Product Review: Bee Free Honee and a recipe for Vegan Sweet and Sour “Chicken” (2024)

Oh, do I love Bee Free Honee! And I find it funny because I was never a fan of honey. When I was sick as a child, my mother would put it in my tea but other than that, I didn’t really like it. So when I became vegan, the fact that honey was on the “not vegan” list was no big deal to me. Whenever I needed a sweetener in a recipe, I used brown sugar or agave nectar.

But then I got a bottle of Bee Free Honee and I was blown away. It tasted just like honey but better. The flavor is more complex because it’s made from apples – USDA Certified Organic Apples.

Bee Free Honee is the creation of Katie Sanchez who, worried about the diminishing bee population, wondered if she could create a honey that didn’t come from bees and that would make people just as happy as the original stuff. Well, Katie wondered right. Bee Free Honee is amazing!

You use Bee Free Honee as you would traditional honey; it’s interchangeable in recipes. I’ve used Bee Free Honee in many of my recipes including my General Tso’s Tofu (one of the Top 5 recipes on The “V” Word)

and in my Struffoli (Christmas “Honey” Balls)

Now there are 5, count ’em 5, flavors of Bee Free Honee to enjoy: Original, Ancho Chile, Mint, Chocolate and Slippery Elm.

I knew I had to try that Ancho Chile Honee as soon as I heard about it. And while I thought I would make something Spanish or Mexican, I ended up using it first in a Chinese dish: Sweet and Sour “Chicken” that I made with Beyond Meat Chickenless Strips. It was incredible – the mix of sweet and spicy – that always makes me happy! Usually, I would use brown sugar and agave but this let me use one ingredient instead and it was delicious!

Bee Free Honee is available in many stores (see store locator here) as well as on Pangea Vegan Store, Vegan Essentials and Amazon. Check out their web site for more information, recipes and reviews.

To learn more about why honey is not vegan, read the article, “Vegans and Honey: Why Vegans Don’t Eat Honey” by Doris Lin. Then go get yourself some Bee Free Honee and taste just how decadent honee can be when it’s “bee free.”

GF

For the Marinade

2 packages Beyond Meat Chickenless Strips, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 Tbs. arrowroot powder

2 Tbs. gluten-free, low-sodium tamari

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

Pineapple juice from the can

1/3 cup ketchup

¼ cup brown rice vinegar

1/4 cup Ancho Chile Bee Free Honee

2 Tbs. gluten-free tamari

2 tsp. arrowroot powder

¼ cup water

For the Dish­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

2-3 Tbs. peanut or canola oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp. fresh ginger, grated

2 bell peppers, chopped

1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks

To make the marinade: In a medium bowl, combine the chickenless strips, arrowroot powder and tamari. Toss well to coat the strips. Let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

To make the Sweet and Sour Sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, add the onions and cook 2 minutes until softened. Add the ginger and garlic, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the pineapple juice, brown rice vinegar, ketchup, tamari and Ancho Chile Bee Free Honee. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, about 3 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the water and the arrowroot until smooth. Add to the sauce and bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute and turn off the heat. Set aside until ready to eat.

To make the Sweet and Sour “Chicken”: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the chickenless strips to the pan and cook , turning once, until browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. You may eat one piece for quality assurance. Just one.

Add more oil to the skillet if you need it and cook the garlic and ginger for 2 minutes until softened and fragrant. Stir it often and toss to coat the chickenless strips. Add the pineapple chunks and the bell peppers. Cook, stirring it often, until the pineapple is a bit crisp and the peppers are tender, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the sweet and sour sauce mixture into the skillet and toss to coat all the strips and the vegetables. Bring it to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 or 2 minutes. Serve with brown rice.

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