The BEST Substitutes for Honey

Honey is a sweet and floral addition to many, many recipes, but if you’re all out and need a substitute (or you’re looking for a vegan alternative), these 5 best honey substitutes have you covered! From taste and consistency to the best culinary uses, this comprehensive guide provides you with everything you need to pick the perfect honey substitute.

Honey is a staple sweetener in many of my recipes, from dipping sauces and marinades to over a dozen cocktails. However, your preferences, dietary restrictions, and recipe needs may require you to use an alternative.  

That’s where this comprehensive list of popular substitutes for honey comes in handy! I’ve rounded it down to 5 amazing honey substitutes, including maple syrup, agave nectar, date paste, coconut nectar, and molasses. Pick up a few alternatives from this list the next time you need a natural sweetener without having to use honey.

Understanding honey

Honey isn’t just for tea. Its viscosity and caramelization properties help it add depth to glazes, marinades, and sauces, while its delicate sweetness complements pastries, desserts, and other baked goods. I love drizzling it over Greek yogurt!

There are many different types of honey, all of which have unique flavors and characteristics influenced by the flower nectar collected by bees. Here’s a list of common honey varieties:

• Clover honey
• Wildflower honey
• Orange blossom honey
• Acacia honey
• Alfalfa honey
• Manuka honey
• Tupelo honey
• Buckwheat honey
• Lavender honey

Why use honey substitutes?

There are many reasons why you may need to substitute honey for another natural sweetener in your recipes, such as:

• A vegan or plant-based diet
• Health considerations (low-carb, low-sugar, etc.)
• Flavor preferences
• Limited honey availability
• Environment concerns

The 5 best honey substitutes

Before picking a substitute at random, review the options in this list so you can choose the perfect alternative for your recipe. Here’s what I recommend using instead of honey:

1. Maple syrup
2. Agave nectar
3. Date paste
4. Coconut nectar
5. Molasses

Maple syrup

Maple syrup is a staple natural sweetener in kitchens around the world. It’s made through a process of tapping and boiling down maple tree sap.

• Taste: Maple syrup is known for its robust, caramelized flavor, with notes of woodsy sweetness and hints of vanilla. The flavor intensity varies depending on the grade and processing method.
• Consistency: It typically has an easily pourable, smooth, and glossy consistency.
• Culinary uses: Maple syrup is, of course, a must-have topping for pancakes, waffles, yogurt breakfast bowls, and French toast, but it can also be used as a natural sweetener in cakes, muffins, and cookies. You can also use it to balance the flavors in savory sauces, glazes, salad dressings, and marinades.

Agave nectar

Agave nectar is a popular natural sweetener known for its mild flavor and versatility. This amber-colored syrup is extracted from the sap of the agave plant and has a range of uses in both sweet and savory dishes.

• Taste: Agave nectar has a mild, neutral flavor with subtle hints of caramel and vanilla. Its sweetness is less intense than honey or maple syrup, making it an excellent lighter alternative. 
• Consistency: It’s smooth and pourable, similar to honey, but is slightly thinner, which helps it dissolve easily in hot and cold liquids.
• Culinary uses: You can use agave nectar instead of honey to add sweetness and moisture to baked goods, sauces, and marinades. However, its mild flavor makes it best for sweetening tea, coffee, smoothies, and even cocktails like margaritas and wine spritzers!

Date paste

Date paste is a pure, natural sweetener made from pureed dates. It’s a favorite among health-conscious cooks!

• Taste: It has a naturally sweet flavor with caramel undertones and a hint of earthiness reminiscent of honey.
• Consistency: It has a thick, sticky consistency similar to that of thick honey. It can be easily spread or stirred into recipes for sweetness and moisture.
• Culinary uses: You can use it as a honey substitution in baking or experiment with using it in your favorite energy ball recipes. It’s also a great way to add depth of flavor to sauces, dressings, and marinades.

Coconut nectar

Coconut nectar comes from sap collected from the blossoms of coconut palms. It’s a popular choice for those seeking a natural alternative to traditional sweeteners.

• Taste: It has a gentle, caramel-like flavor with subtle hints of coconut (but it’s less intense than coconut sugar). 
• Consistency: Coconut nectar has a smooth, pourable consistency similar to maple syrup and agave nectar. It adds sweetness and moisture without overpowering other flavors.
• Culinary uses: You can use it in baked goods, like muffins, pancakes, and granola bars. It can also be used as a substitute for honey in sauces, dressings, and marinades.

Molasses

Molasses is made from the syrup left behind after sugar crystals are removed during the sugar refining process. Its complexity and sweetness work well in both sweet and savory dishes, but be aware that it is relatively high in calories and sugar.

• Taste: Imagine a deep, robust flavor with notes of caramel, toffee, and a hint of bitterness.
• Consistency: It’s thick and syrupy like honey or maple syrup, but darker and denser.
• Culinary uses: Its viscosity makes it ideal for glazes, marinades, and baking. It’s also a key component in classic recipes like gingerbread, molasses cookies, barbecue sauce, and baked beans.

Honorable mentions

These substitutes for honey aren’t quite as common, but are worth mentioning nonetheless:

• Brown rice syrup – AKA rice malt syrup, a sweetener made from fermented brown rice. It has a mild, nutty flavor and a thick, syrupy consistency. It’s often used as a binding agent in recipes like crispy rice treats and homemade nut butter.
• Barley malt syrup – It’s made from malted barley grains and has a rich, malty flavor with hints of caramel and toffee. It works particularly well in bread, bagel, and muffin recipes.  
• Golden syrup – This sweetener is made from sugar cane or sugar beet juice. It has a light golden color and a buttery, caramel-like flavor that’s perfect for cakes, cookies, and puddings, as well as glazes for meats and veggies.
• Bee-free honey – Bee-free honey is a vegan honey substitute made from apples, pears, or grapes. It mimics the flavor and texture of honey but is entirely plant-based.
• Sorghum syrup – AKA sorghum molasses. This sweetener is made from the juice of the sorghum plant and has a deep, rich flavor with hints of caramel and molasses.

FAQs

Is honey a good sugar substitute?

Most of the time, yes, honey is a great substitute for granulated sugar! It can provide many recipes with sweetness, flavor, and moisture, just like refined sugar. 

Keep in mind that liquid sweeteners, like honey, won’t always provide the same structure as granulated sugar in baked goods (like in delicate cakes, for example). Pay attention to the recipe to make sure it’s a suitable replacement before getting started.

What can I substitute for honey in baking?

You can use any of the amazing honey substitutes listed above! Just make sure the alternative’s unique flavor profile and sweetness are a good match for your recipe before making the swap.

What can I use as a keto honey substitute?

Honey is not keto-friendly because of its high sugar content. Instead, use a low-carb honey alternative, like monk fruit sweetener, stevia, or erythritol. All three will provide sweetness without impacting blood sugar levels.

More ingredient substitution guides 

• Italian Seasoning Substitute 
• Chili Powder Substitutes
• Thyme Substitutes 
• Dry Mustard Substitutes 
• Basil Substitutes 

​​​​Did you find your perfect honey substitute?

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