Does Honey Taste Good In Coffee? [A Coffee Lovers Perspective]

Everyone has wondered what the buzz about honey and coffee is and does honey taste good in coffee? 

Here is the quick and easy answer for those that are in a rush:

Yes, honey tastes great in coffee! There is a little caveat though there are some types of honey that are best avoided as their flavor clashes with coffee.

Don’t worry, I talk about those later and provide you with a list of different honeys and how they taste in coffee.

Keep reading for the details!

Does Honey Taste Good In Coffee?

In a survey focused on coffee lovers that put honey in coffee, 67% said that their principal reason for adding honey to their morning coffee was the health benefits and making their coffee more nutritious.

In a separate question, 83% said that they enjoy the flavor of honey in coffee.

With those findings in mind, it is clear that the health benefits are not the only reason that coffee drinkers add honey to coffee to their morning coffee.

Taste is also a consideration – it is very enjoyable.

With that said, honey does have a strong flavor as does coffee and there can be a bit of clash.

Note that I am not saying that all types of honey clash with all types of coffee.

There are many different types of honey from regular honey made from flower pollen to rosemary, manuka honey, orange honey, black honey and a lot more.

Of course there are many different types of coffee and your coffee roast and bean has an influence on this equation also.

I love a good quality dark roast and a French and Italian roast hitting the spot for me.

Unfortunately, some types of honey clash with this roast and the strong flavor. In my own experience and taste preference I have a preference for putting honey, raw honey, in a medium roast.

When I use a regular raw honey or a manuka honey the taste is very good, bliss in my cup of coffee and much better than table sugar.

Honey does taste good in coffee. If you want to try it without buying a full pot of honey, head over to your nearest Starbucks and request a honey Almondmilk flat white or honey latte.

Read: Is honey good in coffee?

Best Honey For Coffee

The flavor of honey varies a lot, quite dramatically depending on the type of flowers that the bees visited. Some popular types of honey are Alfalfa, Acacia, Buckwheat, Blackberry, Black honey, Clover, Manuka honey, Fireweed, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Orange and Wildflower.

The flavor of honey varies a lot, quite dramatically depending on the type of flowers that the bees visited. Some popular types of honey are Alfalfa, Acacia, Avocado, Buckwheat, Blue gum, Blackberry, Black honey, Clover, Chestnut, Manuka honey, Fireweed, Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Orange and Wildflower.

• Alfalfa: This makes your coffee sweeter and is great for promoting gut bacteria.
• Acacia: This is the sweetest type of honey that you will find and fantastic for your cup of coffee.
• Avocado: Made from the pollen of the avocado flowers and has a lovely sweet and buttery taste.
• Buckwheat: This is the richest and strongest honey you will find. It’s not one that I enjoy in any coffee. I tried every roast from blonde to Italian. Not recommended! It just doesn’t go well with coffee.
• Blue Gum: This is a neat honey that is better on your toast than your coffee. It’s very dense, still a tasty honey though.
• Blackberry: A delicate berry flavor with fruity notes. Don’t expect a strong or notable blackberry flavor. Crisp and sweet. Great in medium roast coffee.
• Clover: This adds a mild and pleasantly sweet taste to your coffee and has a very flowery aroma.

• Chestnut: This is very popular in Italy and is a honey that just doesn’t go well at all in coffee or honey. The bitter taste of the honey causes a clash with your coffee.
• Manuka: This is an amazing honey to try in your coffee. It’s sweet and has a rich caramel taste that matches coffee of all roasts, especially medium-dark and above. Dense and smooth. As a bonus it is a very special honey in terms of nutrients and health compounds.
• Fireweed: This is one of the most popular types of honey in America, rich, buttery and great in your coffee.
• Eucalyptus: A honey with a salty and slightly acidic taste with menthol tones and earthy hints. Not good in coffee unless you need to open your airways.
• Rosemary: Liquid and cream and very neutral taste with only a hint of flavor. Great for all coffees.
• Orange: Surprisingly nice in your cup of coffee. Very milky in flavor and sweet with fruits and citrus hints of orange.
• Wildflower: Rich yet mild, fruity and light. The particular wildflowers visited by the bees determine if you will get an intense or delicate flavor. Perfect for putting in your coffee.

A great reason for wanting to use a stronger honey is to get the flavor of the honey to shine through instead of the sweetness.

It is very common for coffee farmers to be beekeepers too as the bees are needed to pollinate. They also sell the honey to increase their income and bottom line. Selling their honey and having a nice secondary business as a byproduct of being a coffee farmer makes them more resilient and robust and robust to price changes and fluctuations in the environment.

For coffee lovers, it’s a whole new experience: imagine pairing your single origin premium quality coffee with a single origine honey from the exact same farm.

Read: Honey in iced coffee 

How To Make Coffee With Honey And Milk

All honey can be categorized into two categories: raw honey and regular honey. Raw honey is unpasteurized and comes direct from the bee hives. Unfortunately it is a lot harder to source. A good starting point is your local farmers market and asking around. r

Raw honey is a richer source of nutrients and in greater quantities. Making it by far the healthier option. It’s less processed and is, essentially, honey as god intended it to be.

Regular honey is pasteurized in order to kill yeast, which may cause your honey to eventually ferment. The upside of pasteurized honey is the longer shelf life.

You can add honey to all kinds of coffee drinks from drip coffee to caffe Americano, latte, flat white, cold brew, iced coffee and more.

Simply add a teaspoon or two to your coffee after letting it cool down to 140F (60C) and stir well.

Unfortunately, an elevated heat above this temperature can denature the nutrients and result in you getting less health benefits.

Healthy combinations involving honey and coffee include coconut oil, cinnamon and milk. All kinds of milk work well, including oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk and soy milk.

Give honey serious consideration as it is much healthier than white sugar and is better for you.

How To Make Black Coffee With Honey

Simply adding honey to black coffee is easy. Simply brew your coffee using any brewing method that you prefer: drip coffee, pour over, café Americano.

Let it cool down to 60C (140F) or less and then stir in one or two teaspoons of honey. Stir well until it is fully dissolved.

Serve and enjoy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Does Honey Taste Good In Coffee?

Why Not Put Honey In Hot Drinks?

The one reason why not to put honey in hot drinks is because it can become toxic, which is a good reason not to add it to your coffee. However, honey only becomes toxic at temperatures of 60C (140F) and above. This makes honey perfect for cold brew coffee and iced coffee drinks.

You can wait until your coffee cools down a little and then add it.

Does Starbucks Put Honey In Coffee?

Yes, Starbucks has a honey blend. It’s not a honey per se; it’s a blend of honey and water and is more liquid, making it easier to pump.

How Much Honey Can You Put In Coffee?

One or two teaspoons of honey, be it raw honey or any type of honey you can put in your cup of coffee. Be careful of not adding it to coffee that is too hot as honey that is heated above 60C (140F) will lose its nutritional value and may even become a little toxic.

How Can I Sweeten My Coffee Without Sugar?

You can replace your white sugar in your coffee by using a number of different alternative sweeteners which have a lower glycemic index than white sugar and add nutrients to your coffee.

Here are some healthier sweeteners:

• Stevia.
• Coconut sugar.
• Brown sugar.
• Black sugar.
• Raw honey or any type of honey.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder.
• Maple syrup.

Read: Honey in coffee

Is It Good To Replace Sugar With Honey?

Yes, there are many benefits to adding honey to your coffee instead of basic sugar. You’ll get a sweetener that has a lower glycemic index meaning it is better for your blood sugar level and although it will still raise your blood sugar levels it will do so at a slower rate.

Also,

you will get and enjoy the benefit of the nutritional profile of the B group vitamins, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, zinc, antioxidants and phenolic compounds and well as antibacterial agents.

How Do You Ask For Honey At Starbucks?

Just ask the barista to add honey; the option is on the app and their website. In the store, just say “with honey”.

How Do You Infuse Honey With Coffee?

Start by letting your coffee cool down a little as it is not a good idea to add honey to coffee or any beverage that is over 60C (140F). Add one or two teaspoons and stir well until it has completely vanished from your teaspoon and dissolved completely into your coffee.

What Is Starbucks Honey?

Starbucks honey is not a pure 100% honey as it is a mix of honey and water, a watery honey. It’s made this to make it easier to pump. It would have been better if they had the real thing or sachets.

A popular drink is their honey almond milk flat white and their honey oat milk latte.

Final Thoughts – Does Honey Taste Good In Coffee?

The question, does honey taste good in coffee can be answered positively as long as you avoid the few types of honey that just don’t go well with coffee at all.

Honey in coffee is most certainly a health choice and is a taste choice as it adds a great flavor to your brew.

Join our cool coffee community and tell us about your honey and coffee experience, what drinks you tried it in and what type of honey you used. Find us on Facebook/Meta.

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