Instead of sugar, try a simple syrup made from honey! Honey Simple Syrup offers a complex flavor and richness to desserts, granola, yogurt, cocktails, and more. It's simple to make and only requires two ingredients.
How to make Honey Simple Syrup:
Making simple syrup with honey is easy! You need some honey, water, and just a bit of heat.
Add equal parts water and honey together in a saucepan. Set it on the stove over low heat. Stir it carefully until the honey dissolves, then remove the pan from the hot stove.
Alternatively, you can heat water in a kettle or in the microwave. Once it has cooled to below boiling point, stir in the honey until completely dissolved.
Whatever technique you use, once your honey simple syrup has cooled, pour it into a glass bottle or jar for storage. Label it with the date and store it in your fridge for up to six weeks.
What kind of honey should I use?
Consider the many kinds of honey. There are dark, rich varietals like buckwheat or carrot that taste more like sorghum molasses than honey. On the other end of the spectrum you'll find brighter flavors like sourwood, orange blossom, and light clover honey. Each of these would bring a different characteristic to your honey simple syrup and the dishes or drinks you add it to!
If you want to get fancy, you can even use infused honey to add specific flavors to your honey simple syrup. Imagine hot pepper infused honey syrup, or one made with our chai spice blend!
Honey + Heat
Most simple syrup recipes that use water and sugar call for it to simmer so that it reduces, which makes it thick. When working with raw honey, you never want it to simmer. Low temperatures are sufficient for blending the water and honey. Try to keep the syrup under 100 F (37 C) so you don't burn off the beneficial properties of natural honey.
Also, honey is dense enough to add body to the syrup, so it doesn't need to simmer and thicken. If you want a more viscous honey simple syrup, add more honey until you are satisfied.
How do I use Honey Simple Syrup?
Honey simple syrup is a must-have ingredient for a well-stocked bar. A few well-known cocktails include it in their recipes. Try The Bee's Knees, Tequila Honey Bee, or the Gold Rush! Drizzle honey syrup into bourbon or whiskey to sweeten the smoky bouquet.
Honey simple syrup is also excellent for sweetening iced or hot teas, stirring into coffee, or brightening up seltzer or fruit-infused waters with a bit of natural sweetness.
Enjoy your honey simple syrup. Tell us how you are going to use your batch!
