Substitutes for Honey – What can I use instead?
As you are most likely aware, honey is recognized as a natural sweetener and healthy sugar substitute compared to regular sugar. We should thank the bees for giving us generations of their golden fruit of labor. All of these golden sweetness they produce comes from the nectars of different flowering plants.
Did you just run out of honey? No worries because this page will provide you the answers! Here are the ingredients you can use to substitute honey in your recipes. Read through, find out, and choose the best honey substitute that will work for you!
1. Brown sugar
Brown sugar is a simple and common honey substitute that you might already have in your pantry! This is also known as raw brown sugar, unrefined or partially refined sugar. It may be almost similar to granulated sugar, but brown sugar has extra loads of molasses flavor. Whatever the intensity of brownness, from light to dark brown, it will work just fine in replacement for your honey. Well, if you don’t mind that your dish or baked goods may turn a kind of dark, you would need the lighter version of this sugar. In using brown sugar, you may need to slightly add more than the amount of honey required in your recipe. However, if your recipes do not require cooking as it may not effectively.
If you want a honey-like consistency out from brown sugar, this is how to make it:
However, when it comes to flavor, we all know that honey has its own unique taste. Nonetheless, it still makes a perfect honey alternative that you can store in the fridge and use it anytime.
Use brown sugar in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
2. Molasses
Molasses or black treacle is a byproduct of sugar making from raw products such as sugar cane are sugar beets. If you are going to use molasses as a substitute for honey, choose the light or dark molasses and not the blackstrap molasses. Why? That is because blackstrap molasses has a strong and bitter flavor, and it won’t taste sweet as honey.
Molasses may taste a little bit stronger than honey, but it is usually used for baking and cooking. So you may need to make adjustments to the amount of molasses that you are going to put in your dish or baked goods. The adjustment is up to you, depending on the level of sweetness you want. Sometimes people would consume it as a drink since it also contains healthful nutrients. Molasses and honey can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio.
Use molasses in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
3. White Sugar
Call it “regular sugar,” granulated sugar, white sugar, table sugar, or refined sugar. However you call it, I’m sure also you have this kind of sugar in your kitchen.
If you are going to use white sugar to replace your honey, you have to increase the amount of sugar as honey is 2 to 3x sweeter. If your recipe calls for a half-cup or ⅔ cups of honey, that is equivalent to 1 cup of white sugar.
You may need to add the amount of liquid such as water, milk, or egg in your recipes if ever you are going to use sugar instead of honey. Honey contains water that can achieve the desirable “wetness” of the original recipe. With white sugar as a substitute, you will need to add or adjust the liquid required for your recipe.
For recipes that do not require cooking, such as smoothies, drinks, or cold desserts, you will need to dissolve and boil down the sugar with water to achieve a desired honey-like sweetness and consistency. To do this, apply a 5:1 ratio. To put it simply, you will need 5 cups of sugar to boil and dissolve in every cup of water.
Use white sugar in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
4. Corn syrup
This is a glucose syrup, also known as “High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS), that makes the food’s texture softened, adds volume, prevents sugar crystallization, and enhances the flavor.
If you already have this at home, you can substitute it with equal amounts of corn syrup. Light corn syrup is usually the choice, but dark corn syrup is not a bad substitute as well.
Use corn syrup in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
5. Barley Malt Syrup
This sugar syrup is also an excellent substitute for honey. Barley malt syrup is extracted from soaked and sprouted barley, and this makes it known as one of the centuries-old natural sweeteners. It is a malt-flavor sweetener that is half as sweet as white sugar, with a thick consistency.Use barley malt syrup in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
6. Agave Nectar
This honey sugar substitute is produced from the cactus plant called Blue Agave plant. Producers extract the nectar from the “pina” or the core of the agave plant, then its sap is heated and filtered until a lovely sticky syrup is produced. And oh! By the way, that’s where your tequila comes from!
The varieties come from light to dark-colored nectars, and you can find them in the grocery stores. Agave nectar also makes a good sweetener for people with diabetes since it doesn’t give them an immediate spike in their sugar level. Agave nectar is super sweet, and it caramelizes faster than sugar and honey when heated. Somehow, if you use this for baking, it might trick you that your baked goods might seem cooked more than they are.
When using agave nectar to replace honey. Make sure to decrease the amount of liquid by 25 to 30 percent and lower the cooking temperature so it won’t quickly burn. Its consistency and sweetness are similar to honey, and it can be substituted at a 1:1 ratio.
Use Agave nectar in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
7. Rice malt syrup
Rice malt syrup or brown rice syrup is another vegan and sugar-free or fructose-free alternative sweetener that comes from brown rice. How do they make this? Brown rice is cooked, and then it is exposed to saccharifying enzymes to break complex carbohydrates down and produce a thick syrup of pure glucose. This sweetener may sound new to many. Historically, it has already been used as a sweetener for many Japanese cuisines. And, it makes a good sweetener for drinks. Rice malt syrup also has a similar consistency and color to honey. So that makes it the best alternative for honey! Just apply a 1:1 ratio substitution.
The downside of brown rice syrup is that it has a high caloric value and ranks higher in the Glycemic Index. Yes, it can give you an instant spike in your sugar level. This is why brown sugar syrup may not be a healthy choice for some people with problems with their blood glucose.
Use rice malt syrup in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
8. Maple Syrup
Maple syrup possesses a distinct flavor derived from the maple tree. If you are going to use this as a honey substitute, you have to remember that maple syrup will change your dish’s entire taste. Choose a 100% natural maple syrup because it shares the same consistency with honey, and it makes it a better choice than the ones with higher water content.
It doesn’t hurt to try, though. If you don’t mind a touch of maple taste and aroma in your dish, use it, and you might even be surprised by the result and discover something interesting. Just use a 1:1 ratio for substitution. And, you may need to add sugar when you’re preparing desserts because maple syrup is less sweet than honey.
One more thing! Maple syrup is considered a superfood because it contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the risk of diabetes and cancer. And it also has manganese, magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which are beneficial for an energy boost, fighting heart diseases, strengthening bones, and maintaining normal blood pressure.
Use rice maple syrup in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
9. Date Paste
Got some pitted Medjool dates? You can make this honey substitute quickly at home! All you need to do is this:
In terms of taste, the date past is as sweet as honey. As a honey substitute, use a 1:1 ratio.
Date paste may be as sweet as honey, but they differ in their consistency. This honey substitute has a chunky and paste-y consistency, unlike honey, that is sticky and syrupy.
Use rice maple syrup in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
10. Golden Syrup
If you are looking for a cheaper honey substitute, try using golden syrup! Golden syrup is a thick, smooth, and golden-colored liquid sweetener that is produced from cane sugar. It also has an aromatic butter fragrance and a light touch of caramel flavor. Switching honey for golden syrup would be a nice idea since they both share similar color and consistency. The only difference is their taste. Honey has its distinctive flavor, while golden syrup has none. So, you have to take note of the impact of your dish if ever you are going to use golden syrup. Use a 1:1 ratio when doing the substitution for any sweet or savory recipe.
Use rice maple syrup in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
11. Liquid Stevia
Liquid stevia is derived from the stevia plant, wherein its leaves are crushed to process it to low-calorie sweeteners. It tastes sweeter than sugar, but it comes with a bitter after-taste. Hence, it tastes far from honey! But in terms of sweetness, both share that characteristic.
The beneficial thing about stevia is that it can help lower the body’s insulin and blood sugar level. And some studies suggest that it can lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure.
Take note that liquid stevia is 200 times sweeter than sugar with zero calories. Thus, you will only need a small drop. To substitute a cup of honey, just use 15 drops of stevia liquid.
Use some drops of stevia in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
Use a 1:1 ratio when you are substituting for honey and modify your recipe. For instance, in making a cookie mixture, if the recipe calls for one cup of honey, you will replace it with the same amount for applesauce. Since you are aware that applesauce has a higher water content than honey, you will have to deduct about ¾ cup of any liquid ingredient. That will be up to you if you’ll reduce the amount of… maybe the eggs, butter, milk or others.
Use applesauce in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
13. Fruit syrup
Fruit syrups are made from different kinds of fruits with their natural sugars. You can actually make these at home! Make sure to choose your fruits carefully. Find a fruit combination that will work for your taste. You can try a mix of figs, dates, and apples. It is surely fun to experiment with different kinds of fruits.
Here’s what to do:
Now, you can use syrup for sweetening your recipes. Remember that this fruit syrup you made does not contain preservatives like those you buy in stores won’t have preservatives like store-bought syrups.
Use fruit syrup in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
14. Coconut syrup
Also known as coconut nectar, it comes from slightly less processed raw coconut nectar from the coconut tree sap. This natural sweetener has a low glycemic index, and it comes with a distinct and neutral sweet flavor. Coconut syrup is also known as a healthy alternative as it is found beneficial for people with cholesterol and blood sugar levels.
Use coconut syrup in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
15. Jaggery
A combination of sugar and molasses makes this so-called jaggery. This is made by heating palm tree juice or clear sugar cane to evaporate the water leaving a golden liquid with a paste-like consistency. Once it cools down, you’ll have jaggery that is similar to soft stone. Note that jaggery is sweet as honey, and it has its own caramel flavor. When using jaggery, you will have to modify your recipe by adding more liquid ingredients of your choice. Either you add the amount of water, milk, or egg whites. Just make sure you have it all balanced to your preference. Use a 1:1 ratio to substitute honey with jaggery.
Use jaggery in replacement for honey if you are going to prepare:
16. Yacon Root Syrup
Yacon root syrup, extracted from the yacon plant, is a natural sweetener that has a sticky honey-like consistency but is less sweet than honey. And, it has a lower glycemic index too!
Just use a 1:1 ratio when you are substituting for honey. However, if you are making a dessert, you will need to add a half cup of sugar for every cup of yacon root syrup to match its sweetness with honey.
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