In my efforts to eat more real foods and rely less on sugar, I've been using honey in my baking!  Honey is known primarily for its sweetness and can replace white sugar in almost anything.  In fact, honey is so sweet (25 - 50% sweeter than white sugar), that you need less of it to enjoy the same flavor!

Image courtesy of artur84 at freedigitalphotos.net

More than sugar: However, unlike white sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and other such man-made, refined sweeteners, honey is a more naturally-occurring substance containing over a hundred different compounds, including plenty of vitamins, amino acids, and minerals. When you consume honey, you're getting so much more than just a hit of sugar, and, for that, honey is a much healthier sweetener than refined sugars!

The best kind of honey you can use is raw honey, which can be found in most farmer's markets (bonus points for local!) and health food stores today.  Or, if you're so inclined, visit a local bee farm or raise your own!  That's another dare for another day...

[Sidenote: I've also used a lot of maple syrup in my baking, but that's actually less sweet than regular sugar and so comes with different benefits.]


Next time you are baking or sweetening your tea, dare you to swap out the sugar for a bit of raw honey! 

According to AllRecipes.com, you can adjust a recipe as follows: 

"Use ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon honey in place of 1 cup sugar, and reduce the other liquid ingredients by 2 tablespoons."

Other sources say you can do a 1:1 swap, but I'd simply experiment with your favorite recipe until you find the sweet spot. :)



Some of my fellow FitFluential Ambassadors kindly shared their favorite honey-sweetened recipes!! Check them out below:

Gluten-Free Recipes
- Honey Sesame Almonds and Spiced Roasted Almonds by Rachel at Little Chef Big Appetite
- Matcha Chia Pudding with Sweet Dukkah by Chelsea's Healthy Kitchen
- Cranberry Swirly Snack (yogurt and fruit snack) by Be Mindful, You're Creative
- Honey Dijon Daikon Radish Fries by Healthy Helper
- Slow Cooker Honey Turkey Breast with Butternut Squash also by Healthy Helper
- Gluten-Free Chocolate Nut Granola by Almost Getting It Together
- Pumpkin Cacao Brownies by Running Girl Maiah Miller
- Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls (Vegan and Gluten-Free!) also by Running Girl Maiah Miller

For the Non-GF folks:
- Whole-Wheat Apple Honey Muffins by Rachel at Little Chef Big Appetite
- WW Pumpkin Muffins and Blueberry Muffins by A Mindful Mom

Some of my favorite paleo cookbook authors also have some great honey-sweetened recipes for you!
- Chocoholic's Chocolate Mousse by Primal Palate
- Apple Pie Tartlets by PaleOMG
- Chicken Thighs with Honey-Mustard Sauce by Diane Sanfilippo
- Gingersnap Cookies by Danielle Walker

Last but not least, my own Apple Crisp recipe! (Gluten-free and paleo-friendly)

Paleo Apple Crisp

So go! Enjoy! Dare you to indulge your sweet tooth with nature's sweetener.

What's your favorite way to use honey?  


Sources: LiveStrong, Mark's Daily Apple, AllRecipes