How to Use Honey Sticks

Did you hear the buzz about honey sticks? If you are a busy bee who enjoys a drop of honey in your daily cuppa, grab a honey stick on your way out the door and enjoy a sweet treat wherever you fly! Check out our fun tips and tricks for how to use honey sticks below. 

Stick with Me, Honey

Some days you have time for a luxurious teatime spread, complete with buttery scones, tiny sandwiches, and six intricate kinds of desserts. 

And some days (maybe most days…) you have time to dump your tea in a to-go mug as you simultaneously pull on your shoes, grab your keys, and hurry out of the house. Those are the days for honey sticks!

The beauty of honey sticks is that they are perfectly portable. You can have them anytime, anywhere! 

Maybe you like to get tea from a local spot that only stocks sugar as a sweetener. Carrying a sticky bottle or jar of honey on your person may seem unreasonable, but if you love honey in your tea, you might just be tempted. Or—skip the mess and get that flavor you love by popping a couple of honey sticks in your bag or pocket. No fuss, no muss; just sweet and simple.  

Maybe you need a sugary pick-me-up in the middle of the day and are looking for a more natural boost than a cookie or baked good. (Not that I don’t love an afternoon confection—chocolate chip chai cookie, anyone?) A drizzle of honey over a fiber-rich snack can do wonders to reanimate you after the mid-day drowsies. 

Each stick holds about a teaspoon of honey, so measuring out portions is a breeze! Forget “one lump or two?” Now it’s “how many sticks for you?” 

Squeezing or scooping honey from a classic container is not an exact science, and it can be easy to over or under-sweeten your favorite blends. If you usually aim for a drop of honey from the jar, a single stick is probably perfect for you. A drizzle, probably two. If a big ol’ glob is more your style, three or four sticks might be your sweet spot! 

Once you find your perfect number, it takes all the guesswork out of sweetening your tea—forever. 

How Do You Do, Honey? 

Honey sticks could not be easier to use. 

You simply snip off the end and squeeze the honey into your beverage, onto your snack, or straight into your mouth! We won’t judge. 

One clever Plum Deluxe enthusiast suggests cutting the stick open and turning it upside down in your water as the tea steeps—the honey has a few minutes to drip out on its own, and the heat of the water warms it, making it nice and pliable. Time, heat, and gravity are all on your side, doing most of the (admittedly simple) work for you! 

Then it’s a super smooth process to pinch the top of the stick and slide the rest of the honey right out. (Thank you, Pam M, for that helpful tip!) 

You can also save yourself from a dirty utensil by using the plastic casing as a stir stick. It’s already in your hand—why bother getting out a separate spoon? You’ve got to love the sweet, sweet taste of convenience! 

Because they are so fun-sized—sleek and slim and dainty—you can easily store a few in your bag or jacket pocket, or in a locker, cubby, or drawer to have on hand at work or school.

You could even keep a few handy in your glove compartment to have with you wherever you go! An excellent treat to tide over hangry children (or friends…or partners…or drivers). The plastic tube will keep it safe from leaks, but do be mindful that changes in weather may affect the texture of the honey over time—if they last that long! 

Tell Me More, Honey

Plum Deluxe has a variety of honey-based sweeteners, ranging from honey dust, honey drops, raw creamed honey, and honey sticks—depending on your honey needs. 

It can enhance or add nuance to your favorite teas—I personally love a spot of honey in Full Moon Chai. A single stick is just right for me. The bit of mild sweetness sets the vanilla butternut and classic warming chai spices off to a beautiful advantage! 

Honey sticks can also add the perfect finishing touch to a tea cocktail. 

Put a colorful spin on a classic Bee’s Knees by adding butterfly pea flower herbal tea to gin, lemon, and honey. 

Make a warming hot toddy with bourbon, citrus spiced Comfort Blend tea, honey, and orange bitters.

Shake things up with a dirty chai cocktail—stir up your favorite chai with a shot or two of Kahlua, a drizzle of honey, and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Delicious both hot and iced! 

Honey sticks also make a handy tool for relaxing, restorative at-home self-care! 

Whip up a simple green tea and honey face mask. Maybe add a squeeze of lemon juice, a spoonful of yogurt, or a light dusting of cinnamon, depending on your skin’s needs. The most difficult part will be trying not to lick it off your face as you wait to rinse it off! 

Treat your tired hands or feet to a honey soak. Honey has anti-bacterial properties and is sometimes used to treat minor wounds or burns, making it a great add-in for an at-home hand and foot spa treatment. Heat some water or milk in a bowl, stir in a generous dose of honey, and soak those overworked extremities! 

Get luscious locks with a honey hair mask. DIY hair treatment options read a lot like the ingredients of a smoothie…depending on your hair goals, you may reach for bananas, avocado, coconut oil, oatmeal, green or black tea, yogurt, egg, or mayonnaise. 

Okay, maybe you wouldn’t put egg or mayonnaise in a smoothie, but I would blend up the rest and eat it! Honey is rich in antioxidants and other nutrients that can promote shine, moisture, and growth. Take your pick from the list of other smoothie-esque ingredients, blend them up, and smother your scalp with a tasty, tasty honey mask. 

With just a few staple ingredients from your kitchen, you can create a full-on honey stick spa experience! Light some candles, put on some soothing music, and let the cares of the day dissolve like honey in your tea…

Honey sticks also make for excellent gifts! They’re adorable bundled up in a stocking, charming tied with some curling ribbon to a gift tag, and a lovely addition when giving the gift of tea or a mug. 

We all know people who could use a little TLC in their lives (or tea-L-C, if you will), and a tea gift basket can be just the thing! 

Start with a package or two of their favorite tea blends, add in one or two tea accessories like a festive mug or tea tin, and a tailored infuser or tea scoop, then round it out with a set of honey sticks. Nothing says love and comfort like the gift of a liquid hug in a mug! 

For ready-made gift bundles perfect for the tea enthusiasts in your life, check out Plum Deluxe’s gift sets and care packages. All the love and care of a themed gift basket with way fewer decisions for you to make. 

So…how to use honey sticks? The short answer: any way you want! 

Whether you add them to your tea, cocktails, snacks, self-care routine, or gift baskets, honey sticks are a delicious, convenient way to enjoy honey for a busy bee like you.