Out of Sugar, one case
How to substitute honey for sugar
3 options, ranked, with the exact amount
Use Honey
¾ cup for every cup of sugar
Use ¾ cup honey for each cup of sugar. Honey is sweeter than sugar and about 18% water, so also cut the other liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons per cup of sugar replaced and lower the oven 25°F, because honey browns faster. The bake comes out moister, denser and darker.
- Verdict —
- Tweak it
- The tweak —
- Cut other liquid by 3 tbsp per cup of sugar replaced, add ¼ tsp baking soda per cup of honey if the recipe has none, and bake 25°F lower.
- Best for —
- muffins, quick breads and snack cakes
- Pantry —
- Likely in your cupboard
One casethe full sugar card
Every option, one card
Ranked| # | Substitute | Instead of 1 cup sugar | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Honeymuffins, quick breads and snack cakes | ¾ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| 2 | Half honey, half sugarchocolate chip and oatmeal cookies | ½ cup sugar + 6 tbsp honeyTweak it | Tweak it |
| 3 | Maple syruppancakes, muffins and granola | ¾ cupTweak it | Tweak it |
| Not a swap | Honey in a tested canning recipe | not a swapNot for this | Not for this |
Honey
floral and distinct; moister and denser, with a darker crust
A liquid sweetener that is sweeter than sugar, mildly acidic and quick to brown. It keeps cakes and breads moist for days.
- Best for
- muffins, quick breads and snack cakes, yeast breads and granola, marinades, dressings and tea
- Prep
- Cut other liquid by 3 tbsp per cup of sugar replaced, add ¼ tsp baking soda per cup of honey if the recipe has none, and bake 25°F lower.
- Where it fails
- Crisp cookies, meringue, angel food cake and candy cooked to a temperature. Honey cannot be creamed with butter to hold air, and it stays soft.
Never give honey, even baked, to a child under 12 months.
Half honey, half sugar
a mild honey note; slightly softer and chewier
Replacing only half the sugar keeps most of the original texture. It is the safer route for cookies and layer cakes.
- Best for
- chocolate chip and oatmeal cookies, layer cakes, brownies
- Prep
- Cut other liquid by 1 ½ tbsp per cup of sugar in the recipe and bake 25°F lower.
- Where it fails
- Recipes that must stay white or crisp.
Maple syrup
maple and caramel
Behaves much like honey in a batter but is thinner and less sticky, with its own flavor. It is the vegan choice.
- Best for
- pancakes, muffins and granola, glazes, vegan baking
- Prep
- Cut other liquid by 3 tbsp per cup of sugar replaced and bake 25°F lower.
- Suits
- vegan
- Where it fails
- The same places honey fails: crisp cookies, meringue and candy.
Honey in a tested canning recipe
Sugar in a tested jam or canning recipe controls the set and the keeping quality.
- Best for
- nothing: keep the sugar the recipe names
- Where it fails
- Swapping in honey changes the water and acidity of a shelf-stable preserve. Use a recipe written and tested for honey instead.
Tips for substituting sugar
5 tips- Smaller measures: ½ cup sugar = 6 tbsp honey; ¼ cup = 3 tbsp; 1 tbsp sugar = 2 ¼ tsp honey.
- Oil the measuring cup first and the honey slides out cleanly.
- In a recipe with no liquid to reduce, such as cookies, add 2 tbsp flour per cup of sugar replaced.
- Honey darkens fast. Tent the pan with foil for the last third of the bake if the top is brown before the middle is set.
- In drinks and dressings there is nothing to adjust: start with ¾ as much honey and taste.
Questions
4 questionsHow much honey do I use for 1 cup of sugar?
¾ cup. Cut the other liquid in the recipe by 3 tablespoons and lower the oven 25°F.
Why add baking soda when baking with honey?
Honey is mildly acidic. In a recipe that has no baking soda, ¼ teaspoon per cup of honey balances the acid and helps the bake rise. If the recipe already uses baking soda, leave it as written.
Can I use honey instead of sugar in cookies?
For up to half the sugar. With all honey, cookies turn soft and cakey and brown before they are baked through, because there are no sugar crystals to cream with the butter. Replace half and chill the dough.
Can I use honey instead of sugar in bread?
Yes. Yeast feeds on honey as it does on sugar. Use ¾ as much, and reduce the water by about 1 tablespoon for each ¼ cup of honey.