EV’s Take: A Sweet, Sticky Plant-Based Alternative to Honey
Do you love honey? Whether you consume honey or abstain from it is completely a personal choice. Honey has been a beloved sweetener in human diets since prehistoric times, but if you’re ready for a vegan alternative, this review of BlenditUp vegan honey might be helpful for you.
While there is always a lot of buzz in the vegan community about whether to include honey in a vegan diet, exploring alternatives is always worthwhile. Particularly if traditional methods employ practices that harm living creatures.
In general, many vegans agree that honey does not belong in a vegan diet since so many signs point to the production and collection of honey as harmful to the hives of bees working so hard to produce it. We’ll be releasing an article that dives into the world of honey soon!
BlenditUp has crafted a gorgeous vegan honey from apples. The apples bring in a really delicious fruity flavor, making this an ideal 1:1 substitute for honey. You can replace traditional honey in any recipe with this vegan honey alternative.
What is BlendItUp Bee Free Honey made from?
BlenditUp vegan honey has a very short ingredient list.
Organic apple juice concentrate, organic cane sugar, organic lemon juice concentrate.
That’s it! Three little ingredients give you a sweet, sticky, cruelty-free syrup that you can use anywhere you use honey. How nifty is that?
How has Exploring Vegan used this vegan honey?
I’ve used BlenditUp’s vegan honey to sweeten my vegan yogurt bowls, smoothies, dressings, sauces, glazes, and soups.
Ready to take BlenditUp’s vegan honey for a spin…er…a drizzle? Try one of my favorite dishes with it: roasted asparagus with stewed chickpeas! I finish the dish with a beautiful lemon-dill sauce that uses BlenditUp’s honey to give everything an irresistible sweetness to offset the tangy lemons.
Roasted Asparagus with Stewed Chickpeas
Equipment
Ingredients
Potatoes and chickpeas:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 2 small shallots, peeled and diced
- 1 pound baby red potatoes, halved or quartered if large
- 2 15-ounce cans chickpeas drained
- 2 tablespoons capers drained
- ¾ tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- Salt and pepper
Lemon-dill sauce:
- 1 large lemon, juiced and zested
- 1 tablespoon roughly chopped dill
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1–2 teaspoons sugar or maple syrup
- Pinch of salt
Asparagus:
- 1 pound asparagus, woody ends trimmed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Make the potatoes and chickpeas:
- Preheat the oven to 450ºF.
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for 3–5 minutes.
- Add the chickpeas, capers, Dijon mustard, and vegetable stock. Bring to a boil and stir to combine the mustard with the liquid. Reduce the heat to medium-low and rapid-simmer for 30–45 minutes or until the liquid reduces significantly. Adjust the heat as needed if the liquid reduces too quickly or not quickly enough.
- The finished result should be thick and stewy as the chickpeas and potatoes begin to break down. You should be left with about 1 cup liquid in the pot. Taste and season periodically, but be mindful of the salt, as the dish will become saltier as it reduces.
Make the lemon-dill sauce:
- Combine the lemon juice, dill, parsley, extra virgin olive oil, and sugar in a bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves and the ingredients are well combined. Taste and add a pinch of salt.
Cook the asparagus:
- Arrange the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to the oven and roast for 8–10 minutes, flipping once midway through cooking. Remove from the oven and set aside.
To serve:
- Spoon the potatoes and chickpeas onto a large serving platter. Arrange the asparagus on top. Drizzle a few tablespoons of lemon-dill sauce over the dish, serving the remaining sauce at the table. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Where Can I Buy BlenditUp Bee Free Honey?
You can buy their honey on Amazon for $15 or directly from the BlenditUp website for $13. From what I can tell, it is only available online and doesn’t appear to be in any retailers near me.
What do you think?
Have you tried this vegan honey alternative? Love it? Hate it? Let us know in the comments!
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