Using Honey for Your Favorite Fall Treats U s i n g   H o n e y   f o r   Y o u r   F a v o r i t e   F a l l   T r e a t s

How to Swap Honey for Sugar in Baking

Honey is not a one-for-one replacement for sugar, and treating it like one is why honey cakes come out dense or over-browned. A few adjustments fix that:

• Use less. Start with about 1/2 to 2/3 cup of honey for every 1 cup of sugar the recipe calls for. Honey is sweeter, so you need less of it.
• Cut back the liquid. Honey brings moisture with it. Reduce the other liquids in the recipe by roughly 1/4 cup for every 1 cup of honey you use.
• Lower the oven. Honey browns faster than sugar. Drop the temperature by about 25 degrees F and keep an eye on the edges.
• Add a pinch of baking soda. Honey is slightly acidic. About 1/4 teaspoon per cup of honey helps balance it, especially in cakes and quick breads.

For anything you are not baking, like drizzling, glazing, or stirring into a drink, none of this matters. Use as much or as little as tastes right.

Cinnamon Honey Baked Apples

Serves: 4    Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook Time: 35 to 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 baking apples, cored (Honeycrisp, Granny Smith, or Braeburn all work)
• 4 tablespoons Big Bear Cinnamon Creamed Honey
• 1/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1/4 cup old-fashioned oats
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces

• 1/2 cup apple cider or water, for the pan

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Core the apples, leaving the bottoms intact so the filling stays put.

3. Stir together the cinnamon creamed honey, nuts, and oats. Spoon the mixture into each apple.

4. Dot the tops with butter and set the apples in a baking dish.

5. Pour the cider or water into the bottom of the dish, then bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the apples are tender when pierced with a knife.

Tip: Spoon some of the pan liquid over the apples before serving. That is where all the flavor ends up.

Spiced Chai Honey Latte

Serves: 1    Prep Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon Big Bear Spiced Chai Creamed Honey
• 8 oz hot brewed black tea or chai concentrate
• 1/4 cup milk of choice, warmed
• Cinnamon, for dusting

Directions

1. Add the spiced chai creamed honey to the bottom of your mug.

2. Pour in the hot tea and stir until the honey fully dissolves.

3. Top with warmed milk.

4. Dust with cinnamon and serve.

Tip: This works iced too. Dissolve the honey in a small amount of hot water first, then pour over ice and add cold milk.

Hot Honey Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Serves: 4    Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons Big Bear Hot Honey
• Flaky salt, for finishing

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.

2. Toss the Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread cut side down on a sheet pan.

3. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, until deeply browned and crisp at the edges.

4. Drizzle with hot honey straight out of the oven and toss to coat.

5. Finish with flaky salt and serve warm.

Tip: Do not add the honey before roasting. It will burn. Always drizzle it on at the end.

Honey Ginger Hot Apple Cider

Serves: 4    Prep Time: 5 minutes    Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups apple cider
• 3 tablespoons Big Bear Ginger Infused Honey
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 4 whole cloves

• 1 orange, sliced

Directions

1. Combine the cider, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and orange slices in a pot.

2. Warm over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes. Do not let it boil.

3. Remove from heat and stir in the ginger infused honey until dissolved.

4. Strain into mugs and serve.

Tip: Stir the honey in off the heat. Boiling honey dulls its flavor, and there is no reason to cook it here.

Bourbon Honey Glazed Carrots

Serves: 6    Prep Time: 10 minutes    Cook Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut on the bias
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons Big Bear Bourbon Infused Honey
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Fresh thyme, for garnish

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Toss the carrots with melted butter and salt, then spread on a sheet pan.

3. Roast for 20 minutes, until just tender.

4. Drizzle with bourbon infused honey, toss, and return to the oven for 5 more minutes.

5. Garnish with fresh thyme and serve.

Tip: This one uses our Bourbon Infused Honey, which contains real bourbon. Most of the alcohol cooks off in the oven, but not all of it. Keep that in mind depending on who is at the table.

Fall Harvest Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Serves: 4    Prep Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 6 cups mixed greens or chopped romaine
• 1 apple, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
• 4 oz crumbled goat cheese or feta
• 3 tablespoons Big Bear Classic Honey Mustard
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Whisk together the honey mustard, apple cider vinegar, and olive oil until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Combine the greens, apple slices, cranberries, and pecans in a large bowl.

3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

4. Top with crumbled cheese and serve.

Tip: Our honey mustard is already a finished product, so the dressing comes together with two extra ingredients. Swap in Cherry Honey Mustard for something sweeter, or Pepper Honey Mustard if you want a little heat against the apple.

Pick Your Flavor

Most of these recipes work with more than one honey. Cinnamon Creamed Honey and Spiced Chai Creamed Honey can trade places in almost anything baked. Ginger Infused Honey works in cider or over roasted squash. Hot Honey belongs on anything savory that came out of a hot oven. And plain raw honey does the job in all of them if you want the fall spice to come from the dish instead of the jar.

Browse Creamed Honey for the spiced and dessert flavors, Specialty Honey for the infused line, or Hot Honey and Honey Mustard if you are cooking savory. [Add internal links to each collection.]