Substituting honey for sugar

[LeslieDean]

Just recently, (today! HA!) I thought I would start doing this.  I may not be doing it next week, but today it sounds like a good idea! ;). 

 

I made a pitcher of mnt tea and used 3/4 c horn instead of sugar (1 1/4 c) I usually use.  I know. I like it sweet!  

 

I knew wth baking it is not an equal substitute and the liquid would be effected but I found this guide to use.  Does anyone else use honey routinely as a sugar substitute and with what results?

 

Honey Apple Mini Bundt Cakelets

(Image credit: Coco Morante)

Lately I've found myself pushing aside the container of sugar in my pantry in favor of honey. It's not that I have anything against sugar — I just love the earthy sweetness honey imparts on baked goods. And the coolest part about baking with honey is that each varietal lends a different flavor to the end product. Orange blossom adds a citrusy, floral note; wild raspberry is reminiscent of the berry itself; and buckwheat is almost molasses-like.

But when it comes to swapping in honey for sugar in a recipe, it's not simply an even trade. I chatted with author and baker Shauna Sever to find out what you need to know for baking success.

1. Use less honey than sugar.

"You definitely want to reduce the overall amount of sweetener when swapping white sugar for honey, as honey can be two or even three times as sweet depending on the honey," says Shauna Sever, author of Real Sweet: More Than 80 Crave-Worthy Treats Make with Natural Sugar. Use your best judgement depending on the flavor of the honey. Some honey, like acacia, is extra sweet, while some, like chestnut, is much less so, but the general rule to adhere to is as follows:

The Rule: For every 1 cup of sugar, substitute 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey.

2. Reduce the liquids.

Honey is made up of about 20 percent water, which means you'll also want to reduce the total amount of liquids in the recipe to counter the extra liquid from the honey. "When I am first testing a revamp of a white sugar recipe by using honey instead, I start by reducing the liquid by about a quarter to a third," says Sever.

 

The Rule: For every 1 cup of honey you're using, subtract 1/4 cup of other liquids from the recipe.

3. Add baking soda.

If the recipe doesn't already call for it, you'll need to add a little baking soda. This is because honey is naturally acidic, and baking soda helps balance that acidity to allow the baked good to rise properly.

The Rule: Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda for every 1 cup honey used.

4. Lower oven temperature

The higher sugar content in honey means it caramelizes and therefore burns faster than granulated sugar. To ensure that whatever you're baking doesn't brown too quickly, lower the heat and keep a watchful eye. "Check it early and often to avoid burning or overbaking," recommends Sever.

The Rule: Reduce the temperature of the oven by 25°F.

[Old]

Heat processed plant juice verses regurgitated nectar, some choice, I try not to think about it.

I prefer honey on my biscuits,  heat processed plant juice in my ice tea. 

[Tortuga]

Well honey, I think they are both acceptable Southern expressions,  yo'all just use which ever you want sugar...

[LeslieDean]

15 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

Well honey, I think they are both acceptable Southern expressions,  yo'all just use which ever you want sugar...

I gotcha sweetie pie!

[Loopy]

When I first saw the topic I'm thinking...a diabetic? But seriously I put what I thought was a good recipe on a diabetic site as it used honey instead of sugar. 

Welp, one person wrote: "No, no no!" 

Because honey is a form of sugar.

Anyway, I was wrong. 

[Omoyeme]

Nice topic Leslie!   I've been substituting honey in my recipes for many years now.  When I bake my biscuits, I put butter and a little organic honey or maple syrup on them.  (Personally for health reasons, I haven't bought nor used white sugar for quite some time). But I do used organic brown sugar [its' natural color] when I bake my desserts. And I do love orange blossom honey in my Earl Grey tea!

 

For me, a simple search some years ago using the phrase "white refined sugar is bad" was all I needed to convince me to try other natural alternatives in my cooking.

 

[New World Explorer]

9 hours ago, Omo_Yeme said:

(Personally for health reasons, I haven't bought nor used white sugar for quite some time).

I don't even remember when I used white sugar - same..... health reasons. 

 

[LeslieDean]

I found this bottle at Sam's that lol is just like honey but it is made from apples.  It is delicious!

[Josho]

I generally use honey as a sweetener. If i'm drinking tea I'll either have it with honey, or just have it strait if none is available. Never with sugar. Probably as a consequence of me reading a very long list of the potential health problems associated with refined sugar a while back.

[nanceebgd46]

8 hours ago, LeslieDean said:

I found this bottle at Sam's that lol is just like honey but it is made from apples.  It is delicious!

Leslie,

What is the...like honey...product name...I'd like to see if I can

find it over here in Montana.

[LeslieDean]

6 hours ago, nanceebgd46 said:

Leslie,

What is the...like honey...product name...I'd like to see if I can

find it over here in Montana.

I will take a picture of the bottle and info and post it for you!

[LeslieDean]

On 4/27/2017 at 5:23 PM, nanceebgd46 said:

Leslie,

What is the...like honey...product name...I'd like to see if I can

find it over here in Montana.

My picture was too big to download but if you look for Blenditup Apple Nectar honey substitute you will find lots of info on it!  FB, pintrest, YouTube!  It has the consistency of honey but tastes more like an apple than an apple!

[nanceebgd46]

Thanks Leslie...I'll hunt this down...sounds like something I could

use...right up my alley...so to speak.

[LeslieDean]

I see you can order off amazon.  I've just realized the times I have purchased it at Sam's was when they were doing their Demo's  for the Vitamix blenders!  I can not find it there any other time--but sooo good!

[Thesauron]

How about no added sugar or honey? It's not something our bodies need.


Johan

[Omoyeme]

On 4/28/2017 at 0:59 AM, LeslieDean said:

I will take a picture of the bottle and info and post it for you!

I googled it Leslie based on the information you gave.  There is no Sam's Club in my area so I may have to get it online.  Thanks for the heads up.

[LeslieDean]

11 hours ago, Thesauron said:

How about no added sugar or honey? It's not something our bodies need.


Johan

Lol.  Our bodies do not 'need' many things. Chocolate, wine, cheese, butter, coffee, just to mention a very few.  We do not need the beauty of sunsets, or sunrise, or the seasons.  We could live at a set temperature year round.  Who needs such a variety of flowers, trees, birds, dogs, cats?  But Jehovah generously provided us with an endless variety of things that we do not need but enjoy!  

 

I do not need a diamond ring.  I could have used a vacumn.  But for our 25th annivarsy my husband bought me a ruby and diamond ring.  Was I disappointed I did not get what I needed?  His response was a gift should not be something you need.   He felt that he should be able to provide me with the basics.  He wanted me to remember this day and set it apart as something special.  When I have honey, chocolate, something decadent, it reinforces my creators generosity and his desire to make us happy and instead we of just existing.

[GeordieGirl]

Cane sugar makes me very unwell, part of my increasing list of food sensitivites I appear to be developing due to my ongoing health issues.  I don't know if it's available elsewhere but I use organic Rice Malt Syrup in tea and coffee as it hasn't got as strong a taste as honey but has a similar consistency of runny honey and has a lot lower GI than cane sugar.  I am very fortunate with my honey, too, as I know someone who's parents have bees and I can get raw organic honey rather than the over-processed, supermarket variety that is most commonly available.

Edited April 30, 2017 by GeordieGirl

[Vinnie]

yeah, interesting how honey and pure maple syrup don't affect  GI as much as white sugar.

Edited April 30, 2017 by Vinnie

[Omoyeme]

Terri, have you ever tried this sis?  (I use all things coconut...lol.)

 

http://www.coconutsecret.com/nectar2.html

[Miss Bea]

I'm in a hurry, but, we buy local honey. Somewhere I read, (I think) if it's local, it can help with allergies. I'm thinking of homeopathic?  We use it regularly. To be honest, we keep the white stuff around for company that wants it is coffee. Um, and for baking. I will venture forth on that one. 

Honey is miraculous. It will heal wounds that are hard to heal. It's life span? I don't think it spoils. With so many natural healing remedies,  honey is a part of them. A gift from the Creator. A land of milk and honey! 

Thanks Leslie. Opens some unopened doors for me...

[Omoyeme]

3 hours ago, Miss Bea said:

Honey is miraculous. It will heal wounds that are hard to heal. It's life span? I don't think it spoils. With so many natural healing remedies,  honey is a part of them. A gift from the Creator. A land of milk and honey! 

Quote

Proverbs 24:13  My son, eat honey, because it is good; Honey from the comb is sweet to the taste.

Quote

Deuteronomy 26:9  Then he brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

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Mark 1:6  Now John wore clothing of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

 

Quote

Genesis 1:31  After that God saw everything he had made, and look! it was very good. [...]

 

Yes Bea, I echo what you have said:  Honey is indeed healing and it is very good--a gift from God Jehovah! 

[LeslieDean]

And look how vital the bees are to our environment!  We did not, or at least I did not, give them the appreciation they deserved/commanded in Jehovah's place of creation!