Honey Substitute: 8 Swaps for Baking, Dressings and Drinks

Out of honey, or cooking for someone who avoids it? Several syrups can stand in for honey in most recipes, usually in the same amount. The best honey substitute depends on what the honey is doing: adding sweetness and moisture to a cake, helping a glaze stick, or balancing acidity in a dressing. Below are the swaps that work, the amounts to use, and how honey compares with sugar and maple syrup.

Quick substitution table

Substitute	Amount for 1 tbsp honey	Best for	Notes
Maple syrup	1 tbsp	Baking, glazes, dressings, drinks	Thinner, with a caramel-maple taste. The most versatile swap.
Golden syrup	1 tbsp	Baking, flapjacks, glazes	Thick and buttery; very close in texture to honey.
Agave syrup	1 tbsp (or a little less)	Drinks, dressings, no-bake treats	Sweet and neutral; thinner than honey.
Date syrup	1 tbsp	Yogurt, porridge, dressings, baking	Dark and fruity; colours food.
Brown rice syrup	1–1¼ tbsp	Granola, bars	Less sweet; very sticky, good binder.
Light corn syrup	1 tbsp	Candy, glazes	Neutral sweetness; little flavour.
Molasses or treacle	½ tbsp mixed with ½ tbsp another syrup	Gingerbread, dark glazes	Strong and slightly bitter; don’t use alone.
Sugar + water	1¼ tbsp sugar + 1 tsp warm water	When you have nothing else	Dissolve well; less moist than honey.

Substituting for honey in baking

In baking, honey adds moisture, helps browning and keeps cakes soft. Liquid syrups replace it most easily. Maple syrup and golden syrup are the closest swaps; use the same amount. If you use granulated sugar instead, you lose liquid, so add about 1 tablespoon of water or milk for every ¼ cup of honey replaced, and expect a slightly drier crumb. Honey-based cakes can brown quickly; a syrup with less fructose may brown a little more slowly.

In dressings, marinades and glazes

A small spoonful of honey rounds off the acidity in vinaigrettes and marinades. Maple syrup, agave or a pinch of sugar do the same job. For sticky glazes, such as on honey glazed carrots, golden syrup or maple syrup give the best shine. In our lemon vinaigrette and Greek salad dressing, any of them works.

Vegan honey substitutes

Honey is made by bees, so it is generally not considered vegan. Maple syrup, agave, date syrup, golden syrup (check the label) and brown rice syrup are plant-based options. Some shops also sell “vegan honey” products made from sugar, apples or flowers; these are syrups, not honey.

Using honey instead of sugar

The swap often goes the other way. The National Honey Board suggests starting by replacing up to half the sugar in a recipe with honey. For baked goods, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F (about 15°C) to prevent overbrowning, reduce the other liquid by ¼ cup for each cup of honey used, and add ½ teaspoon of baking soda per cup of honey. Because honey tastes sweeter than sugar, you can usually use less.

Honey vs sugar

Both are sugars. Table sugar is sucrose; honey is mostly fructose and glucose, with water, which is why it is liquid and tastes sweeter. A cup of honey weighs about 12 ounces, much more than a cup of sugar, so spoon for spoon it contains more calories. For the figures, see our honey nutrition facts. We don’t make health claims for either; use both in moderation.

Honey vs maple syrup

Maple syrup is boiled-down sap from maple trees; honey is made by bees from nectar. Maple syrup is thinner and has a woody, caramel taste; honey is thicker and its taste varies with the flowers the bees visited, from mild clover to herbal thyme. They swap one-for-one in most recipes. Honey crystallizes over time (see how to decrystallize honey); maple syrup should be refrigerated once opened.

If you’d like a jar for the next recipe, browse our Greek honey collection or our Kalymnos raw thyme honey. More honey guides are in our pantry guide library.

Sources

• National Honey Board: Honey FAQ (substituting honey for sugar, raw and filtered honey, infants)
• US FDA: Guidance for industry, proper labeling of honey and honey products

Honey substitute: frequently asked questions