Baking with Honey

People are baking up a storm these days, and we’ve received a lot of emails asking how to substitute honey for sugar in your favourite recipes. Something you may not realize, is that honey is actually sweeter than sugar. It has a nicer, richer flavour and keeps certain baked goods moister and fresher, longer.

Here’s how to substitute honey for sugar—and what to keep in mind while you’re baking:

Use less honey than sugar

Honey is much sweeter than sugar, and we recommend a rough guideline of 3/4 cup honey for every cup of sugar. Here is some suggested conversion:

1/4 Cup Sugar = 3 Tbsp Honey
1/3 Cup Sugar = 3 Tbsp Honey
1/2 Cup Sugar = 1/3 Cup Honey
1 Cup Sugar     = 3/4 Cup Honey
2 Cups Sugar   = 1.5 Cups Honey

Cut back the Liquids

If you’re using more than one cup of honey, reduce the liquids in your recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey you’re using (starting with the first cup). As an example, honey preserves more moisture than sugar, so there’s no need to add extra milk or water.

Lower the Temperature

Honey will bake your goods faster than sugar does. To keep your baked goods perfectly golden brown, lower your oven temp by 25°F and keep a close eye on your baking time carefully.

When to Substitute

We of course love honey, obviously, but it may not make for the ideal texture in recipes that call for creaming butter and sugar (like your grandma's famous cookie recipe). You certainly don't want to mess with a good thing. 

Happy Baking

If you use Bee Savvy Honey in your baking over the next few weeks, please tag us in your photos and recipes. We always love sharing a good recipe.