Vegan Honey Recipe

Homemade vegan honey stored in a glass jar with a dipper in it.

Made using just 4 plant-based ingredients, this vegan honey is a delicious honey substitute! The texture and taste is very similar to honey! Use it as a 1:1 substitute for honey in your favorite recipes. This apple honey recipe is a keeper!

Course condiment

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Total Time 55

Servings tablespoon

Calories 53.77kcal

Author Priya Lakshminarayan

Equipment

Ingredients

5 red apples
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
1.5 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1.5 teaspoon lemon juice

Instructions

Wash the apples, remove the core, and chop into cubes. Keep the peel on. The natural pectin in the peel helps thicken the syrup.
Transfer half the chopped apples to a food processor. Add ¼ cup water, and blend until puréed, about 2-3 minutes. Don't make it too smooth. It will then be hard to squeeze the juice out. Scrape the sides a few times to be sure you get all the apples.
Pass this through a cheesecloth or a nut milk bag. Repeat these two steps with the remaining chopped apples. It should yield a total of 3 cups of clear apple juice. This is a key step. The fiber in apples will not let the honey clarify, which is why we need to strain the apple juice well.
Pour this apple juice into a pan. Keep the apple pulp aside and use it in smoothies or baking. Add apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and sugar to the pan.
Bring the mixture to a boil. It could take 10-12 minutes. Then lower the flame and let the juice thicken, darken, and reduce. The process is similar to balsamic reduction or a simple syrup. This entire process should take around 40-50 minutes. Keep stirring and scraping the sides of the pan, regularly. It should coat the ladle and also form a string-like shape when done. The texture should be thick and sticky.
Then take the pan off the flame. Let the honey cool down in the pan itself. It will thicken as it cools. Once cooled, transfer it to a clean, airtight container. Pass it through a sieve if needed.

Notes

When making the apple puree, don't grind it too smooth. It will be hard to squeeze the juice out. Scrape the sides a few times to be sure you get all the apples. Only use a cheesecloth to sieve the juice. It has to be a clear juice with no particles. When cooking it, if it doesn't thicken, continue to cook it for a few more minutes. But be careful not to caramelize it, or it will get super hard when it cools, like candy. You can still consume it if it crystallizes.

For a little extra flavor, try adding a teaspoon of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla extract, or ginger to the mixture before simmering. Instead of making the apple juice from scratch, you can also use store-bought organic 100% pure apple juice (additive-free) to save time.

Nutrition