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Honey
Honey is sweetness with flavour attached, and it behaves differently depending on the heat. In Two-Ingredient Honey Frozen Yogurt and Honeyed Lemons it is the main event; in Brown Butter Sourdough Discard Granola and the oatmeal cookies it helps things brown and cling; in Wafu Spare Ribs and Daikon Soup it rounds off a savoury broth.
12 recipes use this ingredient
Honey
| Nutrient | Per 100 g |
|---|---|
| Sugars | 82.1 g |
| Energy | 288 kcal |
Not a common allergen. It is not on the UK list of 14 foods that must be declared on labels. The risk with honey is botulism, not allergy.
How to serve Honey to babies
Under 6 months
Not at this age
No honey before 12 months, in any amount — including baked into food.
6–8 months
Not at this age
Still no honey. Cooking does not destroy the spores.
9–11 months
Not at this age
Still no honey — the 12-month rule applies.
12–24 months
Mashed
Allowed from 12 months, but it is a sugar — the tooth-decay guidance applies.
2 years+
Mashed
Fine in family meals. Still a sugar — keep portions small and brush teeth.
Watch out for
- Neverunder 12 months
No honey under 12 months — risk of infant botulism. This includes honey baked into food.
NHS: foods to avoid
- Go easyunder 24 months
Added sugar risks tooth decay and is not needed. Fruit juice counts.
NHS: foods to avoid
Per 100 g from CoFID (13-288). Weaning guidance from NHS, CDC. Not medical advice.
TCM benefits of Honey
蜂蜜 · fēng mì
How honey is seen in traditional Chinese food therapy. Traditional context, not medical advice.
- Honey is classed as sweet and neutral, and the Pharmacopoeia associates it with the Lung, Spleen and Large Intestine.
- The Bencao Gangmu draws a line between raw and cooked honey: raw leans cooling, while honey that has been heated is classed as warming and supportive of the middle.
- Honey is the traditional sweetener for dry autumn weather, most famously stirred into steamed pear or a bowl of warm sweet soup.
Sources: Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, 蜂蜜 monograph; 本草綱目 (Compendium of Materia Medica), 蜂蜜 entry
Cooking with Honey
Pairs well with
The ingredients that most often share a recipe with honey on Nourishible.
Recipes
Apple Cinnamon Overnight Oats
Video · Cook with Kushi
10 min
breakfastovernight oats
Fermented Garlic Honey
Reel · jodi_graves_official
—
saucefermented
Honey Garlic Turkey Bowls
Video · Josh Cortis
60 min · Serves 5
lunchmain course
Two-Ingredient Honey Frozen Yogurt
Reel · thefeedfeed
—
dessertfrozen yogurt
Sweet Potato Toast with Cottage Cheese, Avocado & Fried Eggs
Reel · taytay_xx
15 min · Serves 1
breakfasthigh protein
Cherry Tomato and Stracciatella Tart
Reel · tessamacpherson
—
tarttomato
Brown Butter Sourdough Discard Granola
Reel
50 min
granolabreakfast
No-Sugar Oatmeal Cookies with Nuts, Cherries and Dark Chocolate
Video · Sweet Pastries
45 min · Serves 8
cookiesno refined sugar
Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies with Dark Chocolate
Video · Simply Craveable Co.
45 min · Serves 10
cookiesbaking
Wafu Spare Ribs & Daikon Soup
Video · @masacooking
60 min · Serves 2
soupjapanese
Honeyed Lemons
Manual
— · Serves 12
preservetea
Lemon Roast Pork
Reel · hirochi_kitchen
75 min · Serves 4
porkroast
Honey: common questions
Answers are drawn from the sources named on this page. Not medical or veterinary advice.
When can babies eat honey?
The earliest stage on this page is 12–24 months: Allowed from 12 months, but it is a sugar — the tooth-decay guidance applies.
How do I cut and serve honey for my baby?
Under 6 months (Not at this age): No honey before 12 months, in any amount — including baked into food.
6–8 months (Not at this age): Still no honey. Cooking does not destroy the spores.
9–11 months (Not at this age): Still no honey — the 12-month rule applies.
12–24 months (Mashed): Allowed from 12 months, but it is a sugar — the tooth-decay guidance applies.
2 years+ (Mashed): Fine in family meals. Still a sugar — keep portions small and brush teeth.
What should I watch out for when giving honey to a baby?
No honey under 12 months — risk of infant botulism. This includes honey baked into food. Source: NHS: foods to avoid.
Added sugar risks tooth decay and is not needed. Fruit juice counts. Source: NHS: foods to avoid.
Guides about honey
- What is baby-led weaning?Baby-led weaning means offering soft finger foods a baby feeds themselves rather than spoon-fed purées. What it is, what to offer, and which rules apply.
- 4 protein-rich lunches to take to workFour protein-rich lunches to pack for work, compared by time, reheating, batch size and each creator's own protein figure, plus how long they keep.
- Baby-led weaning safety: gagging, choking, cuttingWhy gagging is normal and how it differs from choking, how to cut food for a baby, and the short list of foods to leave out for now.
- When can a baby have honey?The NHS says to avoid honey until 12 months, including honey baked into food. Its wording, the botulism reason, and what to use instead.