Honey Cookies: Soft, Chewy and Made Without White Sugar
Honey cookies are soft, chewy and gently spiced, with a flavor that tastes warmer and more rounded than cookies made with white sugar. This recipe uses honey as the only sweetener, which gives a tender, cake-like chew that stays soft for days. You will also find variations and a look at two classic honey cookies from around the world: German lebkuchen and Greek melomakarona.
Method
Beat the butter until creamy, then add the honey and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Whisk the dry ingredients in another bowl and stir them into the butter mixture until no dry flour remains. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment. Scoop the dough into 1 1/2-tablespoon balls, roll in coarse sugar if you like, and space them 2 inches apart. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, until the edges are set and lightly golden and the centers look slightly underdone. Honey cookies brown faster than sugar cookies, so watch the last two minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then move to a rack.
Why chilling matters
Honey dough is softer than sugar dough, so unchilled cookies spread into thin, flat disks. Chilling firms the butter and lets the flour absorb moisture, giving thicker cookies with a chewy center. It also deepens the flavor. If your cookies still spread, chill the scooped balls for 15 minutes before baking or add 2 more tablespoons of flour.
Which honey to use
In a cookie, honey is the main flavor, so pick one you like on a spoon. Clover makes a delicate, classic cookie. Wildflower or Pure Raw adds warmth. A tablespoon of buckwheat honey in place of some of the honey gives a deep, gingerbread-like flavor. See baking with honey for more on swapping honey for sugar.
Variations
The base dough handles add-ins well.
- Honey oatmeal: replace 1/2 cup flour with 1 cup rolled oats and add raisins
- Honey walnut: fold in 3/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
- Honey ginger: add 1 teaspoon ground ginger and chopped crystallized ginger
- Honey lemon: add the zest of one lemon and a lemon glaze
- Honey chocolate chip: fold in 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Frequently asked questions
- Can you make cookies with only honey?
- Yes. This recipe uses honey as the only sweetener. Chill the dough so the cookies hold their shape.
- Why did my honey cookies spread?
- The dough was too warm. Chill it for at least an hour, and chill scooped dough again if your kitchen is warm.
- Why are honey cookies soft?
- Honey holds moisture better than sugar, so honey cookies stay soft and chewy rather than crisp.
- Can kids eat honey cookies?
- Yes, for children over one year. Babies under 12 months should not have honey in any form, including baked goods.
Al Safa Honey is a food producer, not a medical provider. Nothing here is medical advice. Never give honey of any kind to a baby under 12 months old.
