Kitchen guide
Swapping sugar for honey, maple syrup or dates: a baking guide
Key takeaways
- Honey: start by replacing up to half the sugar. Per cup of honey, cut other liquid by ¼ cup, add about ½ teaspoon baking soda and bake 25°F cooler.
- Maple syrup: use about ¾ cup per cup of sugar and cut liquid by 2 to 4 tablespoons per cup of syrup.
- Date paste: blend 1 cup of pitted dates with ½ cup hot water. It brings fiber and is not counted as added sugar.
- Liquid sweeteners brown faster and make bakes moister and softer. Keep granulated sugar for crisp textures.
The swaps at a glance
| To replace 1 cup of sugar with… | Use | Cut other liquid | Also |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honey | Start with up to ½ cup honey for half the sugar; up to the full amount after a test bake | ¼ cup per cup of honey | About ½ tsp baking soda per cup of honey; bake 25°F cooler |
| Maple syrup | ¾ cup | 2 to 4 tbsp per cup of syrup | ¼ to ½ tsp baking soda unless the recipe already has buttermilk or sour cream; bake 25°F cooler; use it at room temperature |
| Date paste | About 1 cup, to taste | A few tablespoons, depending on how loose the paste is | Best in muffins, bars, brownies and oatmeal; adds fiber and color |
Ratios follow the National Honey Board's honey guidance and University of Maine Extension's maple guidance. Recipes vary, so make a test batch before a big bake.
Baking with honey
- Start with half. Replace up to half the sugar with honey, then adjust in the next batch.
- Cut the liquid. Honey is about 17% water, so reduce milk, water or juice by ¼ cup for each cup of honey.
- Add a pinch of soda. About ½ teaspoon of baking soda per cup of honey balances its acidity.
- Lower the oven 25°F. Honey's fructose browns quickly; a cooler oven keeps the edges from darkening before the middle is done.
- Oil the cup. A thin film of oil on the measuring cup and the honey slides out cleanly.
- Pick the variety. Clover and wildflower are mild; buckwheat and mesquite bring strong, dark flavors that suit gingerbread, rye and glazes.
Baking with maple syrup
- Use about ¾ cup of maple syrup per cup of sugar, and reduce other liquids by 2 to 4 tablespoons per cup of syrup.
- Add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of baking soda unless the recipe already contains buttermilk, sour milk or sour cream.
- Lower the oven by about 25°F, because maple caramelizes quickly.
- Use room-temperature syrup; cold syrup can make butter-based batters curdle.
How to make date paste
Makes about 1 cup · 10 minutes
- Pit 1 packed cup of dates (about 12 Medjool or 30 Deglet Noor).
- Cover with ½ cup of hot water and soak for 10 minutes.
- Blend the dates and soaking water until smooth, adding a spoonful more water if needed.
- Refrigerate in a sealed jar for up to a week, or freeze in portions.
Because it is made from whole fruit, date paste keeps the dates' fiber, about 1.6 g per Medjool date, and U.S. labeling rules presume fruit pastes not made from juice contain no added sugar. It is still sweet and calorie-dense, so use it in place of sugar, not in addition to it.
When to keep granulated sugar
Liquid sweeteners make bakes moister, softer and darker. That suits muffins, quick breads, granola and cakes, but not everything:
- Meringues, shortbread and crisp cookies rely on dry sugar crystals.
- Creamed butter cakes use sugar crystals to trap air; replace only part of the sugar.
- Caramel and candy depend on sucrose's behavior; swaps change the result.
Try it in our recipes
Our honey walnut date bites, honey almond granola and honey roasted pecans are all written for honey from the start.
Questions
Can I replace all the sugar with honey?
Often, after a test bake. The National Honey Board suggests starting with up to half, then adjusting. Honey browns faster and adds moisture, so cakes come out softer and darker.
Why add baking soda with honey?
Honey is slightly acidic. About ½ teaspoon of baking soda per cup of honey neutralizes it and helps the batter rise.
How long does date paste keep?
About a week in a sealed jar in the refrigerator, or several months frozen in portions.
Will these swaps make a recipe healthier?
Swapping honey or maple syrup for sugar mostly changes flavor and texture; they are still added sugars. Date paste is the swap that adds fiber. Reducing the total amount of sweetener makes the biggest difference.
Sources
- Cooking and baking with honey (tips for substituting honey for sugar) · National Honey Board
- Make mine real maple syrup · University of Maine Cooperative Extension
- Guidance on added sugars: fruit pastes and purees not made from juice presumed to have no added sugars (Nutrition Facts final rule) · U.S. Food and Drug Administration
- FoodData Central: Medjool dates (FDC 168191) · U.S. Department of Agriculture
We use government, scientific and industry sources and update this guide when they change. Read our editorial policy. This guide is general information, not medical advice.