Baking with honey: The 4 rules - Country Bee Honey Farm (2024)

Do you want to modify your baking recipe by replacing the sugar for honey? That’s great! We will guide you through it, because it’s not as simple as just replacing the sugar for honey. There are a couple basic rules for baking with honey:

1. For every cup of sugar, use 1/2 to 1/3 cup of honey. This rule applies to most honeys, but make sure you taste the honey before using it. Depending on which kind of honey you use, honey can be two or even three times as sweet as regular white sugar. For instance, our Fireweed honey tends the have a sweeter flavor because it contains more fructose, whereas Clover honey contains more glucose and therefore tastes less sweet on our tongue.

2. For every cup of honey you use, reduce other liquids by 1/4 cup. We reduce the liquids in the recipe when using honey, as honey is made up of approximately 20% water. In recipes where you don’t add other liquids or recipes that call for the use of eggs, increase the amount of flour by 2 tablespoons for each cup of honey that you use.

3. Add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to your recipe for every cup of honey that you use. This is only necessary if your recipe doesn’t already call for baking soda. Due to the acidic nature of honey, it can be difficult for your dish to rise if this isn’t balanced out. Baking soda works great for this.

4. Reduce the oven temperature by 25°F. Honey will caramelize quicker than granulated sugar, so turn down the heat to make sure your baked goods don’t brown too fast.

And remember… practice makes perfect!

Tips for baking with honey

1. Lightly oil the spoon that you use for honey to let the honey slide off easily.
2. Before using the honey make sure it’s not crystallized. In this form it will be more difficult to evenly mix the honey into your baked goods. If it is crystallized, heat it up slightly by removing the lid and placing the jar in hot water. Stir the honey gently util it becomes liquid again.

Good to know is that honey never goes off. This makes it a great ingredient to have in your pantry.We recommend using our Wildflower honey for your baked goods. This B.C. local honey from Dawson Creek has a beautiful floral aroma and can be used in anything. It’s also great in granola or teas.

Baking with honey: The 4 rules - Country Bee Honey Farm (2024)

FAQs

Baking with honey: The 4 rules - Country Bee Honey Farm? ›

Honey offers more health benefits than sugar.

These beneficial compounds offer lots of nutritional advantages and, in particular, they have great antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory results. Baking with honey instead of baking with sugar can help to add a little bit of benefit to your baked goods.

Is baking with honey safe? ›

Honey offers more health benefits than sugar.

These beneficial compounds offer lots of nutritional advantages and, in particular, they have great antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory results. Baking with honey instead of baking with sugar can help to add a little bit of benefit to your baked goods.

What is the best honey to bake with? ›

Buckwheat Honey

It has a bolder flavor than more lighter colored varieties, sometimes described as both nutty and slightly bitter. Its strong flavor stands up well to mixing in with other flavors in a dish, making it a great choice for cooking and baking applications.

What happens when you put honey in the oven? ›

Cooking honey at 40 degree Celsius or more can cause negative chemical change that makes it taste bitter. Cooking destroys the potent health benefits of honey.

Can you bake with crystallized honey? ›

Crystallized honey works as a substitute for sugar in baked goods. Because it has less moisture than traditional honey, you won't have to make as many adjustments to liquids in your recipe while maintaining the classic honey sweetness. Honey is sweeter than table sugar, though, so use less.

Is it healthier to bake with honey than sugar? ›

Is honey better for you than sugar? Honey has a lower GI value than sugar, meaning that it does not raise blood sugar levels as quickly. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so you may need less of it, but it does have slightly more calories per teaspoon so it's wise to keep a close eye on your portion sizes.

Does the sugar from honey burn off when cooking? ›

The natural sugars in honey caramelize quickly and can burn faster than white sugar.

Does honey expire? ›

Honey does not spoil, however for best quality, the USDA recommends storing honey for up to 12 months,” Amidor says. “After that time, it remains safe but the quality may not be as good. If the honey becomes cloudy, crystallized or solidified this is not a food safety concern.”

Which brand of honey is 100% pure? ›

Nature Nate's | 100% Pure Raw & Unfiltered Honey.

Does honey lose its benefits when baked? ›

Heating up to 40°C (104 F) destroys invertase, an important enzyme. Heating up to 50°C (122 F) for more than 48 hrs. turns the honey into caramel (the most valuable honey sugars become analogous to sugar). Heating honey higher than 140 degrees F for more than 2 hours will cause rapid degradation.

What temperature kills yeast in honey? ›

Gently heating honey is the only sure way to kill yeasts that cause fermentation. Most commercial beekeepers heat honey for several hours at 120–125°F to kill yeasts.

How to know if honey is pure? ›

Take a tablespoon of honey and mix it in a glass of water. If the honey is pure, it will lump together and settle at the bottom without readily dissolving. On the other hand, if it dissolves easily and blends uniformly with the water, it may indicate adulteration, possibly containing added moisture or syrups. 2.

How to use honey in baking? ›

There are a couple basic rules for baking with honey:
  1. For every cup of sugar, use 1/2 to 1/3 cup of honey. ...
  2. For every cup of honey you use, reduce other liquids by 1/4 cup. ...
  3. Add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to your recipe for every cup of honey that you use. ...
  4. Reduce the oven temperature by 25°F.

How many times can you decrystallize honey? ›

Decrystallize only what you need at one time. The flavor and aroma of the honey will fade with repeated cycles of heating and cooling (and liquefying and crystallizing).

Should you put honey in the fridge or cupboard? ›

Ideally, honey should be stored at room temperature, so keep it away from stoves and other kitchen appliances that generate heat. You should also refrain from putting it in the fridge, as this can cause it to thicken and change its texture.

What to do with leftover honey? ›

How to use up leftover honey
  1. Honey-roasted cashews. Preheat oven to 180°C. ...
  2. Mustard & honey dressing. Combine 1 tbs honey, 1 tbs white wine vinegar and 1 tsp English or Dijon mustard in a bowl. ...
  3. Mint & tahini dip. ...
  4. Honey & rosemary pork. ...
  5. Homemade granola. ...
  6. Quick honey pancakes. ...
  7. Sticky chicken. ...
  8. Sweet roast vegetables.

Is it safe to cook honey in the oven? ›

Cooking with Honey

The prolonged exposure to very high temperatures in the oven or on the grill will most certainly degrade the beneficial enzymes and even the taste of your honey. Raw honey has many delicate and nuanced flavors that will be lost when exposed to that type of heat.

What happens if honey is baked? ›

Science confirms that heating or cooking honey does indeed damage it, thereby eliminating many of its beneficial effects. As per the National Center for Biotechnology, heating honey causes adverse effects. Cooking honey lowers its quality, and it loses essential enzymes and nutrients.

What is the effect of honey in baking? ›

What Does Honey do in Baking? Honey is a 'humectant'. This means that it retains moisture- great news for baking as it helps keep biscuits and cake moist. Honey compared with traditional refined sugar, also means you gain a richer colour and fuller flavour.

What happens if you heat honey? ›

The study has shown that heating of honey reduces the specific gravity with a subsequent raise in ash value, pH, HMF, browning, phenolics and antioxidant activity.

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