Honey is a natural sweetener that can help you reduce your consumption of refined foods — without giving up on flavor. There are many recipes that feature honey as a primary ingredient. You can also substitute honey for other sweeteners with a few smart adjustments.
Honey is delicate, however. So whether you’re following a recipe or getting creative with substitutions, a solid list of dos and don’ts for cooking and baking with honey is a handy resource. Use the guidelines below to leverage honey’s flavor, texture, and color for dishes that are deliciously sweet and complex .
Don’t directly substitute honey
It’s tempting to substitute honey directly for sugar at a 1:1 ratio. However, doing so can make your recipe overly sweet and too dense.
You can substitute honey for sugar, but plan on using less honey and reducing other liquids in the recipe. This can minimize radical taste and textural changes from the original recipe.
Don’t heat honey too fast
It’s tempting to toss a bottle of honey in the microwave so you can pour it into a measuring cup. But heating honey at high temperatures can break down its delicate flavor and change its color.
You can preserve honey’s natural flavors and colors by using indirect heat. Simply place the honey container into a bowl of warm water to make it pourable. If the recipe allows, you can also add honey to the dish after cooking or near the end of the cooking process. Also, stirring honey as it warms helps dissolve crystals and contributes to more even heating.
Don’t overlook honey variations
Honey comes in many varieties, and they vary in taste, texture, aroma, color, processing level, and nutritional value. A mild honey like clover or acacia will blend easily without changing the flavor of your dish, while a darker buckwheat honey adds a stronger, more noticeable taste. Texture matters too. Some honeys are thin and pourable, while others are thick or crystallized, which affects how they mix into recipes.
Noticing the type of honey you’re using and how it works for your cooking helps you control the flavor and consistency of your dishes. Usually, mild honeys work well in baked goods and stronger honeys fit nicely into glazes and sauces.
When you’re starting out with honey, use premium-quality honey from a reputable supplier. One I know of is Lappe’s Bee Supply.
Do balance honey in baked dishes
Honey is more acidic than sugar, which can change how your baked dishes rise and set. You can balance honey’s acidity by adding baking soda to the dish, to keep your baked goods light and lifted. You only need a tiny bit of baking soda, though. Use ¼ teaspoon of baking soda for every 1 cup of honey.
Read next: How to substitute honey for brown sugar
Do lower baking temperature
Honey browns faster than sugar, which can lead to burned tops on baked goods. Fortunately, there’s an easy adjustment. Lower the baking temperature by 25°F or 15°C and turn on the oven light so you can watch your dish as it cooks.
Do start with the right recipes
Set yourself up for success with honey by starting with the right recipes. You’ll see the best results by substituting honey into denser baked goods, salad dressings, and sauces. Try banana bread, muffins, chewy cookies, vinaigrette, or barbecue sauce.
You can also get a good feel for honey usage by making popular recipes that call for honey. This way, you won’t have to worry about substitution adjustments. Honey-based recipes that BlogChef readers love include:
- Chinese honey chicken. These deep-fried chicken pieces served with a honey garlic sauce are irresistible.
- Honey garlic pork chops. Easy and healthy, these pork chops have a smokey, sweet flavor.
- Honey pepper chicken strips. Fry your own chicken or buy breaded chicken tenders to cook in the oven. The real hero of this recipe is the honey pepper sauce, seasoned with soy sauce, pineapple juice, honey, and dark brown sugar.
- Honey mustard chicken flatbreads. This is an upgraded chicken sandwich, featuring bacon, Swiss cheese, and a tangy honey mustard sauce.
- Honey chipotle chicken crispers. Sound familiar? It’s a Chili’s copycat recipe for fried chicken pieces alongside a fun honey chipotle dipping sauce.
Do know how to store honey properly
Following the dos and don’ts of cooking and baking with honey only produces the best results if you’re storing your honey properly. Honey absorbs moisture from the air and that changes its texture and quality over time. This natural sweetener also crystallizes naturally, especially at colder temperatures. Crystallization contributes to uneven mixing and inconsistent results.
Avoid those issues by storing honey in an airtight container at room temperature. If it crystallizes in the container, warm it slowly by placing the container in a bowl of warm water.
Make honey work for you
With a few small adjustments — less honey, a little baking soda, lower heat — you can get consistent, great results with honey substitutions. The usual rules apply: Start simple, pay attention to how your recipes respond, and tweak as you go. Before long, you’ll be using honey with confidence in everything from baked goods to sauces, getting better flavor and more versatility out of every dish.
