry recipe to blind-bake a case in a 23cm (9in) fluted tart tin. Multiply each filling ingredient here by 1.3 and pour the filling into the case. Bake for 25 minutes at 160°C fan / 180°C conventional. Turn the oven down to 140°C fan / 160°C conventional and bake for about 15 minutes more, until set. My proper, easy-to-follow full-size recipe is in How to Bake Anything Gluten Free.

What is golden syrup?

Golden syrup is a thick, amber-coloured sugar syrup with a lovely toasty flavour. Lyle’s Golden Syrup is the one to look for. If you’re in the US, try shops that specialise in British groceries, including those that cater to expats. World Market also lists it, though stock varies by location.

Can I use corn syrup or more black treacle in place of golden syrup?

I’d stick with golden syrup for these tarts. Corn syrup has a milder flavour, and black treacle is much stronger, which is why I only use 10g alongside the golden syrup.

Can I make the pastry ahead?

Yes! You can make the pastry the day before and keep it well wrapped in the fridge. It’ll go pretty rock solid if left overnight so ensure you leave it out at room temperature until rollable.

Troubleshooting

Does it matter if the syrup mixture boils while I’m melting the butter?

A brief boil is fine, but not necessary or helpful. Take the pan off the heat and let the mixture cool for a little longer if that happens (until just lukewarm) before adding the egg. You’re only heating it to melt the butter. A longer boil can cook off water and concentrate the syrup, which could make the baked filling firmer.

Why does my filling look a bit separated?

A little syrup can settle around the crumbs as the filling sits. Give the breadcrumbs 5-10 minutes to soak, then stir well just before filling the cases. You’re looking for a sticky, spoonable mixture with the crumbs evenly coated.

Why did the filling rise above the pastry?

The filling can puff up in the oven and settle a little as it cools. Start with about 25g per tart and leave a little room below the pastry rim. Bake until the pastry is golden and the filling is set, then give the tarts about 10 minutes in the tins before lifting them out.