Vegan Honey
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.I can’t get over how good my Vegan Honey tastes, it’s just like the real thing! Sweetened with whole apples and raw sugar, it’s hard to believe it’s completely bee-free. The best part? It takes me less than an hour to make a jar of golden, spreadable goodness to enjoy with all my favorite meals.
When I started my plant-based journey, finding a vegan honey alternative felt impossible. I loved its golden sweetness in my tea, on toast, or drizzled over desserts, but I knew I needed a bee-free version. That’s why I’m so excited to share my vegan honey recipe, I can already taste it drizzled over my vegan French toast. Yum!
I created this honey substitute with vegans in mind – and hey, why not non-vegans too? With just four simple ingredients, this syrup tastes, looks, and smells so much like the real deal that even I forget it’s totally bee-free.
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
I have to admit, as much as I love spicing up my food (if you’ve seen my spicy vegan sriracha mayo recipe, you know!), I also have a major sweet tooth. Honey has always been my go-to for adding a little sweetness to, well, almost everything. So when I made my vegan honey for the first time, I couldn’t stop experimenting with it! From salad dressings to sauces, sandwiches, and more, it quickly became my secret weapon for adding the perfect healthy sweetness to all my recipes. Honestly, I’m obsessed!
What I love most about this recipe is how simple it is. With just apples, raw sugar, apple cider vinegar, and water, I’ve created a vegan honey that’s light, refreshing, and slightly tart, just like traditional honey. The food processor makes it a breeze to extract all that sweet, juicy goodness from the apples, which becomes the base of this syrup. It’s naturally gluten-free, perfectly sweetened, and can even be made sugar-free by using powdered monk fruit instead, I always make a jar for my friend who isn’t much of a sweet tooth, and she loves it.
It’s proof that you don’t need fancy ingredients or animal products to create something truly amazing! I can’t wait for you to give it a try and start using it on your favorite meals, just like I do.
🥘 Ingredients
I can confidently say that my vegan honey recipe is not only healthy but also super affordable, making it easy for anyone to make at home.
Apples: Red apples are the star of this recipe! I keep the peels on for extra flavor and nutrients.
Sugar: I use a cup of raw sugar to sweeten the honey. For other sugar options, check out my variations below.
Apple Cider Vinegar: Just a splash of ACV is all you need, it’s easy to find at any grocery store.
Water: I use a little purified water to create the perfect thick consistency. You don’t need much since the syrup should stay rich and sweet.
🍯 Substitutions
Sugar: I love using raw granulated sugar, but coconut sugar or brown sugar works too. I haven’t tried date paste yet, but if you do, let me know how it turns out, it’s all about satisfying that sweet tooth.
Apples: You can use any apples for this recipe, but sweeter ones like Red Delicious or Fuji are my favorite. Tart apples like Granny Smith work too, but sweeter varieties make the flavor pop.
🔪 How To Make
Making my vegan honey recipe is a breeze with my step-by-step guide, and it’s ready in less than an hour.
Chop Apples: I start by chopping the apples into cubes and removing the seeds, but I always leave the peels on for extra flavor.
Blend In Food Processor: Next, I pop the chopped apples into a food processor with a bit of water and blend them until they’re puréed.
Squeeze The Pulp: I transfer the apple purée into a nut milk bag or cheesecloth and squeeze out all the juice. The liquid goes straight into a saucepan, ready for the next step!
Thicken Honey And Stir: Next, I add the sugar, apple cider vinegar, and lemon juice to the saucepan. I bring it to a low boil and let it simmer on low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the syrup thickens to my desired consistency. After a couple of minutes, I take it off the stove, it smells amazing!
Cool: I’m careful not to overcook the honey, or it’ll harden like candy. Once it’s just right, I let it cool in the saucepan at room temperature, it thickens beautifully as it cools!
Store: Once it’s cooled, the vegan honey has the perfect taste and consistency, just like the real thing! I transfer it to a glass jar or an airtight container with a lid for easy storage.
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip for making my vegan honey is to keep an eye on the temperature! I learned the hard way that if it gets too hot, it can overcook and turn into candy. Now, I make sure to simmer it gently, so it stays smooth, silky, and perfectly spreadable, just like real honey.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Store well: I keep my vegan honey at room temperature for a light, spreadable consistency that’s easy to use.
- Use an airtight jar: A clear, airtight jar keeps the honey fresh for months because of its high sugar content.
- Thicken: For a thicker consistency, I pop it in the fridge, but it’s not necessary since it stores just fine at room temperature.
📖 Variations
Personally, I think this is absolutely the best vegan honey as is, but there are lots of ways to change up this sweet treat. Here are some of my favorite variations:
Enhance Flavors: I love soaking flower heads like dandelions to make dandelion honey or syrup, it’s such a fun twist! You can also infuse chamomile tea or add fresh lemon juice for extra flavor.
Organic Apple Juice: If I’m short on time, I use organic pressed apple juice instead of making it from whole apples. It’s a quick and easy shortcut that still tastes amazing!
Vegan Hot Honey: For a spicy kick, I mix in a little hot sauce or spicy ingredients. It’s a delicious way to turn this vegan honey into a bold, fiery treat.
Sugar Free: To make this recipe sugar-free, I use 1 cup of a powdered monk fruit blend as a substitute. It keeps the sweetness while staying completely sugar-free!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
My homemade vegan honey with apples recipe is so versatile, I’m constantly finding new ways to enjoy it:
Drizzle It: I love drizzling this vegan honey over my vegan apple crisp, waffles, or my delicious healthy French toast for a perfectly sweet topping.
Drinks: I stir it into my bahama mama tropical smoothie and my favorite drink ever, my honey latte for a natural, bee-free sweetener that tastes amazing.
Salad Dressings: I mix it into my breakfast fruit salad for a touch of sweetness.
🫙 Storage Directions
Store In The Fridge Or Room Temperature: I like to store my bee-free honey in a glass jar, like a mason jar, or another airtight container. It lasts up to 3 months and stays perfectly fine at room temperature, but if I want a thicker texture, I pop it in the fridge!
❓Recipe FAQs
Is honey vegan?
The answer to that question is absolutely not! Regular honey is made with honey bees, and anything from honey bees is considered an animal product.
What is a vegan substitute for honey?
I know a lot of people like to use maple syrup, date syrup, brown rice syrup, agave, or even blackstrap molasses instead of honey. They’re good options, but personally, I think my vegan honey comes closest to the real deal!
Can I freeze vegan honey?
Freezing isn’t recommended, as it can affect the texture and make it grainy. It’s best stored at room temperature or in the fridge.
Is vegan honey healthier than regular honey?
Vegan honey is free from animal products and can be lower in sugar depending on the recipe. It’s also customizable, making it a great option for those with specific dietary needs.
🍲 More Vegan Recipes!
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📋 Recipe Card
Vegan Honey
I can’t get over how good my Vegan Honey tastes, it’s just like the real thing! Sweetened with whole apples and raw sugar, it’s hard to believe it’s completely bee-free. The best part? It takes me less than an hour to make a jar of golden, spreadable goodness to enjoy with all my favorite meals.
Servings: 16 tbsp
Calories: 71kcal
Ingredients
- 10 red apples
- ½ cup water
- 1 cup raw sugar
- ½ tbsp apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- ½ tbsp lemon juice
Equipment
Instructions
- Chop the apples into cubes, then remove the seeds, but keep the peels.
- Place the apples in a food processor with the water, and blend until purèed, about five minutes. Don't make it too smooth as that will make it harder to squeeze the juice out. You may need to scratch the sides a few times to be sure you'll get the most juice.
- Place the apple puree into a nut milk bag or cheesecloth to separate the juice from the pulp. Squeeze the liquid into a saucepan. You should have about 2 cups of juic.
- Add sugar, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice to the saucepan.
- Bring the mixture to a boil and steam at low heat until the juice starts to thicken. This process should take 30 minutes, but it can also take longer.
- Once the liquid begins to thicken (it will get even thicker when cold), stir it regularly. After two to three minutes, remove it from the stove. Be careful not to caramelize the honey at this point, or it will get super hard when cold, like candy.
- Let the honey cool in the saucepan. Next, transfer it to a jar with a lid.
Notes
- My #1 Secret Tip for making my vegan honey is to keep an eye on the temperature! I learned the hard way that if it gets too hot, it can overcook and turn into candy. Now, I make sure to simmer it gently, so it stays smooth, silky, and perfectly spreadable, just like real honey.
- I keep my vegan honey at room temperature for a light, spreadable consistency that’s easy to use.
- A clear, airtight jar keeps the honey fresh for months because of its high sugar content.
- For a thicker consistency, I pop it in the fridge, but it’s not necessary since it stores just fine at room temperature.
- Makes 1 cup total, 1 serving = 1 tbsp
Nutrition
Serving: 1tbsp | Calories: 71kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 3mg | Potassium: 51mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 17g
I had no idea you could make a vegan version of honey! This is fantastic, I have some vegan friends and now I can use this honey as a substitute for when I make some of my favorite recipes for them!
Yes!! It will totally work for your vegan friends! 🙂
Oh, this recipe is such a gem! Thank you so much for sharing!
Thanks Toni! Glad you liked it!
Vegan Honey totally knocked it out of the park! The texture and flavor are spot-on, and I love that it’s bee-free. Your recipe was super easy to follow, and the end result was delicious.
Awesome!! Thanks Tavo!
I can’t believe how amazing this vegan honey tastes! It’s truly a game-changer in the world of plant-based alternatives. The natural sweetness from whole apples and raw sugar gives it an authentic honey flavor.
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that Alison!
Amazing! This is pretty brilliant to make a sub for honey. I know a child that has an allergy to honey, this is fabulous and so appreciated it can save many lives and now they can enjoy a blessed fruit. thanks so much for posting this
Of course!! So glad it was helpful!
I NEED to share this recipe with my vegan friend. She misses honey so much. Well, she won’t anymore!
Yay! Can’t wait to hear how she likes it!
This is the first time I see vegan honey, and I’ve got to admit that I am super intrigued with the recipe!
Thank Mahy! I promise, it tastes just like real honey!
Definitely giving this a go! We love honey in our house but if we can use a bee free alternative, we certainly will! Will be giving this recipe a try asap!
Thanks so much Bintu! Enjoy!
This looks delicious – I bet it’s perfect drizzled over porridge or on toast. Yum!
Yes!! It is perfect over both!