With just 3 ingredients and a little bit of patience, you'll be able to make this spiced orange honey to sweeten all your sweet treats this winter. If there's one infused honey recipe that instantly reminds me of the holiday season, it is this!
It's sweet, sticky and has that hint of spicy and citrusy notes that are so well balanced, you'll find yourself eating it by the spoonful!
I ran into a big batch of freshly harvested honey a while back, so you can imagine, I really wanted to put it to use and try lots of recipes using it.
And so I did! I made a big jar of whipped honey to spread on my breakfast toast, some turmeric ginger honey for the flu season, a jar full of ginger honey lemon syrup for my recipes and some jalapeno hot honey- coz why not?
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
If you're a tea drinker, you're going to fall in love with this recipe! Just mix a spoonful of it into your cup of tea to lend it that perfect sweet, spicy and citrusy flavor that's perfect for the fall and winter months.
The delicate balance of flavors and the versatility and simplicity of this recipe is what I love the most about it.
Recipe Ingredients
Oranges: Pick fresh, ripe oranges. Ones that are firm to touch and don't have any soft spots on their surface.
Cinnamon: Just a couple of cinnamon sticks, to add that bit of warmth and flavor to the honey. You can use either Ceylon or Cassia cinnamon- whatever you prefer.
Honey: Use raw, organic honey if you can.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- To lend the infused honey have more holiday vibes, add a dash of vanilla extract into the mix.
- Fresh rosemary can also be a great addition to this mix and can bring some beautiful complementary flavor notes into the honey.
How to Make Spiced Orange Honey
Peel the zest off an orange into thin strips like this.
Add it to a saucepan along with the honey and cinnamon and let it cook for 10-12 minutes on low heat.
Take it off heat, allow it to cool down completely and then strain the honey into a glass jar.
Store the infused honey in a cool and dark place at room temperature for up to 3 months.
💭Top Tip
To get the infused honey to have a more deeper flavor, let the orange zest and cinnamon sticks stay in the honey for a couple of days, and then strain them out.
How to Store the Cinnamon Orange Honey
You can store your orange cinnamon honey at room temperature in a cool and dark place (like your pantry) for up to a year. Just make sure you use a clean, dry container to store it, and use a dry spoon every time you spoon it out.
Also, before you use it, make sure you monitor it for any signs of spoilage or fermentation.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- Use a sharp knife to peel the zest off the oranges. Make sure you don't use the white pith, as it can be quite bitter.
- If you want the honey to last longer, consider using dried orange zest instead of the fresh ones. Fresh orange zest can have a bit of moisture, which can cause the honey to spoil if stored for too long.
- Don't discard the honey-soaked orange zest that you just removed. Just store them in a small container in the refrigerator and add a couple to your freshly brewed tea to add that amazing flavor to it.
- Make sure you wash and scrub your oranges nicely before you zest them. Don't forget to pat them dry too.
How to Use the Cinnamon Orange Infused Honey
Even if you're not a tea drinker, there are a lot of ways to put this infused honey to use. You can use it as a spread over your toast, or package it into small, cute jars and offer it as a homemade present to your family and friends over the holidays.
This orange infused honey is also a great addition to your homemade marinades and glazes for your roasted meats (that I imagine you'll be making a lot of over the holidays).
I also love featuring it on a charcuterie board along with my other favorite dips and spreads like avocado butter spread, apricot salsa and even my cherry tomato confit.
Recipe FAQs
You can! To do this, you'll need to let the honey sit at room temperature (or in the refrigerator) with the zest and the cinnamon for a few days and then strain it.
Raw honey can crystalize a bit over time. That's okay. It's still safe to eat. You can get it to reach the perfect texture again by placing the jar of honey in a pot of warm water for a while.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
If you tried this spiced orange honey or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Spiced Orange Honey
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw honey
- 1-2 cinnamon sticks
- 1 orange zested
Instructions
- Peel the zest off an orange into thin strips using a vegetable peeler.
- Add it to a saucepan along with the honey and cinnamon and let it cook for 10-12 minutes on low heat.
- Take it off heat, allow it to cool down completely and then strain the honey into a glass jar.
- Store the infused honey in a cool and dark place at room temperature for up to 3 months.
Notes
- To get the infused honey to have a more deeper flavor, let the orange zest and cinnamon sticks stay in the honey for a couple of days, and then strain them out.
- Use a sharp knife to peel the zest off the oranges. Make sure you don't use the white pith, as it can be quite bitter.
- If you want the honey to last longer, consider using dried orange zest instead of the fresh ones. Fresh orange zest can have a bit of moisture, which can cause the honey to spoil if stored for too long.
- Don't discard the honey-soaked orange zest that you just removed. Just store them in a small container in the refrigerator and add a couple to your freshly brewed tea to add that amazing flavor to it.
- Make sure you wash and scrub your oranges nicely before you zest them. Don't forget to pat them dry too.
Comments
No Comments