Pumpkin Spice Infused Honey (Two Easy Ways)
I'll admit it: I'm a pumpkin spice person. The minute fall arrives, I want everything pumpkin, and our daughter loves it just as much as I do. This honey is one of our favorite ways to get our fix. Drizzle it on just about anything, from oatmeal to coffee to warm toast with butter, and it gives everything a cozy, slightly savory pumpkin touch.
It also happens to be one of the easiest homemade gifts you can make this season. There are two ways to make it. The quick way is ready in two minutes. The slow way takes a week or two but gives you a clear, golden honey with a pretty jar of whole spices inside. Either way, the honey does all the work.
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One Rule First: No Pumpkin
It's tempting, but don't add pumpkin puree or fresh ginger. Fresh ingredients bring water into the jar, and water can let honey ferment or spoil. Pumpkin spice is really about the spices, and dried spices are perfectly safe. (Here's more on why dried ingredients matter.)
Method 1: Quick Stir-In
Ready in two minutes. Makes 1 cup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw honey (one 13 oz jar of ours covers it)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Short on time? Use 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of store-bought pumpkin pie spice instead.
Instructions
- Loosen the honey. If it's thick or crystallized, set the jar in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for a few minutes.
- Stir. Mix the spices together, then stir them into the honey until there are no dry pockets.
- Rest. It's ready right away, but the flavor deepens after a day or two.
The ground spices stay suspended in the honey, giving it a warm, cinnamon-brown color. Stir before using.
Method 2: Whole-Spice Infusion
Clear, golden, and gift-worthy. Makes 1 cup.
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw honey (one 13 oz jar of ours covers it)
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 4 whole cloves
- 4 allspice berries
- 1 whole nutmeg, cracked into a few pieces
- A few pieces of dried ginger root (not fresh)
Instructions
- Fill the jar. Put the whole spices in a clean, completely dry pint (16-ounce) jar so there's room for the spices.
- Add honey. Pour the honey over the spices, stir, and push out any air bubbles.
- Wait. Cap it and let it sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 weeks, turning the jar every few days.
- Taste. When you like the flavor, strain out the spices, or leave the cinnamon sticks in for looks.
Skip the stove. Heating honey to speed things up dulls the flavor and aroma of raw honey.
Ways to Use Pumpkin Spice Honey
- Coffee and lattes: a homemade pumpkin spice latte without the syrup.
- Breakfast: over oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, or toast with butter.
- Roasted vegetables: toss with roasted squash, carrots, or sweet potatoes in the last few minutes.
- Cheese boards: amazing with sharp cheddar, brie, and apple slices.
- Tea: stir into black tea or chai.
Gifting It
Small jars of pumpkin spice honey make great hostess gifts, teacher gifts, and stocking stuffers. Tie on a cinnamon stick and a mini wooden honey dipper, and add a tag with the date and a note that honey isn't for babies under 12 months old.
Keep Experimenting
Once you've made one infused honey, it's hard to stop. Our Infused Honey Handbook is a 36-page ebook full of flavor combinations and recipes. Start with raw honey from our urban homestead hives.
Love fall spices? Make our Fall Honey Chai Concentrate next.
