National Honey Board Recipes

The National Honey Board’s
Most Loved Recipes

Well, folks, our favorite month is upon us – a month to enjoy and appreciate one of life’s simplest pleasures – honey. That’s right! September is National Honey Month and we want to celebrate by sharing with you some of our favorite honey recipes.

Not only is honey diverse in its use – energy booster, skin moisturizer, cough suppressant – but it’s also diverse in its culinary applications. This one, simple ingredient can be used in a multitude of ways, and the recipes below showcase a few that make honey so unique.

Take a moment this September to savor the “sweetest” ingredient of all and to appreciate the humble honey bees that make it all possible.

Harvest Pumpkin Muffins
(makes 12 muffins)

Start your day off right with these delicious muffins sweetened with honey. Honey acts as a humectantand retains moisture in baked goods, which results in an incredibly soft, moist muffin. And because of its antimicrobial properties, honey gives baked goods a slightly longer shelf life. Who knew one ingredient had so much functionality?

• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, softened
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 egg
• 1 cup solid pack pumpkin
• 1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg; set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light; beat in honey, egg and pumpkin. Gradually add flour mixture, mixing until just blended; stir in walnuts. Spoon into 12 greased or paper-lined 2-1/2 inch muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove muffins from pan to wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Honey-Curry Vegetable Dip
(makes 6 servings)

This dip pairs perfectly with fresh, crisp vegetables or even sliced sausage and other grilled meats. Honey acts as an emulsifier in dips and sauces, binding ingredients together to make for a smoother texture and more blended flavor.

• 1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 Tablespoon curry powder
• 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Assorted fresh vegetables (celery, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli)

Combine mayonnaise, honey, curry and vinegar; mix well. Refrigerate about 1 hour to allow flavors to blend. Serve with vegetables.

Chicken Fajita Grill with Avocados
(makes 4 servings)

No matter the weather, this recipe is worth a try! Honey is used as a marinade and basting sauce, giving the chicken moisture and unbeatable flavor. As a bonus, the recipe for Honey Corn Cakes is included and is the perfect accompaniment to this smoky fajita grill.

• 1 to 2 lemons
• 1/4 cup honeySweet and spicy is the name of the game! Honey sweetness is the perfect balance to a firecracker dish. Here, honey is used as a saucy glaze to impart the most robust flavor while keeping the shrimp moist and tender.
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
  • 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • 1 cup snow peas, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1-1/2 lbs. shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 3 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 6 cups cooked white rice, optional
  In small bowl, whisk together honey, soy sauce, vinegar, cornstarch, orange peel and red pepper flakes until thoroughly mixed and cornstarch is dissolved. Set aside. Heat oil in wok or large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Stir in garlic and ginger; stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add bell pepper and snow peas; stir-fry 1 minute until crisp-tender. Add shrimp and green onions; stir-fry until shrimp just turns pink, about 1 minute. Stir in reserved soy sauce mixture; cook and stir until sauce boils and thickens. Serve over cooked rice, if desired.
  
  Asparagus with Honey Garlic Sauce
  (makes 4 servings)
  
  
  
• 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• 2 avocados
• 12 honey corn cakes, recipe follows
• cilantro, optional
• sliced red pepper, optional
• citrus slices, optional

Grate lemon to get 2 teaspoons peel. Squeeze to get 2 Tablespoons juice. Mix lemon peel and juice with honey, cumin, salt and cayenne. Place chicken breasts in bowl. Pour mixture over chicken, turning breasts to coat; cover. Marinate in refrigerator for 8 to 10 hours. Place chicken over medium-hot coals or under broiler on foil-lined pan. Cook 5 to 8 minutes on each side, basting with marinade, or until cooked but not dry. Halve, seed and skin avocados. Slice lengthwise. Slice chicken breasts crosswise and serve with avocado slices and honey corn cakes. Garnish with cilantro, sliced red bell pepper and citrus slices if desired.

Firecracker Shrimp
(makes 4 servings)

Each of the flavors in this dish are bold and distinct, but when combined they create a harmony of taste – and honey plays a predominant role. Honey’s naturally occurring organic acids enhance and balance the flavors of other ingredients.

• 1 lb. fresh asparagus
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup dark ale or dark beer
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed dried thyme leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Add asparagus to boiling, salted water (about 1-inch) and cook, covered, about 2 minutes or until barely tender. Drain. Combine mustard, ale, honey, garlic, thyme and salt; mix well. Pour over cooked asparagus.

Honey Macaroon Dessert Pizza
(makes 6 servings)

This is a terrific dessert to make with your kids – easy (and fun!) to make, loaded with fresh fruit and kissed with honey’s sweetness. To see a video demonstration of this recipe, visit our YouTube Channel here!

• 1 cup whipping cream
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1 tube (10 oz.) refrigerated pizza dough
• 1/2 Tablespoon butter, softened
• 1/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut, lightly packed
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
• Whipped cream, for garnish
• Fresh fruit, such as berries, for garnish
• Mint sprigs, for garnish

Whisk together cream and honey. Reduce over medium low heat by about 1/3, until mixture thickens and develops a light caramel color. Reserve. Shape pizza dough according to package directions. Spread butter over pizza shell. Sprinkle with coconut and almonds. Drizzle with reserved cup honey mixture; spread gently with a rubber spatula shell. Bake at 450° F until crust is lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Cool to warm or room temperature. Cut into 6 wedges. Garnish with whipped cream, fruit, and mint sprigs.

Smoked Honey Ice Cream
(makes 1-1/2 to 2 cups)

If you want to make a fancy, melt-in-your-mouth (literally) dessert for your friends, this is the recipe for you. The smoked honey gives this sweetener an even deeper flavor profile while also giving the ice cream a smoother mouthfeel. Ice creams using honey generally have a lower freezing temperature, which results in an ice cream free of grainy ice crystals.

• 5 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1 vanilla bean, split
• 1/3 cup smoked honey, or to taste*

To prepare ice cream base, beat eggs and sugar together in a bowl; reserve. Combine milk and heavy cream in a saucepan; scrape vanilla seeds into mixture, then add whole vanilla bean. Bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low. Temper egg mixture with a little of the hot liquid. Slowly whisk tempered egg mixture into the saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Cool. Remove vanilla bean. Pour ice cream base into ice cream maker, following manufacturer’s instructions for freezing. Add smoked honey after the mixture begins to thicken. Notes: Yield will depend upon the amount of air a particular ice cream maker incorporates into the ice cream. *Smoke honey over pecan chips at a low temperature for about 1-1/2 hours.

Honey Iced Tea
(makes 10 servings)

There’s nothing more refreshing than a glass of iced tea, especially when it’s sweetened with honey! Because honey is 17% water, it dissolves quickly and easily in most beverages. Plus, since honey isslightly sweeter than granulated sugar, you can use less honey to achieve the same level of sweetness.

• 1 quart boiling water
• 12 tea bags
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 quart cold water
• Mint sprigs, if desired

Add tea bags to boiling water and allow to steep 3 to 5 minutes. Remove tea bags and add lemon juice and honey. Stir to combine. Add cold water and refrigerate. Pour over ice cubes in tall glasses. Garnish with mint if desired.
If you need any clarifications on the above recipes, just go to National Honey Board online and verify that I have copies this correctly for you. Enjoy!