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Is honey healthier than sugar? What a teaspoon of each really gives you

Honey sounds like the natural, better-for-you choice. Spoon for spoon, the numbers tell a different story. Here’s how the two compare, how food labels and heart experts count honey, and where honey does earn its place.

By the Nourish & Strong teamBuilt from 14 sources8 min read
A banana split lengthwise in a cream-colored bowl, filled with thick white yogurt and topped with raspberries, blueberries, chopped almonds and a drizzle of honey, on a wooden table by a window

The short answer: honey is only slightly different from sugar, and not meaningfully healthier. A teaspoon of honey has about 21 calories and 5.7 grams of sugars, compared with 16 calories and 4.2 grams in a teaspoon of white sugar, USDA data show. The FDA and the American Diabetes Association both count honey as added sugar.

Honey does have small extras, such as trace minerals and plant compounds, and it has a real use for coughs. But your body handles it much like any other sweetener, as Harvard’s Nutrition Source puts it. What matters most is how much you use.

Is honey healthier than sugar?

Honey isn’t healthier than sugar in any way that matters for your daily diet. It’s mostly sugar too: USDA data put honey at 82% sugars and 17% water, while white sugar is 99.8% sugar. Honey has traces of potassium, calcium and zinc, but the amounts in a spoonful are tiny.

So swapping sugar for honey spoon for spoon gives you more calories and more sugar, as the table below shows. The swap only trims added sugar if you use less.

Does honey have more calories than sugar?

Honey has more calories than sugar per spoonful, but fewer per gram. Honey is denser and holds water, so a teaspoon of it weighs about 7 grams while a teaspoon of sugar weighs 4.2. Here are the numbers from USDA FoodData Central:

Honey, 1 tsp (7 g)White sugar, 1 tsp (4.2 g)Honey, 1 tbsp (21 g)White sugar, 1 tbsp (12.6 g)
Calories21166449
Total sugars5.7 g4.2 g17.2 g12.6 g
Glucose2.5 g0 g7.5 g0 g
Fructose2.9 g0 g8.6 g0 g
Sucrose (table sugar)0.06 g4.2 g0.2 g12.6 g
Calories per gram3.03.93.03.9

Source: USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy), Honey and Sugars, granulated. The honey teaspoon is a third of USDA’s 21-gram tablespoon. Honey varies by flower source and brand.

Honey’s sugar comes mostly as free glucose and fructose. White sugar is almost all sucrose. That difference shows up in the glycemic index below, but it’s modest.

Does honey count as added sugar?

Yes, honey counts as added sugar. The FDA’s definition of added sugars includes "sugars from syrups and honey," and the American Diabetes Association lists honey among the names for added sugar on ingredient lists.

A jar of plain honey gets a special label. The FDA lets single-ingredient sugars like honey, maple syrup and table sugar show the percent Daily Value for added sugars, with the grams in a footnote, so it doesn’t look as if sugar was added to the honey. In a granola bar or yogurt sweetened with honey, it’s counted in the Added Sugars line like any other sugar. The Daily Value is 50 grams a day on a 2,000-calorie diet.

How much honey a day is too much?

There’s no separate limit for honey; it falls under your added sugar limit. The American Heart Association suggests no more than about 6 teaspoons (24 grams) of added sugar a day for most women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for most men, as Harvard’s Nutrition Source summarizes it.

AHA daily added sugar limitEquals about this much honeyOr this much white sugar
Most women: 24 g4 teaspoons6 teaspoons
Most men: 36 g6 teaspoons9 teaspoons

Honey amounts are our calculation from the USDA figures above. That’s for all added sugar in a day, including what’s already in cereal, sauces and drinks, so the space left for honey is usually smaller.

Is honey good for diabetics?

Honey isn’t a free pass for people with diabetes. It raises blood sugar and counts as carbohydrate like other sugars. In the international glycemic index tables, honey averaged 61 and sucrose 65, with pure glucose at 103. Those numbers are close, so gram for gram of sugar the two raise blood sugar by similar amounts, and a teaspoon of honey carries more sugar than a teaspoon of white sugar.

A 2023 review of 18 trials with 1,105 people found honey lowered fasting blood sugar slightly, by 0.20 mmol/L (about 4 mg/dL), but rated that evidence low certainty. People ate a median of 40 grams a day, about 2 tablespoons, for a median of 8 weeks. Most comparisons were with people’s usual diet, and only about 15% were with table sugar, so they don’t show that swapping one for the other helps. The authors framed any benefit as part of a healthy eating pattern.

If you have diabetes or prediabetes, count honey in your carbs the same way you’d count sugar. Our guide to normal blood sugar levels explains the targets and how sugar or honey is used to treat a low.

Does honey help a cough?

Honey may ease a cough a little, especially at night. A 2018 Cochrane review of 6 trials in 899 children aged 1 to 18 found honey probably relieved cough better than no treatment, a placebo or diphenhydramine, and may work about as well as dextromethorphan. Most children took it for only one night, and the reviewers found no strong evidence for or against it.

The NHS suggests a hot lemon and honey drink for adults and children over 1: squeeze half a lemon into a mug of boiled water and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of honey. It notes the evidence is limited. If you’re not sure whether it’s a cold or something more, see our guide to flu vs cold.

See a doctor if a cough lasts more than 3 weeks, comes with weight loss you can’t explain, or you have a weakened immune system. Get urgent help for chest pain, trouble breathing, coughing up blood or a cough that quickly gets worse, the NHS says.

Why is honey bad for babies?

Honey is unsafe for babies because it can contain the bacteria that cause botulism, a severe illness. The CDC says never give honey to a child younger than 12 months, and don’t add it to a baby’s food, water, formula or pacifier. That includes products made with honey.

Spores of the bacteria can grow in a baby’s intestines and make toxin. Cleveland Clinic says the spores are fairly heat-resistant and advises avoiding both raw and processed honey for babies, and says honey is fine after the first birthday. Adults have more mature digestive tracts, so the spores aren’t an issue for them, Cleveland Clinic says.

Get medical help right away if a baby has constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids, a weak or unusual cry or a face showing less expression than usual. The CDC says to see a doctor or go to the emergency room immediately and not to wait.

Is raw honey better than regular honey?

Raw honey isn’t clearly better than regular honey. There’s no official US federal definition of "raw," Clemson Cooperative Extension notes. It generally means honey that hasn’t been heated or filtered, and the main difference is that it can keep small amounts of pollen. Clemson says the pollen in honey is too small to change its nutrition.

In the 2023 review, raw honey was one of the types linked with lower fasting blood sugar, but the evidence was low certainty. Raw honey still counts as added sugar, and it’s no safer for babies. Crystals in either kind are natural and harmless; warm the open jar in hot (not boiling) water to make it runny again, Clemson advises.

Your next step

Measure the honey you usually add to tea, yogurt or oatmeal with a real teaspoon tomorrow, and see how it fits the limits above. When baking, Clemson suggests starting by replacing each cup of sugar with half a cup of honey, cutting other liquids by a quarter cup per cup of honey and lowering the oven by 25 degrees. Our healthy Christmas treats use just a spoonful or two of honey per recipe. Ripe fruit can do some of the sweetening too, and The Banana Book has 60 recipes that lean on it. Still choosing a treat? Read is dark chocolate good for you next. Want a sweet finish without added sugar? Try these sugar-free desserts.

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Quick questions

Is honey better than sugar in coffee or tea?

Honey isn’t healthier than sugar in coffee or tea unless you use less of it. A teaspoon of honey has about 21 calories and 5.7 grams of sugars, versus 16 calories and 4.2 grams for a teaspoon of white sugar, according to USDA data. Both count as added sugar, so the amount matters more than the choice.

Does honey raise blood sugar?

Yes, honey raises blood sugar, much like table sugar. It’s about 82% sugars, and its average glycemic index is 61, close to sucrose at 65, in the international glycemic index tables. People with diabetes should count honey as carbohydrate, the same way they count other sugars, and follow their care team’s plan.

How much honey should I use instead of sugar?

Start by using about half as much honey as the sugar a recipe calls for, Clemson Cooperative Extension suggests. For each cup of honey, cut other liquids by a quarter cup and lower the oven by 25 degrees, because honey browns faster. Recipes written for honey usually work best.

Is raw honey safe to eat?

Raw honey is safe for most healthy adults and children over 1. The botulism spores honey can carry aren’t an issue for people with mature digestive tracts, Cleveland Clinic says. Neither raw nor processed honey is safe for babies younger than 12 months, because the spores are fairly heat-resistant.

Can babies have baked goods made with honey?

No. The CDC says not to give honey or products made with it to infants younger than 12 months, because honey can contain the bacteria that cause botulism. Cleveland Clinic notes the spores are fairly heat-resistant. After the first birthday, honey is considered safe to introduce.

How much honey a day is healthy?

There’s no set healthy amount of honey; it counts toward your added sugar limit. The American Heart Association suggests no more than about 24 grams of added sugar a day for most women and 36 grams for most men. That’s about 4 or 6 teaspoons of honey, with nothing else sweet.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have diabetes or prediabetes, ask your care team how sweeteners fit your plan. Never give honey to a baby younger than 12 months, and get urgent help for a baby with constipation, poor feeding, drooping eyelids or a weak cry. See a doctor for a cough that lasts more than 3 weeks or comes with trouble breathing, chest pain or coughing up blood.

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