Keto Honey
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My keto honey recipe yields thick and sweet ‘honey’ made with NO bee pollen or actual honey! Made with 4 ingredients and only 1 gram of net carbs per serving.
Why you’ll love this keto honey
I grew up on honey and toast. It was my go-to breakfast, snack, and late-night treat.
When I first started eating keto, I assumed honey was one of the foods I’d have to leave behind for good. After all, traditional honey is packed with sugar and carbs. Thankfully, with a few simple ingredients and one secret weapon, I found a way to recreate the flavor and texture I missed the most. Here’s why you should make your own:
- It tastes surprisingly close to real honey. The secret is a touch of honey extract, which gives it that unmistakable honey taste.
- The texture is spot on. It’s thick, glossy, and actually pourable (or drizzle-able…).
- Use it any way you use honey. I drizzle it over keto pancakes, use it in my keto biscuits, and occasionally (okay, often) straight from the spoon.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients
Full measurements and instructions are in the recipe card below.
- Xanthan gum. Thickens the honey, making it pourable and sticky. I recommend being super cautious when using this, as even a little extra can make the honey too thick and gelatinous.
- Water. You want the water to be warm, not boiling.
- Sugar free brown sugar. I used a homemade brown sugar substitute, but allulose works just as well. I don’t really like using monk fruit sweetener or erythritol because they make the honey grainy and difficult to pour.
- Honey extract. The key ingredient! This extract gives a strong honey flavor while remaining keto-friendly. I like Lor-Ann Oils honey flavoring, which can be purchased on Amazon and in health food stores.
How to make sugar free honey
Step 1- Dissolve xanthan gum. In a small bowl, add half the warm water and xanthan gum. Whisk until the xanthan gum has mostly dissolved.
Step 2- Simmer. Add remaining warm water and keto brown sugar to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then add the xanthan gum and whisk well. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes or until thickened.
Step 3- Add honey extract. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the honey extract. Allow it to cool completely, transfer it to a sterilized jar, and refrigerate.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Be patient with the texture. The honey will still look thin once it’s removed from the heat, but it’ll continue to thicken as it cools, and even more so once it’s refrigerated.
- Adjust the sweetness. I like mine lightly sweetened, but everyone’s preferences are different. Taste the mixture toward the end of cooking and add a little extra sweetener if needed.
- Store in a squeeze bottle. This is totally optional, but how we do it in my house. It’s much easier to use throughout the week!
Storage instructions
Any remaining zero-sugar honey substitute should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one month. If you notice it’s firmed up a little, just run the container or jar under hot water, and it will loosen up nicely.
Ways to use keto honey
Keto Honey
Ingredients
- 2 cups water warm and divided * See notes
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 1 cup keto brown sugar or allulose
- 1 1/2 tablespoon honey extract
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add half the warm water and xanthan gum. Whisk very well, until the xanthan gum has mostly dissolved.
- Add the remaining warm water and keto brown sugar into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Once it begins to boil, add the xanthan gum mixture and whisk very well. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until it has thickened.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the honey extract. Allow the honey to cool completely, before transferring to a container or sterilized jar and refrigerating it until it has thickened further.
Can’t wait to try it out
Let us know how you go!
Hi Arman, Is there an alternative for honey extract in Australia? It appears the product recommended in the “Keto honey” recipe cannot be shipped to AU. Would love to give this recipe go! Thanks.
Hi Maria, I would give Amazon a go, or try your local health food stores. Sugarshy is also a popular keto brand in Australia.
I have just ordered some of this Honey extract. I have been buying honey from a company in the US,
but, looking forward to trying to make my own. Question please. is xanthan gum like cornstarch /
Thank you
Hi Linda, that’s great to hear! Please let us know how you go. And yes, we use xanthan gum to thicken the syrup, much like you would use cornstarch in other recipes, but in a much more keto-friendly way 🙂
What is honey extract and where can you buy it?
Hi Cathy, honey extract is a concentrated liquid flavoring, used in the same way as something like vanilla extract. Walmart stock a brand called LorAnn Honey Flavor. If you cant find it in store, you should be able to order it online. Hope this helps!
How much is considered to be a serving, please?
Thanks!
I used Sukrin Brown Sugar Alternative. I used a teaspoon of Lorann Honey extract. I only used a 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum. I like my honey pourable. I know I’ve found the recipe that suits my tastebuds. I’m using this “honey” in a honey mustard for my chicken tenders.
Sounds PERFECT Pamela! Thanks so much for sharing your tweaks to this recipe. I’m so glad you found the perfect “honey” for you 🙂
Hi Arman, when I go to the Amazon link it says it doesn’t post the honey extract to my address (in Australia). But I know you’re in Australia too. So what alternative do you suggest please?
Hi Arman, I have really missed cornbread baked in a cast iron skillet with honey. I have found promising keto recipes for both on your site. Hurrah! I’ m so glad to have found your recipes. Thanks so much, Carla in Oregon, USA. 🌲🌲🌲
Hi! Thanks for the recipe! Will this work in hot tea? Or is it best as a spreadable?
Best as a spreadable, but I don’t see why you can’t add some to tea.
Would love to try this but the honey extract is not available in Canada. Any other suggestions?
Hi Claudia, have you tried finding honey extract online? You can certainly omit it, but you will end up with more of a homemade sugar syrup, as opposed to a honey variation.
For the honey extract, does it matter if its water soluble or oil soluble?
In your notes you say not to use erythritol as it may leave the honey gritty.
Just letting you know that brown swerve is made with erythritol.
Hi there! Have you tried allulose? We use our homemade keto brown sugar made with allulose 🙂
Why is it so hard now to save to PINTEREST? I used to be able to just touch the picture
Still works that way.
Made this keto honey today.
I didn’t have any honey extract so i skipped that and the “honey” tastes quite good anyway.
It didn’t thicken as much as i was expecting but it does the job. I used it to make a poppy seed filling and it worked great. And hopefully it will work in my keto hamantaschen dough too 😀
Veronique,
Would LOVE to have your hamentaschen recipe including the dough recipe. I used to make the best hamentaschen with yeast dough😔. Do you also have a decent kreplach dough? I’m finding Jewish recipes hard to duplicate or even come close on keto
Thank you!
I used the recommended sweetener, but I used the LorAnn’s Super Strength Honey Flavoring and this is what the ad says: “A little goes a long way! LorAnn’s super strength flavors are three to four times the strength of typical baking extracts.
When substituting super strength flavors for extracts, use ¼ to ½ teaspoon for 1 teaspoon of extract.”
Do you think 1 1/2 tablespoons was too much?
Hi Sharon! I think it depends on which batch of extract you get- mine needed the full 1.5 tablespoons but if you got a potent one, 1 teaspoon may be fine.
I used Swerve Brown Sugar. The Honey flavoring seemed super strong, could 1 1/2 tablespoons have been too much?
Hi! I just finished creating this wonderful substitute for the real honey that I can no longer have. It smells divine, I used all of the suggested ingredient brands, but I notice that it has a slightly bitter aftertaste? It’s not bad, but I was wondering if I did something wrong, or if it can be corrected somehow? Thanks!
Hi Sharon! What sweetener did you use?
You are simply brilliant my man Arman! Thanks much for sharing this. I know I will enjoy using it.
Hi!
Love your site!
My question: in your nutritional facts you state
Carb 1
Fiber 1
Isn’t the fiber deducted from the carb count???
Thank you
Carol
Your site isn’t allowing me to post. Says I already asked this question, however just got this email today????
Hi Carol! Yes 0 net carbs 🙂