This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Barkman. The opinions and text are all mine.

Baking with honey isn't super common. You often have to slightly adjust the amount of liquids and dry ingredients in the recipe to support the added moisture and softer texture, but it is one of my FAVORITE things to sweeten with! Honey adds a lightness and sweetness to baked goods that is simply unparalleled, and using responsibly sourced honey can be GOOD for the bees!

Right now bees are facing a serious threat - and so are we! This threat is called Colony Collapse Disorder and it occurs when worker bees simply disappear from a hive, leaving behind the queen bee, a few nurse bees, and countless baby bees. With no mature worker bees to bring nectar and pollen bak to the hive, the colony collapses and dies. The main causes of CCD are loss of habitat (think expanding road construction + land development), parasites and diseases, air pollution and pesticides. Without bees, everything sort of ceases to function. Plants don't get pollinated, flowers don't grow, animals that eat those plants start to die off - according to the BBC in 2014, a world without bees would struggle to sustain the global human population of (now) over 7.7 billion.

So how can you help? A few great ways! First, plant some flowers! Start a bee-friendly garden (tips at beesponsible.com) that encourages these natural hard-workers to hang out and pollinate your plants! Second, start buying responsibly sourced honey that supports a bigger effort to save the bees. After doing my research, Bee Harmony Honey really is the best. Their honey comes from bees drawing nectar form wildflower blossoms across superior forage lands, tended by trusted beekeepers, using responsible practices that respect the environment. They're not churning out cheap, sugar-filled, honey-flavored crap - this stuff is the real deal, and you can purchase based on the flavor you prefer or the region you live in. And best of all? Every jar of honey you buy from Bee Harmony Honey is traceable from the source; just head to their website and type in the 8-digit code on the bottom of your honey! Mine traced back to where I had hoped it would - my (current) home state of California! That means that I'm taking in honey with more local pollen from local plants, increasing my chances of combating seasonal allergies to those plants and staying healthier year round. Good for the bees, and good for me.

Plus, all the honey comes in reusable, recyclable glass jars, making this sweet company even more sustainable and worth your dollars. I'm a huge fan of supporting companies that are working to better our planet, so today I'm teaming up with Bee Harmony Honey to share one of my favorite honey-sweetened recipes: Honey Dipped Donuts!

The base is simple, sweet, and satisfying every time. The glaze adds a layer of sweet, sticky goodness that goes far beyond your typical donut glaze. Rich, a little buttery, but hard to share - these donuts are a serious crowd pleaser! Recipe is below. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS:

HONEY DONUTS

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup macadamia nut milk (almond + coconut work great here, too!)

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 eggs OR 1/3 cup aquafaba

1/2 cup Bee Harmony California Honey

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

HONEY GLAZE

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tablespoons macadamia (or your choice of non-dairy) milk

2 tablespoons Bee Harmony California Honey

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a small bowl whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar and allow to curdle, about 5 minutes.

In a separate, larger mixing bowl beat together the eggs or aqaufaba and honey. Add in the coconut oil and vanilla and beat again until fluffy. Pour the milk mixture into the wet ingredients, stirring to combine. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and mix until just combined. Some small lumps in the batter are okay!

Pour your batter into greased 6-donut pans and bake for 13-15 minutes. Pull when golden and let cool completely on a wire rack. While donuts cool, prepare the honey glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar, milk and honey. Whisk or beat together until smooth.

Once the donuts have cooled, gently dip one side of the donut into the honey dip mixture and then set back, glazed side up, onto the wire rack. Drips will happen, so I recommend placing some waxed paper underneath your rack while they settle. Once the glaze has set - ENJOY! Leftovers can be saved on the counter for 2-3 days.