Honey in Coffee: How to Sweeten Your Cup the Right Way

Does honey in coffee actually taste good?

It does, as long as you think of honey as an ingredient rather than just a sweetener. Sugar adds sweetness and nothing else. Honey adds sweetness plus aroma, and that aroma interacts with the coffee's own notes. A floral honey can lift a fruity light roast, and a dark, malty honey can deepen a chocolatey dark roast.

Some people find honey changes coffee too much at first. If that is you, start with a mild honey and a small amount, then adjust. Many people who switch end up preferring it, because the sweetness feels rounder and less sharp than sugar.

Honey also pairs naturally with milk. A honey latte, made with steamed milk, espresso and a spoonful of honey, is a cafe staple for good reason: the milk softens the honey's flavor into something close to caramel.

Brewing method matters as well. A clean pour-over or drip coffee shows off a honey's aroma, while a dense French press or espresso with milk can carry a heavier, darker honey without tasting muddy.

How much honey to put in coffee

Honey tastes a bit sweeter than table sugar, so you need slightly less. If you normally use 2 teaspoons of sugar, try about 1 and a half teaspoons of honey. For most people, 1 teaspoon per 8 ounce cup is a good starting point.

Remember that honey counts as added sugar. A teaspoon has about 21 calories and nearly 6 grams of sugar, so two or three sweetened cups a day add up. If you are watching sugar, a stronger-flavored honey can satisfy with less.

If you are switching from sugar, give your taste buds a week. Many people find that after a few days they prefer slightly less sweetener overall, because honey's flavor makes the cup taste fuller.

Which honey is best in coffee?

Our first recommendation for coffee is Pure Raw Honey. It is warm golden, soft and classically honeyed, sweet enough to stand in for sugar without competing with the coffee. It is the jar most of our customers keep by the coffee maker.

For a dark roast or a strong French press, try Raw Buckwheat Honey. Its malty, molasses-like depth meets bold coffee on its own terms, where a pale honey would disappear. For lighter roasts and cold brew, a delicate honey keeps the coffee's fruitiness in front.

Whichever honey you choose, taste your coffee before adding more. Honey's flavor builds as the cup cools, so a drink that seems lightly sweet at first sip often tastes sweeter halfway down.

• Pure Raw Honey: our everyday pick for drip coffee, lattes and most roasts.
• Raw Buckwheat Honey: dark roasts, espresso with milk, mocha-style drinks.
• Raw Clover Honey: the mildest option, for light roasts and anyone new to honey in coffee.
• Raw Orange Blossom Honey: a bright, citrusy lift for iced coffee and cold brew.

Temperature and stirring tips for honey in coffee

Coffee is usually brewed at around 195 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit. That heat is fine for dissolving honey, but it flattens the delicate aromas that make raw honey special. Letting the cup sit for a minute or two before adding honey keeps more flavor without making it hard to stir.

To avoid a sticky clump at the bottom, add the honey first and pour a small splash of hot coffee over it, stir until smooth, then fill the cup. If you take milk, stir the honey into the coffee before adding cold milk, since honey dissolves more slowly as the temperature drops.

Crystallized honey works too. Scoop a little into the hot coffee and stir a few seconds longer. The heat of the cup melts the crystals.

A small whisk or a milk frother makes quick work of honey in a latte. Froth the honey into the warm milk before pouring it over the espresso, and the sweetness spreads evenly through the cup.

How to make honey syrup for iced coffee

Honey stiffens in cold liquids and tends to sink and cling to ice, so for iced coffee and cold brew, make a simple honey syrup first. It takes two minutes and keeps in the fridge.

Honey syrup is also handy beyond coffee. It sweetens iced tea, lemonade and cocktails without leaving a sticky layer at the bottom of the glass, so a single jar in the fridge earns its place quickly.

• Combine equal parts honey and warm water, for example half a cup of each.
• Stir until completely smooth; do not boil it.
• Let it cool, then pour into a clean jar.
• Refrigerate and use within about two weeks.
• Add 1 to 2 tablespoons per glass of iced coffee and stir.
• Optional: add a cinnamon stick or a strip of orange peel to the jar for flavor.

Honey coffee drinks to try at home

Once you are comfortable with a spoonful of honey in drip coffee, it is easy to branch out. These drinks use ingredients most kitchens already have.

For a honey latte, stir 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey into a shot or two of hot espresso or very strong coffee until dissolved, then top with steamed or warmed milk. A pinch of cinnamon or a drop of vanilla on top makes it feel like a cafe drink. Oat milk works especially well, since its natural sweetness pairs with honey.

For a honey cold brew, mix cold brew concentrate with water or milk, add a tablespoon of honey syrup, and stir over ice. A strip of orange peel brings out the fruitiness in both the coffee and an orange blossom honey. For a spiced winter cup, warm milk with a cinnamon stick and a clove, strain it into black coffee and finish with buckwheat honey.

Is honey in coffee healthier than sugar?

Honey and sugar have very similar effects on your diet. Honey has slightly fewer calories per teaspoon of sweetness because you use a little less, and raw honey brings small amounts of plant compounds that white sugar lacks. Those differences are minor. The bigger win is usually flavor: if honey makes your coffee taste good with less sweetener, that is a real improvement.

If you have diabetes or are limiting sugar, count honey the same way you would count sugar. And if there is a little one in the house, keep honey-sweetened drinks away from babies under 12 months.

A simple way to cut back is to halve the honey and add a pinch of cinnamon, which reads as sweet on the tongue without adding sugar.