Can You Put Manuka Honey In Coffee? Yes and Here’s Why!

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

Manuka honey in coffee is a great idea and is much more than a fancy natural sweetener and if you have ever wondered why coffee lovers are switching their raw natural honey in their coffee for Manuka honey you will know exactly why by the time you have finished reading this article.

It is much more than a sweet treat! But you need to be careful how you put in your coffee in terms of how much and what temperature your coffee should be at – if not you will not get the nutritional benefits.

Keep reading as I talk about Manuka honey in coffee and talk about how to make it for the optimal benefits.

What Is Manuka Honey?

Manuka honey is a special type of honey that comes from New Zealand that has healthy active enzymes to aid proper healthy bodily function. It is a monofloral honey that is derived from a single source.

The honey comes from the delicate flowers of the Manuka Bush. The Manuka Bush has a few close relatives, which are Jellybush, Kunuka Bush, and the Australia Tea Tree. Natives of Australia and New Zealand, particularly the Aborigines and Maoris, use Manuka honey in their traditional medicine practices to prevent and treat various illnesses.

Notably, the taste varies slightly depending on where it was harvested – The North Island or South Island; we will talk about that in a moment.

Read: Coffee With Honey

What Is So Special About Manuka Honey?

Manuka honey is not a raw honey; it is a specialized honey that is bacteria resistant and has antibacterial properties. This means that bacteria are not able to build a resistance or tolerance to its antimicrobial effects.

It is said to be effective at treating a wide range of conditions, from clearing skin blemishes to sore throats and coughs.

What Is The Difference Between Manuka Honey And Regular Honey?

Manuka honey is monofloral and derived from a single flour, a single source, specifically the flowers of the Manuka bush that is native to New Zealand, hence the term monofloral. Regular honey is sourced from more than one flower and from non-specialty flowers.

Can You Put Manuka Honey In Coffee?

Yes, Manuka honey is something that you can use to sweeten your coffee instead of regular sugar. It is a much healthier choice due to being rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and its antibacterial properties.

With that said, you should not put it in hot water or boiling water. In fact, it is best not to put your Manuka honey or any honey in hot liquids.

Hot liquids and any slightly high temperature has the unfortunate effect of denaturing the nutrients in honey with 40C (104F) being the highest temperature that you should raise honey to which means that you really should not put it in hot coffee but wait until it has cooled down before you put it in.

This also means that if you live in a hot environment you should store your honey in a cool place away from heat and an environment of 40C (104F) or greater.

Read: Can you sweeten coffee with honey?

What’s The Best Way To Take Manuka Honey?

To get the most out of the benefits of Manuka Honey, you should consume 1 to 2 tablespoons of it daily. You can consume it in the same way as you would with regular honey: on your toast, pancakes, add it to yoghurt or add it to coffee or tea.

The key with adding it to coffee is being aware and ensuring that your coffee is not too hot when adding it and only adding a single tablespoon per 8 ounces to get the most out of the health benefits and the rather fun and delicious flavor that it brings to your coffee.

Add more and the flavor can overpower your coffee.

Manuka Honey In Coffee – An Easy Recipe

Obviously, you need to be careful of the heat as to not damage or lose the health-giving properties of Manuka honey when adding it to your coffee.

For a super delicious coffee, make your coffee with the best possible beans and ingredients that you can find. Make your coffee in the way that you enjoy it most, be it pour over, drip coffee or using your espresso coffee maker.

The key is using the correct ratio. Honey is sweet, and it has a strong flavor. After all, you want to enjoy this rather special honey.

The ratio is pretty simple: add one tablespoon of Manuka honey to 8 ounces of coffee. If you want to enjoy a cup of coffee with milk and Manuka honey, it is best to use whole milk and heat it only slightly to just above room temperature, being careful not to take your milk above 40C (104F) and then add your honey, mix it well and then add your mix to your 8 ounces of coffee and enjoy.

Milk, like honey, will lose the benefits of the nutrients when you heat it up.

If your coffee is not sweet enough for you, don’t add more honey or sugar instead add a cinnamon as this will both sweeten up your coffee and bring an amazing taste that blends well with Manuka honey, coffee and milk.

You will also keep your coffee healthy and get the additional benefits of cinnamon.

Read: Honey in coffee

Benefits Of Manuka Honey In Coffee

Honey has been well known for thousands of years and over multiple cultures for its health properties and as a natural sweetener and for adding an exotic flavor to many foods.

It has antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Here are just some of the many benefits of Manuka honey in coffee.

Manuka Honey Is Sweeter Than Regular Sugar

Sure, Manuka honey is higher in calories than regular refined sugar on a gram by gram basis, but that is not a true, great or fair comparison.

Such a comparison is missing one key fact – the honey is sweeter, and thus you don’t need as much to sweeten food items, including coffee.

You can use less and still get the same level of sweetness.

It Has More Nutrients Than Sugar

This type of honey and other quality honeys have a distinctive nutritional advantage when compared to sugar as refined sugars and regular sugar have very little to offer in terms of nutritional value.

Compare that to a host of vitamins, including:

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

Honey also has a host of essential minerals, including:

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

These are all good for helping you to maintain a healthy and properly functioning healthy body, making it a much better option than sugar.

It Is Rich In Antioxidants

Coffee itself is high in antioxidants, which, if you add honey to your coffee, it gets a further antioxidant boost due to the antioxidant content that is in honey which will help to protect your body from free radicals.

That means a reduced risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s disease and certain types of cancer as well as slowing down the aging process.

The Antimicrobial Antibiotic Effect

The benefits of honey, including Manuka honey, is the powerful antimicrobial and antibiotic effect that it is. This is an area where Manuka honey has greater effects when compared to other types of honey.

When adding it to your coffee, it can help with coughs, sore throats and even help to suppress coughs and aid upset stomachs.  There are numerous studies on honey that prove this.

Perhaps this is the reason honey is in many cough syrups and medicines.

What Does Manuka Honey Taste like?

The majority of Manuka honey that is sold in the US and UK is thick, heavy and not as sweet as regular honey. Although it is broadly the same product, there is a slight difference in taste between the different brands and types of Manuka honey depending on the farms’ location.

Manuka honey that is produced on New Zealand’s North Island has a fuller and richer flavor when compared to the South Island.

Manuka honey from the south island is more creamy and sweeter.

The reason for the differences in taste is the same reason as to why coffee varies in taste – different environmental factors and soil type and quality.

Frequently Asked Questions About Manuka Honey In Coffee

Can You Use Manuka Honey In Coffee?

Yes, manuka honey can be used in your coffee or tea as a natural sweetener and alternative to sugar. For the greatest effects and health benefits, don’t add it to hot or boiling water or hot coffee. Wait until it has cooled down before adding it.

Can I Put Manuka Honey In Hot Drinks?

You can put manuka honey into warm drinks but not hot drinks. If you add manuka honey or any honey for that matter to hot water, you will denature the nutrients and lose the health benefits. The Ideal Temperature is 104F (40C) maximum.

Is It OK To Put Honey In Coffee?

Yes, honey in coffee is a great alternative to using refined sugars to sweeten your coffee and multifloral manuka honey as well as raw organic honey are great choices. Honey is made up of basic sugars and is thus easier for your body to digest and, due to the natural sugar content, you won’t get that energy crash later. Also, you will get great health benefits from the nutrients, and antioxidant properties. 

Does Hot Water Destroy Manuka Honey?

The enzymes that are in manuka honey, including the highly important antibacterial methylglyoxal is destroyed by heat and prolonged exposure to heat. It is not advisable to use manuka honey or any kind or type of honey in any hot liquid and to store it away from high temperatures.

Can I Put Manuka Honey In Hot Milk?

Mixing manuka honey in hot milk is not as toxic as suggested by Ayurveda or as they would want you to believe. However, keep your milk no warmer than 40C (104F) as to not denature the nutrients that you want to get the health benefits from. Keep that in mind – the reason for using a specialist honey like this is to get the health benefits of the nutrients in their natural state.

Does Heat Destroy Manuka Honey?

Yes, too high a heat can destroy the enzymes, antibacterial methylglyoxal and bio-ingredients of manuka honey and negate the health benefits of adding it to your coffee. Let your hot coffee cool down for a minute or two before adding manuka honey.

Is It OK To Have Manuka Honey Everyday?

Yes, it is perfectly fine to have manuka honey every day. I have a spoonful every day to enjoy the antibacterial activity that it gives my body.

Can You Put Manuka Honey In Warm Milk?

Yes, you can add manuka honey to warm milk but not to hot milk as elevated temperatures will destroy some of the health benefits that the honey will give you. 

Final Thoughts – Manuka Honey In Coffee 

Manuka honey in coffee is a great idea for the multiple health benefits and nutritional boost – not to forget the rich flavor and texture that it adds. 

You can try the various different Manuka honeys in your coffee and experiment with both North and South islands and enjoy not just the slightly different tastes but the very different textures that they add to your coffee. 

Be wary of using deep dark roasts as the flavor may not come though. Same with coffee that is particularly acidic. 

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