ByRachaelUpdated
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If you’ve never triedvanilla honey, it’s a decadent flavor experience. With floral vanilla notes and that classic honey flavor, this infused honeyis ideal for serving with hot tea, drizzling on scones, mixing into a latte, and more!
I love playing with vanilla. It’s an underrated flavor. How on earth is vanilla the boring flavor??
This homemade vanilla honey is extremely easy, with only two ingredients. However, don’t let the short ingredient list fool you. This honey-infused honey is a superb example of how two good things can become greater than the sum of their parts.
If you love that pure vanilla flavor and scent, learn to make your ownvanilla extract, whip up a batch ofvanilla maple syrup, or try ourvanilla sugar scrub!
What is Vanilla Honey?
It’s just a simple pot of honey left to absorb the delicious vanilla taste and aroma for several days or weeks.
Since honey is already sweet, the added vanilla transforms it into a truly delectable treat full of delicious flavor.
Why you’ll love this vanilla infused honey recipe
- GREAT FOR TEA & SCONES –This honey adds a delicious vanilla flavor to every cup of tea, whole wheat scones, your morning toast, English muffins, and so much more! I love to keep it on hand as a natural sweetener.
- PERFECT HANDMADE GIFT– Tie a little twine around the har for the sweetest handmade gift!
Equipment
To make this easy recipe, you’ll need:
- Sharp knife & cutting board
- 8 oz glass jar
Ingredients
This is a pretty simple recipe, friend. You already know what’s inside, but let’s get into the details.
I recommend usingthe very best ingredients.This isn’t the time for subpar beans or crystallized honey. You want the good stuff!
Real Vanilla Beans
Use fresh, grade A vanilla beans (not the dried-out grade B beans for making vanilla extract). I like to useorganic Madagascar vanilla beansas they have a traditional vanilla scent that can stand up to honey’s floral flavor. Don’t worry too much about the type of vanilla bean—you can use any (Tahitian, Mexican, Madagascar, etc.).
Local Honey
Choose a neutral, natural honey that won’t overpower the vanilla notes. Look for a light color. The lighter honey varieties tend to have a milder flavor that lets the vanilla flavor shine. Acacia honey is one of the lightest honey options but can be hard to find.
I used Nature Nate’s organic,raw honeyfor this recipe. Check out your local farmers market to find a local beekeeper who can direct you to the lightest honey they have. Learn more about finding the best organic honey here.
How to Make Vanilla Honey
- On your cutting board, slice open your vanilla pod(s) with a long vertical line.
- Scrape out the vanilla bean specks (vanilla caviar) and add them to the mason jar.
- Add the sliced vanilla bean pod to the jar.
- Top the entire mixture with honey.
- Allow the vanilla bean honey to sit for at least a couple of days. Stir or turn the jar often to integrate the two ingredients.
Storing
Store the infused honey in a clean glass jar in a cool location. Avoid direct sunlight or spots with temperature fluctuations, or your honey may crystallize. It’ll last for approximately one year.
If your honey begins to crystallize, place the sealed jar in a saucepan with several inches of hot water and set the heat to very low. Gradually, the crystals will dissolve. Be careful not to rush the process.
Tips & Variations
- Use vanilla extract.Instead of using whole vanilla pods, use 1-1.5 tablespoons of pure vanilla extract. This will add an even stronger scent and vanilla flavor.
- To get the most out of your vanilla flavor,scrape the caviarout from inside the pod. This will disperse the oils and infuse the honey much faster. If you want a potent flavor, feel free to add two vanilla beans.
- This recipe is pretty close tovanillapaste!can try making your own by cutting the honey quantity in half and adding the vanilla caviar from at least two vanilla beans.
- If you use raw, unfiltered honey, it may split from the oils of the vanilla beans. In this situation, I recommend whipping it to make creamed honey or gently warming the honey following the instructions above to dissolve the crystals.
Vanilla Honey Uses
This is the best part! Once your infusion has cured, get ready for flavor!
- Spoon over Greek yogurt
- Add to your peanut butter sandwiches
- Drizzle over hot buttered toast or English muffins
- Stir into a cup of hot tea
- Sweeten a latte
- Drizzle over vanilla ice cream for an aromatic experience
- Mix with sugar for aheavenly sugar scrub
FAQs
Do honey and vanilla go together?
Absolutely! Vanilla adds an extra floral note to sweet honey. When combined properly, they’re an amazing combination.
It’s essential to combine the right type of vanilla and honey to balance the two floral flavors together. Opt for a strong vanilla, like Madagascar, and a mild, light-colored honey.
How do you flavor honey?
It’s easy to flavor honey similar to the way you make homemade extracts for baking. Simply allow the flavor component (lavender, cinnamon, etc) to infuse with the honey over time.
You’ll have a delicious condiment that can take any recipe to the next level!
What’s the best type of vanilla for infused honey?
You can use any type of vanilla beans! I like to use Bourbon or Madagascar vanilla beans for a classic vanilla flavor, but Tahitian, Mexican, and Ugandan beans are also great. Just make sure to use pale, neutral-flavored honey to let the vanilla flavor shine.
Related Recipes
- Cinnamon Honey
- Lavender Honey
- Black Pepper Honey
- How to Make Whipped Honey
- Vanilla Simple Syrup
Vanilla Honey
Whip up a batch of delicious homemade vanilla honey to take your teas, lattes, toast, scones, yogurt, and more to the next level!
5 from 1 vote
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Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Course Appetizer, condiment, Food preservation
Cuisine French
Servings 16 servings
Calories 43 kcal
Equipment
Sharp knife
Cutting board
8 oz mason jar
Ingredients
- 8 oz regular honey, Choose a light-colored honey
- 1-2 whole vanilla bean pods, fresh, Grade A
Instructions
On your cutting board, slice open one vanilla pod with a long vertical line.
Scrape out the vanilla bean specks (vanilla caviar) and add them to the mason jar.
Add the sliced vanilla bean pod to the jar.
Top the entire mixture with honey.
Allow the mixture to sit for at least a couple of days. Stir or turn the jar often to integrate the two ingredients.
Notes
Choose a light-colored, neutral honey like acacia honey. Avoid darker honey types, like buckwheat honey, which will overpower the delicate vanilla flavor.
Look for Grade A vanilla beans. All vanilla bean types will work, but vanilla bean varieties with more vanillin, like Madagascar vanilla, will stand up to the floral scent of honey better.
Feel free to use 2 whole vanilla beans for an even stronger aroma. An extra-strong vanilla honey can be used as a vanilla bean paste substitute on the fly!
Nutrition
Serving: 1tbspCalories: 43kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 0.04gFat: 0.01gSodium: 1mgPotassium: 7mgFiber: 0.03gSugar: 12gVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 0.1mg
Keyword honey, vanilla
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