Honey: Vegan, Low FODMAP or Safe for Babies?

Honey is a bee-made syrup that is about 41% fructose by weight. It is not vegan, it is high FODMAP, and it is not safe for babies under one.

Also called raw honey, bee honey

Suitable for

Vegan: no
Vegetarian: yes
Gluten-free: yes
Dairy-free: yes
Keto: no
Low FODMAP: no

Contains

None of the major allergens as an ingredient

Matankic, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, converted to WebP

Honey is the syrup bees make from flower nectar. By weight it is about four-fifths sugar, split roughly evenly between fructose and glucose, with water making up most of the rest.

For free-from eating the answers are short. Honey is gluten-free and dairy-free, but it is an animal product, it is high FODMAP, and it must not be given to babies under one. If you need a swap, compare it with maple syrup and other syrups, agave nectar or plain sugar.

Is honey vegan, gluten-free or allergen-free?

Diet	Suitable?	Why
Vegan	No	Bees make it, so most vegans leave it out.
Vegetarian	Yes
Gluten-free	Yes	Pure honey has no gluten. Check blends and flavoured honeys.
Dairy-free	Yes
Keto	No	About 17 g of sugar in one tablespoon.
Low FODMAP	No	Monash lists honey among high FODMAP sugars, because of its extra fructose.

Honey is not one of the major food allergens. The bigger safety question is age: see side effects below.

Calories and nutrition in honey

Nutrient	Per 1 tbsp (21 g)	Per 100 g
Calories	64 kcal	304 kcal
Protein	0.1 g	0.3 g
Carbohydrates	17.3 g	82.4 g
Sugars	17.2 g	82.1 g
Fibre	0 g	0.2 g
Fat	0 g	0 g
Sodium	0.8 mg	4 mg

Honey, USDA FoodData Central. Of its 82 g of sugars, 40.9 g is fructose and 35.8 g is glucose.

Using honey in the kitchen

What honey tastes like

Floral and sweeter than the same spoonful of sugar to most people. Dark honeys such as buckwheat taste stronger and slightly bitter.

How to use honey

Stir it into yogurt, dressings and warm drinks. In baking it adds moisture and browns faster than sugar, so check bakes a little early.

Substitutes for honey

Substitute	How much	Best for
Maple syrup	Same amount	Vegan and low FODMAP. Thinner, with a caramel taste.
Rice malt syrup	Same amount, then taste	Low FODMAP. Milder, and fine for anyone avoiding fructose.
Agave nectar	Same amount	Vegan, but also high in fructose, so not a low FODMAP swap.

How to store honey

Keep the jar closed at room temperature. Crystals are normal and not a sign that it has gone off: stand the jar in warm water to melt them.

What to look for when buying honey

The ingredient list should say honey and nothing else. "Honey blend", "honey flavour" or a list that adds syrup means it is not pure honey.

For your sugar budget, honey is no free pass. The WHO counts sugars in honey as free sugars, the same as table sugar.

Side effects and who should be careful

Babies under one: CDC advises never giving honey to a child younger than one year, because honey can carry the bacteria that cause infant botulism. That includes honey on dummies or pacifiers.

Free sugar: the WHO recommends keeping free sugars, including honey and syrups, below 10% of daily energy, and ideally below about 25 g a day. One tablespoon of honey has about 17 g.

Questions about honey

Can babies have honey?

Not before their first birthday. CDC advises against any honey for children under one, because of the risk of infant botulism.

Is honey better for you than sugar?

Not in any way that matters for a sugar limit. Honey is mostly fructose and glucose, and the WHO counts it as free sugar just like table sugar.

Is honey low FODMAP?

No. Monash lists honey as high FODMAP. Maple syrup and table sugar are low FODMAP swaps.

Sources

Last fact-checked 12 November 2026.

General information only, not medical advice. If you have an allergy or a health condition, check with your doctor or dietitian.

Similar ingredients

Sweeteners

Agave Nectar

Agave nectar is a vegan syrup from the agave plant. Most of its sugar is fructose, so it is not a low FODMAP or keto choice, despite its health image.

Vegan: yes
Gluten-free: yes
Dairy-free: yes

Sweeteners

Allulose

Allulose is a rare sugar that browns like sugar but has 0.4 kcal per gram. US labels leave it out of sugars, but EFSA could not confirm its safety in 2025.

Vegan: yes
Dairy-free: yes

Sweeteners

Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar is dried coconut-blossom sap. It is vegan and swaps 1:1 for sugar, but it is still sugar and is low FODMAP only at about one teaspoon.

Vegan: yes
Gluten-free: yes
Dairy-free: yes

Sweeteners

Erythritol

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol with almost no calories, used in most stevia and monk fruit blends. A 2023 study linked high blood levels to heart events.

Vegan: yes
Dairy-free: yes

Sweeteners

Monk Fruit

Monk fruit extract is intensely sweet, so packs use very little of it. Most granulated monk fruit sweeteners are about 99% erythritol, which matters for FODMAPs.

Vegan: yes
Dairy-free: yes

Sweeteners

Stevia

Stevia sweeteners use purified steviol glycosides, but most packs are mainly erythritol, dextrose or maltodextrin. Some tablets even contain milk.

Vegan: it depends
Gluten-free: yes
Dairy-free: it depends

Sweeteners

Sugar

White sugar is sucrose from sugar cane or sugar beet. It is gluten-free and low FODMAP, but some cane sugar is filtered through animal bone char.

Vegan: it depends
Gluten-free: yes
Dairy-free: yes

Sweeteners

Syrups

Pure maple syrup is vegan, gluten-free and low FODMAP. Pancake syrup is mostly corn syrup, and brown rice syrup can carry arsenic. Compare them here.

Vegan: yes
Gluten-free: yes
Dairy-free: yes

Sweeteners

Xylitol

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol in sugar-free gum and sweeteners. It has 2.4 kcal per gram, can upset the gut, and is very dangerous for dogs, even in small amounts.

Vegan: yes
Dairy-free: yes