The Sweetest Way to Wake Up: All About Honey in Coffee

They say you can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. But how does honey compare to sugar in coffee? For thousands of years, honey has been nature's candy and used to sweeten an array of foods and beverages. In fact, they even found edible honey in the Egyptian pyramids!

So is honey good in coffee? That's precisely what we are here to talk about. 

The Taste of Honey in Coffee 

In coffee, honey definitely adds a sweet taste. Unlike sugar, honey has an array of specific and unique flavor notes. The way honey will taste in your coffee depends on the type of honey you use. There are many different kinds of honey to choose from. 

Popular kinds of honey include: 

• Manuka honey
• Clover honey 
• Tupelo honey
• Raw honey 
• Buckwheat honey
• Sage honey
• Eucalyptus honey
• Sourwood honey
• Creamed honey 

And the list goes on! 

You can see an in-depth list of honey variants here. The lighter the color of a type of honey is, the more mild its flavor generally will be. So, if you want sweetness from honey but don’t like the taste of strong honey flavors, choose white honey.

 In contrast, if you ADORE the taste of honey, you can add dark-colored honey to your coffee. For the ultimate honey flavor, try our fresh roasted Caramel Honey or Honey Nut Praline Flavored Coffees with a few spoonfuls of dark amber honey added in for extra sweetness.  

Health Benefits of Honey in Coffee

There are also many health benefits to be reaped if you decide that adding honey to your coffee is the route you want to take! Unlike artificial sweeteners and sugar, honey provides minerals, vitamins, and other trace nutrients. So, if you're trying to be more nutritious, honey is great for your coffee.

Here are just a few of the health benefits of raw honey.

*Raw honey is unprocessed and usually comes unpasteurized. If you want great raw honey, consider shopping locally at a farmer’s market! 

• Antioxidants - Honey has many awesome antioxidants. Antioxidants are great for preventing cellular damage. Coffee is also a good source of antioxidants! So, when you add honey to your coffee, you are getting a double antioxidant boost. 
• Immune Support and Allergy Prevention - Moreover, raw honey may be good for your immune system. This is because it has small amounts of localized pollen in it. This will give you an immune boost and may even help to reduce allergies. 

In fact, did you know that the army recommends honey as a way to reduce allergies? Consuming honey sourced from local areas that you have not yet visited may help to prevent allergies from occurring when you are in a new area. One source noted that at different points in history, the Army included locally-sourced honey from the areas where soldiers were scheduled for deployment to help them avoid local allergies. 

• Honey is Less Processed than Sugar and Does Not Have an Expiration Date - One great thing about honey is it comes straight from bees to you. This is especially true if you choose local raw honey. Sugar, on the other hand, has to be processed and prepared before you can purchase it at the grocery store. 

Although it is true that many types of honey are processed, cut with corn syrup, homogenized, or pasteurized, raw honey is ready to eat as soon as it is harvested. Since honey has such a low content of water, it naturally lasts for years and years. 

In fact, honey is one of the only foods that will not expire. They found 3,000-year-old honey in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs and technically, that honey was still safe to eat. Bacteria cannot grow on honey, and the microscopic structures of honey inhibit the growth of microbes.

How Much Honey in a Cup of Coffee? 

The ideal honey-to-coffee ratio will depend on how sweet you like your coffee and whether you are trying to stick with a diet. A tablespoon of honey contains roughly 64 calories. Honey is also about 25% sweeter than sugar. So, one tablespoon of honey per cup of coffee should be more than enough. Make sure to dissolve it by stirring. For the ultimate combo, add a little milk too. After all, what tastes better than milk and honey? 

Honey in Your Coffee: The Bottom Line

Ultimately, whether you decide to add honey to your coffee will depend on your personal preferences, tastes, and dietary goals. We think it's a great idea! By the way, if you love natural and organic foods, you might really like our organic coffees as well.