Baking

Honey: what it is, how to pick and store it

Sweeter than sugar, with a flavor that depends on the flowers the bees visited. Never give honey to a baby under 1 year old.

How to pick it

Mild clover or wildflower honey for baking and dressings; darker honeys like buckwheat taste stronger. Oil the spoon first and it slides right off.

How to store it

Room temperature, lid on. Crystallized honey is still good: set the jar in warm water and stir until it melts.

Out of honey? What to use instead

  • Maple syrup: The same amount. Thinner, with a maple flavor; a little less sweet.
  • Agave syrup: A little less (about ¾ the amount). Sweeter and very neutral; thinner.
  • Light corn syrup or golden syrup: The same amount. Less sweet and neutral (golden syrup tastes buttery).

Swaps for honey, with what changes

Honey: cups to grams

Honey
MeasureGrams
1 cup339 g
½ cup170 g
⅓ cup113 g
¼ cup85 g
1 tablespoon21 g
1 teaspoon7.1 g

Weights from USDA FoodData Central. Honey: converter and grams to cups

Recipes with honey (24)

More recipes with honey

More baking

All-purpose flourGranulated sugarVanilla extractBrown sugarBaking powderBaking sodaCornstarchPowdered sugarAll 60 ingredient guides

Pick and store tips are in our own words. Storage times and safe temperatures are only shown where a U.S. government source gives them, named on each line; for anything not listed here, see USDA's FoodKeeper app.