Using honey for the sweet cravings

Are you still craving sweets from the holidays? But trying to keep to a healthy 2023 New Years resolution? Or maybe you are just trying to cut back on the sugar? Honey could be your answer.

Here are a few ways to use honey in place of other sugars for your sweet cravings.

1. Use a teaspoon of alfalfa honey to sweeten drinks. Alfalfa honey is very sweet tasting, so a small amount can go a long way. Try it in hot tea, coffee or hot chocolate to enjoy a sweet, warm drink this winter.
2. Use honey when baking. Did you know you can substitute honey for corn syrup, maple syrup, and molasses in recipes on a 1:1 ratio? If you notice labels while shopping, honey is a growing flavor that can be found on packaging. You too can use honey in recipes made at home. Honey can be two to three times sweeter than sugar, so less product is needed for that sweet gain. So for each cup of sugar in a recipe use 1/2 to 2/3 cup honey. When substituting sugar in a recipe with honey, remember to reduce liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup for each cup of honey added. Also, honey burns quicker so reduce baking temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit.
3. Honey can be a good source of energy. So try adding a snack with some honey. Some great options are honey coated popcorn or nuts, energy balls, /and homemade granola or granola bars with honey.
4. Use honey to make homemade sauces, glazes, dressing and condiments. Sugar can be hiding in these prepackaged items. But honey can be used to make homemade ketchup, bbq sauce, honey mustard, or glaze.
5. Simply add a drizzle of honey to sweeten the simplest of snacks or meal for sweetness. Honey pairs well with cheese and crackers, yogurt and granola, peanut butter or other butters, charcuterie boards and most bread or flatbreads.
6. Another option could be to grab a simple honey stick. What is a honey stick? It’s simple a plastic straw filler with honey and added flavors. Visit our website to see varieties we have in stock. The clover, orange blossom, wildflower and buckwheat are natural honey flavors, no flavors added.

So next time you are craving something sweet but might be looking for something healthy, consider adding a bit of honey to crave that sweet tooth.

Check out Griesemer Beekeeping for some recipe inspiration ideas: https://griesemerbee.com/blogs/recipe-corner