Food

15 Clever Ways to Substitute Honey for Sugar to Deliver Sweet Results

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Ahhhh honey, it shouldn’t be so humble. There are so many ways to love this unsung pantry hero in the kitchen. Mother Nature REALLY has served up the nectar of the buzzing Gods with honey. Thanks to Nature Nate’s Honey Co, life can be so much sweeter with honey!

Here are 15 ways you can ditch the sugar and reach for glorious, golden honey to really amp up your cooking, and your health game!


Why make the swap from sugar to honey?

  • Honey is far less processed than sugar, particularly raw honey.  Made from Aussie bees, Nature Nate’s Honey Co 100% Pure Australian Raw and Unfiltered Honey is a winner in our books!
  • Honey tastes sweeter than sugar, so you can use LESS. #winning
  • It makes you feel better with a more even energy burn. Honey has a lower GI value than sugar so you don’t get those sugar highs and inevitable sugar slumps from your spiked blood sugar levels.
mother serving honey to children
Honey for the sweetener win! Source: Nature Nate’s Honey Company

mum centralSTICKY TIP: Cooking with honey can be a sticky business! A really EASY way to get that liquid gold to slip off a measuring spoon or out of a measuring cup with ease, is to give the spoon or cup a quick spritz with cooking oil before using – that honey will slip out effortlessly!

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1. Cereal sweetener

Put the sugar bowl away folks, honey is the most beeeutiful cereal sweetener there is. Add a teeny drizzle to the kids Weet-Bix or a generous drizzle to your crunchy granola – it really is the bee’s knees.

Nature Nate's Honey Co.
Honey makes for the perfect breakfast staple! Source: Nature Nate’s Honey Company

2. Sweeten your hot drinks

Forget adding a spoonful of sugar (or two or three) to your cuppa, use honey instead, it’s the ultimate sweetener alternative.

3. Soup (yes, really!)

Is your homemade soup a little meh? Pumpkin soups and cauliflower soups can benefit from a touch of honey. It really adds a simple touch of sweetness, counteracting any bitterness from the main ingredient, making for a delicious winter classic.

4. Balance and sweeten a curry

Everyone loves a curry, but there’s a LOT of balancing to do when it comes to balancing all those flavour profiles. If the curry needs a little extra sweetness, instead of reaching for brown sugar or coconut sugar, reach for a squirt of honey.

5. Porridge gets REAL good

I love porridge and used to always add a somewhat generous sprinkle of brown sugar. NO MORE. Porridge using honey instead is AMAZING, the ultimate belly warmer. Top with sliced banana and (you guessed it) a drizzle of the liquid gold!

6. Moist banana bread

Honey takes banana bread to a whole new level of goodness. Cut back on the sugar in the recipe and replace it with honey, it will not only add a hint of honey flavour, but it will keep it moist for days!

7. Sweeten tart strawberries and fruit

Ditch the icing sugar sprinkle and turn to a honey drizzle instead to sweeten up tart fruit such as not-quite-ripe strawberries, peaches and apricots. YUM!

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Sweeten tart fruit naturally with honey. Source: Nature Nate’s Honey Company

8. Muffin sweetener

Skip the refined sugar in muffin recipes and use honey instead! The silky texture and flavour turn even the most plainest of recipes into spectacular sweet treats and they’ll keep moist for days. Great for the kids’ lunch boxes too.

9. The natural yoghurt sweetener

Natural and Greek yoghurt can be eye-watering tart, depending on the brand. Make it a little more palatable by sweetening with sugar instead of a sugar-laden fruit compote. Sweet! It certainly does the trick with these Raspberry Frozen FroYo Bites – recipe here.

Nature Nate's Honey Co
Sweeten natural yoghurt with honey. Source: Nature Nate’s Honey Company

10. Level up your hommus dip

Squeezed too much lemon in? Is tahini overpowering the lot? If your hommus is too strong for your liking, stir through a drizzle of honey to tone it down and give it a hint of sweetness. It really makes those chickpeas shine!

11. The no-sugar meat rub or glaze

Instead of reaching for a spice rub and brown sugar to add flavour to a roast chicken, switch the brown sugar for honey instead. It gives a wonderful sweet crust to roast meat and is excellent for basting – including your Christmas ham!

Honey used as a marinade on chicken
Honey, the perfect marinade for a glazed meat or BBQ dish. Source: Nature Nate’s Honey Company

12. Give your salad a honey-based dressing

Did you know that the easiest and tastiest salad dressing is right there in your pantry? Shake olive oil, lemon juice, a squirt of honey, salt and pepper in a jar and adjust accordingly to your tastebuds (you can even add fresh herbs!). *chefs kiss*

13. Make carrots SING

If your kids reel back in horror at the sight of veggies, win them over with honey carrots. It’s SUCH an easy win. Add a drizzle of honey to boiled or steamed carrots or coat raw carrots in a honey oil mix before roasting. Add a pinch of ground cumin for a whole different taste sensation.

Honey roasted carrots with Nature Nate's Honey Company
Honey roasted carrots are a firm family favourite! Source: Nature Nate’s Honey Company

14. Substitute pancake sugar for honey

Give the refined sugar a miss in your favourite pancake recipe by adding honey instead. ALSO if you’re a fan of the lemon sugar pancake topping, try lemon and honey instead. Sooooo good!

15. Honey in smoothies

We ALL love a smoothie, right? A spoon of honey in your smoothie can make all the difference to mildly bitter greens and also helps fruity flavours sing. Not to mention you now have the added health benefits (vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients and enzymes!) of honey in every sip!


Which honey should we bee choosing?

We LOVE Nature Nate’s 100% Pure, Raw and Unfiltered Honey! This liquid gold honey is straight from the hive, just how nature intended. You know you’re getting the real deal of the hive because Nature Nate’s Honey Company tests for purity before it’s bottled, only bottling the best for their customers.

AND speaking of bottles, the handy squeeze bottle wins me over every time, so easy for the whole family to use. And unlike our jar friends, not a toast crumb in sight!

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Source: Nature Nate’s Honey Company

All the incredible honey recipes you’ll ever need!

Inspired to get cooking with honey? Nature Nate’s Honey Company has a beehive blog FULL of amazing, beeeeautiful honey recipes from weekend breakfasts to kids snacks and special occasion delights. Just hit the button below to discover them for yourself!

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Where to buy:

Make the switch from sugar to honey today and reap the benefits of this beautifully pure, golden Australian honey.  You’ll find Nature Nate’s 100% Pure, Raw & Unfiltered Honey (500ml $9 RRP) at your closest Woolworths store throughout Australia. Keep your eyes peeled for the bright orange labels!

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This is a sponsored post for Nature Nate’s Honey Company.

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Avatar of Lexi Klaebe

South Australian mum and self proclaimed foodie, Lexi can most days be found in the kitchen, apron tied firm and armed with a whisk or wooden spoon!

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