Honey Substitute
For 1 cup of honey, use 1¼ cups granulated sugar + ¼ cup liquid from the recipe. Use a liquid the recipe already calls for. Going the other way (sugar → honey), bakers commonly lower the oven about 25°F because honey browns faster — a convention, not a published rule. Below: the swap scaled to the amounts recipes use.
For 1 cup of honey
1¼ cups granulated sugar + ¼ cup liquid from the recipe
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Use a liquid the recipe already calls for. Going the other way (sugar → honey), bakers commonly lower the oven about 25°F because honey browns faster — a convention, not a published rule.
Data & method: from Colorado State University Extension, fact sheet 9.329 (Ingredient Substitutions). An automated test pins each ratio to its source. How we calculate →
Scaled to what your recipe calls for
Granulated sugar + extra liquid, computed for the amounts recipes actually use:
| Recipe needs | Use instead |
|---|---|
| ¼ cup of honey | 5 tbsp granulated sugar + 1 tbsp liquid from the recipe |
| ½ cup of honey | ⅝ cup granulated sugar + ⅛ cup liquid from the recipe |
| ¾ cup of honey | ¾ cup + 3 tbsp granulated sugar + 3 tbsp liquid from the recipe |
| 1 cup of honey | 1¼ cups granulated sugar + ¼ cup liquid from the recipe |
| 1½ cups of honey | 1⅞ cups granulated sugar + ⅜ cup liquid from the recipe |
| 2 cups of honey | 2½ cups granulated sugar + ½ cup liquid from the recipe |
Need a different amount — or a different ingredient?
The calculator scales every option to your exact amount, for all 17 staples we cover.
Best swap Granulated sugar + extra liquid
1¼ cups granulated sugar + ¼ cup liquid from the recipe
Use a liquid the recipe already calls for. Going the other way (sugar → honey), bakers commonly lower the oven about 25°F because honey browns faster — a convention, not a published rule.
Source: Colorado State University Extension, fact sheet 9.329 (Ingredient Substitutions)
Other swaps bakers look for
- Buttermilk substitute
- Cake Flour substitute
- Self-Rising Flour substitute
- Baking Powder substitute
- Brown Sugar substitute
- Powdered Sugar substitute
- Sour Cream substitute
- Heavy Cream substitute for baking
- Whole Milk substitute
- Egg substitute
- Cream of Tartar substitute for leavening
- Cornstarch substitute for thickening
- Vegetable Oil substitute for baking
- Unsalted Butter substitute
- Bread Flour substitute
- Vanilla Extract substitute
Weighing instead? 1 cup of honey in grams: 339 g →
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I use instead of honey?
The best swap for 1 cup of honey is 1¼ cups granulated sugar + ¼ cup liquid from the recipe — use a liquid the recipe already calls for. Going the other way (sugar → honey), bakers commonly lower the oven about 25°F because honey browns faster — a convention, not a published rule. Source: Colorado State University Extension, fact sheet 9.329 (Ingredient Substitutions).
How much substitute do I use for a different amount of honey?
Scale the parts linearly. The table on this page covers the common amounts, and the calculator scales every option to exactly what your recipe calls for — never a vague "adjust to taste".