Key Takeaways
Molasses has more minerals like calcium and iron than honey, but it won’t significantly affect overall health. Honey has much less sodium than molasses.
A TikTok recently claimed that molasses is more nutrient-dense than honey, starting a conversation about which is a better option for sweeteners. Experts said the answer isn’t clear-cut.
Is Molasses a Healthier Sweetener Than Honey?
The creator of the TikTok video on the benefits of molasses referenced its Nutrivore Score, which is a measurement of a given food’s nutrient profile. Molasses has a Nutrivore Score of 367, while honey has a Nutrivore Score of 20.
However, that doesn’t tell the full story.
“Molasses is not definitively ‘better’ than honey,” Julia Zumpano, RD, a dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Human Nutrition, told Verywell. “It depends on what you hope to obtain from its use. Each has different nutritional profiles and uses.”
Why a Per-Calorie Comparison Isn’t Helpful
The creator of the video also talked about the nutrients molasses has per calorie, but this framing isn’t very helpful when grocery shopping or deciding how to diversify your diet.
“Talking about foods the way we eat them—say, by tablespoon—is more helpful for the average person,” Amelia Sherry, MPH, RD, CDCES, clinical nutrition coordinator at Mount Sinai, told Verywell.
“Talking about it calorie-for-calorie is a way to over-sensationalize the number. It doesn’t really help us when we’re eating,” she added.
Molasses Has More Minerals
Molasses is higher in minerals, while honey contains a wider nutrient variety, Zumpano said.
“Tablespoon for tablespoon, molasses has about 41 times more calcium, 10 times more iron, twice as much manganese, and 27 times more biotin and potassium than honey,” Sherry said.
“While those increases may sound impressive, when you put the numbers into perspective, you can see switching from honey to molasses may bump up your nutrient intake a bit, but it probably won’t have a huge impact on your overall health.”
For example, Sherry explained, adding a tablespoon of molasses to your tea may help you get more calcium than if you used honey, “but it’s still only providing about four percent of what an adult needs in a day.”
Sherry said that in addition to the above, molasses is also higher in niacin, magnesium, choline, and pantothenic acid than honey.
Honey Has Less Sodium
Honey contains far less sodium than molasses.
“Tablespoon per tablespoon, molasses is 780%—or nine times—higher in sodium than honey, a mineral we want to avoid,” Sherry said.
“The difference here is even more insignificant since that seven milligrams per tablespoon is less than one percent of the recommended daily limit. Still, it shows that you can look at the numbers differently to make them seem like something they’re not.”
How to Choose Between Molasses and Honey as a Sweetener
You should choose whichever option you prefer unless you have specific dietary needs.
“Someone adhering to a vegan diet may benefit from each calcium and iron boost they can incorporate into their diet, while the extra calcium and iron in molasses may be inconsequential for people who regularly eat dairy, poultry, or meat,” Sherry said.
If you don’t have specific dietary needs, your choice of molasses or honey will be based on your preferences.
“Molasses has a deeper, more complex, and slightly more bitter flavor than honey, which is lighter and sweeter than molasses,” Zumpano said.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Nutrivore. Molasses.
Nutrivore. Honey.
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