How to Substitute Honey for Sugar to Elevate Your Baking
Updated: Jan. 31, 2024
Have you heard the buzz about using honey instead of granulated sugar?
Guess what: For cooking and baking, honey might be sweeter than sugar! It doesn’t spoil (honey lasts forever), makes your home-baked rolls delicious and has some incredible health benefits that make it a great substitute for refined sugar.
Here’s how to substitute honey for sugar—and what to keep in mind while you’re baking:
1. Use the right honey
The darker the honey, the stronger its taste. You’ll want to choose a light-colored honey to keep the sweetness as neutral as possible. Skip the darker buckwheat honey and go with a golden clover honey. (Before you buy honey from the supermarket, here’s what you need to know about honey-laundering.)
2. Make your measuring tools non-stick
Honey is sticky, so when using measuring cups and spoons, coat them with water, oil, egg white or non-stick spray.
3. Use less honey than sugar
Because honey is sweeter than sugar, the rule of thumb is 3/4 cup honey for every cup of sugar. If the recipe calls for less sugar than one cup, Billy Bee Honey has a handy converter to do the work for you.
4. Add baking soda
When your recipe calls for at least 1/4 cup sugar, you’ll need to add a pinch of baking soda. Why? Baking soda reduces the acidity of the honey and adds lightness to your baked goods, which is needed because honey is more dense than sugar.
(Is there anything baking soda can’t do?)
5. Cut back the liquids
If you’re using more than one cup of honey, decrease the liquids in your recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey you’re using (starting with the first cup). Honey retains more moisture than sugar, so there’s no need to add extra milk or water.
6. Lower the temperature
Honey causes baked goods to brown up faster than sugar does. To keep your baked goods perfectly golden brown, lower your oven temp by 25°F and monitor your baking time carefully.
7. Make smart substitutions
We love honey, but it may not make for the ideal texture in recipes that call for creaming butter and sugar (like your classic chocolate chip cookies). You want those perfect air pockets that come from creaming butter with granulated sugar!
We’re all for making honey work in homemade bread (here are 100 amazing recipes), any 13×9 dessert for a picnic or potluck and even golden pancakes. To bring honey into our recipes, we’re happy to experiment!
Honey Recipes to Sweeten Your Day
Honey ChallahI use these shiny, beautiful loaves as the centerpiece of my spread. I love the taste of honey, but you can also add chocolate chips, cinnamon, orange zest or almonds. Leftover slices of this sweet challah recipe work well in bread pudding or for French toast. —Jennifer Newfield, Los Angeles, California
Want to make this delicious recipe? If you don't have fresh honey and your old jar looks thick and grainy instead, you need to learn how to decrystallize honey.
Honey CornbreadServing this moist cornbread to family and guests is a pleasure. Honey gives the bread a slightly sweet taste, and most people find it difficult to eat just one piece. —Adeline Piscitelli, Sayreville, New Jersey
Honey Spice BreadThe texture of this bread is almost like a cake, so I usually serve slices of it for dessert. The loaf looks so festive with the pretty glaze drizzled on top. —Gaye O'Dell, Binghamton, New York
Honey-Mustard Brussels Sprouts SaladEven if you dislike Brussels sprouts, you will love this dish. The dressing is so tasty, and it pairs amazingly with the apples, grapes and walnuts. You can also add whatever cheese, nuts or fruit you prefer. —Sheila Sturrock, Coldwater, Ontario
Sheet-Pan Honey Mustard ChickenThis sheet-pan chicken is an easy gluten-free, low-carb meal ideal for busy weekdays. The chicken is tender, juicy and so delicious! It's now on the list of our favorite meals. You can substitute any low-carb vegetable for green beans. —Denise Browning, San Antonio, Texas
Spicy Honey Sriracha Game-Day DipYou can easily whip up this creamy, spicy, salty dip. For parties, I love dips in the slow cooker—just turn it to low once the dip is cooked and let your guests help themselves. No need to worry about the dip getting cold and having to reheat it. —Julie Peterson, Crofton, Maryland
Baklava Thumbprint CookiesThe topping on my sister-in-law's peach cobbler was so delicious that I asked for the recipe; then I decided to use that to top a cookie I developed with the flavors of baklava. My adult son tried one and immediately ate two more—which is unusual for him! It's a good recipe to mix up the night before and bake fresh the next day for company. —Sharon Eshelman, Harrington, Delaware
Canned Nectarines in Honey SyrupNectarines are in season for such a short time, you'll want to do whatever you can to extend the season. With this quick method for canning nectarines, you'll have delicious fruit all year long. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Honey-Citrus Iced TeaA frozen orange or lemon slice in the glass looks pretty and helps keep this refreshing punch nice and cold. Using honey instead of sugar adds a sweet touch. —Sheila Bradshaw, Columbus, Ohio
Bee Sting CakeThe bee sting cake, or bienenstich, may look daunting, but it's well worth the effort. Take the steps one at a time and you'll be surprised how easy it is to make. —Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Honey-Peanut Butter CookiesWhen my husband wants a treat, he requests these chewy peanut butter honey cookies. —Lucile Proctor, Panguitch, Utah
Apple-Honey Dutch BabyI love to make this treat on Sunday morning. It's so impressive when it's served warm right out of the oven...and the apple honey filling is yummy! —Kathy Fleming, Lisle, Illinois
Orange Pomegranate Salad with HoneyI discovered this fragrant salad in a cooking class. If you can, try to find orange flower water (also called orange blossom water), which perks up the orange segments. But orange juice adds a nice zip, too! —Carol Richardson Marty, Lynwood, Washington
Honey-Lime Almond CookiesDecades ago my grandmother passed this buttery lime cookie recipe to me. Through years of baking, our cookie memories keep the family connected, although we’re miles apart. —Paula Marchesi, Lenhartsville, Pennsylvania
Apple Honey Tapioca PuddingI'm glad that apple season is long, since my family requests this pudding quite often!
Honey Balsamic ChickenThis balsamic chicken is a recipe I adapted from a cookbook that featured quick and easy recipes. I adjusted the seasonings somewhat and added a bit more honey to better suit my tastes. —Lisa Varner, El Paso, Texas
Baklava CheesecakeWith sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs, my unique baklava cheesecake makes a grand display for office parties and other special events. —Aryanna Gamble, New Orleans, Louisiana
