9 Sweet (and Surprising) New Ways to Cook with Honey
Updated: Dec. 08, 2023
Honey should be every cook's best friend! Here are some of the most surprising ways to start cooking with honey.
Keeping honey on hand is sure to be a good idea, no matter what type of cuisine you’re cooking. You know honey is great on cornbread or in your granola, but it can do so much more! Here are some of the best and most surprising uses of honey in the kitchen.
1. Give a little body to your curry
Cooking an Indian-style curry dish but don’t want to use too much ghee? (Here’s more on ghee, also known as “clarified butter.”) You can still give your dish a hint of sweetness and body! Drizzle some honey into your nearly-finished dish. You should find that the bold, yet subtle ingredient helps bring out many spices beautifully.
2. Use it to sweeten hot beverages
Cutting down on sugar is good for your long-term health. If you can’t imagine having a cup of coffee without two packets of sugar, you may want to think about changing your ways. Add honey to the mix and enjoy a sweet alternative with health benefits.
3. Pair it with goat cheese
If you’ve yet to try the goat cheese and honey combo, you’re seriously missing out! There are a few ways in which you can pair these two ingredients with one another. For instance, you could use honey with goat cheese, apples and mixed greens to make a delectable yet simple salad. You might even create a truly original cheese dip!
4. Glaze some pretzels
Got something of a sweet tooth? Try coating plain pretzels with some honey and popping them in the fridge to set overnight. This is one of the uses of honey that everyone out there honestly needs to know. (Psst…add a little salt when you’re done for a honeyed yet salty taste!)
5. Create a honey-based dressing
Ready to take your salad game to new heights? Whipping up a dressing doesn’t have to be difficult. Just whisk together honey with olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Using honey as the base for your salad dressing means that the dish will have a savory-meets-sweet taste that people will adore!
6. Add it to fresh corn
As soon as the summer comes around, there’s only one savory snack that we’ll be craving. Fresh corn is a delectable staple but there are a few ways in which you can sweeten the deal. Boil the corn, whip together equal parts softened butter and honey and you’ll have a snack that’s as addictive as it is flavorful.
7. Make a glaze for your roast
Glazed meat is a time-old tradition and we’re always looking for new ways to take this cooking technique to the next level. Of course, a delicious glaze is one of the main uses of honey in the kitchen, but why not experiment with it? Combining honey and lime makes a super fresh glaze, whereas pairing it with soy sauce gives it an Asian twist. If you’re stuck with an old jar of honey that looks thick and grainy, don’t toss it away. It can still be saved if you know how to decrystallize honey.
8. Bake it in a loaf of bread
Calling all bakers! Here’s a super-simple way to create a loaf that will wow just about anybody out there. We love these Golden Honey Rolls, but you can add a very small amount of honey to any dough before you pop it in the oven. You won’t regret it! (For more honey flavor, here’s how to sub honey for sugar when baking.)
9. Create a tasty honey coleslaw
When you think of the many uses of honey, coleslaw might be the last thing that springs to mind. However, you may want to give this a whirl, as it works surprisingly well! Try your hand at a honey orange slaw the next time you’re entertaining.
Originally Published: August 27, 2018
