Sweet, runny and blossomy, this dandelion honey is the perfect bee friendly vegan substitute for honey. If I hadn't made it myself I wouldn't believe it's not honey, it tastes and feels like the real thing!
The perfect vegan substitute for honey
Before I became vegan I didn't know much about honey production. So like many others I thought that buying honey was actually friendly to bees. I knew that vegans didn't eat honey, but I didn't really know the details why.
Made with foraged dandelion flowers, our vegan honey is so simple to make and tastes just like the real thing. All you need is fresh dandelion flowers, organic sugar, a lemon and water. That's it!
The dandelion flowers give this vegan honey substitute a rich floral taste. So, unlike other vegan honey alternatives such as golden syrup, agave syrup, date syrup, our vegan dandelion honey could make anyone believe it's actually honey!
Dandelions - Weeds or Wildflowers?
“A weed is but an unloved flower.”
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
Dandelions are considered weeds in the UK, often seen as the nemesis to those that want a perfectly green grass lawn. But dandelions have been used by humans for food for centuries and appreciated by many cultures for their medicinal benefits.
A dandelion is not just one plant, but several different species of the genus Taraxacum. The most common are T. officinale and T. erythrospermum and they spread across the world from Europe.
A dandelion is easily to recognise with it's bright yellow many petaled flowers. Its leaves form around the base, and often have a toothed leaves.
There are several similar plants with similar flowerheads in the daisy family Asteraceae, sometimes known as false dandelions, so learn how to distinguish these.
The leaf shape is what gives the dandelion it's name - from the French dent de lion, literally meaning lion's tooth. In German the plant is known as Löwenzahn (Löwe = lion, Zahn = tooth).
After they have flowered the plants turn into beautiful seed heads, often called clocks. Who remembers 'telling the time' as a child by blowing the seeds?
Eating Dandelions
Every part of the dandelion plant is edible. As always, with foraging be 100 percent sure that what you are gathering is correctly identified and safe to eat.
You can use the young leaves in salads and dry them to make tea. The long tap root can be dried, roasted and ground - it tastes surprising like coffee! Some people can have an allergic reaction to the pollen of dandelion, so take care.
The flowers can be used to make dandelion wine. But what we love to do most with the dandelion flowers, is to make this amazing vegan dandelion honey!
So let's get picking our flowers to make our vegan honey. Just leave some dandelions for the bees too 🙂
Picking Dandelion Flowers
The best place to pick your dandelion flowers is a lawn or field away from roads and dog walkers. Also take care not to pick anywhere that may have recently been sprayed with pesticides.
The flowers open during the day and close during the night. You want to pick the fully open flowers, that still look nice and fresh. For our vegan honey recipe, pick just the flower heads without any stalk.
Forage responsibly
Dandelion flowers are an important source of nectar for bees, wild bees and other pollinating insects. Especially early in the season, there are only few other plants these animals can feed on.
So please don't pick dandelions when you don't see many other flowers around. Instead, choose a time and place where dandelions are plentiful, and always make sure to leave an abundance of flowers for the bees. Your environment will thank you! <3
How to make it
Making our dandelion honey only takes a few ingredients and a bit of time.
At first you make an infusion of the dandelion flowers with a bit of lemon, which needs to soak for several hours or overnight. Then you strain the liquid, add sugar in a 1:1 ratio and simmer it to thicken into a syrup. And just like that, your dandelion honey is ready!
In order to get the 1:1 weight ratio of liquid to sugar, weigh the liquid after straining, then add the same weight sugar. Alternatively, measure the liquid. One milliliter of the liquid weights one gram, or one fluid ounce weights one ounce.
At the end of the simmering, the hot dandelion honey should still be a bit thinner than the final vegan honey should be. It thickens up as it cools down, and might continue to do so after that.
We have detailed instructions, useful tips and some help for troubleshooting in the recipe card below!
Storing
Fill your dandelion honey into small sterilised jars while it's still hot. Use clean tools. This way, the dandelion honey should keep at least a few months in a cool dark place. Hopefully it will last you until dandelions are in full bloom next year!
Like with jam, watch out for signs of spoilage or mold. Keep open jars in the fridge and always use a clean spoon when taking vegan honey out of the jar.
Using
You can use your dandelion ‘honey’ in many ways. Here’s a few ideas:
- Use it as a sweetener in hot drinks.
- Enjoy as a snack on some homemade sourdough bread and vegan butter.
- Mix with mustard to make a vegan honey mustard dressing.
- Drizzle over vegan pancakes as an alternative to maple syrup.
- Use in baking recipes such as cakes or flapjacks.
- You can also use it in place of sugar or syrup in sweet and sour and sticky sauces, like our Sticky Lemon Tofu.
We hope you like this dandelion honey as much as we do!
We really love foraging! You can find lots more wild food recipes and tips here:
Vegan Dandelion Honey
Ingredients
- 2 cups (100 g) fresh dandelion flowerheads, densely packed
- 2 slices lemon
- 1.5 cups (350 ml) water
- about 1.5 cups (300 g) organic sugar
Instructions
- Shake or blow the flowers to remove any bugs
- Place the water, lemon slices and dandelion flowers in a saucepan
- Simmer with a lid on for 15 minutes
- Leave this to cool and infuse overnight
- The next day, strain out the flowers and lemon by pouring the liquid through a strainer or muslin cloth. Press down to make sure you get all of that dandelion juice out!
- Weigh the liquid, and then weigh out the same amount sugar.
- Put the liquid back in the pan and add the sugar. Stir and heat gently at first until the sugar is dissolved. Then bring it up to a gentle boil for approximately 15 minutes. See the notes for tips on knowing when it's ready.
- Pour into clean sterilised jars and put the lids on while it's still hot
Adrienne says
Is there an expiration date for this honey? How long would it typically last?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Adrienne, As long as you clean and sterilise your jars and utensils well, unopened jars should keep for months or longer, like jam does.
Jellybean says
Do you store at room temp or does it have to be refrigerated?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Jellybean,
it keeps well at room temperature. We're still eating last year's, and it shows no sign whatsoever of going bad 🙂
Enjoy!
Sophie & Paul
Nico says
Weird question - we've picked our dandelions but we don't have any lemons. Will limes do?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Nico, We've not tried it, but it should work. Another reader used oranges too. Have fun! Sophie
bean says
Tastes amazing! However mine turned to a sort of jelly consistency after cooling! Followed directions except that I left it ‘infusing’ for almost two days by accident! Could that be why? And would it still be okay to eat? I am not at all familiar with this sort of thing so any input is much appreciated!! 🙂
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Bean,
thank you for your rating and comment! 🙂
The jelly consistency might indeed come from the extra infusing time, as more pectin could have been extracted from the lemons. No worries though! still absolutely fine to eat, just a bit like marmelade! Glad you like it!
All the best, Paul
bean says
Thanks so much Paul! I just gave it a good stir and it went back to normal consistency for a while, but I think I’ll just leave it as a jelly! So yummy and fun to make 🙂
Duncan Hewitt says
Do you only use the petals from the head, or do you leave any of the green base of the head on too when you boil? Thanks!
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Duncan, we use the whole head, including the green base, but not the stem. Some recipes use just the petals, but when we tried it didn't make a noticeable difference, and it's much quicker. 🙂
Sarah says
Hey!
Is it possible to use alternitives for sugar, like agave or maple syrup or coconut sugar? And what about the amounts if I would use these?
Sophie and Paul says
Hey Sarah 🙂 We've not tried with sugar alternatives. I would try with agave syrup, as I think maple or coconut sugar might over power the dandelion flavour. Without testing it myself I'm not sure on amounts, so maybe try experimenting with a smaller batch? Let us know how you get on! Sophie
Fran says
I will try stevia and see what happens.
Sophie and Paul says
Good luck, and let us know how it turns out!
Stevia behaves quite differently from sugar, so you might find it does not thicken up, but interesting to find out 🙂
Richard says
Hi. I was wondering how you got on! I wanted to try this with maple syrup perhaps!? Thanks
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Richard,
maple syrup is already of the viscose consistency that you want in the end. We suggest using as little water as you can for the flower infusion, but it will take quite a while longer to get back to syrup consistency!
Another way could be to try infusing the flowers directly in syrup with just some of the water. That gets you there faster, but without testing we can't know how intense the flowery flavour would be.
Worth a try! Good luck and let us know how it turned out 🙂
Paul
Wendy Savill says
Made this recipe and it tastes delicious, highly recommended
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much for your recommendation Wendy! Glad you loved it 🙂
Kelly says
Should I warm or cold rinse or thouroughly wash the dandelions before cooking them or will any bacteria, dirt and microorganisms be boiled out of it?
Thanks for your help! Looking forward to making this while I'm at home.
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Kelly,
We just shake or blow the dirt and little bugs out of the flowers, and they get sterilised by boiling. Rinsing them before might wash out some of the pollen as well, but we want it in the vegan honey 🙂
Hope you have fun making it! Lots of love <3 Sophie and Paul
Kelly says
Thank you so much for your reply! I'll let you know how it comes out after I make it!
Sophie and Paul says
Yay! Good luck, we've had so many lovely pics and messages from readers who've made it this week, so hopefully it turns out well for you too Kelly 🙂
Sophie says
Hello. I love the idea of making dandelion honey, it tastes beautiful but my first attempt has come out really like liquid! What can I do to thicken it up?? Many thanks
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Sophie,
Here's what you can do: put it back in the saucepan, and simmer it a bit longer to thicken up a bit more.
Every few minutes you can test the consistency by putting a little bit of it on a cold (refridgerated) saucer. That helps it cool down quickly and you can see what it's like when cooled down. It's all about finding that sweet spot of honey consistency.
It can be tricky to get it just right, and if you simmer just a little too long the vegan honey can quickly crystallise when it cools down, which happened to us a lot at first. So being more cautious and keeping it on the liquid side is the safer way to go 🙂
If it does get too thick or completely crystallises in the jar, add enough boiling water to dissolve any chrystals, transfer it back to the sauce pan and repeat. It is a bit of a feeling thing, but eventually you'll get it right 🙂
Good luck, Paul
Eileen Willis says
Making this for the first time, I'll let you know how it turns out.
Sophie and Paul says
Hope it turns out well for you Eileen. The most tricky part is getting the set right. Test it regularly on a cold saucer to see how set it is and be careful not to over cook it. Enjoy!
Maggie Nicols says
For some reason, my liquid reduced a lot but didn't really thicken. I cooked it for ages!I used coconut sugar. Wast that the reason?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Maggie, We haven't tried this recipe with coconut sugar, but it was most likely the reason. Coconut sugar is less dense and doesn't thicken in the same way.You could try cooking it again with some apple (which contains the naturally thickening pectin) which might help it thicken.
If you made a different sized batch then it can also take longer to reduce and thicken. For best results we recommend weighing the remaining dandelion liquid, and using the same weight of caster sugar.
Have a nice day,
Sophie 🙂
Hugh Tunks says
I look forward to making this, but be aware that bees rely on dandelions as one of the few flowers available in early spring so please leave some for the bees.
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Hugh, yes absolutely we always recommend picking in moderation when foraging. We've added a note to the recipe to remind people to leave plenty for the bees and other pollinators 🙂 Enjoy making it, Sophie
Jo Smith says
This is fantastic! Even tho I did it wrong..I added the sugar at the beginning because who needs to read the instructions?? .....despite the hiccup it turned out beautifully...really impressed, smells and tastes just like honey. Thanks for the recipe.
Sophie and Paul says
Oops 🙂 So glad it worked out well anyway! Thanks for your lovely feedback Jo, we're so happy to share recipes with you. Sophie
Heather says
I did the same, added sugar at the beginning cos I didn’t read the recipe properly but it worked!!! The only negative is the smell when cooking 🙊. Thankfully the end result is perfect and made me feel I had actually used one of nature’s free gifts!
Sophie and Paul says
Glad it turned out well for you too Heather! Isn't it wonderful cooking with nature's bounty. Have you ever tried nettles? Our nettle soup is the perfect place to start! We are so looking forward to Elderflower season next. Sophie 🙂
Joanne says
Did you strain off the dandelion off after the boiling of the honey ? I’ve made the same mistake and added the sugar straight away
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Joanne,
I'm not sure water the others did, but I would recommend straining before boiling the honey (after you have soaked the flowers overnight). Hope it works out for you. Sophie
Lisa says
Do we cool with the lid on or let it cool first then put the jar lid on?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Lisa, put the lid on straight away after you fill the jars, this way the jar seals as it cools and will preserve better.
Leighanne says
My kids are making this right now =) Any suggestions on what I can use the strained flower heads for? I hate mass waste.
Sophie and Paul says
That's lovely to hear Leighanne! You can use the strained out flowers to make tea afterwards, or I have wondered about using them to make chia jam.
Anna says
Hello, I put a cup full of the cooked dandelion heads into a loaf of bread I was making at the time, and The bread turned green when it was cooked. We nicknamed it ‘Hulk’ bread. I put the rest into some lentil stew, we couldn’t really taste them but we could see the flower heads in the stew amongst the other ingredients so it looked interesting and it was nice to know they weren’t going to waste.
Sophie and Paul says
That's awesome Anna! Love that you made the most of the leftover flowers. Just imagining your Hulk bread, hehehe!:D
Sarah says
They're great in compost!
Karen says
I've just made this and was really impressed with the taste. So nice to make something from the weeds in my garden!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much for your lovely feedback Karen! Have you tried cooking with nettles? They are another 'weed' that's super nutritious and useful. 🙂
Lenka says
I have made this yesterday and it turned out delicious, though still really runny after nearly an hour of boiling (I made 3 times the amount the recipe says). Very tasty though and tasted great on my breakfast crumpets this morning:)
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Lenka, So glad you enjoyed it. Yes when you make larger batches the boiling takes much longer, testing it regularly on a cold saucer can help you to get the set that you prefer. On crumpets sounds delicious! Thanks for your comment 🙂 Sophie
Jess says
Are you really a vegan if you haven't made this recipe at least once this month?
Absolutely fabulous, so simple, and I can't believe how much it tastes like honey!
Sophie and Paul says
Haha totally! So glad you enjoyed it Jess.
Lisa Wicks says
This dandelion honey is amazing! When I first made it I thought it was delicious but a little thin, then I put it in the fridge and it thickened up perfectly! Absolutely delicious!! Thanks so much for this recipe. I would highly recommend it!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Lisa!
Miley says
Hello, I was just about to make this but found out I only have lemon juice can i use that instead?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Miley, Yes that should work. I'd use one teaspoon of juice to replace the two slices of lemon. Have fun making it! Sophie 🙂
Lisa says
Do you think this would work with chamomile or chrysanthemum flower buds?
Sophie and Paul says
Hey Lisa, We have made this recipe with other edible flowers. The taste will vary, but the process should be the same. You may find you want to adjust the quantity of the flowers depending on what you use. Have fun experimenting!
Rhea says
Can you freeze the dandelions until use? I need to ask my neighbors if I can pick theirs, I only have a cup.
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Rhea,
We haven't tried it, but another reader successfully used dandelions they had frozen. So hopefully it should work for you too! Enjoy, Sophie 🙂
Brandi says
I made this, doubled the recipe. It was delicious. I yielded 10 jars filled with 5 oz. of honey. I am just wondering why it is a little thinner consistency than honey? Is there way to fix this if the jars have already cooled?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Brandi,
Glad you enjoy the flavour of our vegan honey recipe! 🙂 It's more runny than some honeys because it is essentially a syrup, and not actually honey. It must be something the bees do, or because honey is actual pure nectar.
When you do a double batch, it will take longer to boil to reach the same consistency. To try and thicken it after it's cooled, pour it back into a saucepan and slowly simmer it again. Just try and not push it too far, as a very thick honey might crystallise as it cools down. Hope this helps! 🙂
Jasmine says
I accidentally added the sugar on the first step! Will this still work?
It sounds lovely so I’m really hoping it does!
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Jasmine,
here's what you can try and it should work (we have had other people with the same problem who reported they did this):
Just gently heat up the liquid with the flowers, sugar and lemon instead of boiling for 15 minutes, make sure the sugar is dissolved, then let soak and infuse overnight. On the next day, strain (the sugar stays dissolved in the liquid) and continue with the second boiling. We hope you get a good result. Let us know how it turned out! 🙂
All the best,
Paul
Kim says
Tried this today, lovely, thank you for the recipe, I dropped one of the jars i was filling onto my polenta bake that was cooling on the side, not to be disheartened I invented Yeast flake polenta with dandilion honey glazed 😀
Sophie and Paul says
Whoops, love your accidental culinary alchemy! Glad you enjoyed the recipe Kim.
Veronica Bamfield says
I plan to try this.
I put a link to this page on my Facebook wall and I added the comment about being aware of the need to leave some for pollinators right next to the link and added a bit about dandelions being very important to bumblebees just coming out of hibernation. I'm studying conservation so this is important for me and actually important for all of us.
Suzanne says
I would like to know if anyone with hay fever has tried it., please?
Monika says
Hello, can I use organic coconut sugar?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Monika, We haven't tried it, but another reader tried using coconut sugar and it didn't thicken up so well. It should still be delicious, just more on the syrupy side. Adding some very finely diced apple for the pectin it contains may help to thicken it up. Hope that helps, Sophie
Moya says
Hello! Finished making this today and I have to say it was fantastic! Made a few jars more than I meant to though, but that means gifts for people! Thanks you guys for the recipe
Sophie and Paul says
So happy to hear that Moya 🙂 You are very welcome, thank you for using our recipe!
Steph says
Hi, I’m going to try this with my daughter tomorrow. What kind of sugar should I use, caster or granulated? Thank you 🙂
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Steph, Either caster or granulated works fine! Enjoy 🙂
Steph says
Thank you 😊
sharon says
hi I just made my 1st batch..Delicious & very simple..Thank you!!
Sophie and Paul says
Wonderful! So happy you liked it Sharon.
Diane says
Hi ,have made 2 batches of honey now,and I boiled it gently for 1.5 hrs in the end and it still was not very thick ,quite runny in fact.Is this correct? It does taste like honey and my husband takes it in his cider vinegar in the morning instead of bee honey as he says it is more palatable. Dandelion cake next.
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Diane, glad you enjoy the taste! The consistency should be like runny honey, not like set honey. If you increase the batch size then thickening process will take much longer. Testing a spoonful regularly on cold saucer from the freezer can help you to know when the consistency is to your liking. Another important thing to note, make sure not to cover the pan with a lid whilst it's boiling - the liquid needs to be able to evaporate. Hope that helps! Sophie
Valerie says
I made this today totally amazing how can something that isn’t honey taste just like honey thank you so much for the recipe
Keira says
Made this yesterday and it is absolutely delicious!
Picked all the dandelions on a daily walk with my daughter and she loved helping out.
It tastes just like normal honey and was approved by my 2 year old 🙂
Sophie and Paul says
Thank you for the *****, Keira!
It's a fun thing for children, our niece and nephew loved it too! Especially the collecting of the dandelions...
Glad you and your family are enjoying your homemade vegan dandelion honey! 🙂
And keep up the great work, fellow blogger! We absolutely love Lake Garda 😍
Love, Paul & Sophie
Sallyann Winslow says
Hello. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe. My honey tastes fantastic but hasn't thickened much. It will be great as a drizzle and in tea or hot water but i expected it to be thicker. Did i do domething wrong? Wishing you all the very best! X
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Sallyann,
thank you for your kind words! We are so glad you like the taste of your homemade vegan honey 🙂
The consistency should eventually be at least as thick as maple syrup. It much depends on how long you boil it for, to evaporate enough liquid. You could try returning it to a saucepan and boiling it again for a little longer, and see if it thickens up any more. Especially when doing larger batches, simmering time increases by a lot! Also, don't put a lid on the pan. You can do this test with a small amount first to see if it works. Give it a try! 🙂
One thing to keep in mind is that the honey will never be like set honey, but of syrup consistency.
Wishing you all the best as well!
Take care, Paul
Isobel says
I made this but it hasnt thicked up. I weighed sugar and used same amount as the liquid.
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Isobel,
sorry that it didn't work out for you. Here are a few thoughts:
Did you by any chance do a bigger batch? Did you try boiling for a bit longer? Eventually, as more water evaporates, the vegan honey would thicken up as the sugar concentration increases. You could still return it to a saucepan and continue to gently boil off more liquid and see if it gets thicker. Try with a small amount first, as a quick test.
Hope you find this helpful and will try to still turn this around 🙂
Best wishes, Paul
Kate says
We have an allotment with more than our fair share of dandelions and we were looking for ways to use them. Came upon this recipe and WOW....absolutely brilliant, I made a jar of plain which is spot on and a jar of lavender infused but it's very thick which is because I boiled it again to infused with the lavender, lesson learnt....don't over boil!! Perfect measurements as in sugar to liquid ratio which worked fine for me. Have a go it's easy and very tasty, just picked another crop to make another couple of jars. Thanks for this great recipe 😋😀 x
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Kate. My old allotment used to love growing lots of dandelions too! If only I knew how to make this back then. We also use the smaller, more young leaves in salads. Another cool thing that you do with dandelions (but we've not tried yet) is to dry and roast the roots and use it as a coffee substitute!
Suzy says
They are simmering right now, and it smells good! But question....."leave to cool and infuse overnight." In the fridge or on the counter? Thanks! I can't wait to try this!!
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Suzy, just on the counter is fine 🙂
Love, Sophie & Paul
Suzy says
This was so much fun to make! I put the heads into a larger-holed colander and gently shook the ants out over the sink. Then I inspected to make sure there were no stragglers. The honey cooked up nicely and the jar sealed with a very decisive POP! I'm glad to know it'll be shelf stable for a while. I do see some foam on top (like you can get with jelly). Should I have skimmed before sealing? Or is this something other than foam? I can't wait to make more. In our cold Wisconsin winters, I often drink hot water, lemon juice, honey, and cayenne pepper to ease a cold or sore throat. This is going to be perfect!
Sophie and Paul says
So glad you enjoyed it Suzy! We haven't had foam forming on ours. Foam comes from air bubbles trapped in the top layer. Keep the boiling gentle, and give a good stir before jarring can help to reduce it. If you make more and it happens again, I'd skim it like you do with jelly. It may reduce the shelf life a bit, but it's still good to eat! Enjoy
Rissa says
Hi I would prefer to buy dried Dandelion flowers opposed to picking wild ones. Would dried flowers work as well? If so, are the measurements the same?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Rissa, Without testing it ourselves, I'm not sure how well dried flowers will work. When using dried herbs instead of fresh you typically use a third to a half the amount of fresh, so if I was to experiment I'd start off by trying the recipe using half the amount of dried flowers. Do let us know if you try it! 🙂
Aimee says
It tastes just like honey! But does it have to be thick on while boiling or when cooled? Over all it’s a great recipe and I’ll for sure make it again<3
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Aimee,
thanks for your comment! It is more liquid when hot, and thickens up when cooled. You can test this on a cold plate that was put in the freezer, to see if it's ready to come off the heat. Glad you'll be coming back to this!
Best wishes, Paul
Alan says
I made this!
Truly delicious, but mine turned out very dark. I don't mind, because it is so nice.
Next batch will not simmer for so long. (I have an AGA, so it does not matter how long things cook for.)
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Alan, glad it turned out delicious!
A dark colour could come from caramelisation, or if you used brown sugar. As long as it's delicious, it doesn't do any harm though 🙂
Enjoy, Paul
Todd Emanuel says
First batch was a success now knowing that syrup consistency is the goal not honey thick! Those who have tried it love it. Off to collect more dandelions today for another batch. Thank you!
What is the shelf life?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Todd! Glad you love it.
I'd say shelf life unopened is at least a year, but that's strictly if you have followed all sterilising precautions and jarred it while it was still hot. All in all it's quite similar to jam in the way it keeps, if you are familiar with that. It can happen that a jar goes a bit moldy, especially when opened. So always check vor visual clues.
I'd also recommend making enough for the year and make a new batch of vegan honey next year, that way you can avoid storing times longer than a year.
Hope this helps, Todd! Enjoy your vegan dandelion honey!
Paul
Bob Zglinski says
Absolutely superb, I used earl grey tea in the infusion. Brilliant taste explosion.
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Bob! Love your idea with the earl grey 🙂
Lauren says
This is such a nice recipe, I've been looking for a good sweetener to use in drinks and such and this is lovely. My little brother even said it tastes like the real thing! Thank you for this recipe, it helped a lot.
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Lauren, we delighted you enjoyed this recipe. Lovely feedback like this makes our day! Sophie
Courtney says
Love, love, love! Thanks for sharing this recipe. Life changing. I have been eating on my first batch for about a month now and the bottom of the jar has crystallized just recently. Any tips or tricks on how to liquify this again?
Sophie and Paul says
Hey Courtney, glad you love it so much! 🙂
What I've done before is reheat it to melt the sugar crystals. Pour a bit of boiling water in the jar to detach crystals that stick firmly to the jar. Boil it down again to get rid of the additional water if you add any. Hope that helps! 🙂
Enjoy your dandelion honey! Love, Paul & Sophie
Susan Campagnola says
I was very intrigued by your bee-free honey. Please remember that dandelions are a vital source of nectar for bees when other sources are not available. Make your honey when there are plenty of other sources for the bees. I was a beekeeper for 17 years.
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Susan, Thanks so much for your comment! We do specifically mention in the recipe that dandelions are an important early nectar source for bees and not to over pick. I will try and make it more prominent. We personally make ours when there's lots of flowering sources around our area, and recommend our readers to do the same.
Shayne says
I actually stopped supporting honey because honey bees are an invasive species here in North America and terrible for the ecosystem. This is an awesome way to make European and Asian recipes that require honey without supporting an industry that destroys our beautiful native bee species!
Carole Banton says
Hi
I made the dandelion honey today!
Delicious!
Are there other edible flowers I could use to make it later in the year?
Thanks
Carole
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Carole, We've also made it with false acacia/black locust flowers and elderflowers. But dandelion gives the most honey like flavour we've found. You could try other a mix of other edible blossoms such as chamomile, rose, lavender. You might also like to try freezing some dandelions to make a batch later in the year. Glad you enjoyed it so much! 🙂
Maggie M says
I made a 4x batch yesterday and blind taste tested my husband. He said it tasted just like honey!
I did another batch with a touch of natural vanilla and it added a nice creamy taste.
Today, I'm boiling down a batch with chamomile for a sweeter taste, and one with lavender for tea. They are on the stove now and smell AMAZING! Thank you for this recipe!!
Sophie and Paul says
That's fantastic to hear Maggie! Thanks for your wonderful feedback and so glad it passed the taste test with great success. Loving your variations too - they all sound delicious!
Brenda says
There are different kinds of dandelions how do I know I am picking the rite kind?? How do I identify the rite ones ?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Brenda, look carefully at any wild plants to examine all their features to help you to identify them and never eat something if you are not 100% sure. This a handy guide for dandelions in the UK, which also lists similar looking plants. https://www.wildfooduk.com/edible-wild-plants/dandelion/
Belinda Jarvie says
My Nanna used dandelions all the time. Saw your recipe.....the rest is history. Love this!! In my tea, on toast....trying with oranges in my next batch... delicious!
Sophie and Paul says
Yay, how nice that you are carrying on the family tradition by using dandelions. Enjoy the orange batch! 🙂
Carmel says
This turned out so delicious... I was concerned that it looked a bit murky and white froth formed at the top but it boiled out lovely and clear. About to make another jar 😋
Sophie and Paul says
Awesome, Carmel! 🙂 Perhaps we'll add a note about the froth in the post, so thanks for the comment! Enjoy your vegan honey 🙂
Veeny says
Made this today, was runny at first, now crystalised, how can I make the honey runny again?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Veeny,
this can happen when you boil it down a bit too much. Add some boiling water to the jar to dissolve the crystals. If it has completely crystallised and won't get out, try placing the jar in a hot water bath to dissolve the crystals. Once everything's back in the saucepan with the extra bit of water, repeat the simmering, but stop earlier than last time so it won't crystallise again. Hope this helps! Let us know how you get on 🙂 Good luck <3
Veeny says
Thank you, will try your suggestion and get back to you.
Jenny says
Made a batch exactly as you wrote and it's was delicious and set perfect. The huge batch I then made is still a little runny in the jars after being left overnight (still tastes amazing though), have you ever tried re-boiling the honey the day after? I'd already boiled for a almost an hour. Thanks 🙂
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Jenny, we've reboiled it in the past and there's no problem with doing so. Larger batches naturally need longer boiling to get to the same consistency. It's all about how it sets, not about exact time 🙂 So glad you enjoy our recipe! xx S&P
Jamie says
Hi I made this and put them in my jars but they been sitting and their runny. How do I fix this?
Sophie and Paul says
Hi Jamie,
you can put it back in a saucepan and simmer down a bit more. Put a few small plates in the freezer beforehand, and to test if the vegan honey is thickening up, put a little bit on one of the cold plates. That way you can test the consistency when it cools down. Hope this helps!
Teri Osborne-gomez says
Just amazing - just like honey. Plus the health benefits of any part of the dandelion plant are numerous!
Sophie and Paul says
Thanks so much Teri, delighted you loved it!
Fiona says
i had an abundance of dandelions and wanted to give this recipe a try, I was not disappointed and even my other half who is a beekeeper enjoyed it. I did feel I was doing some tiny bugs out of their homes as I blew them away though! Delicious
juniper says
Absolutely delicious!! Thank you for this lovely recipe. I had so much fun picking dandelions with my kids.
Suzy says
After sitting on the shelf, there are substantial crystals that have formed. It's still good to use, right? Can I just set it in a bowl of hot water to dissolve them? It tasted fine!