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:
📖 Recipe
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
Notes
1:1 Liquid to Sugar Ratio
Ideally you want to weigh the amount of liquid that you have and use the same amount of sugar. We don't always have a scales to hand, so we use the cup measurements as above, and just use our judgement. As the amount of liquid you have left over after infusing the dandelions can vary, the sugar amount can vary, and so can the amount of time you need to boil the liquid. If you have ever made jam, it is a similar process.How to know when it has reached the right consistency
You will see that the liquid will darken and start to thicken. Test it regularly on a cold plate, or see how it clings onto a metal spoon. It will thicken more as it cools, so aim to turn it off before it reaches your desired texture. I prefer to stick to the more runny consistency. If you cook it for too long you risk that it gets overly thick and caramelises. You can also use a jam or candy thermometer to cook it until it reaches the thread stage at around 223 °F - 235 °F or 106 °C - 112 °C. If you change the batch size, the time needed to boil and thicken will vary. Just like real honey, this can also crystallise. But it's still good to eat.Picking dandelions
Always pick your dandelion flowers from a plentiful, clean and pesticide free place. Dandelions are an early nectar source for pollinators, so make sure to leave plenty behind for the bees and their friends!Troubleshooting
I haven't weighed the liquid
You can just use the measurements given in the recipe instead! In this case, however, cooking time until you reach the right consistency can vary. It might take a bit longer, or less long until you are done. Make sure to test the consistency as described above!I've added the sugar from the beginning
No worries! Nothing's lost. Here's what you can do: Instead of boiling for 15 minutes with the flowers at the beginning, just gently heat up until the sugar is dissolved, then leave to infuse overnight. To continue, strain the liquid as normal through a sieve, and the dissolved sugar stays in the liquid. Then heat up in a saucepan and simmer until the right consistency is reached (see tips above).My honey has crystallised
You have probably boiled off too much of the liquid or added more sugar than required, and the honey crystallised as it cooled down. Crystallisation can also happen when the vegan honey is stored for a longer amount of time.Nutrition
This information is calculated per serving and is an estimate only.
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
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! 🙂
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!
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 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!
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.
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
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. 🙂
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!
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.
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
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
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 🙂
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!
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
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 🙂
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 🙂
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
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. 🙂
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 🙂