Honey's Attributes

• Although honey doesn't proclaim its sweetness with a fluffy boldness, it does bring depths of flavor to baked goods that marshmallows don't have. In addition to sweetness, some varieties of honey have floral overtones from clover, blackberries, oranges or raspberries, and others have savory, aromatic flavors from rosemary, sage or thyme. Instead of baking marshmallows into brownies, use orange-flavored honey to add a flavorful twist.

Baking With Honey

• Marshmallows typically appear in recipes in addition to sugar, but honey works as an alternative to both marshmallows and sugar. Substitute honey on a one-for-one basis for sugar in muffins. For cookies and cakes that contain both sugar and marshmallows, reduce the liquid by about 1/4 cup for each 1 cup of honey, and add a little extra baking soda. Baked goods also brown more with honey, so reduce your oven's temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit when you substitute honey for sugar.

An Alternative to Frosting

• Honey gives cakes and cupcakes a sweet, flavorful glaze, but it doesn't give the thick frosting that marshmallow cream or melted marshmallows do when you bake them. To pump up the visual drama, sprinkle sanding sugar, brown sugar or large sugar crystals over the honey after your cakes or cupcakes come out of the oven. Sanding sugar comes in a variety of colors and adds another layer of sparkle to honey glaze.

When Honey Won't Substitute

• When you want a thick marshmallow frosting between layers of moon pie cookies or a gooey filling spilling out of a pudding cake, honey won't substitute. It also won't work as a filling sandwiched between cake layers. For new versions of s'mores, such as a decadent s'more pizza with marshmallows, chocolate and graham cracker crumbs baked on pizza dough, honey provides sweetness, but it can't match the charred exteriors and visual effects of marshmallows. Don't give honey to children under 1 year old, because it can lead to infant botulism.

Beyond Baked Goods

• If you find the cloying sweetness of marshmallows too much on your sweet potatoes or yams at Thanksgiving, honey provides a good alternative. It also works at any time of the year to glaze other baked root vegetables, such as carrots, beets or parsnips. Simply drizzle honey on the vegetables and bake as usual. Or, flavor the honey with additional ingredients, such as sage, thyme, minced fresh ginger or mustard.