Can You Add Honey To Coffee? Is Honey In Coffee Better Than Sugar?

Last updated on October 26th, 2023 at 17:21

Something I am a big fan of, particularly in the winter, is putting honey in my coffee, and often get asked by regular readers: Can you add honey to coffee? And is honey in coffee better than sugar?

These are the questions that I will detail in this article, and the answer to both is a resounding yes.

Keep reading as I get into this topic and answer the questions in detail.

Can You Add Honey To Coffee?

Yes, there are a lot of benefits to be had by adding honey to your coffee instead of brown or white sugar.

It is full of vitamins and minerals, has antibacterial properties and is a great and healthier alternative to sugar.

Coffee lovers that want a healthier cup of coffee with and coffee enthusiasts that simply want to experiment with the taste of honey in their cup of coffee add honey to their morning coffee giving their bodies a break from refined sugars.

Read: Black coffee with honey for weight loss

Benefits Of Honey In Coffee

Honey is made up of two sugars, glucose and fructose and, as it is with sugar, it is best enjoyed in moderation.

With this said, the properties of honey make it a much better choice than white sugar and gives you a very enjoyable flavor, and yes that makes it a great ingredient for a variety of coffee recipes.

It Is Full Of Vitamins And Minerals

Honey is a rich source of vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, B complex vitamins like niacin and riboflavin and is a source of potassium, magnesium and iron as well as zinc.

The use of it in your cup of coffee does not replace the need for a healthy diet but is a nice addition, and a nice little boost when compared to sugar.

Read: Honey in coffee

It Is High In Antioxidants

Honey is a source of antioxidants like flavonoids and phenolic acids. that reduce oxidative stress, which helps to improve cell health and can even help you with heart health and a range of chronic health conditions.

There are studies that indicate the consumption of buckwheat honey could enhance the overall antioxidant activity in your body. What that means is a teaspoon or two of buckwheat honey not only contains healthy antioxidants, it gives a boost to the antioxidants from other sources.

It Has Antibacterial Properties

Honey has antimicrobial properties that help to heal wounds and these antibacterial properties include when you consume honey – and not only when you put it on cuts and scratches.

It also has properties that are known to suppress coughs and aid sore throats as well as improved gut health which is a plus for some coffee lovers due to the acidity of coffee and easing digestion.

Research studies indicate that high-quality honey can reduce the amount of time that you are suffering from an ailment.

There are a lot of plus points to this natural sweetener, and that is why I like putting it in my morning coffee during winter.

Use High-Quality Honey To Get The Most Health Benefits

To maximize the benefits and get the most out of this aspect of putting honey in your coffee, you will need to buy a high-quality honey. The type of honey that you use matters.

When it comes to health – if this is your reason for wanting to put honey in your cup of coffee, the types of honey you use matter.

As a rule of thumb, a more expensive honey is better than regular honey. Raw honey, especially unpasteurized, will give you the biggest health boost.

The best is the stuff that you will find at your local farmers market, especially if and when it is organic and unpasteurized. The quality and the taste is absolutely notable from the very first drop.

Is Honey In Coffee Better Than Sugar?

It is, in my opinion and the research that I have done checking out various studies and peer reviewed articles, that it is a little healthier to switch the sugar in your coffee with honey.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind, if you have allergies, ensure that the pollen in your raw honey makes it into your coffee intact by adding it when your coffee is at drinkable temperature.

Also,

if you have blood sugar issues, you will notice benefits as long as you don’t put too much in. Use enough to sweeten your coffee and give it a taste of honey and no more.

The Flavor Benefits

Anything that you add to your coffee will alter how it tastes. Be it natural sweetener, and artificial sweetener or a different type of milk, the flavor of your coffee will change, which raises the question, does honey taste good in coffee?

Honey and coffee, in my opinion, tastes very good when added to coffee if you like the taste of honey and use good quality honey and the right kind. I have tried a variety of different types of honey and to be honest, some doesn’t go so well, like eucalyptus honey and rosemary honey does not taste so well as they produce a strong flavor that is simply not to my liking.

The Best Honey For Coffee

Regular honey and buckwheat honey taste great, as does orange honey. I advise you to try and experiment with different types of honey and find what you like. Perhaps you will become a fan of honey in coffee.

The flavor of honey will come through the most roasts and some of the acidity of coffee. Particularly acidic coffees and deep dark roasts, honey will not come through.

Some types of honey that you will enjoy include Fireweed honey, which is buttery, Wildflower honey which has bold floral notes, and orange honey which adds lovely orange-honey notes to your coffee.

Clover honey, which is the most common type of honey in America has a very light and mild flavor; manuka, which is known for its health properties, has a much stronger flavor and two great choices to try out.

Acacia honey is a favorite due to its all-purpose option and tends to be the honey of choice of coffee lovers and regular coffee drinkers alike.

If you want to make it a little more healthy and tasty, you can consider the following options:

• Coconut milk.
• Cinnamon.
• Vanilla.
• Almond milk.

All go well with honey and coffee and taste pretty amazing.

Can You Put Honey In Iced Coffee?

Yes, you can put honey in iced coffee, and it is absolutely delicious. Honey and iced coffee is a great choice, but there is one difficulty: at cold temperatures your honey won’t mix so well – even if you stir it well.

In the vast majority of instances, your honey will just sink to the bottom. For best results, heat you can heat your honey – the easiest way is to pour a small amount into a saucepan and heat at a low temperature for 30 seconds – It takes very little. Once it expands and becomes more liquid and watery, add it to your iced coffee.

Another option is to simply heat your milk, let it cool down until it is at drinkable temperature and then add your honey.

When your honey and milk mix is ready, add it to your coffee and put your coffee in a cocktail shaker with two or three cubes of ice and shake strongly for a minute or two.

The vigorous shaking will cool down your coffee and make it nice and frothy. Pour and enjoy your honey iced coffee.

Does Honey Taste Good In Iced Coffee?

Yes, I like it and enjoy both iced coffee and cold-brewed coffee. The bold, full-bodied coffee with hints of honey is rather delicious and, I double….triple dare you to try iced coffee with honey and vanilla cold cream topping. Simply outstanding and very, very refreshing.

The layers and different textures make it an amazing treat.

Frequently Asked Questions About Can You Add Honey To Coffee?

Is Honey Good In Your Coffee?

Honey in your coffee tastes good and alters the flavor. Different types of honey will produce different flavors; raw honey will not produce the same taste as regular honey or orange or rosemary honey.

The small amount, typically you put the same amount as you would a natural sweetener or artificial sweeteners, but you will unlikely experience any great health benefits. Long term with continued use perhaps, but short term and using honey occasionally instead of sugar will not make much of a difference.

Is It OK To Sweeten Coffee With Honey?

Yes, it is more than ok to sweeten your coffee with honey as it is a healthy coffee sweetener and adds a great taste to your coffee. It is made up of sugars, basic sugars to be more precise, that are easy for your body to break down and digest. There are more calories in honey than refined sugars, but due to being sweeter, you will use less.

Can We Mix Honey With Coffee?

Yes, I suggest that you try adding honey to coffee to enjoy the benefits of the flavor that it brings as it is very different to white sugar and other types of sugar. You can also enjoy other benefits of honey in your coffee, such as its function as a natural cough suppressant and something to soothe your sore throat.

Is Honey Toxic In Hot Coffee?

When honey is heated above 104F (40C) it is said to release a compound that is toxic, HMF (5-hydroxymethylfurfural), generally speaking it is absent in fresh honey. 5-hydroxymethylfurfural is, in simple terms, the drying out of the sugars. 

How Much Honey Should You Put In Coffee?

You should only put enough honey in your coffee to meet your own flavor requirements and how sweet and how much of a honey taste that you want in your coffee. Usually 1-2 teaspoons is enough for most people. If you let your coffee cool down to drinking temperature first, you will enjoy the best results in terms of flavor and sweetness of the honey.

Is Honey Good In My Coffee?

Honey in coffee is a good and very healthy way to add sweetness to your coffee without using unhealthy processed or refined sugars. Honey will also add some micronutrients to your coffee while sugar in coffee adds no nutritional value.

Is It Safe To Sweeten Coffee With Honey?

Yes, honey is a tasty and healthy coffee sweetener that is made with basic sugars that your body can digest easier than complex sugars. A teaspoon of honey is sweeter than white sugar but contains more calories. The benefit of it being sweeter is you will need to use less of it and thus balance out the additional sugars.

Honey also has antibacterial properties and adds nutrients to your coffee.

How Much Honey Do You Put In Coffee?

Simply add half as much as you would normally use of sugar. If you sweeten your coffee with two teaspoons of sugar, then use one teaspoon of honey and stir well. If you need more, add a little more, but keep in mind that honey has a sweeter taste than sugar. Let your hot coffee cool down for a minute or two and don’t add immediately as an elevated heat may destroy some of the positive health benefits of honey.

Final Thoughts – Can You Add Honey To Coffee?

If you are wondering, can you add honey to coffee and have read this far, you know the answer is a resounding yes, and you know what the benefits are and what type of honey is best for the health benefits and flavor.

Just be wary of putting honey in French and Italian roast and coffee that is highly acidic as the flavor is not likely to come through.

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