Homemade Honeycomb; how to make this deliciously addictive, bubbly, crunchy treat in your own kitchen!
Have you ever agreed to do something before realising you didn’t actually know how to do it?
Yeah, same here.
Earlier this month I agreed to make a birthday cake for a work colleague. It was to be decorated with various chocolate and honeycomb bits, which I accepted without even thinking. Quickly the flashbacks to my various failed attempts at homemade honeycomb arrived in droves. Oops.
However, through a little bit of late night testing and a dash of stubborn insistence, the homemade honeycomb was a success. This honeycomb, having dressed up the cake fabulously and provided a tasty sweet snack, is now my new obsession.
While it’s incredibly sweet and can only really be eaten in small amounts, it really is a marvellous thing. Crisp, bubbly and deep with honey-caramel flavour. It’s pretty to snack on, decorate bakes with, or even to give as a gift!
Even after a few days, once the homemade honeycomb begins to soften and become sticky to the touch, it’s still a serious treat for those with a sweet tooth.
As for making this old-school sweet, it’s not quite as daunting as a pan of boiling sugar can make it seem. It might not be perfect on your first attempt – any kind of sugar work often takes practice to fully understand. Thankfully this recipe requires just a tiny amount of ingredients and mere moments of your time, so any not-quite-perfect results will not be big on waste!
I based this recipe on the classic Hokey Pokey recipe from my queen, Nigella Lawson. However, in true Maverick Baking fashion, I’ve reduced the bicarbonate of soda quantity and swapped out the syrup for honey (both in the name of flavour). Similarly, I’d also recommend cooking the mixture for bit longer than this classic recipe suggests to ensure you keep that characteristic crunch for longer.
It’s worth noting that we are still in #veganuary, and that I may have cheated that slightly to test out this recipe, but fear not! This homemade honeycomb can be made using traditional honey, or with golden syrup to make it vegan-friendly.
Have you been keeping up with our Veganuary adventures on my YouTube channel?
As long as you have a saucepan (ideally not a black one, so you can judge the mixture colour more effectively!), a whisk, and some greaseproof paper, you can make some homemade honeycomb.
I’d recommend being careful, especially if you have little ones in the house, as this recipe will involve a very hot pan of sugar. However, as long as you stay aware, don’t leave the room, and don’t try to taste the mixture too soon, you should be safe.
I hope you enjoy this homemade honeycomb as much as we have, whether it’s a snack, a decoration, or a gift. Thanks as always for stopping by. Try to stay safe and stay sane, see you soon.
Want to save this Homemade Honeycomb recipe for later? You can pin the image below!
To make this Homemade Honeycomb, simply follow the recipe below:
Ingredients
- 100g (½ cup) caster or granulated sugar
- 4 tbsp runny honey, or golden syrup if you want to make it vegan
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Instructions
- Pour the sugar and honey into a small silver saucepan and stir together into a clumpy sugary sand. Try to resist stirring after this, as stirring boiling sugar can cause it to crystallise into inedible lumps!
- Place your pan over a medium-high heat. The sugar will melt before turning into a boiling pan of honey caramel. This will take 3-5 minutes.
- Once the caramel is a deep golden brown (but not burnt-smelling) remove the pan from the heat.
- Quickly whisk the bicarbonate of soda in to turn the caramel into bubbling gold lava.
- Immediately pour this fluffy mass onto a big piece of greaseproof paper. If you want chunky honeycomb, you can pour it into a small paper-lined tray or tin.
- Leave the honeycomb to set until cool and firm.
- Use a rolling pin or your hands to shatter it the honeycomb into golden shards or crumbs.
- Enjoy!
