Five Best Honey Substitutes and Alternatives

If you realize you are out of honey, here are five replacements you can use. There is no need to run to the store when you probably have an excellent honey substitute right in your pantry.

Honey is a delicious sweetener that I use all the time. Thanks to the bees gathering nectar from flowers, we have this natural sweetener that also has health benefits. While it is a great choice to use in sauces, salad dressings, desserts and baking, sometimes I run out or I have a guest at the house following a vegan diet and doesn't eat honey. When that is the case, there are these five alternatives to using honey. Here are my favorite replacements and best honey substitutes.

Best Honey Replacements

• Maple Syrup - I love pure Maple syrup and in some recipes I prefer to use it in place of honey. I especially like it in a light vinaigrette dressing for a spring mix salad. Unlike honey, it is vegan so it's one of the best options for vegan cooking. If you'd like to make sweetened ginger tea, real maple syrup is a great option. It is a versatile sweetener and great to use in barbecue sauces, savory dishes or sweet recipes if you are in need of a honey substitute.  
• Light Corn Syrup - This is a clear syrup made by extracting the sugars from cornstarch. It is very sweet and I have used this instead of honey on my Lime Berry Fruit Salad. It's typically used to make candy and sweeten baked goods but I have also used it to replace the honey in my cocoa dusted almonds. Dark corn syrup is a similar product which has a touch of dark molasses added making it richer and darker in color.
• Simple Syrup - Simple syrup is just sugar dissolved in water but it's a good substitute. You can buy this in a liquor or grocery store or make some yourself. I always keep some homemade simple syrup in my fridge for cocktails.
• Sugar - You can actually substitute table sugar for honey. If you are baking, white sugar and brown sugar will result in a great texture for cookies, quick breads or cake. You might need to add an extra tablespoon of whatever liquid you are using in your recipe whether that be water, buttermilk or something else. This will insure that the batter is not dry.
• Agave Syrup - This wholesome sweetener comes from the aguave plant which grows in the southern United States and Latin America. The sugars in agave are actually fermented to make Tequila. This syrup has a sweet taste and is a perfect honey substitute in equal measure and is similar to the consistency of honey. I have run out of honey before but have used agave for the sauce on my Air Fryer Chicken Wings. Agave also has a low glycemic index compared to other sweeteners which makes it a bit healthier if you are looking to control blood sugar levels. You can purchase agave at your grocery or health food stores. It is also a good vegan alternative and great substitute for honey.

Honey Recipes

• Air Fryer Baby Carrots with Honey Butter
• Baked Asian Salmon with Mango Slaw
• Grilled Apricots with Cinnamon, Ricotta and Honey
• Honey Wheat Beer Bread
• Honey Garlic Pork Chops for Two via Grumpy's Honeybunch