Adding herbs, spices, and other aromatics to honey is a simple and fulfilling process that typically surpasses store-bought infusions.
Because honey is already packed with nutrients and medicinal properties, these infusions are not only super tasty but also super healthy.
General Instructions & Guidelines
Infusing honey is as simple as adding some flavorings to a clean jar, filling the jar with honey, mixing the combination gently, letting the flavors meld for several days, and straining the solids before using the flavored honey.
When infusing honey, it is important to use high-quality ingredients, which lead to more delicious and healthy results.
Understand that while some flavors like lemon and spices will be amplified, the heat from chilies like jalapenos will get lost — so play around and find what you like best.
Helpful Tips
Keeping and washing your own jars is the best way to go, and I would only recommend glass containers as they are the easiest to sterilize and best for retaining flavor.
It is also important to remember that the better the honey, the better the end result! Cold-filtered, raw honey not only contains more nutrients but is also far more flavorful than heat-treated, commercial honey.
Local honey will usually vary in taste, so buying from different sources can mean delightful new flavors.
1. Ginger-Infused Honey
- Ginger: 1/4 cup crushed and sliced
- Honey: 1 cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 24 hours
At the top of our list, this classic combination is a winner on all fronts.
Known for its healing and regenerative properties, ginger has been used in Asian cultures for thousands of years to promote strong immune systems and to prevent colds, flues, and infections.
This infusion is delicious in marinades for chicken and for vegetable stir-frys.
2. Lavender-Infused Honey
- Lavender (dried or fresh): 1 teaspoon
- Honey: 2 tablespoons
- Recommended Infusion Time: 7 days
Lavender-infused honey is a fantastic alternative to store-bought tea and can be stirred directly into hot (but not boiling!) water.
This is also a real show-stopper when lightly drizzled over cakes and topped off with one or two fresh lavender flowers.
3. Chamomile-Infused Honey
- Chamomile Flowers (dried): 3 tablespoons
- Honey: ½ cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 1 to 2 weeks
This creation is a favorite of ours when drizzled over granola, muesli, or any other kind of breakfast cereal.
If you are not a fan of the texture of the flowers, gently heat the honey in a pot of warm water, and then strain the honey.
4. Cinnamon-Infused Honey
- Cinnamon: 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon or ¼ cinnamon stick
- Honey: ¼ cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: One week
While this infusion can be used straight away, for a full and developed flavor, wait about one week. This mix is ideally suited to topping on granola or even mixed into your homemade muesli bars.
5. Mint-Infused Honey
- Mint: ¼ cup of leaves and stalks
- Honey: ¼ cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: Can be used immediately!
If you have a lot of mint leaves from your garden left over, use them in this infusion for a no-waste recipe.
Using a mortar and pestle or a container and a wooden spoon, crush the mint to release all the aromatic juices, then simply add to honey, and it is ready to use.
Use this infusion in refreshing iced drinks or cocktails.
6. Rosemary-Infused Honey
- Rosemary (dried or fresh): ¼ cup leaves crushed and coarsely chopped
- Honey: ½ cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 2 days minimum (then as long as you desire)
Adding equal parts water to this infusion makes an excellent baste for roast lamb and is excellent for spicing up your weekly roasts.
Using a basting brush or tied bunch of rosemary sprigs, brush the glaze on lamb every 20 minutes during roasting for a flavorsome coating.
7. Jalapeno-Infused Honey
- Jalapenos (or hotter chilies for more intense heat): One chili with seeds
- Honey: ¼ cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 24-hours – 1 week
This infusion mixed at a ratio of 1:2 honey to soy sauce makes for a mouth-watering addition to stir-fries or can be combined with olive oil, mustard, and garlic for a heat-packed and intense salad dressing.
8. Rose-Infused Honey
- Rose petals, store-bought or from organic, unsprayed roses: ½ cup
- Honey: ⅓ cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 2 days
Used as an aphrodisiac since Egyptian times, roses represent one of the most intense mood-altering scents available to herbalists. Stirred into champagne or sparkling wine, this is a great way to make a delicate and exciting drink.
9. Lemon-Infused Honey
- Lemon: Peel of four lemons
- Honey: 1 cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 1 week minimum
An infusion for truly universal applications, lemon honey goes with just about anything! Simply remove the peel from four lemons (preferably organic), then cut into thin strips, and soak in honey.
Use in dressings, marinades, drinks, sweets, and baked goods. For infusions ready to use straight away, use juice as well as zest.
10. Orange-Infused Honey
- Oranges: Zest of four organic oranges
- Honey: 3/4 cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 1 week minimum
When left to infuse, honey will soak into the zest and effectively candy it to a delightfully sweet, aromatic taste. This is a great addition to cakes and muffins or is tasty stirred into yogurt or cottage cheese.
11. Coffee-Infused Honey
- Whole coffee beans: ⅛ cup
- Honey: ½ cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 1 week minimum
Using whole roasted coffee beans here is a must, so if you only have ground or granulated coffee at home, hold off on this recipe.
Whole coffee beans release a less intense flavor, which is needed here as you don’t want to overpower the infusion.
12. Star Anise-Infused Honey
- Star Anise: ⅛ cup whole and partially crushed pods
- Honey: ½ cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 1 week minimum
Because both honey and star anise are excellent remedies for inflammation, flues, and coughs, this infusion is a must to keep in the back of the cupboard.
Star anise also aids digestion, so this infusion mixed into hot water or iced and made into a cold brew is a great way to settle stomachs after a meal.
13. Clove-Infused Honey
- Cloves: ⅛ cup whole cloves
- Honey: ½ cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: One week
In our book, cloves want nothing more than to be used in Christmas food, so this little number is no different! Best uses include as a glaze for ham, dissolved in milk or egg nog, or drizzled over Christmas desserts.
14. Thyme-Infused Honey
- Fresh Sprigs of Thyme: ½ cup
- Honey: 1 cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 5 – 7 days
As with many other herbal infusions, thyme and honey can be very effective in aiding wellness, recovering from colds, and soothing sore throats, but this infusion can be used at any time.
An unusual and delicious addition to cocktails and drinks, this is a playful twist to add some character to your creations.
15. Basil-Infused Honey
- Sweet Basil: ½ cup of fresh leaves
- Honey: 1 cup
- Recommended Infusion Time: 2 days
This infusion is another very exciting flavor to try in cocktails, punches, and ice teas. While most of us know basil as a savory herb, it actually goes really well with sweet flavors like peach, apple, and citrus.
16. Vanilla-Infused Honey
- Vanilla Pods: 2
- Honey: 1½ cups
- Recommended Infusion Time: 1 week minimum
Making your own vanilla honey is a great alternative to buying vanilla essences that often contain chemical flavors that do not hold the nutrients of real vanilla pods.
Although milder, this is still great for any recipe that calls for vanilla essence. This is also an infusion that goes into a huge variety of drinks for a warm, comforting, and soothing vanilla taste.
Conclusion
We hope that this list gives you some great inspiration so that you can begin to make your own, wonderful infusions at home!
While we gave you a handful of ideas you can use, there are many more herbs, spices, and aromatics that will make unusual, interesting, and tasty mixes. Have fun with it!