Sugar Free Dandelion Honey. ZERO SUGAR. ZERO CARBS. ZERO CALORIES.
In fairness, it looks like honey, with its intense amber colour and viscous texture, but dandelion honey is really a syrup.
Despite what bloggers, vloggers, tiktokers or so-called influencers everywhere might want you to believe, real honey tastes completely different. So I’m not going to pretend that you will get a honey substitute from this recipe.
What you will get, is a lovely, viscous syrup made with foraged flowers, lemon, water and sweetener.
Of course you can buy ready-made sugar-free syrups, but they will likely contain garbage ingredients. This home-made keto option is a far healthier, and cheaper, choice.
Dandelion (Taraxacum Officinale)
So much more than a boring weed.
Dandelion is a nutrient-dense plant rich in antioxidants and bioactive compounds, including sesquiterpenoids, phenolic acids, and flavonoids. These phytonutrients provide anti-inflammatory, digestive, and immune-supporting benefits. Key nutrients include high levels of Vitamins A, C, and K, plus iron, calcium, and potassium.
The plant has been used for centuries in herbal medicine throughout the world. It’s an amazing plant. And it is so abundant everywhere that the bees would never notice that you snatched some.
In England (UK) dandelions bloom from March to October, with the most prolific blooming period being April-May and then a second notable flowering in autumn. When you see a golden carpet of dandelions, get foraging!
How to Make Sugar Free Dandelion Honey
Forage your flowers. The larger the better. Fill a large freezer bag at least half way. No need to wash anything once you get home. Just pick flowers that are away from footpaths where dogs might have peed.
When you get home, open the bag over a sheet of kitchen paper and start pulling the petals from the calyx. The odd little insect may surface and you can simply squish it on the paper. You’ll be simmering the petals anyway, so any remaining critters won’t be an issue. Weigh your petals and check that you have 70g.
Put the petals in a pot, add water and lemon slices. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring and pressing the lemon slices every so often.
Let it cool, cover the pot and leave it in the fridge overnight. Next day, sift the juice using a fine-mesh colander or muslin. Weigh the juice, then add 50% sweetener (for a 2:1 ratio) and gently simmer for 45-60 minutes – until the liquid turns frothy and slightly viscous.
And that’s it. The syrup will thicken as it cools. If you prefer a denser, more gooey texture, next time you can add a bit of xanthan gum before you heat the strained liquid (to avoid it clumping).
You can use this wonderful Sugar Free Dandelion Honey as you would a syrup: to glaze desserts, over slabs of butter between keto bread slices, or drizzled on pancakes, or however you like.
Enjoy!
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- 70 g dandelion petals (net weight from 130g flowers – green parts discarded)
- 400 g water
- 3 slices lemon
- 180 g KetoseSweet+ (equivalent to 50% of strained liquid)
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wearing disposable gloves, pull the petals off the sepals/calyx.
70 g dandelion petals
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once you have the correct weight of petals, add lemon slices and water, stir, and simmer gently for 15 minutes.
400 g water, 3 slices lemon
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once cool, cover and let steep overnight or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator.
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strain petals and lemon over a saucepan to obtain pure dandelion juice (circa 360g).
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add sweetener (50% of liquid weight) and stir in xanthan gum (if using – see notes below).
180 g KetoseSweet+, xanthan gum
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simmer gently for 50-60 mins, stirring occasionally, until reduced, frothy and slightly viscous.
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cool it in the saucepan, then transfer to a sealed jar (see notes below).
Collect enough flower heads to fill 1/2 large freezer bag.
KetoseSweet+ is a combination of allulose, monk fruit and stevia. If not available in your region, I recommend that you source a similar product. Erythritol is not a good choice of sweetener, as it will crystallise over time, making your syrup taste gritty.
To increase density and viscosity, add 1/16 tsp xanthan gum to the sifted liquid while cold (to avoid clumping).
If your syrup becomes hard after cooling in the pan, add some water and simmer it briefly while stirring constantly and checking its consistency.
Freeze for up to 12 months, or keep chilled for up to 4 weeks (check for spoilage).
Should last 7 days if placed in a dark cupboard at max 20°C ambient temperature.
Serving: 20g | Calories: 0.1kcal | Carbohydrates: 0g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 0g
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