Honey vs. Other Sweeteners

4 metrics, 10 sweeteners, every value from a named source. Tap any bar for the source and detail.

How fast a food raised blood glucose in a test, relative to pure glucose (= 100). Low GI ≤ 55; medium 56–69; high ≥ 70. A ranking of test results, not of which sweetener is better for you.

HoneyOther sweeteners
Sugar
20406080
GI (glucose = 100)

Not on this tab, because no source gives a value: Brown Sugar.

Reading GI: GI ranks how a food raised blood glucose in a test, not which sweetener is better for you; every sweetener here is an added sugar. Honey GIs vary: individual honeys in the 2008 international tables ranged from 35 to 87, and in a 2006 US study clover, buckwheat and tupelo were statistically the same. For diabetes meal planning, check serving size and total carbohydrate on the label and follow your care plan.
Antioxidants are not charted. The per-sweetener ORAC values an earlier version showed could not be traced to their sources, so we removed them. For honey, a 2002 study of 7 floral sources measured ORAC from 3.1 to 16.3 µmol Trolox equivalents per gram, darkest honeys highest. ORAC is a test-tube assay and does not show an effect in the body.

Compare your pour: honey vs maple syrup

Pick how much of each you actually use. The numbers scale the USDA tablespoon values (21 g of honey, 20 g of maple syrup); 1 tsp is a third of a tablespoon and ¼ cup counts as 4 tablespoons.

Honey you pour

1 tbsp = 21 g in the USDA record.

Maple syrup you pour

1 tbsp = 20 g in the USDA record.

Calories, carbohydrate and total sugars for your honey and maple syrup pours
Per pourHoney1 tbspMaple syrup2 tbspDifferencemaple − honey
Weight21 g40 g+19 g
Calories64 kcal104 kcal+40 kcal
Total carbohydrate17.3 g26.8 g+9.5 g
Total sugars17.2 g24.2 g+7.0 g

With 1 tbsp of honey and 2 tbsp of maple syrup, the maple syrup has 7.0 g more total sugars and 40 more kcal.

Maple syrup reaches the total sugars of 1 tbsp of honey at about 1.4 tbsp.

Source: USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy records for honey (FDC 169640) and maple syrup (FDC 169661). Reference foods, not your jar's label; both sweeteners count as added sugars. This compares amounts and does not suggest how much to use.

Honey vs maple syrup: flavor, grades and substitutions →

Common Questions

Which sweetener has the lowest glycemic index?▾

In this chart, agave nectar: three agave nectars in the 2008 international GI tables tested at 10, 11 and 19 (mean 13), and two of them were labelled 90% and 97% fructose. Among the honeys, a Romanian acacia (locust) honey tested lowest, at 32. GI ranks how a food raised blood glucose in a test, not which sweetener is better for you, and every sweetener here is an added sugar. For diabetes meal planning, check the serving size and total carbohydrate on the Nutrition Facts label and follow your care plan.

Does maple syrup have more antioxidants than honey?▾

This chart no longer compares antioxidants. Its per-sweetener ORAC numbers, including an earlier maple syrup figure, could not be traced to their cited sources, so they were removed. For honey, a 2002 University of Illinois study of 7 floral sources measured ORAC from 3.1 to 16.3 µmol Trolox equivalents per gram, with the darkest honeys highest. ORAC is a test-tube assay, and USDA withdrew its ORAC database in 2012, stating that the values have no relevance to effects on human health. Choose either sweetener for flavor, not for antioxidants.

Is coconut sugar actually lower GI than honey?▾

Not lower than every honey. The University of Sydney's GI Research Service measured a widely sold coconut sugar at GI 54 in 2014: below clover honey (69) and the average of 17 honeys (61), above a Romanian acacia honey (32). Individual honeys in the 2008 international GI tables ranged from 35 to 87. Coconut sugar and honey both count as added sugars.

Is buckwheat honey the highest-GI honey?▾

Not in measured tests. In a 2006 US study of 12 adults, buckwheat honey's GI was 73, statistically the same as clover (69), cotton (74) and tupelo (74). Individual honeys in the 2008 international GI tables ranged from 35 to 87. An earlier version of this chart showed a higher, estimated GI for buckwheat with an ORAC figure beside it; neither was a measurement from the cited sources.

How does water content affect baking when substituting sweeteners?▾

Per 100 g, honey has 17.1 g of water, agave 22.9 g and maple syrup 32.4 g, against 1.3 g for brown sugar and almost none for white sugar (USDA FoodData Central). Rule of thumb: for each cup of honey replacing one cup of sugar, reduce other liquids by about 3–4 tablespoons. For maple syrup, reduce by about 5–6 tablespoons. Use the Honey Baking Substitution Calculator for variety-specific adjustments.

Is ORAC a reliable measure of antioxidant content?▾

Not for anything that happens in the body. ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) is a test-tube assay that was widely used from the 1990s. USDA withdrew its ORAC database in 2012, stating that the values have no relevance to the effects of these compounds on human health. This chart does not show ORAC values.

Embed this chart on your site — free, no account required

<iframe src="https://rawhoneyguide.com/tools/sweetener-comparison-chart" width="100%" height="760" frameborder="0" loading="lazy" title="Honey vs. Sweeteners Nutrition Comparison" ></iframe>

Dark theme: append ?theme=dark to the src URL.

Sources: GI — Ischayek & Kern (2006); Foster-Powell et al. (2002); Atkinson et al. (2008) and its online appendix; University of Sydney GI Research Service (coconut sugar, 2014). Potassium, water, calories — USDA FoodData Central SR Legacy: honey, maple syrup, agave, brown sugar, white sugar. Updated October 21, 2026: removed per-sweetener ORAC values and per-variety honey figures that could not be traced to their sources, and replaced estimated honey GIs with measured ones.
Full GI guide →Honey GI comparator →Sweetener converter →