Can You Sweeten Coffee With Honey? Yes And Here’s Why!

The question is not really can you sweeten coffee with honey, it is more should you sweeten your coffee with honey?

The answer is of course a resounding yes!

Honey is a healthy natural sweetener that has been used for thousands of years and loads up your morning cup of coffee with additional nutrients and other healthy compounds that are great for your health.

The only question is how much should be used before it spoils your coffee and what types of coffee should you not use honey in.

Keep reading as we answer those questions and talk some more about the subject of coffee and honey.

Can You Sweeten Coffee With Honey?

In a single word, yes. In my own opinion, coffee sweetened with honey makes for a healthier and better start to the day for a number of reasons – namely the abundance of nutrients that are in honey as well as the antioxidants and antibacterial properties.

The simple sugars found in honey are much better than the complex sugars and don’t result in an energy crash later.

Sweetening your coffee with honey also adds a rich taste and texture to your coffee, which I’ll talk about in a moment.

Read: Manuka Honey in coffee

The Nutrients In Honey

All kinds of honey from regular honey to high quality honey and specialty honey like manuka honey are rich in nutrients.

Let’s have a look at the vitamin content:

• Vitamin B6,
• Vitamin B9
• Vitamin A.
• Vitamin C.
• And More.

The benefits of honey extend to the mineral content that it has, which are:

• Calcium.
• Phosphorus.
• Iron.
• Magnesium.
• Zinc.
• Potassium.

The health benefits of honey are not limited to the nutritional content; it is rich in antioxidants and antibacterial agents that help to treat and prevent sore throats, coughs and an upset stomach.

To me, it is clear that honey is a better option than sugar, at least for a morning cup of coffee to kick-start the day.

Read: Can you put honey in coffee?

Honey In Coffee Taste

Honey has a great rich and strong flavor that, I have to admit, does not always go very well with coffee.

A lot of coffee enthusiasts enjoy the taste of honey in coffee and love to add it to their morning cup of coffee for the taste and health benefits. Like coffee, there are many different types of honey and some, like eucalyptus honey, which simply does not go well at all with coffee.

Others,

like raw organic honey, Manuka honey, orange honey, rosemary honey and clover honey, go very well with coffee, adding a rich, fun flavor and a great texture to your cup of coffee.

The type of coffee matters also. I have found that very dark roasts like French and Italian roasts the flavor of the honey, not matter what honey is used, will not come through. Coffee that has a high acidity will also not bring out the taste of honey.

In these instances, despite not being able to enjoy the benefits of the flavor, you will still benefit from the nutrients, the natural sweetness and texture.

Different Types Of Honey You Can Add To Your Coffee

Different types of honey produce different tastes and effects. Like what I have touched on above, it might not be the honey that you are putting in your coffee that is making it taste as great as you would expect.

It may very well be the combination of honey and the coffee that you are using just not mixing well and producing a great flavor.

If you are not a honey expert, here is a short list of different types of honey that you can find and a brief guide.

• Acacia Honey: Great for a daily morning coffee and is undoubtedly the sweetest that you will find.
• Alfalfa Honey: Makes your coffee sweeter and aids intestinal bacteria for better gut health.
• Avocado Honey: A sweet buttery honey that is collected from the pollen of avocado flowers. Good for a creamy, buttery, tasty texture.
• Blue Gum Honey: This will taste much better on whole bread toast than in your coffee. It has a denser texture than regular honey.
• Buckwheat Honey: Alongside Manuka honey, it is rich and loaded with nutrients, great for brewing beer but does not go particularly well in coffee.
• Chestnut Honey: This is very popular in Italy but is more on the bitter side than a sweet treat – keep that in mind if you are thinking of using this  in your coffee, since coffee is naturally bitter.
• Fireweed Honey: This produces a complex flavor and a very smooth buttery texture and is quite fantastic in coffee. It is the most popular form of honey in America, alongside clove honey.
• Manuka Honey: Like Buckwheat, it is loaded with nutrients and is prized for the additional health benefits of adding this to coffee. The taste can vary depending on which of New Zealand’s islands it comes from. South Island is sweeter and creamier and North Island has a fuller and richer flavor. Manuka will give you the biggest health boost and greatest health effects according to research and experts.
• Orange Honey: A very nice and light honey with an orange zest. Think of it like traditional bee honey meets marmalade. It goes well with medium to medium-dark roasted coffee.

There are a lot of other types of honey out there to try and experiment with, including heather honey, sourwood honey, sage honey and many more.

Experiment and find out which you like best. Manuka is my favorite to put in my morning coffee for the nutrients and health boost.

Read: Honey in coffee

 Coffee With Honey Calories

This is a more complex question than simply counting calories, a very standard unit of energy in foods. Going on the calorie by calorie basis, white sugar has 16 calories per teaspoon while the same quantity of honey contains 7 calories more, almost 50% more calories.

While a teaspoon of raw honey does contain 23 calories when compared to 16 of sugar, honey has more sugar content, some twice as much as regular sugar and thus to achieve the same level of sweetness, you need only half as much to sweeten your tea or coffee.

Thus, a more accurate calculation would consider how much honey you need and compare that to how many calories are in sugar.

If you would normally put two teaspoons of sugar in your coffee (32 calories), you would need only one teaspoon of honey (23 calories) to reach the same level of sweetness.

Honey In Coffee Recipe

It is incredibly easy to make coffee with honey. It is not as simple as adding a dollop of honey to your burning hot coffee.

There are a few things to consider first – the type of honey and how it will affect the taste of your coffee. See the section above for a brief guide. You also need to consider the roast and acidity of your coffee.

If your coffee has a high acidity, you will not be able to taste the honey, like wise if you use too dark a roast as the honey just won’t cut through the deep, dark taste of coffee from a dark roast.

To make an amazing honey coffee, simply make your favorite coffee as you normally would. Wait for it to cool down as you don’t want to denature the nutrients in the honey and add 1 tablespoon of honey per 8 ounces of coffee. This is the ideal ratio for maximum taste from the honey.

If your coffee is not hitting the spot for you, do not add more honey as you will spoil the coffee and honey flavor. Simply add a sprinkle or dash of cinnamon.

The cinnamon will sweeten your coffee and add a great flavor that goes very well with honey coffee. It is also very healthy and packed with nutrients and antioxidants.

Frequently Asked Questions About Can You Sweeten Coffee With Honey?

Is Honey Better For You Than Sugar In Coffee?

Yes, honey has a lot of plus points and some very good reasons for adding it to your coffee as a natural sweetener. For a start, it adds flavor and a rich texture and is nutritionally dense with B vitamins, manganese, iron, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin C, to name a few and the natural sugars ensure you don’t suffer an energy crash later. White sugar, and refined sugars really only add sweetness and calories with no other properties of real benefit. More exotic sugars like brown sugar, coconut sugar add taste.

Is It Weird To Put Honey In Coffee?

Honey has been used for thousands of years to sweeten coffee, tea and other drinks. It is most certainly not weird to use it as a healthier alternative to regular sugar or artificial sweeteners. It adds sweeteners, nutrients and, due to the thick density, it adds a little texture. This is something you cannot get with a basic sugar, zero calorie sweeteners or even more exotic sugars.  

How Much Honey Should I Put In My Coffee?

To get the maximum benefit from the nutrients and peak flavor without it overpowering your coffee, add 1 tablespoon of honey. If your coffee is still not sweet enough for you, add a dash of cinnamon to sweeten it and not more honey or white sugar.

Let your coffee cool down to a drinkable temperature where you are not feeling the drink to be too hot, then add your honey as you certainly don’t want to reduce the nutritional value by denaturing it.

Is Honey Better For You Than Sugar?

Honey is a great alternative to sugar for your coffee as it adds a great flavor, texture and nutrients as well as antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Sugar adds sweetness and empty calories.

Is It OK To Use Honey To Sweeten Coffee?

Yes, honey is a fantastic alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners as it both sweetens your coffee, adds a great taste and comes with a load of health benefits!

Is Honey Better Than Sugar To Use In Coffee?

If you want to add some great health benefits and nutrients as well as antibacterial properties to your coffee, then yes, honey is a better coffee sweetener than sugar.

My winter morning coffee has honey added for that very reason!

How Much Honey Does It Take To Sweeten A Cup Of Coffee?

Honey is sweeter than sugar, and thus you should use less honey to sweeten your coffee than you would sugar. A teaspoon or two should be enough for most people.

However, let your coffee cool down for a minute or two before adding honey to hot coffee as you can lose the healthy benefit of honey as the heat will damage some of the compounds it has.

Does Honey Make Coffee Bitter?

No, honey has the effect of sweetening your coffee and bringing a balance to the other ingredients.  It makes your coffee sweeter.

Final Thoughts – Can You Sweeten Coffee With Honey?

If you have read this far, you know the answer to the questions can you sweeten coffee with honey and what the ideal ratio is for the best taste and coffee experience.

If you are a health nut or simply want to enjoy a healthier coffee, then starting your day with a drop of honey in your coffee is a very good idea.

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Derek Marshall

Derek Marshall, a certified barista by the Specialty Coffee Association possesses over two decades of experience in specialty coffee shops. He holds professional certifications for coffee brewing and barista skills. Derek is also an author with authoritative books covering various coffee topics including specialty coffee, sustainability and coffee, coffee brewing, coffee recipes, coffee cocktails and books focusing on Brazilian coffee, Vietnamese coffee, Indonesian coffee and Malaysian coffee. As a barista for over two decades, Derek Marshall has worked in specialty coffee shops across the United Kingdom, Spain, Thailand, Malaysia, Cambodia, Indonesia, and Vietnam. His expertise extends to the distinct coffee cultures, specialty beverages, and brewing techniques of each nation. Functioning as a coffee consultant, Derek charges US$50 per hour. To learn more about Derek Marshall and Latte Love Brew, visit his About Me Page. For coffee inquiries, contact him at +34-639-410-375 or Derek@LatteLoveBrew.com, mentioning your name and location