My husband and I are sugar-holics. It’s a problem. Because of our addiction, I rarely bake. It’s not worth it to wake up the next day with a “sugar-hangover.” You may have experienced this yourself. That moment when you feel groggy, grumpy and sick, then think to yourself- “Wow, guess I shouldn’t have had eaten the whole pan of brownies last night!”

Recently, I have been trying to bake more with my honey… my jar of honey that is. I got it from a local honey farm here in Georgia. Honey is a great alternative to granulated sugar. It has vitamins, minerals and antioxidants unlike sugar. Sugar contains a whole- lot-of calories with a whole- lot-of nothing else beneficial for our bodies (plus it rots our teeth!). So, I’ve made a pledge to try and bake more with honey in hopes of avoiding the travesties of sugar.

My only problem is, how do I substitute honey for sugar in all these wonderful recipes I have? Well, look no further than the pointers below. I’m glad other people shared this problem and I can reap the benefits of their research.

Substituting Honey for Sugar:

1. Honey is sweeter than sugar, so use less (about 1/2 – 3/4 cup less) for each cup of sugar.

2. When substituting a liquid for a granulated sweetener, for every 1 cup of honey, subtract 1/4 cup of liquid from the recipe (that means also, for every 1/4 cup of honey, subtract 1 Tbsp of liquid).

4. When baking with honey, reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit, since the honey will tend to caramelize and burn faster than granulated sweeteners.

5. Since honey is somewhat acidic, you will need to add 1/4 – 1/2 tsp baking soda per cup of honey to the batter so it will rise.

Other Honey Tips:

• When measuring honey, first coat the measuring utensil with a small amount of oil so the honey will not stick.
• Store honey at room temperature rather than in a refrigerator. Keep it tightly covered and in a dry place.
• If honey granulates, place its container in hot water until the honey re-liquefies.

· When making jelly/jams with added pectin: use up to 2 cups of honey to replace sugar (i.e. 7 cups of sugar becomes 5 cups sugar, 2 cups honey)

• Because honey is hydroscopic it tends to keep foods moist and tender. Therefore, if you are baking goodies for kids away at school, service members overseas, or friends out of town, bake with honey to ensure freshness.

Do you have any other tips or experiences baking with honey? Comment below!