This plant-based, dandelion Vegan honey is made with just a few natural ingredients and wild flowers you can pick up while taking a walk this Spring. Gather some Dandelions and Rose buds and make the most amazing homemade Vegan Honey ever
Hello my beautiful friends! Today I want to share with you an easy way to make your own 100% plant-based, Vegan Honey with natural ingredients you can pick up while taking a walk among wild flowers. But don’t pick too many! Just enough to make a couple of jars of Vegan honey, and leave the rest to the bees and butterflies ;-)
Even if there are quite a few recipes out there, I’ve first encountered a version of dandelion honey on this Danish website. I’ve been making my own Vegan honey for 2 years in a row! And to tell the truth, I’ve never even cared much for honey in my pre-Vegan years, but I’ve recently come to appreciate its plant-based version for the soothing effect on a sore throat when sipped in a hot tea.
This might not be easiest option to DIY your own Vegan Honey – some call for just apple or pineapple juice! – but I believe this version gives the richest result in terms of flavor. Furthermore, I deem more satisfying picking wildflowers and working with them rather than opening a carton of store-bought juice ;-)
But here some other easy ways to make your own Vegan Honey:
- ❥ Apples + Lemon by Mary’s Test Kitchen
- ❥ Apple juice + sugar by Plant Based Judy
- ❥ Pineapple juice + sugar by Cooking with Plants
So my own version of Vegan Honey calls for just a few simple ingredients: freshly picked dandelions – choose a field away from roads; a bunch of floral herbal tea buds – I chose dry roses for their subtle, unique, flavor; apples; freshly squeezed lemon juice; brown sugar and finally water. It’s not complicated at all, but it will require some patience – the Vegan Honey will get thicker and taste better with time. I make batches during Spring to enjoy when the cold months come!
By then the consistency will be perfect and the flavors will have developed exquisitely.
If you want, you could start enjoying it right away, but in this case you will have more of a “Dandelion Syrup” rather than a Vegan Honey.
I’ve also prepared some simple “Dandelion & Rose Vegan Honey” labels for you to download and print, so that when you make your own Vegan Honey you can store it or gift it! To download the labels, just click here. Needless to say, a jar of this homemade Dandelion & Rose Vegan Honey would make the perfect gift for Mother’s Day – I am planning to make some especially for my Mom ♥
Are you ready to make your very own homemade Vegan Honey with beautiful flowers? Let’s begin:
Dandelion Vegan Honey
Ingredients
- 200 gr dandelion flowers freshly picked
- 50 gr dry rose buds or other herbal tea petals/leaves
- 2 liters water
- 5 apples chpped (I prefer red-skinned for this recipe)
- 4 cups brown sugar
Instructions
- Start by checking your dandelions to make sure no little bugs are still among the petals. Gently tap them in order for any insect to know it's time to leave! If you want, quickly drop them in water to remove dust or other particles, knowing that this will also remove quite some pollen. Wash and chop the apples.
- Put your freshly picked dandelions, dry rose buds, chopped apples and freshly squeezed lemon juice in a big pot, and pour the water. Put on the lid and let boil gently for 45-60 minutes.
- Strain the flowers and apples and save the precious flower-infused liquid that's left in the pot. Add the brown sugar, stir gently, put again on the stove, and let it simmer on low without the lid for a couple of hours until it's reduced in half. Check every hour and try not to stir too much.
- After a couple of hours, check the consistency: pour some of the syrup in a bowl, and it should coat the bottom of the bowl without being too thick (see picture). That's when you want to turn off the heat and let it cool down. Don't worry if it seems too runny or too thin, it will thicken tenfold once at room temperature.
- In the meantime you might want to sterilize your jars by simply plunging them into a little pot of boiling water (including the lids). Once dry, pour your Vegan Honey into the small containers and the waiting game begins: the longer you wait (as in, months!) the thicker your Honey will be.
- Don't close the lids on the jars just yet! Cover with gauze so that more liquid can evaporate and the honey will be reduced and get thicker even faster. Once ready, it will last for over 1 year :-)
Honey is one of those foods that often asked about, when you tell someone you’re Vegan: “Ok but… why you don’t eat honey?” Truth is – bees make honey for themselves, just like cows produce milk for their own babies, not for grown-up humans. If you’d like to learn more about the ethical issues surrounding honey and other bee-products like pollen, here are some interesting resources:
The Honey Debate – Vegan or Not Vegan?
The Honey Industry & Why Bees Need to Keep Their Honey
Why Honey is Not Vegan
Will We all Die if Honey Bees Disappear?
How to help Pollinators
Is Honey Vegan? Healthy? Humane?
I hope you enjoyed this recipe! If you give this Dandelion & Rose Vegan Honey a try, please let me know in the comments’ section below!
You can also find me on social media. Be sure to tag @francesca_sevenroses on Instagram or @sevenrosesblog on Twitter and Facebook, and use #sevenroses so I’m sure to see it.
And don’t forget to pin this recipe to spread the love ♥
I wish you a love-filled day!
Comments
Jen
04/05/2018Francesca this is such an amazing idea. I think this would make an amazing gift, especially with mother’s day coming up!! Thanks for the lovely recipe. I think I found my gift for all the mommas I know. :)
Cris
21/05/2018I had no idea that we can made honey from dandelion! This is so amazing! Thanks for the idea!
A.J. Sefton
11/06/2018Very interesting. Don’t have much honey but I may try this
Alyssa
26/03/2019Francesca, this looks really good! I think I need to make these for myself and the kids. Love this idea!
Olga
30/03/2019Francesca, it looks perfect and tasty! Can’t wait to have this anytime of the day, love it!
Olga recently posted…«Метформин» для похудения: механизм действия и как правильно принимать лекарство
Adrienne McDonald
15/05/2019Sounds amazing!
Do you chop up the apples? Peel them? Just unclear on what you do with the apples. And how long do I leave it uncovered before putting on the lids?
Thanks for your reply Francesca! 😀
Francesca @ Seven Roses
05/07/2019Hey Adrienne,
they are roughly chopped, no need to peel them (I wash my produce in a mix of baking soda, white vinegar and water). Leave them uncovered until cooled down. Hope this helps and thank you for visiting!
BeeManDan
15/06/2019I was taken aback when I learned that conventional honey isn’t vegan!
Anna
08/05/2020Great idea. Really easy to make dandelion honey. As a vegan, I think it’s the best alternative to bee honey. Dandelions are so nutritious (https://lazyplant.com/vegan-diet/dandelion-greens/ ), as well.