Compare sugar and honey amounts, liquid reduction, baking soda and oven changes when adapting a baking recipe. US cups with sourced starting points.
| Sugar (cups) | Honey (cups) | Liquid cut (cups) | Soda (tsp) | Oven drop (°F) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.5 | 0.375 | 0.094 | 0.094 | 25 |
| 1 | 0.75 | 0.188 | 0.188 | 25 |
| 2 | 1.5 | 0.375 | 0.375 | 25 |
A starting point for adapting a sugar recipe. Add baking soda only when the original recipe does not already contain it; do not apply these changes again to a recipe already written with honey.
For each cup of sugar in this illustration, we use ¾ cup honey. UC Cooperative Extension gives a range of ⅔–¾ cup honey per cup of sugar above the first cup; the right amount depends on the bake and desired sweetness. The liquid and baking soda adjustments use the amount of honey, rather than the original sugar amount: ¼ cup less other liquid and ¼ teaspoon baking soda per cup of honey. At ¾ cup honey, each becomes 3/16 cup or teaspoon respectively.
The source suggests reducing liquid when using more than one cup of honey; our proportional liquid line illustrates that rule, rather than a required change for every small batch. Add soda only if it is absent from the original recipe. Lower the oven by 25°F (about 14°C) and watch the bake. These are adaptation guidelines, so try a small batch first.
Source: UC Cooperative Extension, Honey, “Baking with Honey,” slide 11.
For a recipe already made with honey, use its ingredient list directly. Try honey cornbread or honey brownies.