The short answer: whipped honey is liquid honey that has been set into very fine crystals, so it turns soft, pale and spreadable. Stir 1 part ready-made whipped honey into 10 parts liquid honey, jar it and keep it at about 14 °C (57 °F). In 1 to 2 weeks it sets into a smooth cream.
Whipped honey is also sold as creamed honey or spun honey. Nothing is added to it. It is the same honey, only the sugar has crystallised in tiny, even crystals instead of large, gritty ones. That is why it spreads like soft butter and does not drip off a knife. A 500 g batch needs just 50 g of shop-bought starter, and every later batch can start from the last.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Hands-on time | 10 minutes |
| Setting time | 1 to 2 weeks at about 14 °C (57 °F) |
| Ratio | 1 part whipped honey to 10 parts liquid honey |
| Keeps | Many months, closed, in a cool cupboard |
Ingredients
- 500 g (about 1½ cups) liquid honey, mild in flavour
- 50 g (about 2½ tablespoons) shop-bought whipped or creamed honey, as the starter
- Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- Clean, dry jars with lids
Why the starter? Honey crystallises around the crystals already in it. If you add a little whipped honey, its tiny crystals act as a pattern. The new crystals copy them and stay small, so the result is smooth instead of grainy.
How to make whipped honey
- Warm the honey a little. If your liquid honey is stiff or has started to crystallise, stand the jar in warm water until it is fully clear and runny. Let it cool to room temperature again.
- Add the starter. Put the liquid honey in a clean bowl and add the whipped honey. If you want cinnamon, add it now.
- Stir well. Stir slowly for 2 to 3 minutes, or use a hand mixer on low, until the starter has spread right through. Stir gently so you do not beat in big air bubbles.
- Jar it. Pour the honey into clean, dry jars and close the lids.
- Keep it cool. Store the jars at about 14 °C (57 °F): a cool cellar, garage or the coldest corner of a pantry. Honey crystallises fastest around this temperature.
- Wait. After 1 to 2 weeks the honey turns pale and firm. Tilt a jar: when nothing moves, it is ready.
No starter? Make your own first batch
You can start from scratch with honey that has already crystallised in the jar. Many honeys do this on their own after a few weeks.
- Take a spoonful of the crystallised honey and crush it in a small bowl with the back of a spoon until it feels smooth on your tongue.
- Use this paste as your starter, in the same 1 to 10 ratio.
- The first batch may be a little firmer or grainier. Keep a spoonful of it as the starter for the next batch, and each batch gets smoother.
Whipped honey with a mixer
Some recipes beat liquid honey with a stand mixer for 20 minutes or more until it turns pale. Beating adds air, so the honey looks white and fluffy straight away. It is a fun quick version. On its own, though, it can slowly turn back into clear honey with gritty crystals. Adding the starter before you beat, then letting the jar set somewhere cool, gives you the best of both: light and smooth.
Flavour ideas
| Flavour | Per 500 g honey | Good on |
|---|---|---|
| Cinnamon | 1 to 2 tsp ground cinnamon | Toast, porridge, apple slices |
| Vanilla | Seeds of ½ vanilla bean | Pancakes, yoghurt, scones |
| Orange | Finely grated zest of 1 orange, used within 4 days | Croissants, tea |
| Cardamom | ½ tsp ground cardamom | Warm bread, rice pudding |
Use ground spices, not whole ones, so the texture stays smooth. Fresh zest adds a little moisture, so keep that version in the fridge and eat it within 4 days.
How to use whipped honey
- Spread it on warm toast, crumpets or bagels. It melts slowly instead of running off.
- Stir a spoonful into porridge or plain yoghurt.
- Serve it with cheese, apples and nuts.
- Beat it with soft butter for an easy honey butter.
- For heat instead of spice, try our hot honey recipe.
Gift jars
- Small jars of 150 to 250 ml are the classic size.
- Fill them while the honey is still liquid, before it sets. Set honey is hard to pour.
- Label each jar with the flavour, the date and "not for babies under 12 months".
Storage
Keep whipped honey closed in a cool cupboard. It keeps for many months, like any honey. In a warm kitchen or in sunlight it softens and can turn liquid again. If that happens, it is still fine to eat. Put it back somewhere cool and it will slowly firm up. The fridge makes it very firm and hard to spread, so most people keep it in the cupboard.
Questions
Is whipped honey the same as creamed honey?
Yes. Whipped honey, creamed honey and spun honey are names for the same thing: honey set into very small crystals so it is smooth and spreadable. Nothing is added to plain whipped honey.
Why did my whipped honey turn grainy?
The crystals grew too big. This happens without a smooth starter, or if the jars set in a place that was too warm or kept changing temperature. Use a smooth starter and a steady, cool spot.
Why is my whipped honey not setting?
Some honeys crystallise very slowly because of the mix of sugars in them. Give it more time in a cool place, close to 14 °C. A honey that crystallises easily in the jar makes the best whipped honey.
How long does whipped honey last?
Plain or with dry spices, it keeps for many months in a closed jar in a cool cupboard. A version with fresh zest belongs in the fridge and should be eaten within 4 days.
Can babies eat whipped honey?
No. Do not give honey of any kind to babies under 12 months old.
