Baking with Honey

Last night I went to a girls night that focused on health and wellness. It was very informative and fun to learn what we should eat and why. I take a lot of pride in raising my children and a husband ;) and I want them to eat well. My next calling in life will probably be a nutritionist or dietitian and having a chef background will give me an extra edge because I know what I'm talking about when it comes to food.


This being said, I LOVE dessert. Those that know me, know that I am truly in love with it. BUT those that know me also know I am very much into health, fitness and healthy eating. I have always known that sugar is bad for you, but it's a must in baking! My 2 professional jobs were baking and dessert making and I was surrounded by the white stuff. After really learning about what sugar does to my body though, it has got me thinking this morning.

Because I cannot give up dessert entirely, I have been researching how to replace sugar in baking recipes with better alternatives like honey or agave nectar. This is what I have learned...

·    When baking with honey or agave, you use a 1 to 0.75 ratio. Meaning, if a recipe calls for 1 cup sugar, you would use 3/4 cup honey or agave.

·    Because honey and agave are part water, you must reduce the liquid in the recipe by 1/4 cup. For example, when making banana bread that calls for 1 cup sugar and 1 cup milk, you would use 3/4 cup honey or agave and 3/4 cup milk. Or if banana bread calls for oil, reduce oil by 1/4 cup.

·    In baking cookies for instance, because there is no liquid besides eggs, you need to increase the flour. For every 1 cup of honey used, increase flour by 2 tablespoons. Also, when baking cookies, add 1/2 tsp extra of baking soda for every cup of honey used.

·    Honey causes baked goods to brown faster, so you need to reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees.

I am famous for chocolate chip cookies and am anxious to try making them with honey the next time around. When I do, I'll let you know how they turn out. If you know of any other tips or recipes with using honey or agave as sweeteners to replace sugar, leave a comment and let me know! Happy baking :)