Honey Lollipops — a Natural Sore Throat Remedy

By Ann Fulton
96 Replies
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A 2-ingredient, natural sore throat remedy that’s easy to make and helpful to have on hand. Fun to give away too!

 

In the past few months, I have read several times about the antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-fungal properties of honey and cinnamon.  I am certainly not a doctor, but when I saw the idea from my friend, Justine, at Full Belly Sisters for a honey lollipop that was supposed to soothe a sore throat, I figured it was worth a try.  If nothing else, it would taste good!

Because of what I read, I added cinnamon to the lollipops.  After making them, I let the kids and their friends sample the home remedy—they got good reviews in the taste department–then put the rest away for when the next cold struck.  When my older son got the knock-out-drag-down flu recently, we put them to the test. He reported that the honey concoction soothed his sore throat and asked for them several times over the next few days.  Whether it was truly an effective natural medicine or a placebo effect, we were both pleased with the results.

For a child who is at least two years old, these would be a good alternative to a cough drop, which may pose a choking hazard.  Conversely, you could make these as a cough drop, simply omitting the stick, for an adult or older child.  If you end up with more lollipops than you need to sooth a sore throat, they will keep indefinitely stored in a cool, dry place and may also be used as a sweetener/stirrer in a cup of hot tea.  I highly recommend making them in advance and having them on hand for the next time a soar throat strikes…and please let me know what you think!

A 2-ingredient, natural sore throat remedy that's easy to make and helpful to have on hand. Fun to give away, too!

Honey Lollipops — a Natural Sore Throat Remedy
Prep Time: 1 min
Cook Time: 25 min
Total Time: 26 min
My yield was 13 lollipops, although this may vary somewhat depending on how large you make them. An inexpensive candy thermometer, available in most grocery and kitchen stores, makes these especially easy to prepare.
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Ingredients
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, optional
  • Lollipop sticks (available at craft stores)
Instructions
  1. Lay the lollipop sticks on a parchment paper-covered baking sheet.
  2. Pour the honey into a small saucepan and boil over medium-low to medium heat for about 10 minutes or until the temperature on your candy thermometer reads 300 degrees F. The honey will bubble up. Adjust the heat so that the honey continues to bubble but does not boil over, stirring occasionally. (If you do not have a thermometer, you may test the honey for doneness by dropping a drip or two into a bowl of very cold water. If the honey hardens into a ball, it is ready. If it remains soft to the touch, return to a boil.)
  3. Once the honey has reached 300 degrees F., remove the pan from the burner. Stir the honey and allow it to cool for a minute or two in the pan. Add the cinnamon, if using, and stir to thoroughly incorporate.
  4. Slowly pour the still-hot mixture over one end of the lollipop sticks. When the honey is very hot, it will spread out and form an uneven circle. Your first few lollipops might be thin and misshapen. As the honey cools, it becomes easier to pour an even circle. If desired, you may even out the first few lollipops by pouring a little more honey over them at the end. The thinner lollipops may be a little sharp around the edges once the honey hardened, so I would recommend making them thicker. Additionally, if your honey cools to the point that it becomes hard to pour, simply return to low heat for a minute or so to thin.
  5. Once completely cooled, wrap in clear, plastic treat bags and secure with a twist-tie or simply store in an air-tight container, separating the lollipops with a piece of wax or parchment paper.
Notes
  • Note to parents with kids who have braces: As the lollipops are sucked on, the honey softens and, like taffy, would most likely not be orthodontist approved. If your child likes tea, he or she could instead use the lollipop as a sweet stirrer in the tea.
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A 2-ingredient, natural sore throat remedy that's easy to make and helpful to have on hand. Fun to give away, too!

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Comments

  1. Pingback: Medene lizike z žajbljem za boleče grlo

  3. Deb

    Have you tried adding ginger or licorice root to it? I know those two ingredients are known for soothing sore throats. Was wondering if you have information on if including those two additional additional ingredients would be safe for all ages.

    Reply ↓
    1. Ann Post author

      Hi Deb,
      I have not added either to these lollipops but would love to know if you try. Fresh ginger may create a texture that some don’t care for. I have not used licorice root before. Perhaps if someone else tries they will comment as well.

      Reply ↓
  5. Molly

    Do you think freezing these would be possible? I saw one of the above comments asked about using a mold, so what do you think would happen if I, say, poured them into an ice cube trAy and froze them? Or would they just get all sticky and gross? Thank you! I have a sore throat and will DEFINITELY try this out 🙂

    Reply ↓
    1. Ann Post author

      That’s a good question, Molly. I store mine in the fridge, and I’m trying to imagine what a higher degree of cold would do to the honey. If you try, please report back…and I hope they help your sore throat!

      Reply ↓
  6. Carissa

    I was just following a recipe today that said “Heat slowly and on very low heat so you don’t ruin the raw properties of the honey”. ^^ now i see the comments above. I’m sure it can duplicated on “low and slow”. Definitely going to give it a try! 🙂

    Reply ↓
    2. JenP

      No, you cannot make a hard candy (lollipop or lozenge) without heating your sugar solution (be it honey, maple syrup, or table sugar plus corn syrup) to a high temperature. It’s the heating that *makes* the result turn out hard; the higher you heat it, the harder your resulting candy (from nougat to caramels to taffy to toffee to hard candy.)
      Yes, heating to 300 degrees F likely will render the properties of raw honey null and void. So don’t waste your money on raw honey for a recipe where you’re cooking it into hard candy. Save the expensive raw honey for using raw! It can be taken off a spoon if you want, and it can help with coughing and sore throats that way.
      But, having it in a hard-candy form is still useful. It’s great for soothing and moisturizing a sore throat, and in hard-candy form the advantage is that it lasts longer, to keep on soothing your throat.
      So keep both on hand!

      Reply ↓
  7. zoe

    When using raw, organic (local) honey you must be careful when heating. Heating honey will kill the good bacteria fighting spores and reder it useless. Low heat, no boiling. I have been told when adding honey to tea/hot water for drinking to wait until the liquid is at a drinkable temperature so as not to kills all the good spores. So some adjustments may be needed to the rescipe. But it sounds yummy.

    Reply ↓
    1. Ann Post author

      Thanks very much for your comments, Zoe. I made a few comments regarding this in the comment above. Just to be sure, it might make sense to save raw honey for non-cooking purposes. If you try, I hope they help!

      Reply ↓
    1. Ann Post author

      I have read that most of the enzymes in honey are heat stable, yet that is why some people prefer to buy raw honey. Whether it is a placebo effect or a true remedy, honey in tea and as a throat lozenge does seem to have a positive effect!

      Reply ↓
  10. Heather

    Do you think these would work in a candy mold? Just for the purpose of having a fun shape? I was worried about getting them to “pop” out of the mold.

    Reply ↓
    1. Ann Post author

      I think they would work well, Heather. I wanted to make them without since some people don’t have molds. Just to be sure, you could very lightly grease the molds the first time. If you try, I would love to hear how you make out!

      Reply ↓
  11. nettie moore

    Thank you Ann for sharing these with me, I just made them with the honey and cinnamon, over cooked the first batch, used wax paper (they stick to wax paper), just made the second batch used parchment paper as suggested, waiting to cool and give them to my daughter, she has mono, since that is viral I used the cinnamon. Thank you sweetie!!

    Reply ↓
    1. Ann Post author

      So glad the second batch worked better and I really hope they help, Nettie. Thank you for the feedback about wax paper, as I have only used parchment. Sending speedy recovery wishes to your daughter. xo

      Reply ↓

  13. Pingback: Home Remedy Ideas | Get Rid of Sore Throat

    1. Ann Post author

      Hi Bibi,
      I was so happy I had these on hand when my son got sick. He really felt they helped. Coincidently, my pediatrician just cited a study that demonstrated honey lozenges effectiveness over all the other over-the-counter remedies!

      Reply ↓