Tips for Baking with Honey
Interested in switching some of your baking to be sweetened with honey rather than sugar? Here are some guidelines for making the exchange.
1. Substitute 1 cup honey for 1 cup white sugar, but reduce liquids elsewhere by 1/4 cup.
2. Substitute 7/8 cup honey plus 2 tablespoons molasses for 1 cup brown sugar, but reduce liquids elsewhere by 1/4 cup.
3. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for each cup of honey used.
4. Reduce oven temperature by 25 degrees and start checking for doneness in advance.
Tips to make working with honey easier:
1. Warm honey is easier to work with than cold. If your honey has crystallized, set the container in hot water up to its neck until a liquid state resumes. For my large buckets of honey, I set them on a jar ring in my slow cooker and fill it with water, turn it on low, and leave it for a few hours. Remember this may kill some of the good bacteria.
2. If a recipe calls for oil, measure it into the cup first, then use it for honey. The honey will slip right out with no need for scraping.
3. Honey isn’t recommended for children under one year of age.
4. Remember that honey has more flavor than sugar, so will change recipes with a delicate balance. You’ll find the flavor attributes best suited to whole grain foods like oatmeal cookies rather than shortbread cookies.
Looking for a cookie recipe designed around honey? I’ll share one next time!
I don’t suppose you have a recipe for making caramel with honey instead of sugar?
I don’t. We’ve been experimenting with candies, but honey is (obviously) a completely different texture than sugar. No easy answers.
Thank you for this! I have an excellent source for local honey but never knew how to use it as a sugar replacement! So this would work in bread okay?
I have used honey in bread for years, well before we kept bees. My recipe is for four loaves and I use 1/2 cup of honey in it.
Thank you Valerie! Would you be willing to share your bread recipe. I’ve been trying lots of different ones out but haven’t found one I like yet. đŸ™‚
This is the bread I’ve made most often, Tina: http://healthyrecipebox.pbworks.com/w/page/17373892/Whole-Wheat%20Bread
If you are familiar with bread-baking, this is probably enough info. If not, let me know!
Learning to live healthier. Love this honey post.
Yay!