Is it possible to replace sugar with honey in baking: ratio and proportions

Honey is considered a common ingredient in many dishes. It is included not only in desserts or drinks, but also in main dishes. At the same time, many people are interested in whether it is possible to somehow replace sugar with honey in baking. This alternative is perfectly acceptable. However, it is important to use the substance correctly and make adjustments to the proportions. The baking mode will also differ.

How much honey is the equivalent of a spoonful of sugar?

Honey is a very valuable food product that includes many vitamins and minerals. They bring great benefits to the body.In addition, the product has excellent taste. It helps to strengthen the immune system, increase stamina and work capacity.

Beekeeping product is really acceptable to use in different dishes. It is often included in baked goods and desserts. If you plan to replace sugar with a substance, you need to make adjustments to the proportions. So, instead of 1 tablespoon of sugar, it is recommended to take 1/2 or 2/3 tablespoons of honey. The specific amount depends on which bee product is planned to be used. The sweetness of honey differs depending on the variety.

Advantages and disadvantages of honey vs. sugar

Using bee nectar as an alternative to sugar in baking has many benefits:

pastry keeps its freshness for a long time;
composition is in perfect harmony with spices;
the dough acquires an attractive shade and a pronounced aroma;
bee nectar contains a lot of fructose, which is much more useful than glucose, which is part of sugar.

At the same time, the substance differs in some minuses. First of all, it contains a lot of calories. There are 22 kilocalories in 1 small spoonful of bee products. In addition, the substance can provoke allergic reactions. Another disadvantage is the sticky texture, which can cause certain difficulties in work.

Using honey instead of sugar in baking

If you just replace the sugar with honey and don't adjust the proportions, the baked goods will come out too heavy, sticky and moist. In addition, it will be much sweeter than the original.

To make sweet pies or cookies, you should take half or 2/3 cups of bee nectar instead of a glass of sugar. Accordingly, it is required to change other proportions of the recipe. To get a good result, it is important to follow these guidelines:

Reduce the amount of liquids used. This should be done by about a quarter. The fact is that the honey mass itself is considered a liquid product. 20% of the composition is water. This is why it is so important to reduce the total amount of liquid that is planned to be used in the recipe.
Add baking soda. For each serving of honey, it is recommended to use a quarter of a small spoon of soda. Since honey is naturally acidic, you will need baking soda. It will help balance the acidity and give your baked goods a porous and fluffy feel.
Reduce oven temperature. It should not exceed 180 degrees. Bee nectar contains significantly more sugars.Because the product caramelizes much faster than regular sugar. To prevent the pastry from burning, it is recommended to reduce the heat and watch it carefully.

Can diabetics have honey?

With this diagnosis, the content of fructose in food and its glycemic index are of particular importance. If glucose dominates in the composition, the bee nectar will be rapidly candied. This product should not be used. High glucose content is observed in southern varieties.

The product which was obtained in the north has a liquid texture and slowly crystallizes. It contains more fructose. Therefore, the product is permissible to eat with diabetes.

It is also important to focus on the variety of honey.The lowest glycemic index is typical for acacia, buckwheat and linden varieties. In any case, the product must have a natural composition. Do not use an overheated substance or a product that was obtained after feeding the bees with sugar. It is forbidden to expose the composition to temperatures above +40 degrees. Otherwise, it will lose its properties.

When using honey in diabetes, it is recommended to follow these rules:

do not abuse this product - the daily allowance is 1 small spoon;
do not eat substance on an empty stomach;
use the product in the morning;
control body reactions.

Honey is quite acceptable to use for cooking different types of pastries and use it as a substitute for sugar.At the same time, it is important to make the right adjustments to the proportions by reducing the amount of the sweet product. In addition, such dishes require the addition of soda and a decrease in the baking temperature.