How should one substitute honey for sugar in recipes?
Simply substitute honey cup for cup in place of sugar. As a rule reduce the liquid by a quarter cup for every cup of honey used. In baked goods add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for every cup of honey used and bake at a temperature 25 degrees lower than instructions call for. In cookie recipes using eggs and no additional liquid, increase the flour by 2 tablespoons per cup of honey or enough flour to give the desired consistency. Chill before shaping and baking. Helpful Hint: Honey can be measured easily by using the same cup used for measuring the oil in a recipe or by coating a cup or spoon with non-stick vegetable spray.
Honey is a natural sweetener and a healthy alternative to regular sugar in recipes. It contains greater amounts of vitamins and minerals, and will not cause as high of a spike in blood sugar levels. Honey will also help baked goods stay moister for longer. While the amounts can be substituted one for one, there are a few adjustments you’ll need to make, especially because honey is sweeter and heavier than regular sugar.
Cooks.com recommends that you do the following when swapping out sugar for honey:
1. Use equal amounts of honey for sugar up to one cup. Over one cup, replace each cup of sugar with 2/3 to 3/4 cup over honey depending upon the sweetness desired.
2. Lower the baking temperature 25 degrees and watch your time carefully since products with honey brown faster.
3. In recipes using more than one cup honey for sugar, it may be necessary to reduce liquids by 1/4 cup per cup of honey.
4. In baked goods, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda per cup of honey if baking soda is not already included in the recipe. This will reduce the acidity of the honey, as well as increase the volume of your product.
Moisten a measuring spoon or cup first with water, oil, or an egg before measuring the honey to prevent it from sticking to the measuring utensil. Honey is heavy by weight. A 12 ounce jar equals one standard 8 ounce cup. A quart weighs 3 pounds.
