• Alyssa Fontaine, RD
• Apr 04, 2025

Is Honey Vegan?

Being vegan means excluding any products that come from animals for ethical reasons.

Honey is produced by bees, making it an animal byproduct. So by definition, it’s not vegan. 

Commercial beekeeping follows unethical practices to produce the large volumes of honey needed for sale. This includes but is not limited to: 

• Replacing honey with a sugar substitute that is significantly less nutritious for bees
• Clipping the queen bee’s wings to prevent her from leaving to start new colonies
• Killing entire colonies during the post-harvest season to keep costs low for farmers (1)

Is Honey Vegan-Friendly?

Vegan-Friendly is a term used by manufacturers to suggest their product is suitable for vegans despite not having a certification. Therefore, there’s no assurance that animals were not involved in the production or testing of these products.

For this reason, it’s always best to check the label and choose products that have received vegan certification. Ask a vegan registered dietitian to help out if having a hard time figuring out logos and labels!

Honey is commonly thought to be vegan-friendly. However, as mentioned earlier, honey is a product made by bees. So it’s not vegan which in turn means it’s not vegan-friendly either. 

Is Honey Mustard Vegan? 

Regular honey mustard found in grocery stores is not vegan since it contains honey. 

That said, there are some alternative options to satisfy that sweet and savoury craving. For one, some companies have created vegan versions of the dressing which may be available at your local grocer. Another great option would be to try out this plant-based recipe for honey mustard!

Can Vegans Have Honey? 

Honey is one of the most frequently mistaken foods for being vegan. In fact, a common myth is that bees make honey specifically for humans (1). This however is far from the truth as bees rely on their product for nutrition. 

Many vegans exclude honey from their diet as they don’t wish to contribute to harming bees. That said, some predominantly plant-based eaters do choose to include honey in their diet. 

So it all boils down to personal preference and values. Honey is not vegan. However, each individual is free to make the choice based on their comfort level.

FAQs

What are vegan alternatives to honey?

There are plenty of vegan sweeteners that could be used instead of honey including: 

• Maple Syrup 
• Brown Rice Syrup
• Agave Syrup
• Barley Malt Syrup
• Date Syrup

Additionally, some businesses have created vegan honey products which possess a similar taste to honey but are 100% plant-based. To learn more about vegan honey check out this brand here!

And finally, you could try making your own vegan honey at home.

Is local beekeeping harmful to bees? 

Yes and no, here’s where it gets a bit complex. 

It’s not necessarily the size of the beekeeping operation that determines how bees are treated, it’s the practices used.

Ethical beekeeping describes an alternative approach that prioritizes bee health over honey production and profit (2). The principles of this practice emphasize leaving bees to their natural order and only interfering during threats to the hive’s survival. 

As a customer, only supporting ethical practice requires full transparency from beekeepers. Sadly, it’s not always possible to find out how specific honeys were harvested. 

If you’re fully committed to not contributing to bee exploitation, it’s best to avoid honey and stick to alternatives. 

Is Honey Vegetarian? 

Vegetarians do not eat products containing animal flesh. Honey is made from the nectar and pollen from plants. For this reason, honey is vegetarian.