Honey vs Sugar: Is Honey Actually Healthier?
We sell honey, so you might expect us to tell you it’s a health food and sugar is poison. It isn’t that simple. Honey and table sugar are both sweeteners your body treats mostly as sugar. The differences are real but small, and knowing them helps you use both sensibly.
Quick answer: Honey is slightly better than table sugar in a few ways, but both are added sugar. A tablespoon of honey has about 64 calories versus 48 for sugar, but honey tastes sweeter, so you may use less. Honey contains trace minerals, antioxidants and, if raw, enzymes that sugar lacks, and its glycemic index averages a bit lower (about 58-61 vs 65). Health guidelines count honey and sugar the same way: keep added sugars under about 6 teaspoons a day for women and 9 for men.
Honey vs sugar at a glance
| Per 1 tablespoon | Honey (21 g) | White sugar (12.5 g) |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 64 | 48 |
| Total sugars | 17 g | 12.5 g |
| Main sugars | Fructose (about 40%) and glucose (about 31%), already separate | Sucrose, split into equal glucose and fructose during digestion |
| Water | About 17% | None |
| Glycemic index | About 58-61 on average, wide range by flower | About 65 |
| Minerals, antioxidants | Small amounts | None |
| Enzymes | Yes, if raw | None |
| Counts as added sugar | Yes | Yes |
Nutrition figures from USDA FoodData Central.
Why does honey have more calories than sugar?
Because a tablespoon of honey is much heavier. Honey is denser than granulated sugar, so a tablespoon holds about 21 grams of honey versus about 12.5 grams of sugar. Gram for gram, honey actually has fewer calories than sugar (about 3 vs 4 per gram), because about 17% of honey is water.
Is honey sweeter than sugar?
Yes, a little, because it’s rich in fructose, the sweetest common sugar. Many bakers use about three-quarters as much honey as sugar in a recipe. If that sweetness means you use less, honey can come out about even in calories. See baking with honey for substitution ratios.
Does honey raise blood sugar less than sugar?
Somewhat, on average. Honey’s glycemic index varies widely with its floral source, from the 30s to the 80s, and averages a little below table sugar’s 65. Honeys high in fructose, like acacia, tend to have lower values. But “lower” is relative: honey still raises blood sugar and must be counted as carbohydrate by anyone managing diabetes. See honey and blood sugar.
Does honey have nutrients sugar doesn’t?
Yes, in small amounts. Honey contains traces of potassium, magnesium, B vitamins and vitamin C, plus antioxidant flavonoids and phenolic acids, especially in darker honeys. Raw honey also keeps enzymes and pollen. But you’d have to eat far too much honey for these to make a real nutritional difference. See honey nutrition facts.
Where honey clearly wins
- Coughs. Honey is one of the best-supported home remedies for coughs from colds in anyone over 1 year old. Sugar syrup doesn’t have that evidence. See raw honey for colds and sore throats.
- Flavor. Honey brings floral, fruity or malty flavors that let a little go a long way.
- Less processing. Raw honey goes from hive to jar with nothing but straining.
Where sugar is the better choice
- Babies under 1 should never have honey, because of the risk of infant botulism. See when babies can have honey.
- Some baking, like meringues and crisp cookies, depends on sugar’s dry crystals.
- Cost, if you’re sweetening in large amounts.
How much honey is too much?
The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to about 25 grams (6 teaspoons) a day for most women and 36 grams (9 teaspoons) for most men, and none for children under 2. Honey counts toward that limit; FDA labeling rules even list single-ingredient honey’s sugar as added sugar. A teaspoon or two a day fits easily.
Frequently asked questions
Is honey healthier than sugar for weight loss?
Not meaningfully. Calorie for calorie, they’re similar. If honey’s stronger sweetness helps you use less, that’s the benefit. Using less sweetener of any kind matters most.
Is raw honey healthier than regular honey?
Raw honey keeps its enzymes, pollen and delicate aromas, which heat processing reduces. Calories and sugars are the same.
Can diabetics use honey instead of sugar?
Honey isn’t a free food for people with diabetes; it raises blood glucose and must be counted as carbohydrate. Talk to your care team.
Does honey count as added sugar?
Yes. Nutrition labels and dietary guidelines treat honey as an added sugar when it’s added to foods or eaten as a sweetener.
Is honey better than sugar in coffee and tea?
It’s a matter of taste. A light honey adds sweetness with a gentle flavor. Let very hot drinks cool slightly before adding raw honey to keep more of its character.
Sources
- USDA FoodData Central: honey; sugars, granulated.
- Atkinson FS, Foster-Powell K, Brand-Miller JC. “International tables of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2008.” Diabetes Care, 2008. PubMed
- American Heart Association, added sugars recommendations.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration, guidance on declaring added sugars on honey and other single-ingredient sugars, 2019.
Honey isn’t a health food, and sugar isn’t poison. Honey is a sweetener with more flavor and a few small extras. Use a little, and enjoy it.
