Easy Infused Vanilla Honey

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Infused Vanilla Honey is delicious and easy to make. You can use this flavored honey in almost anything. And, the speckled vanilla beans look really pretty in a jar. So, this honey is a perfect homemade gift for the holidays!

Learn all about infusing honey at home in our Simple Infused Honey series. And, while you're at it, make Infused Lavender Honey and Orange Infused Honey too.

Ingredients (and substitutes)

You only need 2 ingredients to make this easy vanilla honey recipe:

• Vanilla bean: Whole vanilla beans give great flavor to this honey. This recipe maximizes vanilla flavor by using both the outer bean pod and the inner seeds. If you can't find vanilla beans, you could substitute vanilla bean paste. But, because vanilla bean paste is a mixture of bean pods and thickeners, it may shorten the shelf-life of the honey.
  • Note: 2 vanilla beans might seem like a lot...but when we tested a version with 1 vanilla bean, the flavor was not noticeable enough.
• Honey: Use a mild flavored honey so the vanilla flavor stands out.

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

How to make (step-by-step photos)

There are two different ways to make this vanilla bean honey: cold infusion or hot infusion. Use whichever method you prefer.

Cold method

The cold infusion method is super simple because there's no cooking involved. It takes longer for the flavorings to steep. But, if you prefer to consume raw honey, then you'll want to use this method. Here's how:

Hot method

The hot infusion method uses the stovetop to speed up steeping time. Here's how to make vanilla honey using the hot method:

Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.

These infusion methods can be used for other flavored honeys too! Check out our Simple Infused Honey series for more recipes.

Tips

• How to choose good vanilla beans: High-quality vanilla beans are moist. So, they're plump, flexible, and leave a oily residue on your finger after touching it. In contrast, lower quality vanilla beans are drier and smaller.
• Avoid introducing moisture: Honey has a very long shelf life, in part because of its low water content. So, you'll want to avoid adding unnecessary water to the honey when infusing it. Make sure to use clean and dry tools (such as pot, jar, and utensils). This will prevent the honey from spoiling.
• Crystallized honey isn't bad: All honey will crystallize (harden) over time. Raw honey tends to harden faster than commercial honey. Either way, honey is still safe to consume if it hardens and/or goes cloudy, according to the USDA. To loosen up the honey, gently warm it until it's the consistency you want.
• How to know if honey has gone bad: If your honey smells fermented, tastes "off", or has visible mold then it's probably gone bad. This can be caused by moisture or food crumbs getting into the honey.
• Makes a great homemade gift: This vanilla bean honey makes delicious homemade gift for the holidays. Just package up the honey in a cute glass jar. And, if you're looking for other homemade food gift ideas, check out: Flavor Bomb Chex Mix, Earl Grey Shortbread, and Vegan Gingerbread recipes.

How to use

Vanilla bean honey is really versatile. You can use it in almost any sweet application where you'd use regular honey.

Here are our top 5 ways to use vanilla honey:

1. Baked Goods: Slathered on top of toast, scones, bagels, muffins, etc.
2. Hot Drinks: Swirled into tea and tea lattes (like a milky Earl Grey or Chai Tea).
3. Honey Butter: If you whip room temperature butter and honey together, you make a spreadable honey butter that's great on muffins and toast. Add the honey to taste.
4. Cocktails: Make a honey simple syrup to sweeten cocktails. For the standard simple syrup ratio, use 1 part honey and 1 part water. Or, if you want a sweeter (more concentrated) syrup, use 2 parts honey and 1 part water. Use hot water because honey doesn't dissolve well in cold liquids. Then, keep in the fridge so it's cold for drinks. If you love flavored syrups, try our Brown Sugar Simple Syrup and Jalapeno Simple Syrup.
5. Yogurt: Spooned over a bowl of plain yogurt, topped with granola and berries.

📖 Recipe

Infused Vanilla Honey

Infused Vanilla Honey with vanilla beans is so easy to make! It's delicious in tea, lattes and baked goods. Make vanilla bean honey for a homemade gift this holiday. Recipe includes two preparation options (cold and hot methods). (Gluten Free).

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 48

Author: Bri Beaudoin

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Ingredients

1x2x

• ▢ 2 vanilla pods
• ▢ 1 cup mild honey (see note 1)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cold Method [Option 1]

• Mix: Slice 2 vanilla pods each in half lengthwise. Run the back of a knife against the cut side to scrape out seeds. Transfer seeds to a clean jar (see note 2). Cut each of the scraped pods in half, then add them to the jar as well. Pour 1 cup mild honey over top.
• Steep: Seal jar and let steep at room temperature. Stir or flip the jar every couple days, so that the vanilla stays submerged under the honey (the pods will float to the top over time). Let steep for at least 5 to 7 days—or ideally longer for more flavor. Once desired flavor is achieved, you can remove the pods (see note 3).

Hot Method [Option 2]

• Mix: Slice 2 vanilla pods each in half lengthwise. Run the back of a knife against the cut side to scrape out seeds. Transfer seeds to small pot. Cut each of the scraped pods in half, then add them to the pot as well. Pour 1 cup mild honey over top.
• Warm and steep: Warm honey over lowest heat, stirring frequently and making sure the honey doesn't boil. Let warm for 10 to 15 minutes, until desired flavor is achieved. Transfer honey to a clean jar (if you still want more flavor then keep the pods in, otherwise pull them out—see note 3).

Notes

1. Mild honey: There are many types of honey. For this recipe, use a very mild tasting honey so that the vanilla flavor can shine through. Light colored honeys tend to be mild (such as Clover or Orange Blossom). If in doubt, just give it a taste!
2. Jar: We like to re-use 325 ml or 11 fl oz jam jars for this. But, any other clean glass jar or resealable container with lid works fine. If using the heated method, make sure the container is heatsafe (high-quality glass jars typically are).
3. Vanilla Pods: The scraped pods steep flavor into the honey (in addition to the beans). So, there's no rush to pull them out. But, it's easier to use the honey without the pods inside. So, if you're crunched for time and plan to give these as a homemade gift, just write a note on the jar for the user to remove the pods when ready to use.
4. What to do if honey hardens: Over time, all honey will harden (crystallize). It is still safe to consume. To thin the honey again, you can put the jar in warm water.
5. Yield: Makes 1 cup of honey. Nutritional estimate based on 1 teaspoon per serving.
6. Recipe originally published Dec 19, 2015.

Nutrition

Calories: 22kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 4mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg

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