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As you brew that first pot of the day and reach into the cupboard, one thought may find itself buzzing in any coffee lover's mind - can you put honey in coffee?
Read on as I break down whether you can drizzle a bear's favorite treat into a pot of caffeinated nectar from the gods.
How Does Honey Affect The Taste Of Coffee?
Honey affects the taste of coffee by adding a natural sweetness that has a distinct natural flavor.
Coffee has plenty of roasts, strains, and grinds that each brings a unique flavor profile to the breakfast table. Surprisingly to some, honey is the same way.
What flowers the bees pollinate will have an effect on its aroma and taste. While white sugar can add a simple sweetness, honey-sweetened coffee has another level of honey taste that people love.
If you are curious, we recommend getting experimental with your coffee and the types of honey you use in combination - it may even show you a brand-new way to enjoy your morning brew.
1. In Black Coffee
Black coffee is a strong and bitter drink that is great alone or delicious when sweetened with white sugar or cream.
Strong-flavored honey complements the bold flavors and taste profiles of your next cup.
Buckwheat honey is one of the richest and most potent honey types in terms of strong flavor, making it polarising but popular.
Another good alternative is Fireweed honey, a popular US variant, which has a buttery and sweet flavor that many love both in and out of coffee.
2. In Milky Coffee
Milky coffee is a mild and comforting option that works well no matter the time of day.
Pairing it with more mellow honey to sweeten your cup could round off a satisfying beverage well.
For example, acacia honey tastes sweeter than other types, while avocado flower honey brings a sweet, floral, buttery flavor profile that feels fancy.
Clover honey and regular honey are also excellent choices here.
Good news, tea drinkers - a teaspoon of honey like the ones above could also sweeten your milky tea.
3. In Iced Coffee
Although it is simple to make, iced coffee often feels just a little fancier than its milk or black counterparts. Adding flavor-infused honey could help make it feel a bit more special.
There are plenty to choose from, but floral and fruity ones often work best here.
Wildflower honey brings a light and fruity taste with a rich floral scent. Lavender honey is well-rounded, floral, and sometimes spiced for a unique finale.
Blackberry honey has a light berry taste and floral scent that is reminiscent of picnics in the park.
Is Honey A Good Sugar Substitute In Coffee?
Yes, honey can be a good substitute for cane sugar in coffee. However, it should be noted that honey has more calories than sugar.
Is It Healthier?
Honey is a healthier option than a processed sweetener, like various table sugars. It makes a good substitute sweetener for those looking to reap the benefits of honey.
A common question in the honey vs sugar debate, people are curious to know whether honey is a healthy alternative to sugar.[1]
Before you can dive into that debate, you need to consider how much sugar is in both sweeteners and what your body does with those sugars.
To break it down into calories, a teaspoon of sugar has around 16 calories, while a teaspoon of honey has around 23 calories.
Easy, that means sugar is healthier, right? Not necessarily.
White sugar is made of beet or cane sugar that has been refined until it becomes sucrose - a mix of glucose and fructose. This complex combination can be difficult for your body to digest.
Honey is made using unrefined glucose and fructose as well as water, which is a more basic sugar. This combination makes honey both easier to digest and sweeter than sugar.
Will It Help With Weight Loss?
Honey is a healthier option than sugar and is unlikely to lead to weight gain in moderation - but it is also unlikely to lead to weight loss.
As honey is sweeter than sugar, you can use half a teaspoon of it for every full teaspoon of sugar in your hot coffee.
While small changes like these can build up, weight loss comes from a healthy diet, exercise, and creating a sustainable calorie deficit.[2]
For those with blood sugar issues, raw honey has a lower glycemic index than sugar. It is still sugar, so it will raise your blood sugar.
However, it won’t do so as quickly and will not lead to an intense crash as sugar does.
Does the Type Of Honey Matter?
Yes. Just like coffee, the type of honey does matter.
Another way to look at whether something is ‘healthy’ or not is to consider how nutritious it is to consume. Sugar has very few nutritious features to speak of as it is so processed, but what about honey?
There are two basic types of honey on the market - raw honey and pasteurized honey. Raw honey comes straight from the hive with minimal processing.
This lack of pasteurization allows it to retain more nutrients and vitamins and be healthier all around. Local honey from local beekeepers is typically raw.
Pasteurized honey has been heated and processed to kill any yeast cells and prevent fermentation. This is to help with increasing the jar’s shelf-life and is the most common type you will see in the supermarket.
Supermarket mass-produced honey can also be bulked up with syrups, making it unhealthier than raw local honey.
As we briefly mentioned earlier, both raw and processed honey comes in different flavors - get experimental and see what tastes you prefer with your morning coffee.
If calories and nutrients are a high priority for you, we recommend shopping local and supporting your local bee farmers to reap the health benefits of honey.
Plus, you get the added benefit of doing good in your local community and a delicious cup of coffee - what more could you want?
The Amazing Benefits Of Adding Honey To Coffee
What benefits are there to adding honey to your coffee? Coffee drinkers could find themselves enjoying the following with their coffee and honey beverages.
1. Extra Vitamins And Minerals
Honey, particularly raw honey, has a vast array of minerals and vitamins with certain health properties. Some of the highlights include:
2. High In Antioxidants
Antioxidants are designed to help prevent or treat cell decay, which can help prevent or minimize symptoms of diseases like heart disease or cancer. Luckily, high-quality honey is rich in antioxidants.
Honey contains healthy antioxidants like flavinoids, which are anti-inflammatory. This is what helps honey in drinks soothe a sore throat or cough.
Honey also has phenolic acids that reduce oxidative stress and improve cell health. Polyphenols can also be found in honey, which work to boost the immune system.[3]
3. Antibacterial Properties
Honey has certain antibacterial properties that can help keep you healthy.
These properties can help promote fast wound healing and are linked to better gut health and shortened illness recovery time.[4]
For hayfever sufferers, having local honey could help you fight seasonal allergies and lower the intensity of your reaction through having honey in coffee.
By consuming local honey, you are having small amounts of pollen and helping your body get used to it, boosting your immune system - think of it as working similarly to a vaccine.
Luxury raw honey is where you can find the most nutrients and antibacterial properties. Some people even put manuka honey on spots to naturally remove them overnight!
Drawbacks Of Putting Honey In Coffee
We have waxed poetic about the benefits of this delicious natural sweetener, but what are the drawbacks of adding honey to coffee?
1. Honey Can Be Messy
We have all seen Winnie the Pooh covered in sticky honey - you can very quickly find yourself in a similar situation if you are not careful.
We recommend using a squeezy bottle or a very careful hand when it comes to preparing your coffee with honey.
2. Must Use High-Quality Honey
High-quality raw honey is the most likely to retain its vitamins and other benefits and is the healthier alternative to table sugar.
3. Impacts Blood Sugar Levels
While honey is an excellent alternative to refined sugars, it is still sugar. Having honey coffee will still raise your blood sugar just like white table sugar does, just slower and lower.
Some people with IBS or other digestive issues may need to be cautious when considering using it over processed sugars.
How To Make Coffee With Honey At Home
Looking to add honey to your next cup of coffee? It is as simple as adding refined sugar - just mix a teaspoon or two into your coffee, and you are golden.
As honey has a distinct taste, try adding a little less honey than you would white sugar and see how that affects your coffee taste.
If you are looking to keep those trace vitamins, you may want to let your coffee cool a bit before mixing in a spoonful of honey.
Honey is pasteurized at around 120-160 Fahrenheit, and coffee is often brewed at 195-205 Fahrenheit.[5]
Honey is a popular choice among many an iced coffee lover.
Sugar is solid and has a hard time dissolving in cold water - as honey is already a liquid, it has a much easier time blending and provides a mild flavor that tastes great.
FAQs
Can honey and coffee become toxic?
No, honey cannot really become toxic. Some suggest that honey that has been heated over 104 Fahrenheit can potentially release a toxic chemical called HMF, but this is debatable in terms of negative effects and chances of occurring.[6] If you are concerned, let your coffee cool before you add honey.
What other sugar substitutes can I use in coffee?
There are plenty of other regular sugar substitutes that you can use in coffee, such as:
Conclusion
Honey and coffee make a great combination, providing sweetness and trace health benefits to your daily brew - some consider it the better choice over other sweeteners.
Try asking your barista to stir in a spoonful of sweet nectar to offset the bitterness instead of adding sugar.
Next time you add honey to coffee, we recommend experimenting and seeing if you can find a stronger flavor to make your coffee taste good, like orange blossom.
References:
1. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/honey-vs-sugar#tips
2. https://www.livescience.com/is-running-good-for-weight-loss
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6225430/
4. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD005083.pub4/full
5. https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/243491/reporting
6. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13065-018-0408-3
