Honey substitutes

Best swap: Maple syrup. Use 1 cup maple syrup per 1 cup.

Honey sweetens and adds moisture, so the best swaps are other liquid sweeteners. If you only have granulated sugar, add a little liquid back to make up for what honey brings.

I need cups of honey Change this and every amount below updates.

What to use instead of honey

1. Maple syrup

Best Vegan

1 cup maple syrup

Best for: Baking, dressings, drizzling

A clean one-to-one swap with its own gentle flavour.

2. Granulated sugar + liquid

Pantry staple

1¼ cup granulated sugar

¼ cup extra water or milk

Best for: When you have no liquid sweetener

Add the extra liquid to replace the moisture honey provides. In baking, lower the oven by about 15C / 25F, as sugar browns less.

3. Agave syrup

Vegan

1 cup agave syrup

Best for: Drinks, dressings, baking

Milder and a little sweeter than honey. One-to-one is fine for most uses.

Honey substitutes: common questions

What can I use instead of honey?

Maple syrup is the easiest swap, cup for cup. Agave works too. If you only have granulated sugar, use 1.25 cups plus a quarter cup of extra liquid per cup of honey.

Can I replace honey with sugar in baking?

Yes. Use about 1.25 cups of granulated sugar plus a quarter cup of extra liquid for each cup of honey, and lower the oven temperature slightly since sugar browns less than honey.

More ingredient swaps

🥛 Buttermilk 4 substitutes 🥚 Eggs (in baking) 4 substitutes 🧂 Baking powder 2 substitutes 🧂 Baking soda 1 substitute