Sweeten Your Day With These Four Honey Desserts, Perfect for Any Occasion

For centuries, honey has been used as a natural sweetener in desserts. However, for a very long time, sugar reigned supreme. But in a little over a decade, honey’s popularity strengthened, and it became the favored substitute for sugar. With it arrived a flurry of dessert recipes that honored its depth and complexity. Here are four honey dessert recipes that will leave you and your guests swooning.

 Espresso and Cardamom Granita With Honey Cream

This cool honey dessert takes under an hour to make and can be prepared up to one week in advance. 

Ingredients

• 25 gm freshly ground coffee
• 12 green cardamom pods
• 125 gm golden caster sugar
• 400 ml thick cream
• 175 gm honey 

Instructions

1. Mix coffee in 1000 ml boiling water and let it infuse for 5 minutes.
2. In the meantime, crush cardamom pods; discard the husks. Grind the seeds to a fine powder using a mortar and pestle. In a bowl, mix cardamom powder with sugar.
3. Strain the coffee into the cardamom mixture and chill until the sugar dissolves. Let it chill for 45 minutes.
4. Transfer the coffee mixture into a shallow lamington pan and freeze for an hour until crystals form. Using a fork, break up the crystals and freeze them for another three hours.
5. Before serving, whisk cream until you see soft peaks. Fold in honey. Divide the granita into serving bowls and top it off with honey cream. 

Saffron Honey Jalebi

This beloved Indian dessert takes just over 35 minutes to prepare.

Ingredients

• 300 gm plain flour
• 50 gm besan flour
• 1 tsp turmeric powder (freshly grated)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 250 ml apple juice
• A pinch of saffron threads
• 180 gm honey
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 tsp cardamom pods
• Juice of half a lemon
• Sunflower oil (for deep frying) 

Instructions

1. To make the jalebi batter, combine the flours, turmeric and baking powder in a bowl. Add apple juice and 250 ml water and mix. Cover and set it aside at room temperature, overnight, to rest.
2. Pour the batter into a squeeze bottle with a 5 mm nozzle.
3. To make the syrup, add saffron to 60 ml boiling water and set it aside for 10 minutes to infuse. Add honey, cardamom and cloves. Place the mixture over medium heat and cook for 6 minutes while stirring occasionally; the mixture should be reduced by half. Add lemon juice and stir. Set it aside.
4. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
5. Half-fill a deep saucepan or wok with oil and heat it to 180°C. Squeeze the batter into the oil in long spirals; do this in three batches. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden.
6. Dip the jalebis in the syrup for 30 seconds and place them on the baking tray.
7. Serve the jalebis with the remaining syrup. 

Chai Latte Honey Mousse

Experience your favorite chai latte in a honey dessert avatar.

Ingredients

• 50 gm loose tea leaves
• 250 ml cream
• 200 gm honey (plus extra to serve)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 gelatin leaves (soaked in water for 5 minutes)
• 500 ml thick cream (whisked to soft peaks)
• Biscotti (to serve with) 

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, over medium heat, add tea leaves, cream, honey and vanilla and bring it to a simmer. Stir, making sure that the honey is dissolved. Turn off the heat and set it aside to infuse for 30 minutes.
2. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve, pour it into another saucepan and bring it to a simmer.
3. Squeeze out excess water from the gelatin and stir it into the cream mixture. Once again, strain it through a fine sieve and set it aside to cool completely at room temperature.
4. In two batches, fold the heavy whipped cream into the tea mixture until well combined.
5. Transfer the mousse to a dish and refrigerate for four to five hours.
6. Serve the mousse with a drizzle of honey and biscotti on the side. 

Honey Ginger Snaps

These honey ginger snaps are great for tea time. 

Ingredients

• 150 gm unsalted butter
• 60 ml honey
• 225 gm plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp ground ginger
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp raw sugar
• Candied ginger (for decoration) 

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Over low heat, combine honey and butter in a saucepan. Stir until the butter melts and the mixture starts to bubble. Turn off the heat.
3. Sift flour, baking powder and spices and give it a good mix. Stir it into the honey mixture and mix until smooth.
4. Take tablespoons of the mixture and roll them into balls; place them on the baking tray.
5. Using your thumb, make an indent at the center of each ball. Top with a sprinkle of raw sugar and candied ginger.
6. Bake for 10 minutes until golden.
7. Cool the honey snaps on a wire rack before serving. 

You will also love this recipe for Cadbury-covered lemon caramels, this one for a chocolate banana smoothie and this recipe for chocolate crepes. All these recipes incorporate the goodness of honey.