This Infused Orange Honey recipe has a mild citrus flavor that's so versatile. Spoon it over baked goods, tea, or yogurt. Or drizzle it over savory dishes—like Whipped Ricotta Dip, Roasted Beets & Labneh, and Seared Halloumi. Either way, you can't go wrong!
Infused honey also makes a thoughtful homemade gift. You could even pair this orange honey with other flavors, like infused vanilla honey and lavender honey. Check out our Simple Infused Honey for more tips on making flavored honey at home.
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Why you'll love this recipe
- Simple: It's so easy to make infused honey. You only need 2 ingredients.
- Versatile: Orange and honey pair so well together. And, it can be used in sweet or savory dishes. You'll be surprised how quickly you use it up!
- Proper infusion method: Adding fresh fruit to honey introduces moisture that can shorten honey's shelf life. So, this recipe uses oven dried orange zest to reduce moisture while maximizing flavor. This method was validated by a chef we interviewed on infused honey, so it truly is chef-recommended.
Ingredients (and substitutes)
You only need 2 ingredients to make this infused orange honey recipe:
- Orange: This recipe uses just the orange zest—not the inside of the orange. You'll need a vegetable peeler to remove long strips of the zest. The zest has concentrated orange flavor, without a lot of moisture. This is ideal because we don't want to add water to the honey. If possible, buy an unwaxed or organic orange when you plan to use the rind.
- Tip: Save the rest of the orange and use it for another recipe, like dairy-free Cranberry Cheesecake Bars or Orange Icing/Glaze.
- Honey: Choose a mild tasting honey so that the orange can shine through. Light colored honeys are usually quite mild.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
How to make (step-by-step photos)
You can use a cold or hot method to make this infused honey recipe. We've included step-by-step instructions for both, so use the method you like best.
Cold method
The cold method involves no cooking. So, this method is super easy! Fans of raw honey will prefer this. But, it does take longer for the honey to infuse without heat.
Here's how to make orange infused honey using the no-cook method:
Hot method
The hot infusion method heats honey and orange zest on the stove. Warm honey will infuse faster than cold honey. So, your infused honey will be ready in minutes (rather than days, like with the cold method).
Here's how to infuse orange honey on the stovetop:
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
Now that you know how to make flavored honey, check out our infused Lavender Honey and Vanilla Honey recipes.
Tips
- Avoid orange pith: This infused honey recipe calls for orange zest. "Zest" refers to the thin colored layer on the outside of the fruit. It has a concentrated citrus flavor. "Pith" is the white layer underneath the zest and it can be bitter. So, when removing the orange zest, avoid as much of the white pith as possible.
- Strainer alternative: If you don't have a small fine mesh strainer, you can use chopsticks or a fork to remove the orange zest. Because the zest is dried in strips, they'll be large enough to pick out. But a strainer is faster.
- No-waste tip: You can re-use the honey-soaked orange zest to make herbal tea. Just pour hot water over top.
- If honey hardens: It's normal for honey to crystallize over time—and it's still safe to eat. To make the honey runny again, warm it by placing the jar in a bowl of water.
- Make it for holiday gifts: Infused honey makes a great edible homemade gift. You can pair this orange honey with other flavored honeys. Or, package it up with a honey stick or tea.
Looking for holiday dessert recipes? Make a dairy-free Chocolate Peppermint Tart, White Chocolate Raspberry Cookies, or Ginger Molasses Cookies.
How to use
These are our top 5 ways to use infused orange honey:
- Whipped Ricotta Dip: Our savory Whipped Ricotta is an easy, crowd pleasing appetizer. The secret is a drizzle of honey at the end!
- Cheese Board: Cheese and charcuterie boards benefit from a sweet element, like honey or jam. Serve with a small spoon or honey stick, for drizzling.
- Tea: Stir some orange infused honey into your favorite herbal tea. Not only does it taste great, but honey also helps soothe sore throats.
- Honey Butter: Mix 3 parts butter and 1 part honey for a sweet, creamy spread. It's so good! Use it on toast, scones, muffins, and other baked goods.
- Simple Syrup: You can use honey to make a simple syrup for cocktails. It's similar to the process of making Brown Sugar Simple Syrup. Just use 1 part honey (instead of sugar) with 1 part water. The orange honey flavor would pair well with Frozen Mango Margaritas, Pineapple Margaritas, and Bourbon Sours.
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📖 Recipe
Infused Orange Honey
Instructions
Cold Method [Option 1]
- Dry orange zest: Preheat oven to 225℉ (107℃). Use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of zest from 1 orange (see note 1). Bake on a parchment-lined baking sheet until the edges start to curl, 15 to 25 minutes.
- Combine: Add dried zest and 1 cup mild honey to a jar. Stir to mix.
- Steep: Seal jar and let steep at room temperature. Flip the jar every couple days, to submerge the zest (over time it'll float to the top). Let steep for at least 5 to 7 days—or ideally longer for more flavor (see note 3). Once desired flavor is achieved, remove zest by straining through a fine mesh sieve or scooping it out with a fork.
Hot Method [Option 2]
- Dry orange zest: Preheat oven to 225℉ (107℃). Use a vegetable peeler to remove strips of zest from 1 orange (see note 1). Bake on parchment-lined baking sheet until the edges start to curl, 15 to 25 minutes.
- Combine: Add dried zest and 1 cup mild honey to a jar. Stir to mix.
- Warm and steep: Warm honey over lowest heat, stirring frequently and making sure the honey doesn't boil. Warm for 10 to 15 minutes, until desired flavor is achieved. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove zest (or for stronger flavor, leave the zest in).
Notes
- Orange: This recipe uses only the zest (i.e. the thin orange part of the peel). Avoid the white pith underneath, which can be bitter. Choose an unwaxed or organic orange if possible. Once the dried orange zest has been used in the honey, you can re-use the zest to make a caffeine-free herbal tea. Just add it to a tea pot with hot water and let steep.
- Mild honey: Use a mild tasting honey so the orange flavor can shine through. Light-colored honeys (like Clover or Orange Blossom) are usually mild. Give it a taste if you're unsure.
- Cold method steeping: How quickly your honey steeps depends on the temperature in your home and how strong of an orange flavor you want. In our tests, it took at least 5 to 7 days to get the flavor we wanted (upwards of 2 weeks). If you're short on time, refer to the hot method.
- Jar: A 325 ml or 11 fl oz recycled jam jar works well. Or another type of resealable container with a lid. If using the heated method, it'll need to be heatsafe.
- What to do when honey solidifies: It's normal for honey to harden (crystallize) over time. Raw honey tends to solidify faster. To make the honey runny again, put the jar in warm water or set it on a sunny windowsill.
- Yield: Makes 1 cup of honey. Nutritional estimate based on 1 teaspoon per serving.
- Recipe originally published Dec 19, 2015.
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