There is no denying that coffee is the most popular beverage worldwide. With more than 400 billion cups consumed every year, people can’t seem to get enough of this stuff. In the modern world, you can have coffee in the beer you drink, and the cake you eat. Some like it black, some add a sweetener, and some like it with milk.
But did you know that people are using honey to sweeten their morning brew? Not only is adding honey to your coffee taste delicious, but it also has a variety of health benefits. So let’s dig a little deeper into drinking your coffee with honey.
Who started this trend?
Honey has been apart of our lives as early as 8,000 years ago. However, the first person to add honey in coffee is still unknown. It most likely derives from a culture of coffee lovers who love to experiment with many different flavors. It doesn’t surprise me, people add salt, cinnamon, and even nitrogen to their jitter juice.
Another reason that putting honey in coffee isn’t a huge shock is that my grandmother was a big fan of adding honey in tea. Honey is known to be a healthier alternative to sugar or other artificial sweeteners. So a lot of people are using honey to sweeten their coffee, but should you?
Is honey in coffee bad for you?
Surely making anything more sweet comes with a price, right? Normally when something tastes better, it has more calories. So in short, adding honey to your coffee will increase the number of calories in your cup. But don’t be alarmed, as there are still many health benefits involved with this sweet sticky alternative.
Honey VS Sugar
If you are someone with a background in nutrition, you probably familiar that honey has more calories than sugar. Honey also affects blood sugar in a similar way as regular sugar would. A teaspoon of honey has about 21 calories. White sugar has only about 12 calories pure cube.
But when we talk about health benefits, we can’t only look at the calories. You have to look at the bigger picture to see why honey is the way to go when adding an extra kick to your mornings. Here is where honey can help where white sugar can’t.
Honey Contains Anti-Bacterial Properties
Due to the fact that honey contains pollen, it might help you to fight symptoms of seasonal allergies like a runny nose, sore throat or headaches. Imagine a beautiful Spring morning with less congestion and a sweeter cup of coffee!
Coffee and Honey Are Both High in Antioxidants
Antioxidants help reduce the number of “sick” cells in the body. Too many of these sick cells can lead to negative long term effects on the body. So adding a little bit of honey instead of sugar can go a long way.
Honey Has a Ton of Vitamins and Minerals
Very rarely does something this sweet contain so much good stuff for the body. Honey is rich in Calcium and Vitamin C. It looks like the honeybees aren’t just looking out for the planet, but also our health.
How do you make coffee with honey?
So now that you have a little background on honey and you want to give it a try, how do we do it? It all starts with understanding the different kinds of honey out there.
Some honey may taste good on toast, but not so great in your morning coffee.
There are different ways you can add honey to your coffee, it all depends on your preference. Here are some examples that provide the best taste.
Adding raw honey to your coffee
I won’t get too technical with how honey is made or where it comes from, but there are 2 main kinds of honey.:
- Raw honey (unpasteurized)
- Regular honey (pasteurized)
Raw honey comes directly from the hive. It contains more nutrients than regular honey and is overall healthier. If you are the kind of person that wants to avoid processed sugars and preservatives, I recommend going with raw honey.
Luckily the honeybees have done all of the heavy liftings to make this delicious treat. Just add 1-2 teaspoons to your cup and you’re good to go. If your coffee is too hot, it might reduce the nutritional value of the honey, so it’s best to let your coffee cool down a bit before adding your honey.
Choose Your Character
There is a chance that you might not like the taste of your coffee after your first time adding honey. Don’t let this bad experience discourage you. Sometimes it’s not the combination of honey and coffee that tastes bad, but it’s the kind of honey you are using.
Not a honey expert? Don’t worry, just like the honeybees I have done the work for you to explain the main types of honey varieties on the market.
- Acacia – By far the sweetest on the market. Great for your morning coffee.
- Alfalfa – Promote intestinal bacteria, most likely to make your coffee sweeter.
- Avocado – No, this is not made from the fruit but the pollen is collected from avocado flowers. It packs a very sweet buttery taste.
- Blue Gum – This honey has a more dense texture, so it would probably taste better on toast than coffee.
- Buckwheat – Basically the richest and most potent honey on the market. I wouldn’t recommend it in coffee, but it’s great if you are brewing your own beer!
- Chestnut – Straight from the nectar of Chestnut trees, this honey is a popular choice in Italy, however, the wide variety of Chestnut honey tends to lean more on the bitter side. It wouldn’t be my first choice to put in my coffee, but it might work well for someone who is diabetic.
- Fireweed – One of the most popular forms of honey in the United States. A smooth buttery texture along with a sweet complex flavor makes this a great coffee companion.
There’s a lot more honey out there, but these are the most popular types of honey on the market. Personally I prefer adding acacia to my brew, just because of the sweetness and texture. Everybody has different taste, so find one that is right for you.
To take home
There are numerous ways you can upgrade your coffee experience. Unfortunately, adding sugar (especially white sugar) can lead to significant health problems further down the line.
Have no fear, honey can BEE the hero! I hope you now have a better understanding of how this magical substance can add flavor, nutrients, and joy to your morning routine.
The coffee rabbit hole is a fun one. I encourage you to not only try honey but other natural sweeteners you can use to boost your coffee game. I warn you, sweetener experimentation will always have you coming back for more!
Have a Mug-Nificent Day!
