What You Need To Know About Vegan Honey

If you follow a vegan diet, you might already know that honey doesn't make the cut as far as being free of animal byproducts — because, well, bees. That said, please give a warm welcome to vegan honey. Yes, it exists, and yes, it's still delicious (without needing to manipulate and exploit any bees, as PETA tells us). Whether you want to make buy it pre-made or make your own, we've researched some of the best ways to indulge in this delectable vegan sweetness.

If you prefer to take the DIY route, there are a few ways to make your own vegan honey, and we can confirm that Get Set Vegan's version is pretty darn good (more on that later). If you prefer to skip the whole making-it-yourself thing, there are a few vegan-friendly companies that we'd definitely recommend buying from.

For starters, Vegan Honey Company comes pretty close when it comes to replicating bee-made honey. But instead of bees extracting nectar and pollen, the company extracts it from organic plants themselves; after, they add fruit, water, album root, and raw sugar. If you're looking for a sugar-free alternative, Pyure's Harmless Hunny is another great vegan option. Sugar or not, you can enjoy these honey alternatives totally guilt-free.

To make your own vegan honey, you'll need five to six apples, one cup of sugar, two tea bags (floral, like chamomile, or dried flowers), one tablespoon of lemon juice, and half a cup of water. (BTW, another way to make it is with dandelions, lemon, sugar, and water, per Vegan on Board.) You'll also need a food processor, strainer, pot, stove, and glass jar for storing.

First, prepare the apples by rinsing them, removing their surface wax, and slicing them (keep the skins on to help thicken the syrup). Then, transfer them to a food processor with the water, and blend until pureed. After, strain the juice and combine the lemon juice, sugar, and tea bags with the juice in a pot. Bring it to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and take out the tea bags after two minutes. Leave the rest of the ingredients. To finish, "Let the liquid reduce to about half. To check the desired thickness, let the syrup drip from the spoon. If the drippings are forming a string-like shape it is all done. This may take 20 to 25 minutes," says Get Set Vegan. Finally, move your concoction to a cold-water bath, grab the glass container where your new vegan honey will live, and transfer it over.