A Simple Recipe For Honey Simple Syrup

Popular drinks like sweet tea, cocktails, and lemonade are often overloaded with more sugar than we’d like, but sometimes it’s hard to find a good alternative sweetener. That’s where honey simple syrup comes in. It’s a healthier alternative to sugar and, given its consistency, you can easily add it to drinks, marinades, and vinaigrettes.

To make honey simple syrup, mix equal amounts of water and honey in a saucepan and put it over medium heat. When it starts to boil, lower the heat and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes. Stir consistently and once the syrup thickens, switch off the heat and let it cool.

The process of making honey simple syrup is quite easy and hardly takes any time, but there are a few things you’ll need to keep in mind as you get started. Let’s take a look at the full process, how to store the honey simple syrup so that it lasts, and some other sugar alternatives you can also use. 

How to Make Honey Simple Syrup

Bowl of honey

Simple syrup is essentially a sweetened syrup made using equal parts of water and sweetener. Traditionally, it’s made with water and white sugar, but you can also make it with different sugar and flavor combinations or just honey.

Making honey simple syrup is quite easy. Here’s the process:

  1. Add water and honey to a small saucepan and put it over medium heat. 
  2. Stir the mixture until the honey dissolves, and bring it to a boil.
  3. Once it starts boiling, turn the heat to low and allow it to simmer for 10 minutes. Make sure you stir consistently.   
  4. Once the syrup thickens a bit, switch off the heat and let the mixture cool down completely before pouring it into an airtight glass container.
  5. Store the syrup in the refrigerator for up to one month.   

What to Keep in Mind Before Starting

When making honey simple syrup, there are a few things to keep in mind:

The Type of Honey

Different varieties of honey and the time of year they’re harvested greatly determine their flavor and strengths. So you can use different kinds of honey depending on the drink you want to make.

For instance, milder kinds of honey like alfalfa and clover are more suitable for bright cocktails, while buckwheat and other earthier and richer varieties are better for dark-spirit drinks. 

Plus, before you make the syrup, you should taste the honey first and adjust the honey and water ratio accordingly. If you have milder honey, then you might want to change the honey-to-water ratio and use two cups of honey with one cup of water.

Your Desired Consistency

When you make a simple syrup using white sugar, it tends to be thick, like actual syrup. Meanwhile, the consistency of a honey simple syrup isn’t very thick, so don’t worry about the consistency.

Think of it as a concentrate instead of a thick syrup. 

Your Boiling Time

You shouldn’t boil the honey simple syrup for too long. You don’t want to burn the honey, so when the syrup starts to boil, turn down the heat to low and let the mixture simmer instead of boiling. 

What Are Some Alternatives to Honey?

If you don’t have honey at hand, there are a few other alternatives you can use. 

Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is known for its complex flavor, which is a mixture of caramel, butter, and vanilla. Even though it’s relatively expensive, it has a number of benefits such as antioxidants and minerals like calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

You can swap maple syrup for honey in a 1:1 ratio.  

Agave

Agave syrup (on Amazon) is another honey alternative that you can swap out in a 1:1 ratio. While dark agave is richer, amber agave has a slightly caramel-like taste. And since it’s a high fructose sweetener, its glycemic index is low, so there’s less chance that it’ll trigger blood sugar spikes.

However, be careful when purchasing agave syrup and get a high-quality one that doesn’t contain any harsh preservatives or added sugars. 

Corn Syrup

Pouring Corn Syrup into a Pot to Make Hard Candy

Another versatile and cheap alternative to honey is corn syrup (on Amazon). It dissolves well in liquid and doesn’t crystallize like most other sweeteners, making it a good option for making sweet sauces. However, corn syrup doesn’t really have any nutritional value and doesn’t make you feel full.     

If you have light corn syrup, swap it in a 1:1 ratio, but if you have dark corn syrup, use 1 teaspoon of syrup for 2 teaspoons of honey.

Date Paste

As you might have guessed, date paste (on Amazon) is a creamy blend of dates. It’s easy to make at home (just simmer the dates until they’re soft and blend them quickly in a blender) and it’s rich in fiber and antioxidants like phenolics and carotenoids.

To swap honey for date paste, use ⅔ cup of the paste for ½ cup of honey. If you want things sweeter, you can also use a 1:1 ratio.

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