Honey Flavors, Explained: A Tasting Guide to All 14 of Our Infused Honeys

You've probably had honey on toast. But have you had it whipped smooth with English lavender, or warmed up with turmeric, peppercorn and a pinch of cayenne?

That's the fun of honey flavors. Start with good raw honey, add one real ingredient, and you get something new for your tea, your cheese board or your morning oatmeal. We carry 14 of them, and this guide walks through every one.

Our honey comes from Northern California wildflowers and is produced by our friends at Becker Bees, right here in Lodi. Bees matter a great deal on this farm. Our cherry trees depend on them every spring, and we've written before about the job they do pollinating our cherry trees. Honey is the sweet side of that same partnership.

What Is Infused Honey?

Infused honey is pure honey that has been steeped or blended with a natural ingredient, such as lavender blossoms, cinnamon or vanilla bean, so it takes on that flavor. You'll also see it called flavored honey. It differs from varietal honey, whose flavor comes only from the flowers the bees visited.

Just as there are different types of cherries, from sweet Bings to tart Montmorency, there are different types of honey. Most honey varieties fall into one of three groups:

A quick note on labels: the FDA recommends that honey with an added flavor be named for it, such as "raspberry-flavored honey," with every ingredient listed (FDA guidance). That's a good habit to check for when you shop. Our infused honeys start with pure wildflower honey and contain no preservatives or added sugar. 

How We Make Our Honey Flavors: Whipped Honey, Explained

Twelve of our 14 flavors are churned honey. The other two are nutty honeys, which you'll meet further down. If you've never tried churned honey, this is the part that will change how you think about the jar.

Where Our Honey Comes From

Every jar starts with raw wildflower honey from Becker Bees in Lodi, gathered from whatever is blooming across Northern California. The line was created by two 4th-generation California agriculturists (confirm: James and the Becker family?). We take the same approach to honey that we take in the orchard, where cover crops give bees and other beneficial insects a place to live between blooms.

What goes in the jar is simple:

• 100% natural, raw wildflower honey

• One real flavoring ingredient (English lavender blossoms, real vanilla beans, cinnamon, cocoa and so on)

• No preservatives and no added sugar

What is Churned Honey?

Churned honey, also called whipped honey, creamed honey or spun honey, is raw honey that has been mixed with finely granulated honey and churned to break down the crystals. The result is smooth, thick and spreadable, closer to soft butter than syrup.

All honey crystallizes eventually. Left alone, it forms big, gritty crystals. Churning guides the honey to form tiny crystals instead, so it stays creamy.

How the Flavor Goes In

1. Harvest. Becker Bees collects raw wildflower honey from Northern California hives.

2. Seed. Liquid honey is mixed with a small amount of finely granulated honey.

3. Churn and flavor. The honey is churned slowly to break down the crystals, and the flavoring ingredient goes in.

4. Jar and rest. The honey is poured into our 6 oz or 12 oz hexagon jars and left to set.

Why Whipped Honey Won't Drip

Because it's already finely crystallized, churned honey:

• Spreads on toast without soaking in

• Stays on the spoon (no sticky trail across the counter)

• Stirs smoothly into warm tea and coffee

• Holds its creamy texture at room temperature

All 14 Honey Flavors at a Glance

Here's every flavored honey we carry, side by side. Use it to find a jar that fits how you like to eat, then jump to that flavor for pairings.

Lavender Honey: Our English Lavender Infusion

If you only try one flavor from this list, start here. Lavender honey is also one of the most searched honey flavors, so let's clear up what it is.

What does lavender honey taste like?

Our English Lavender Infused Honey tastes floral and soft first, with a light herbal finish. The wildflower honey underneath keeps it from tasting like soap, which is the worry most people have before their first spoonful. And because it's churned, it spreads instead of drips.

Lavender honey vs. lavender-infused honey

These are two different things, and labels don't always make that clear:

• Varietal lavender honey is made by bees that forage mostly on lavender fields. The flavor comes from the nectar itself.

• Lavender-infused honey is honey steeped or blended with lavender blossoms after harvest.

Ours is the second kind: Northern California wildflower honey infused with English lavender blossoms. We think that's worth saying plainly, so you know exactly what's in the jar.

How to use lavender honey

• Stir a spoonful into Earl Grey or chamomile tea

• Sweeten a pitcher of homemade lemonade

• Spread it on ricotta or goat cheese toast

• Drizzle it over vanilla ice cream or shortbread

• Pair it with a soft cheese on your next board

Many people like a lavender honey tea in the evening as part of winding down. We'll leave the health claims to the experts and just say it's a lovely way to end the day.

Warm Spice Honey Flavors: Cinnamon Honey, Pumpkin Spice and More

These four are made for sweater weather. They're also our most giftable jars heading into the holidays.

Cinnamon Swirl

Pure wildflower honey with the warm, comforting spice of cinnamon. It's the cinnamon honey we reach for most mornings.

Try it: stirred into coffee, spread on toast, or swapped in for the maple syrup in our cherry oatmeal.

Pumpkin Spice

Wildflower honey blended with cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. It tastes like the first cool morning of fall.

Try it: in a homemade pumpkin spice latte, over pancakes, or brushed on roasted butternut squash. 

Gingerbread

Wildflower honey with ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg, like a gingerbread cookie you can spread.

Try it: in holiday baking, as a glaze for ham, or in a mug of hot black tea.

Hot Cocoa

Pure wildflower honey with rich cocoa and a hint of warm spice.

Try it: whisked into warm milk for an easy hot chocolate, drizzled over brownies, or as a dip for strawberries.

Bright and Fruity Honey Flavors

When you want something that tastes like spring and summer, these two bring the fruit.

Lemon Infused Honey

Pure wildflower honey with a bright touch of citrus, balanced so the sweetness still leads.

Try it: in hot tea, stirred into plain yogurt, whisked into a simple vinaigrette, or used in place of the sweetener in our Cherry & Lemon Cocktail.

Blueberry Bliss

Wildflower honey with natural blueberry for a sweet, fruity spread.

Try it: on pancakes or waffles, spread on warm toast, or blended into a cherry smoothie for a mixed-berry twist.

Rich and Indulgent: Vanilla Honey and Salted Honey

These two turn everyday things into dessert.

Vanilla Bean

Pure wildflower honey infused with real vanilla beans. Rich, aromatic and smooth, it's the most versatile vanilla honey we know.

Try it: in your morning coffee, folded into whipped cream, over French toast, or drizzled on a slice of cherry cheesecake or a scoop of cherry ice cream.

Himalayan Salted

Pure wildflower honey with a hint of salt, which makes the honey taste even sweeter. It's our favorite for a cheese board.

Try it: with aged cheddar or manchego, over fried chicken, on dark chocolate, or with sliced fresh Rainier cherries and prosciutto in summer.

Wellness-Minded Honeys: Turmeric Honey and Bee Pollen

These two are for the smoothie-and-golden-milk crowd. We'll keep it to flavor and use here, not health claims.

Sunrise Gold

Our turmeric honey: wildflower honey with earthy turmeric, a little peppercorn and a touch of cayenne. It's warm, golden and a little bit bold.

Try it: stirred into golden milk or chai, blended into a smoothie, brushed on roasted carrots, or whisked into a marinade for chicken.

Bee Pollen Flower Power

Pure wildflower honey blended with bee pollen for a floral, slightly earthy flavor and a little texture.

Try it: over yogurt and granola, in a morning smoothie, or straight from the spoon. If you have a pollen or bee-product allergy, check with your doctor before trying this one.

Nutty Honeys: Walnut Honey and Almond Honey

These two aren't churned. They blend raw wildflower honey with the flavor of nuts, and walnuts are something we know well. Our family has grown walnuts in Linden for decades.

Walnut Infused Raw Honey

Raw wildflower honey with the rich, earthy taste of walnuts.

Try it: over brie or blue cheese, on Greek yogurt, or in baking. It's a natural fit with the walnut yogurt bowl James shares in our guide to raw walnuts, and a fun topping for a square of Evelyn's walnut fudge at the holidays.

Editor note: if these are our own Linden-grown walnuts, say so here. It's the strongest "from our farm" detail in the whole post.

Almond Infused Wildflower Honey

Pure wildflower honey with the essence of almonds, so you get floral and nutty notes together.

Try it: stirred into tea, spread on toast, over baked brie, or in oatmeal with a handful of our California walnuts.

Slow Churned Original: Where Every Flavor Starts

Our Slow Churned Honey is plain churned wildflower honey. There's no added flavor, and it's the base for every whipped flavor above. It's velvety, mild and good on just about anything: toast, pancakes, biscuits or a cheese board. One reviewer called it "the best honey ever on morning toast with coffee," and we can't argue.

How to Store Infused and Whipped Honey

Storing honey is easy. Store it right and it keeps for a long time.

• Keep it at room temperature. No fridge needed. Cold makes honey stiff and hard to spread.

• Keep the lid tight. Honey pulls moisture from the air, and moisture is what leads to fermentation.

• Keep it out of the sun. A pantry or cupboard is perfect.

• Use a dry spoon. A wet or crumb-covered spoon brings in water and bits of food.

If your whipped honey gets firmer or looks a little lighter over time, that's normal. It's already crystallized on purpose, which is what makes it creamy. Properly made infused honey sealed in a food-grade container with a tight lid keeps indefinitely, according to OSU Extension.

From Lodi Wildflowers to Your Table

Fourteen honey flavors might sound like a lot. But each one starts the same way, with raw Northern California wildflower honey from a beekeeper down the road and one real ingredient that earns its place in the jar. Pick the one that matches your mornings, your cheese board or your holiday baking, and you'll see why we love this part of the farm.

A Family Farm Since 1918

For four generations, the Chinchiolo family has farmed the land around Lodi and Linden: first grapes and figs, then cherries and walnuts, and today a growing pantry of farm-fresh goods. Our mission hasn't changed: "We provide people the opportunity to develop an intimate relationship with modern agriculture."

Our honey is part of that. It's made with a local beekeeper, from local blooms, and it's backed by the same care we put into moving our orchards toward regenerative farming.

• Raw wildflower honey from Becker Bees in Lodi

• No preservatives, no added sugar

• Rated 5 stars in 94% of 62 customer reviews

• Shipped from our farm to your doorstep

Shop All 14 Honey Flavors →

Honey Flavor FAQs

What flavors go best with honey? Honey pairs well with warm spices like cinnamon and ginger, bright citrus, vanilla, nuts, soft or salty cheeses, and fruits like berries and cherries. For specific matches, check the table of all 14 honey flavors above, which lists the best uses for each jar.

Is infused honey healthy? Infused honey has about the same nutrition as the pure honey it's made from, plus small amounts of whatever was added, like spices or bee pollen. It's still a sweetener, so enjoy it in moderation, and never give any honey to babies under 12 months, as the CDC advises.

Can I infuse honey with fresh lavender? You can, but dried culinary lavender is the safer choice, because fresh flowers add moisture that can make honey ferment or spoil. Oregon State University Extension recommends properly dried ingredients, and our cold infusion method walks you through the steps.

Is flavored honey real honey? It is when it's made with pure honey and real ingredients, and the FDA recommends naming it by its flavor (such as "raspberry-flavored honey") and listing every ingredient. Check the label for added sugar or syrups: ours contain only wildflower honey plus the flavoring, with no preservatives.

Is lavender honey any good? If you like floral flavors, yes: good lavender honey tastes soft and gently herbal rather than soapy, and it's lovely in tea, lemonade and on goat cheese. Our whipped English Lavender Infused Honey is an easy place to start.