Vegan honey made out of ageve, apple, herbs and orange blossom

^{Photo by Kate Lewis}

Making your own vegan honey might sound fussy but is actually really easy and kind of fun. The whole process is just steeping tea in apple juice and then cooking it down with agave until it gets thick and glossy and does that slow drip off the spatula. Your kitchen will smell amazing, like a fancy spa that is also a bakery. The flavor is bright and floral with a little herbal warmth, and the texture is exactly what you want. Keep a jar in the fridge and drizzle it on biscuits, toast, pancakes, roasted vegetables, or anything that needs a little sweetness with personality. It stirs into tea beautifully and works in dressings and marinades too.

There are a lot of vegan honey recipes out there and most of them use apple juice as a base, for two reasons. First, it has natural floral backnotes that actually taste like honey once it cooks down. Second, the fructose in the juice reduces into something thick and syrupy, so you get the texture right too. But this one goes a step further, infusing the juice with licorice and echinacea tea, which adds an herbal depth that makes the whole thing pretty convincing. For an additional lift, a tablespoon of orange blossom water adds even more honey-ness. It’s not required but it’s really nice.

I’m also going to give you a bonus hot honee version with a simple chili infusion that wakes the whole thing up. And there’s an easy hot honee sandwich situation involving my Chick’n Tofu Cutlets that I used to serve at my restaurant. Once you have a batch of this in the fridge, there’s no stopping you.

Hot Honee Variation:

For hot honee, add 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes to the pot when you add the tea bags and let them steep together. Strain before adding the agave if you want it smooth, or leave the flakes in for more heat and a little texture (I keep the texture). Start with 1 teaspoon if you’re not sure how spicy you want it. See below for making a sandwich with it!

HOW TO USE VEGAN HONEY:

On breakfast stuff: Drizzle it on toast, biscuits, pancakes, waffles, oatmeal, or yogurt. It’s especially good on a warm buttered biscuit where it can pool into all the nooks.

In drinks: Stir it into hot tea, iced tea, lemonade, or cocktails. It dissolves easily when warm. Try it in a Bee’s Knees cocktail with gin and lemon juice. And don’t forget a Hot Toddy!

On roasted vegetables: A drizzle of vegan honey on roasted carrots, sweet potatoes, or Brussels sprouts right when they come out of the oven is a game changer. You can use it in any honey roasted vegetable recipe before it goes into the oven. A little orange peel and salt with it is chef’s kiss.

In dressings and marinades: Use it anywhere you’d use honey. It works great in a honey mustard vinaigrette, a sesame ginger dressing, or a simple glaze for roasted tofu or tempeh.

On cheese boards: Drizzle it over a vegan cheese board with crackers, nuts, and fruit. This is where the hot honee version really shines.

In baking: Substitute it 1:1 for honey in most recipes. It works well in glazes, sticky buns, and anything where you want that floral sweetness.

The hot honee sandwich: Coat a crispy Chick’n Tofu Cutlets in honee, place on a toasted roll with pickled jalapeño, mayo and a coleslaw. Pour extra honee over it. That’s it! So good.

This is a video! Click it, it’s fun!

VEGAN HONEY FAQ

Does this vegan honey taste honey from bees? I think so! The floral notes from the apple juice and the herbal depth from the tea get you there. The orange blossom water pushes it even further if you use it. It’s not identical, but this homemade vegan honey is thick, sweet, floral, and behaves like honey in every way that matters.

How do I make vegan hot honee? Add 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes to the pot when you add the tea bags and let them steep together. Strain before adding the agave if you want it smooth, or leave the flakes in for more heat and a little texture (I keep the texture). Start with 1 teaspoon if you’re not sure how spicy you want it. For something with a fruitier, smokier heat, use 1 to 2 tablespoons of Calabrian chili paste instead of the flakes. Stir it in after you add the agave.

Can I use a different tea? Licorice and echinacea are the combination that works best here. The licorice gives it that rounded sweetness and the echinacea adds an earthy, almost pollen-like quality. But other teas are fair game. Fennel, peach tea, and ginger tea all give you different results and they’re fun to experiment with. I always recommend including something with a little licorice as one of your choices because it really does the most to get your vegan honey into honey territory.

Can I use a different juice? Apple gives the most honey-like body and flavor. Pear juice works too, but it’s more delicate. I’d stick with apple for your first batch of homemade vegan honey.

Can I use maple syrup instead of agave? Naw. Maple has a very strong flavor that will take over. Agave is mild enough to let the apple juice and tea come through.

Can I use dark agave? Sure, why not! I never have but I can’t see an issue with it. It’ll be darker and have a more promounced agave flavor, maybe?

How thick should this vegan honey be when it’s done? It should drip slowly off a spatula, like honey does. It will thicken more as it cools, so don’t cook it down too far or it’ll turn into candy. Pull it off the heat when it’s a little thinner than you want it.

What temperature should it reach? You don’t need a thermometer. Just keep it at a strong simmer and keep an eye on it. The moment it coats the spatula and drips slowly, you’re in the right zone. If it starts bubbling aggressively or darkening, lower the heat.

I cooked it too long and it’s like cement. Can I fix it? Yes. Add a little water or apple juice and warm it gently on the stove, stirring until it loosens up. Start with a tablespoon at a time.

Can I cook or bake with this vegan honey? Yes. It behaves like honey in most recipes that use it as a glaze or sweetener. If a recipe calls for heating honey to a very high temperature, keep an eye on it so it doesn’t reduce too much and turn into caramel.

How long does homemade vegan honey keep? Up to a month in the fridge in a sealed container. It might crystallize a little over time, which is fine. Just warm it gently to loosen it back up.

Where do I find orange blossom water? Most grocery stores carry it in the international aisle, usually near the Middle Eastern ingredients. It’s also easy to find online. A little goes a long way and the bottle lasts forever.