5 Best Honey Substitutes for Bagels

Quick tip: Maintains moisture and sweetness with a mild flavor that complements bagels well.

Maple syrup is a natural sweetener with a similar viscosity and moisture content to honey, which helps maintain the dough's hydration and fermentation balance. Its mild, slightly caramelized flavor enhances the bagel without overpowering it.

For best results, use pure maple syrup and avoid flavored or diluted versions. Monitor dough hydration as slight variations in moisture content can affect texture, but generally, maple syrup integrates smoothly.

Compared to honey, maple syrup produces bagels with a slightly different but pleasant flavor profile and similar chewiness and crust formation, making it the closest match overall.

Quick tip: Less sweet and thicker, may require slight adjustment in dough hydration.

Brown rice syrup is a mild, less sweet syrup that provides moisture and some sweetness, helping maintain dough structure and fermentation. Its thicker consistency can slightly affect dough handling.

To avoid overly dry dough, consider reducing flour slightly or adding a small amount of extra water. The flavor is neutral, so it won't add complexity but preserves the bagel's traditional taste.

Bagels made with brown rice syrup tend to be less sweet and have a slightly denser texture compared to those made with honey.

Quick tip: Adds a malty flavor and enhances crust color but is less sweet than honey.

Barley malt syrup is traditionally used in bagel recipes for its malt flavor and ability to promote crust browning through Maillard reactions. It provides moisture and fermentable sugars but is less sweet than honey.

Use it especially if you want a more authentic bagel flavor and darker crust. Monitor sweetness levels as you may want to add a small amount of sugar if a sweeter profile is desired.

Bagels will have a richer malt flavor and a chewier crust, but the sweetness will be subdued compared to honey.

Quick tip: Provides a rich, fruity sweetness with a thicker consistency that may slightly affect dough hydration.

Date syrup is a natural sweetener with a robust fruity flavor and thick texture, contributing fermentable sugars and moisture to the dough. Its antioxidants can also benefit dough fermentation.

Because of its thickness, you may need to slightly increase water content in the dough to maintain proper hydration. The strong flavor can complement whole grain or rye bagels particularly well.

Compared to honey, date syrup produces bagels with a deeper flavor and slightly denser crumb, which may not suit all traditional bagel styles.

Quick tip: Mildly sweet with a subtle caramel flavor; thinner than honey, so watch dough moisture.

Coconut nectar is a plant-based sweetener with a low glycemic index and mild caramel notes. It supplies fermentable sugars and moisture but is thinner than honey, which can slightly alter dough hydration.

Adjust water content carefully to avoid overly sticky dough. Its subtle flavor works well in bagels without overpowering the traditional taste.

Bagels made with coconut nectar have a mild sweetness and a slightly softer crumb compared to honey-based bagels.