Tips on Cooking with Honey

picture of kitchen stove with woman adding honey to pot

Tips on Cooking with Honey

Baking with honey is not the same as baking with sugar.  Honey has more moisture than sugar and browns quicker than sugar. Honey is more acidic than sugar and will change the flavor.  Honey baked goods tend to be moister and chewier.  Baked goods with sugar tend to be crisper and have a crumbly texture.

Instructions
 

If you convert a recipe from sugar to honey, make the following adjustment (adjustment is not needed if your recipe already contains honey)

  • How to measure: Lightly butter or oil your measuring cup when measuring honey for easy removal or use a push-up measuring cup
  • Lower your oven temperature down by 25 degrees F
  • Decrease your recipe liquids by ¼ cup for every 1 cup of honey in the recipe
  • Watch for overbrowning, if needed cover with foil
  • Add¼ tsp of baking soda for every 1 cup of honey in the recipe (not needed for yeast breads and not needed if your recipe already has baking soda)
  • For each egg in the recipe, add extra 2 tbsp of flour
  • Use less honey than sugar
  • See recipe Notes for Sugar to Honey Conversion

Notes

Sugar
Honey
Reduce Liquid
Baking Soda (only if recipe doesn’t have baking soda)
Oven
2 cups
1 cup + 6 tbsp
¼ cup
1/2 tsp
25 degrees
1 cup
¾ cup
¼ cup
1/2 tsp
25 degrees
¾ cup
2/3 cup
2 tbsp
¼ tsp
25 degrees
2/3 cup
½ cup
5 tsp
¼ tsp
25 degrees
½ cup
1/3 cup
2 tsp
¼ tsp
25 degrees
1/3 cup
4 tbsp
No need
¼ tsp
25 degrees
¼ cup
2 tbsp + 2 tsp
No need
1/8 tsp
25 degrees
2 tbsp
1tbsp + 1 tsp
No need
No need
25 degrees
1 tbsp
1 tbsp
No need
No need
25 degrees