Honey is one of the healthiest foods in the world. Originating directly from nature’s wells of health, honey is rich in antioxidants, good bacteria, as well as antibacterial and antifungal properties. Now, these are actual medicinal benefits of high-quality, raw, organic honey, and we do have to point out that fake honey doesn’t get the same reputation.
Fake honey is mixed with sugar, or even golden syrup, to mimic the texture, color, and taste of honey without any of the health properties. Fake honey is even cheaper, more accessible, and often sold under the fake label of being ‘real, raw honey’. It is, simply put, everywhere!
So, buying actually good and legit honey can be pretty hard. Unless you know what to look for, and unless you have a legit source or distributor of proper honey, you will probably come across or even buy fake honey under the belief you’re getting the real deal.
Therefore, to make things a bit easier for you, we’ve gathered the best honey brands in one place. These are world-renowned, high-quality, certified honey brands that will give you the absolute best honey can provide. So, without further ado, let’s get started!
But, Before We Start, Our Quick Honey Buying Guide
Buying natural, real, raw honey can be difficult; after all, what are the differences between real and fake honey? They all look the same, right? Here’s our 2023 honey buying guide you’ll quickly memorize and use for your future honey-buying endeavors;
- Buying Raw Honey! – Raw honey is 100% pure, organic, and nutritious. It hasn’t been tempered, heated, filtered, or processed in any way. Raw honey comes directly from the hives, with all its health and medicinal benefits. Fake honey cannot be labeled to be ‘raw’, so make sure to pay attention to this label.
- Buying Unfiltered Honey! – Buying unfiltered honey means the honey hasn’t been filtered and is naturally packed with all the nutrients. Honey is generally filtered to extend shelf life, but it isn’t really worth it since all the health and medicinal benefits are lost during filtration.
- Real Honey is Thick! – When buying honey, make sure to take a look at its consistency; real, raw honey is way thicker than the fake one, so it doesn’t really spill or drizzle easily. If you can check the consistency of the honey, do the thumb test; spread a bit of honey onto the thumb, and if it spills then you’ve bought yourself probably a sugary syrup instead of honey.
- The Best Honey is Dark! – dark honey means it hasn’t undergone any processing, filtering, or even tempering. That is why it is darker, bolder in color and usually graded with Grade A for the best quality. So, when buying honey, make sure to go for the darker color.
- Beware of Manuka Honey! – Unless it is strictly labeled to have been made in New Zealand and approved by the New Zealand government, avoid buying Manuka honey! It is the most faked and adulterated honey in the world since its legit counterpart is rather expensive and highly valued.
Our Top Picks for Best Raw Honey Brands
1. Thrive Market Organic Raw Unstrained Honey – The Best Organic Honey
Thrive Market provides an exclusive line of organic, raw honey. Their honey is unfiltered, USDA organic certified, non-GMO honey. It is gathered and sourced directly from the wild fields of Brazil and has numerous health benefits. The honey has a floral taste, without being overly sweet.
As such, it is perfect to use with oatmeal, tea, or even with savory dishes. The honey is pretty thick, which is generally a plus, but if you want it to be more drizzle-friendly, just stir it with a wooden spoon, and it’s ready to use.
Thrive Market works hard to provide high-quality food and food ingredients, all for a great price. For example, the 24-ounce jar of this organic, raw honey, costs $17.99 (at the moment of writing the article, the jar costs $12.99, on sale). When you try this organic honey, it will quickly become a staple in your kitchen, so make sure to check it out!
2. Wedderspoon Raw Premium Manuka Honey – The Best Premium, Manuka Honey
If you’re looking for verified Manuka honey, then make sure to check out this one from Wedderspoon. This honey originates directly from New Zealand, hence the KFactor 16+ trademark (which indicated that the honey originated from the manuka tree).
Raw manuka honey is generally the best honey in the world; its antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties make it the golden health liquid. However, with tons of fake manuka honey brands out there, Wedderspoon emphasizes and pays attention to meeting all the New Zealand government’s manuka standards and ensures the customers know about them.
The Wedderspoon manuka honey is produced using a gentle raw creaming process that maintains the naturally-occurring health benefits of the honey. It is simply a freshly harvested perfection in a jar that will improve your immune system, take care of your skin and make you feel energetic and good. Make sure to check out the Wedderspoon manuka honey; we guarantee it will be the sweetest addition to your kitchen and life.
3. Meluka Australian Raw Honey – The Best Raw Honey
One of the best raw honey brands on the market is the Meluka Honey from Australia, Bungawalbin Valley. The honey is unheated and unpasteurized, which means it has retained all the essential nutrients and enzymes, as well as healing properties.
This honey combines the wildflowers, eucalyptus, extract from tea tree, and Australian jelly bush – all of this makes it incredibly medicinal and a truly fantastic addition to your immune system. This is also probably the best honey on the market in regards to treating and healing sore throat, cough, or cold, which we surely need in these testing times of new coronavirus variants.
Meluka honey has a generally mild taste, not too sweet, but sweet enough to act as a healthy substitute to sugar and other unhealthy sweeteners. You can use it for both sweet and savory dishes, warm drinks, or eat it straight out of the jar. The honey is golden and creamy, perfect for drizzling. It is also very fresh and slightly minty, thanks to the eucalyptus. Overall, the Meluka raw honey is simply one of the best kinds of honey you can get your hands on.
4. Nature Nate’s 100% Pure, Raw Bottle Honey – The Best Bottle Honey
Sometimes, the jar honey isn’t the most convenient option out there. So bottled honey might be a good alternative, especially for your kids. The only thing you have to do is squeeze it out of the bottle, right into the cup of tea, or over those delicious pancakes. But, most of the time, honey in the bottle is just a sugary syrup. What if you want real, raw honey in a bottle? Well, then you buy Nature Nate’s 100% pure, raw honey.
This honey is unfiltered and unprocessed. It is simply warmed and strained so that the good stuff remains in the honey. It is award-winning honey, completely natural, raw, and pure, perfect as a substitute to artificial, unhealthy sweeteners.
The honey is pretty mild and sweet enough to add that delicious sweetness to your favorite tea, warm oatmeal, or even savory dishes. Your kids will also love it, and they’ll be more prone to using it thanks to the super useful, but also very cute bottle.
5. Y.S. Eco Bee Farms Raw Honey – The Best Household Honey
Y.S. Eco Bee Farms is a honey-producing company built on four generations of beekeeping experience and tradition. The company is considered to be the pioneer in certified, organic beekeeping in North America. Since 1995, Y.S. Eco Bee Farms has been producing organic honey thanks to the organic certification they’re received almost 27 years ago. So, if you’re looking for a honey brand with a tradition of quality, high-end reputation, and certification for an organic product, then this is the brand to go with.
Now, the Y.S. Raw Honey is one of the best organic, raw honey on the market. It is unprocessed, unfiltered, and comes straight from the hive. As such, it is loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and another anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal properties.
Because it comes straight from the hive, the honey is just perfectly sweet and of a smooth consistency. It is not too thick, and you will have zero issues with crystallization. That is because it is unprocessed, and as such, the honey hardens at cooler temperatures but warms up quickly with a quick stir. Use this honey with tea, warm oatmeal, over packages, or even on its own. Either way, it will soothe your sore throat, boost your immune system and make you feel brand new.
6. Beekeeper’s Naturals Wildflower Raw Honey – The Best Wildflower Honey
Did you know that Canada provides exceptional, high-quality honey? Well, the Beekeeper’s Naturals is Canada’s no.1 raw honey, harvested in the very Ontario remote areas. It is probably one of the best, if not THE best wildflower raw honey on the market. The honey is sustainably harvested, which means that the bees come in the first place.
The hives are never overharvested, which means the honey is made by happy bees. It is also 100%, pure, organic, and raw honey that is never cut with another ingredient, like corn syrup, sugar syrup, fructose, or agave. It is also important to mention that Beekeeper’s Naturals honey is always tested by a third-party lab to make sure there are no pesticides, pesticide residue, or chemicals that would make this honey inferior or mitigate its medicinal effects.
When it comes to the taste, this honey has wonderful floral and herbal undertones. You will be able to taste a bit of lavender and a general wildflower note to it. The sweetness is also on the milder side, which makes it perfectly pleasant and ideal for teas. We do have to mention that this honey hardens and crystalizes, to make sure to give it a quick stir to make it drizzable and runny.
7. Desert Creek Raw and Unfiltered Texas Honey – The Best Budget Honey
Generally, organic, raw, and pure honey can be quite expensive. However, high-quality honey doesn’t have to empty your pocket all the time; the Raw and Unfiltered Texas Honey from Desert Creek is the perfect proof of that. At only $15.99, you will get 32 ounces of raw, pure, and unfiltered honey.
The honey is responsibly and sustainably harvested from healthy Texas bees. There are no artificial colors in this honey, as well as no flavor additives, like fructose, agave, sugar, or corn syrup. The package of the honey is also super unique; it comes in a bottle, which makes it easy to use, even by kids.
The honey has a rather deep golden color as well as a deep, wildflower, earthy flavor that makes it truly unique honey. It is also not too sweet, which makes it perfect for teas, healthy sweets, pancakes, or even savory dishes. Being an excellent budget pick, we surely recommend you to check the Desert Creek honey out and see for yourself just how good this honey is.
8. Detroit Hives Raw Wildflower Honey – The Best Everyday Use Honey
Detroit Hives is a nonprofit group that transforms empty lots in Detroit into honeybee homes. The group has started these programs to revitalize the Detroit economy by increasing honey production, educating the community, and contributing to the environment. This project has received global positive recognition, and it’s being promoted by National Geographic, USA Today, The Honeybee Conservancy, etc.
Now, the hype about this project isn’t just about the very idea, but also about the product. The honey Detroit Hives makes is 100% pure, raw honey that meets even the highest standards. It is mildly sweet and has a very pleasant taste. It is perfect for everyday use; drizzle it over those delicious breakfast pancakes, or add a teaspoon to your tea. However, you decide to use it, keep in mind that by buying this honey, you’re contributing to a great cause. So, what better way to support Detroit Hives than by buying their incredibly delicious honey!
9. Mike’s Hot Honey – The Best Infused Honey
Now, for all our foodies out there; we’ve got special honey for you! Mike’s Hot Honey is the perfect, raw, and pure honey infused with chilis. This infused honey provides a proper kick and makes an exceptional food condiment, whether you drizzle it over a salad, pasta dish, or pizza.
Now, the honey is made with 100% pure honey, red chili peppers, and vinegar. The honey is harvested in Jefferson County in upstate New York from local hives. Sure enough, this honey isn’t really suitable for hot drinks and tea, but it is a great addition to any dish. If Mike’s Hot Honey isn’t really hot enough for you can always go for the Extra Hot version.
10. Homestead Honey Sticks – The Best Travel-Friendly Honey
Whether you want to sweeten a cup of tea with your honey of choice, or you want to have it at hand just in case you get sick, it is always smart to have honey around when traveling. But, who on God’s green earth carries honey around, in those big jars and bottles? Well, no one. But, we surely do carry around those super useful honey sticks from Homestead.
These honey sticks are made from 100% pure and raw honey, without any additives, fillers, or preservatives. The honey is sourced from the Rocky Mountains region sustainably and respectably. The Homestead beekeepers take good care of their beehives, and the company donates annually to the Pollinator partnership.
The honey sticks aren’t just travel-friendly; they’re an excellent and wholesome snack, for you or for your kids. It’s better to have a honey stick when you crave something sweet than chocolate, right? So, make sure to check out these honey sticks and you’ll be amazed by how fun and convenient they are.
11. Wedderspoon Manuka Honey Drops – The Best Honey Drops
If you’re looking for a quick way to improve your immune system and make it strong against viruses, then make sure to check out the Wedderspoon manuka honey drops. Now, these honey drops will not only boost your immune system, but will also soothe a painful sore throat, kill sinus infection, improve cold/flu symptoms, and generally boost your overall health.
Now, in the package, you will receive 20 Manuka honey drops. These drops are made from raw, organic manuka honey, as well as bee propolis and lemon. There are no preservatives, artificial colors, additives, or flavors in these drops. They’re completely made out of organic, natural Wedderspoon ingredients. The manuka honey is raw, unpasteurized, non-GMO, and organic. The honey is certified and meets the New Zealand government’s requirements for genuine, unadulterated manuka honey.
The honey drops are super useful and convenient; you can carry them around, have your kids eat them for a quick, sweet but healthy snack, or take them as an immune boost every now and then. You can add the honey drop to your favorite tea or warm drink as well.
Final Thoughts
These have been our top picks for the best honey brands you should check out in the following months. With the coronavirus pandemic not slowing down, or even nearing an end, it is now more than ever essential to take care of ourselves and boost our immune systems with high-quality honey. So, make sure to check out our recommendations, see which honey brands meet your preferences and budget, and go for it. Investing in high-quality honey has never been this important, so make sure to surely consider making this purchase!