Bring Sweetness to Every Meal with These Honey Recipes

dutch baby with apples and honey
Lennart Weibull

Honey is a basic pantry ingredient, but there's nothing basic about these sweet and savory recipes. From desserts like panna cotta and cookies to side dishes for dinner such as roasted Brussels sprouts and glazed carrots, honey shines in a variety of different recipes. You can also drizzle honey over dishes, such as the Dutch Baby with Apples, pictured here, to add a little extra sweetness. Honey comes in many different varieties, so while we might offer specific recommendations for which type to use in the recipes ahead, you should feel free to swap in your favorite. But if you do heed one piece of advice, it's this: We always recommend buying honey from a local apiary if you can.

When it comes to savory cooking, you can do so much more with honey than simply mix it into a homemade salad dressing (though that's a great use for it). We have a couple of recipes that pair honey with spicy ingredients such as Sriracha and chipotle-in-adobo sauce. Drizzle these fiery combinations over roasted or steamed vegetables for a flavor-packed side dish. In this collection, you'll also find a recipe for a spicy sauce that you can smear on sandwiches for lunch or dinner.

When it comes time for dessert, some recipes call for a simple drizzle of honey as a finishing touch while others use honey as the star of the show. Either way, the results are bound to be delicious. Some tasty examples where honey really makes all the difference? Our upgraded versions of baklava, crème brûlée, and flan, just to name a few.

Ahead, we're sharing so many ways to cook and bake with honey, a timeless pantry superstar.

01 of 29

Honey-Peanut Granola with Coconut and Dried Cherries

Honey-Peanut Granola with Coconut & Dried Cherries recipe
Lennart Weibull

Just a third of a cup of honey brings sweetness to this granola recipe. It also acts as a binder, creating delicious, crunchy clumps of nutty granola that are mixed with dried fruit and coconut.

02 of 29

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Honey-Chipotle Glaze

Spicy Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Lennart Weibull

Take roasted Brussels sprouts to the next level with this sweet-meet-spicy glaze: it's made with a combination of honey, chipotle-in-adobo, soy sauce, and lime juice.

03 of 29

Sriracha-Honey Mayonnaise

Sriracha-Honey Mayonnaise
Chris Simpson

Dress up fried chicken sandwiches, fried rice, club sandwiches, or anything else that you fancy with this four-ingredient sauce.

04 of 29

Raspberry Honey

raspberry honey
Chris Simpson

Upgrade your morning toast or oatmeal with this sweet two-ingredient recipe. All you need to do is combine mild clover honey with six ounces of fresh raspberries in a saucepan; the berries will infuse the honey with juiciness and a subtle pink color.

05 of 29

Baklava With Lemon-Honey Syrup

cut baklava with lemon honey syrup in pan
Mikkel Vang

The beauty of baklava is the super sticky syrup that's spread between each layer; in this magical recipe, we've made our own glaze using corn syrup, sugar, honey, lemon zest and juice, and cinnamon sticks.

06 of 29

Olive, Fig, and Honey Tapenade

zaitoun olive fig and honey tapenade
Matt Russell

Honey offsets the salty nature of black olives and capers in this tapenade recipe. Serve it with pita or crudités.

07 of 29

Pomegranate-Glazed Ham with Jammy Cipollinis

pomegranate glazed ham with jammy cipollinis
Justin Walker

For an incredibly impressive main course, dress up spiral-cut ham with a fabulous glaze made from pomegranate molasses, brown sugar, honey, Dijon mustard, and spices.

08 of 29

Brown-Butter Honey Cookies

honey cookies martha bakes patterned tea
Mike Krautter

These stunning basketweave cookies marry the flavors of nutty brown butter with caramelized dark brown sugar, honey, and ground cardamom.

09 of 29

Yogurt, Fruit, and Honey Toast

fruit yogurt honey toast
Ngoc Minh Ngo

Elevate a simple slice of toast with a mesmerizing trio of strained yogurt, clementine segments, and raspberries, then take it to the next level with a generous drizzle of honey.

10 of 29

Cara Cara Oranges with Toasted Honey Meringue

grapefruit dessert
Marcus Nilsson

For a light, elegant dessert, serve orange slices with homemade honey-infused meringue swirls. The juicy fruit is a lovely contrast to the crunchy, pillowy meringues.

11 of 29

Miso-and-Honey-Glazed Carrots

miso-and-honey-glazed-carrots-102797693.jpg
Aya Brackett

A perfect balance of sweet and savory, honey matches up with white miso and unsalted butter for an easy but impactful glaze that amplifies a basic side dish of steamed carrots.

12 of 29

Apricot-and-Cream Cheese Squares

apricot and cream cheese squares
Yuki Sugiura

In this dessert recipe, we used apricot halves in heavy syrup to make a sweet contrast to the rich cream cheese and hearty focaccia dough. A drizzle of honey on top takes it over the edge.

13 of 29

Basil-Yogurt Panna Cotta with Grapefruit Gelèe

Basil-Yogurt Panna Cotta with Grapefruit Gelée
Con Poulos

The tart notes of grapefruit are balanced by the sweetness of honey, which makes this cooling dessert recipe absolutely crave-worthy.

14 of 29

Green Fruit Salad with Lime and Honey

green fruit salad with lime and honey
Pippa Drummond

Made with green apple, cucumber, honeydew melon, green grapes, and star fruit, this green fruit salad is a delight. For added flavor, drizzle together honey and lime juice—a delicious, delicate way to finish this recipe.

15 of 29

Dates and Blue Cheese

dates-blue-cheese-238-lighter-d112542.jpg
Sharon Radisch

You only need 10 minutes to put together these elegant hors d'oeuvres. Simply stuff plump dates with rich, funky Gorgonzola piccante or Spanish Valdeon, then top with toasted almonds and a drizzle of honey.

16 of 29

Honey Flan with Citrus and Kiwifruit

honey flan with citrus and kiwi-fruit
Christina Holmes

In this twist on a classic flan, raw, unfiltered honey and sugar sweeten a smooth, silky custard that brings out the tangy acids of clementine and pink grapefruit segments and kiwifruit.

17 of 29

Soy-Honey-Glazed Arctic Char

soy-honey-glazed arctic char
Christina Holmes

The salty-sweet magic of soy sauce and honey complements rich, buttery Arctic char, which is a milder fish than salmon; serve it with baby bok choy and rice for a healthy and quick dinner.

18 of 29

Test Kitchen's Favorite Fire-Cider Tonic

fire cider tonic
Christina Holmes

Said to be anti-inflammatory and aid in digestion, this fermented, immune-boosting tonic has an apple-cider vinegar base and is loaded with herbs, chile peppers, and garlic, then sweetened with honey.

19 of 29

Mixed Grapefruit with Ricotta and Cardamom Honey

grapefruit-and-ricotta-with-cardamom-honey-102817864.jpg
Armando Rafael

Honey simmered with toasted green cardamom makes a flavorful topping for fresh ricotta and tangy grapefruit segments. Be sure to finish the dish with a sprinkling of freshly ground pepper.

20 of 29

Honey-Sesame Popcorn

honey-sesame-popcorn-102852718.jpg
CHELSEA CAVANAUGH

An easy homemade honey caramel and a sprinkling of black and white sesame seeds take everyone's favorite movie theater snack to new heights.

21 of 29

Virginia Ham with Honey-Mustard Glaze

102802595.jpg
Anna Williams

It's hard to improve on a bone-in Virginia honey ham, but our glaze—which is made with honey, Dijon mustard, brown sugar, and cloves—does the trick.

22 of 29

Honey Pie

honey pie
Marcus Nilsson

The custard filling for this rustic pie is sweetened with honey, spiced with vanilla and freshly grated nutmeg, and surrounded by a flaky lard-based crust. Simply put, it's mouthwateringly delicious.

23 of 29

Cinnamon-Honey Creme Brulée

creme-brulee-mld108100.jpg
Jonathan Lovekin

In this luscious custard, clover honey offsets the spicy cinnamon in the crunchy sugar topping perfectly.

24 of 29

Miso-Honey Wings

miso-chicken-014-md110286.jpg
Bryan Gardner

Gussy up roasted chicken wings by glazing them with mellow honey and umami-packed awase (mixed) or aka (red) miso.

25 of 29

Beet Salad with Honey-Lavender Dressing

wyebrook-farm-salad-04-014-d111590.jpg
Mikkel Vang

Honey and fresh lavender leaves jazz up an otherwise classic mustard vinaigrette. It's the perfect partner for this salad made with baby chard, roasted and fresh beets, toasted pecans, and goat cheese.

26 of 29

Scones with Pears, Irish Cheddar, and Honey

Scones with Pears, Irish Cheddar, and Honey
Yuki Sugiura

Slices of ripe pear and Irish cheddar are sandwiched between scones flecked with caraway seeds and currants. A generous drizzle of honey ties the sweet and savory flavors together perfectly.

27 of 29

Honey Whole-Wheat Bread

hayden-flour-mills-honey-loaf-bread-d112232-820-d112232.jpg
Marcus Nilsson

Yes, you can make bakery-worthy bread at home! A couple tablespoons of honey give this loaf a subtle sweetness.

28 of 29

Apple-Honey-Almond Sandwich

challah-apple-bread-167-d111217.jpg
Aaron Dyer

Apples dipped in honey are a Rosh Hashanah tradition, but you can make this sandwich version any time of year. Just top lightly toasted challah with thinly sliced apples, toasted almonds, and a drizzle of honey.

29 of 29

Caramelized Figs with Honey and Cheese

figs honey cheese

Cook fresh, ripe figs with honey and fennel seeds, then top with toasted almonds, salty Pecorino Toscano cheese, and more honey. Serve with wheatmeal crackers as an appetizer or light dessert at your next garden party.

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