Cooking and Baking with Raw Honey

Honey as a Sugar Substitute

Honey is sweeter than granulated sugar, so you can use less of it. When substituting honey for sugar in baking, use about 3/4 cup of honey for every 1 cup of sugar. You'll also want to reduce other liquids in the recipe by about 2 tablespoons per cup of honey and lower the oven temperature by 25F, since honey browns faster than sugar.

Simple Honey Uses

• Morning toast or biscuits: The classic. Drizzle raw honey on warm toast, fresh biscuits, or English muffins
• Tea and coffee: Stir a spoonful into hot (not boiling) tea for natural sweetness. Honey dissolves best in warm liquids
• Yogurt and oatmeal: Top plain yogurt or morning oatmeal with a drizzle of honey and fresh fruit
• Cheese boards: Honey pairs beautifully with sharp cheddar, blue cheese, brie, and goat cheese. Add comb honey for an impressive presentation
• Smoothies: Add a tablespoon to any smoothie for natural sweetness without refined sugar

Honey Salad Dressing

Whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon raw honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt. This simple vinaigrette works on mixed greens, grain bowls, or roasted vegetable salads.

Honey Glazes and Marinades

Honey's natural sugars caramelize beautifully when heated, making it perfect for glazes:

• Honey garlic glaze: Equal parts honey and soy sauce with minced garlic -- brush on salmon, chicken, or roasted carrots
• Honey mustard: Mix honey and whole-grain mustard 1:1 for a dipping sauce or sandwich spread
• Hot honey: Warm honey with red pepper flakes and a splash of vinegar. Drizzle on pizza, fried chicken, or cornbread

Honey in Drinks

Honey doesn't dissolve easily in cold liquids. For cold drinks, make a honey simple syrup: heat equal parts honey and water until dissolved, then cool. Use it in lemonade, iced tea, or cocktails. For hot drinks, stir honey directly into warm (not boiling) liquid to preserve its enzymes and flavor.

Storage Tips

Store honey at room temperature in a sealed container. It never truly spoils -- archaeologists have found edible honey in Egyptian tombs thousands of years old. If it crystallizes, warm the jar in a bowl of warm water until it re-liquifies. Avoid storing honey in the refrigerator, which accelerates crystallization.

Learn more about what makes raw honey special.