How To Make Homemade Honey Lollipops Without Sugar
Find out just how easy it is to make your own healthy homemade honey lollipops. These sweet treats are also great for gifting or stirring into your favorite cup of tea. Make them either with or without refined sugar following this two way recipe.
Lately I’ve been experimenting with making hard candies and I’m kind of hooked! I wanted to figure out how to make homemade lollipops that were made with straight honey. The lollipops were a big hit but they did have a darker honey flavor and color.
Next, we tried making homemade honey lollipops that did have some granulated sugar as well as honey and they were definitely our favorite of the two honey recipes. Not as healthy but more like the lollipops we were used to.
Have you tried making homemade ginger hard candy?
Because the lollipops that are made with just honey are healthier, I decided to include both recipes in this post! Both recipes have pretty different tastes and colors, but both are yummy and healthier than store-bought lollipops.
Anyway, all that to say, these lollipops are a great way to dip your toe into healthy candy making. They only call for one or two ingredients and are ready to enjoy in less than an hour. They’re easy to customize with different flavors of essential oils and can be made in ay shape you like.
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How To Make Homemade Honey Lollipops With or Without Sugar:
Ingredients
- honey – raw honey has antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties that help heal a sore throat while also reducing inflammation, making it easier to breathe.
- granulated sugar – I used white sugar in one of the lollipop recipes to make a lighter more traditional flavored treat.
- lemon essential oil (optional)– lemon is beneficial for soothing a sore throat because it helps break up mucous and provides pain relief. Lemon also helps boost your immune system and fights off infection since it is loaded with vitamin C. Make sure you use “food grade” essential oils. This is the brand I use.
Supplies
- lollipop molds – any type of lollipop mold will work for this recipe. I like to use these molds because they are a great size and come with the sticks so there is no need to buy them separately.
- lollipop sticks – this is a nice set of sticks that will work with most lollipop molds.
- parchment paper or wrappers – lollipops get sticky as they sit. Wrapping them in parchment paper will keep them from sticking to each other.
- candy thermometer – a candy thermometer is necessary when making hard candies because only a couple of extra degrees can scorch your sugar leaving you with a big mess.
Can You Heat Honey For Candy Making?
Heating honey to a high enough heat for candy making does lose a lot of its health benefits. Manuka honey is one of the only types of honey that can withstand being heated to a very high temperature awhile still retaining its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Heating honey to the “hard crack stage” for candy making will make the flavor more deep and strong. It will be much darker in color too.
But using honey is still definitely a healthier alterative to using sugars in homemade candy.
How Do I Make My Homemade Honey Lollipops Not Sicky?
Storing homemade lollipops in the fridge in a mason jar is the best place to keep them so that they don’t stick together. If you want to store them at room temperature, wrap them in little squares of parchment paper twisted around the lollipop stick.
Are Essential Oils Safe To Eat?
When you are using essential oils in foods and drinks, its important to make sure the oils say “food safe” on the label. This brand of essential oils is what I like to use in candy making.
How To Make Homemade Honey Lollipops Without Sugar:
WARNING – Making hard candy, you will be working with extremely hot ingredients. Be very careful not to burn yourself!
Prep – Set out the lollipop molds, making sure the sticks are in place. For easy clean up, lay parchment paper under the molds.
Heat – In a small saucepan, heat the honey over medium heat. Using a candy thermometer, watch the honey, stirring frequently until the thermometer reads 300 degrees. As soon as it reaches 300 degrees, immediately remove from heat. Let the honey sit a few minutes until the bubbles go down.
Stir – Add in the lemon essential oils (if using). Stir to mix.
Pour – Working quickly and VERY carefully, spoon in the hot honey into the lollipop molds. Fill all of the molds and rotate the sticks to make sure they are coated in the honey.
Let Set – Let the lollipops sit for 30-60 minutes until they are completely hardened. Pop out of the molds and enjoy!
How To Make Homemade Honey Lollipops With Sugar:
Prep – Set out the lollipop molds, making sure the sticks are in place. For easy clean up, lay parchment paper under the molds.
Heat – In a small saucepan, heat the honey, sugar and water over medium heat. Using a candy thermometer, watch the honey mixture, stirring frequently until the thermometer reads 300 degrees. As soon as it reaches 300 degrees, immediately remove from heat. Let the honey sit a minute until the bubbles go down.
Stir – Add in the lemon essential oils (if using). Stir to mix.
Pour – Working quickly and VERY carefully, spoon in the hot honey into the lollipop molds. Fill all of the molds and rotate the sticks to make sure they are coated in the honey.
Let Set – Let the lollipops sit for 30-60 minutes until they are completely hardened. Pop out of the molds and enjoy!
Tips:
For Best Results – let the honey cool just a tad before adding the lemon essential oil (if you are using oils) so that they are plenty potent.
Store – To keep homemade honey lollipops from getting sticky, it is best to store them in a mason jar in the fridge. Or wrap each lollipop in a little piece of parchment paper.
Substitutions – for a different flavor, use food grade orange essential oil instead of lemon.
More Healthy Treats You Might Like To Try
If you liked this recipe, I think you’ll really enjoy these other healthy treats on the blog:
- Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies
- Healthy Berry Jello
- Homemade Strawberry Marshmallows
- Rice Crispy Treats Sweetened With Dates
- Chewy Chocolate Chip Granola Balls
I hope you love this recipe for homemade honey lollipops! If you make them, I’d love for you to come back and leave a comment and rating so that I know how you like them!
Homemade Honey Lollipops
Ingredients
Honey Lollipops Without Sugar
- 1 cup honey
- 25 drops food safe lemon essential oil (optional)
Honey Lollipops With Sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 25 drops food safe lemon essential oil (optional)
Instructions
- WARNING - Making hard candy, you will be working with extremely hot ingredients. Be very careful not to burn yourself!
- Prep - Set out the lollipop molds, making sure the sticks are in place. For easy clean up, lay parchment paper under the molds.
- Heat - In a small saucepan, heat the honey over medium heat. Using a candy thermometer, watch the honey, stirring frequently until the thermometer reads 300 degrees. As soon as it reaches 300 degrees, immediately remove from heat. Let the honey sit a few minutes until the bubbles go down.
- Stir - Add in the lemon essential oils (if using). Stir to mix.
- Pour - Working quickly and VERY carefully, spoon in the hot honey into the lollipop molds. Fill all of the molds and rotate the sticks to make sure they are coated in the honey.
- Let Set - Let the lollipops sit for 30-60 minutes until they are completely hardened. Pop out of the molds and enjoy!
To make honey lollipops with sugar added, follow all of the same instructions, but add the sugar and water to the honey in step 3.
Notes
For Best Results - let the honey cool just a tad before adding the lemon essential oil (if using oils) so that they are plenty potent.
Store - To keep homemade honey lollipops from getting sticky, it is best to store them in a mason jar in the fridge. Or wrap each lollipop in a little piece of parchment paper.
Substitutions - for a different flavor, use food grade orange essential oil instead of lemon.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 20 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 82Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 16gProtein: 1g
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These lollipops look so yummy! I will say though that, as a 3rd generation beekeeper, please know that much of the “antibacterial and anti inflammatory properties” that you mentioned will be killed at that high temperature. Honey is actually pasteurized at 160°F. I’m sure they’re still delicious and a great alternative to the usual lollipop ingredients, but I would assume most of the healthy stuff will be killed by 300°.
Thank you Tricia! I had read conflicting opinions on that so I’m glad you clarified it for me. I had read that Manuka honey does retain its health benefits at high temperatures but its also very pricey.
I’ll edit the post so its not misleading.
Is there a way to make them while keeping the good medicinal stuff in them?
The best way is to use manuka honey since it retains it’s health benefits when it’s heated better than regular raw honey.
Can you tell me, what is the texture like? The recipe looks like fun, does the candy have a really solid, hard and smooth texture?
Thanks! I have tried hard candy recipes before that looked as easy, to not very satisfying results…
They have the same texture and smooth surface as store-bought lollipops but I recommend storing them in the refrigerator to keep them from getting sticky.
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Can we use lemon juice instead of essential oils..?? If yes, what should be the quantity?
The reason I wouldn’t recommend using lemon juice is that it’s a liquid and adding it would mess up the way the candy sets and hardens.
My first batch scorched before hitting 300 but I’m determined to try again. I live at a high altitude so I think I need to adjust for that. I help my mom make cinnamon glass candy every year and we haven’t had this issue, so I’m wondering if it’s something with the way the sugars in the honey break down. I don’t know. A little discouraged and perplexed but I’ll get it down even if it tasks a hundred tries.
Hi! Thank you for your no-sugar recipe! Will these no-sugar drops melt a little if not kept in the fridge, e.g., taking some with you to work, storing in purse. Considering I would wrap each one first.
Hi Donna! They shouldn’t melt unless your purse gets really warm. Wrapping them in paper will keep them from sticking to each other though!
Hi will it be possible to add the honey later on once the water and sugar boils? To retain the nutrition from the honey.
Thanks
Unfortunately the lollipops won’t harden if you add the honey later.
Add you add some tumeric and a dash of pepper to this recipe, to make a tumeric lollipop for little ones when they get sore throats and irritation of their lungs?
Great idea! Not the creator of the recipe, but i think that would work. Since it’s not added liquid, i don’t think it will mess with it hardening. Please update if you do try it!
Hey is it 300° F or C? Thank you!
300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hi! I’d love to make these and ship them to a friend. If I wrap them in parchment paper do you think they would still be edible after being shipped?
Hi Cheyenne! I think that they’d be fine if you’re shipping them when it’s chilly out. If it’s too warm they might start to get messy.
do you think the honey (no sugar) method would work to make tea bombs? I need a hard outer shell that dissolves in liquid but is healthy.
I’ve actually never heard of tea bombs! That sounds so interesting! The no sugar method is thicker so I would think it wouldn’t work well, but it’s worth a try!
Mine stayed gooey any thoughts to what could have gone wrong?
I’m sorry to hear that! I’m guessing you didn’t heat the honey to the correct temperature. Did you use a candy thermometer?