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About a decade ago, I found myself working 10 to 12 hour days on a film set. Although I was a young whippersnapper brimming with 20-something energy (ahh, the good ole days), I’d often find myself pounding cup after cup of coffee in an effort to stay alert and awake. At the time, I liked my coffee sweet – two sugars and a splash of milk – but after a while I found myself hitting the wall at about 3PM and suffering from a pretty nasty sugar crash. A fellow coffee-loving coworker mentioned the best way to avoid the dreaded halfway-through-the-day crash was to replace the white sugar in my coffee with the natural sweetness of raw honey. I took his advice and, alas, my life was changed forever! Not only did switching from sugar to honey help eliminate the mid-day crash, I enjoyed the flavor much better. After doing some research, I also learned that raw honey is a superfood full of proven health benefits, including antibacterial, antifungal and immunity superpowers.
Soon I found myself using raw honey in a variety of forms and methods: spreading it on my morning toast, marinating my chicken with it for dinner, or taking a spoonful before bed if I felt a sore throat coming on. Although I quickly learned, in terms of taste and quality, not all honey is created equally.
That’s why I tracked down the Six Best Honey Brands on the market and highlighted them below for all your sweet & sticky honey needs. Enjoy!
WEDDERSPOON
Wedderspoon has a passion for holistic health rooted in the rolling hills of New Zealand, where every flavorful drop of Wedderspoon Manuka honey is born. For those who don’t know, Manuka honey has a limited-edition quality to it. With blush pink blossoms, the manuka tree attracts honey bees for six short weeks every spring. When hives are placed in areas where manuka trees dominate the landscape, bees feed happily off the nectar and, in turn, create Manuka honey.
I personally love Wedderspoon’s Raw Monofloral Manuka Honey ($39.99) – especially as a sweetener in my coffee – but I’m also obsessed with the brand’s Organic Manuka Honey Cough Drops ($9.99). And I’m not alone in my obsession! Kendall Jenner is on record saying, "I am kind of addicted to these," noting that the ginger flavor is her favorite because it gives her "a little kickstart.” Kendall and I are not the only mega-famous superstars who are down with Wedderpsoon – Ariana Grande has been a customer for years and shared the honey ginger drops with her team on The Voice last year.
NATURE NATE’S
Nature Nates is the best reviewed honey on Amazon for everyday use. While it’s not single origin (the honey is processed in a facility that sources from a variety of different beekeepers), its affordable price means you don’t have to feel bad about using it liberally. The brand's 100% Raw & Unfiltered Honey is priced at $8.99 for a 16 oz. bottle and boasts a smooth, versatile flavor. If you’re looking for a great baking honey or something to slather on your morning oatmeal, and if you’re also looking to get the most bang for your buck, Nature Nate’s is the honey for you.
FLAMINGO ESTATE
Flamingo Estate is committed to offering and growing socially and environmentally responsible goods and produce of the highest quality. The brand works with farmers who employ regenerative practices, which means they put a special emphasis on healthy living soil and never using pesticides. Simply put, Flamingo Estate is all about doing things that champion a connection with Planet Earth. The brand offers a variety of products from all-natural bath & body essentials to an Organic Artisanal Mushroom Box subscription, but its honey options are truly to die for.
The brand’s Moon Harvest Saffron Honey ($90) mixes Orange Blossom Honey with Saffron Spice for an earthy and floral flavor-experience. It’s great drizzled over morning fruit or used to marinade a filet of Atlantic Salmon. Flamingo Estate also offers a “one two punch” of its most popular honeys with The Honeybunch ($142), a pairing of Royal Nectar Manuka Honey and Biointensive Orchard Native Wildflower Honey. If you’re a Hardcore Honey Hound like myself – and have a little extra scratch to throw around – I’d 100% give Flamingo Estate’s honey a try.
PASS THE HONEY
Pass the Honey is 100% pure raw unfiltered snacking honey. Yes, you heard that correctly. This is a honeycomb that you can snack on like granola on a hike – and it’s pretty darn delicious! Although the price point is a bit steep with one seven-serving Honeycomb coming in at $34.99, Pass the Honey is all about the holistic approach. The brand partners with beekeepers to forge a path for regenerative honeycomb and offers full-transparency from beekeeper to consumer. Basically, the honey you’re snacking on is some of the cleanest honey on the market. If you’re not into the idea of tossing back a chunk of honeycomb as a midday snack, you can also top a slice of peanut butter toast with it, toss it into a fruity parfait, or stir it into iced tea as a sweetener.
ACTIVIST
Activist is another wonderful Manuka Honey brand founded by wife and husband Gabrielle Mirkin and Luke Harwood, who set out to build a brand with limited industrial impact. In other words, they wanted to let Mother Nature do her thing. In doing so, they offer some of the best raw Manuka honey on the market. I tested and ABSOLUTELY LOVE the brand’s Raw Manuka Honey ($45), but Activist also has a selection of very well-reviewed honey-based beauty products including a Manuka Honey Mask ($65) to help repair skin damage, as well as Manuka Essential Oil ($50) which reduces inflammation, blemishes and acne and is highly antibacterial and antifungal. If you’re looking for the purest and most medicinal honey on the market, look no further than Activist.
MIKE’S HOT HONEY
Mike’s Hot Honey combines two of my favorite flavors – sweet and spicy. The chili-infused honey is made from just three ingredients: 100% pure honey, real chili peppers, and vinegar. The sweet-heat combo has just enough kick to get your mouth watering without overwhelming your taste buds. Originally created as a topping for pizza, Mike’s Hot Honey has evolved into the perfect finish for all types of dishes including chicken wings, French toast, seafood, and even your favorite veggies. It’s also very decently priced: two 12-ounce bottles of Mike’s Hot Honey for $19.99. Also, if you want to really crank up the heat, the brand has recently started offering Mike’s Extra Hot Honey ($21.99) which delivers the same sweet-heat combo of the original with a little extra spice.
Alright, folks. That’s all he wrote. A complete and total breakdown of all the best honey on the market. Whether you’re putting it in your coffee, wearing it as a face mask or drizzling it over goat cheese on a charcuterie board, the above honeys are the bees knees. Pun very much intended.
