Ultimate Guide - Honey Stinger
What Is Honey Stinger?
Honey Stinger is a sports nutrition brand built around a simple idea: honey as the first ingredient in your fuel. The brand traces back to a family of Colorado beekeepers, and was re-established in 2001 in Steamboat Springs by a group of triathletes who wanted better-tasting, more natural fuel for endurance racing. Honey became the base of their first gel, and the range has since grown to include energy waffles and energy chews, earning a cult following among endurance athletes and now fuelling 2,000+ professional and college sports teams.
Where Is Honey Stinger Based?
Honey Stinger is headquartered in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA, a mountain town with a strong endurance sport culture that shaped the brand's early identity as trail, ski and triathlon fuel.
Is Honey Stinger A Good Brand?
Yes. Honey Stinger has built its reputation on real-food fuelling rather than lab-formulated alternatives:
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Honey as the primary carbohydrate source, rather than synthetic sweeteners.
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Certified organic energy waffles, made with no artificial colours, sweeteners or preservatives.
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Classic gels and chews are gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free.
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Trusted by over 2,000 professional and college teams and a community of 350,000+ everyday athletes.
For athletes who want a more "real food" approach to race fuelling without giving up fast-acting carbs, Honey Stinger is a well-established and credible choice.
Our Favourite Honey Stinger Products
Key Features → A honey-sweetened, certified organic waffle (in the style of a Belgian stroopwafel) with no artificial sweeteners. Easy to digest and portable, designed as real-food fuel rather than a processed gel or chew.
Who It's For → Athletes who prefer to chew their fuel rather than swallow a gel, or who want a more natural, less processed option for long training days, hikes or pre-workout snacking.
How To Use → Eat a waffle 30-60 minutes before exercise, or break off pieces to eat steadily during longer efforts.
Available at Aid Station → Honey, Peanut Butter, Salted Caramel, Cookies & Cream, Vanilla, and an Energy Waffle Variety Pack. Salted Caramel and Cookies and Cream are Gluten Free.
Key Features → Honey-based carbohydrate gels flavoured with real fruit purée rather than artificial flavouring. Classic flavours are gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free with 40-60mg of sodium; caffeinated options are also available.
Who It's For → Athletes who want a fast-acting, easy-to-carry carb source during racing or hard training, including those who prefer caffeinated options for the back half of a long event.
How To Use → Take one gel roughly every 45 minutes during exercise, with water to help absorption.
Available at Aid Station → Gold, Acai Pomegranate and Fruit Smoothie; Salted Caramel Latte and Strawberry Kiwi (caffeinated); and an Energy Gel Variety Pack.
Key Features → Bite-sized, honey-sweetened chews that let you fuel in smaller, more controlled portions than a gel. Available in classic and caffeinated flavours.
Who It's For → Athletes who find gels too sickly or hard to stomach and prefer chewing steadily through a session, or anyone who likes to dose their carb intake piece by piece.
How To Use → Take 3-4 chews approximately every 15-20 minutes during exercise, adjusting to taste and tolerance.
Available at Aid Station → Citrus Splash, Pink Lemonade, Cherry Blossom, Fruit Smoothie and Pomegranate Passionfruit; Cherry Cola (caffeinated) and an Energy Chews Variety Pack.
Final Thoughts
Honey Stinger is a solid pick for athletes who want their race fuel to taste like real food rather than a lab experiment. Whether you're after the chewable comfort of a waffle, the fast carbs of a gel, or the bite-sized control of a chew, the range covers pre-workout, on-course and everyday fuelling, all built around honey.
Ash Miller
Dietitian and Nutritionist (Masters)
Bachelor of Physical and Health Education
Instagram: @ashthomo_nutrition
References
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Aid Station. Honey Stinger [Internet]. Port Melbourne (AU): Aid Station; 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://aidstation.com.au/collections/honey-stinger
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Honey Stinger. Classic energy waffles [Internet]. Steamboat Springs (CO): Honey Stinger; 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://honeystinger.com/collections/classic-energy-waffles
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Honey Stinger. Classic energy gels [Internet]. Steamboat Springs (CO): Honey Stinger; 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://honeystinger.com/collections/classic-energy-gels
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Honey Stinger. About us [Internet]. Steamboat Springs (CO): Honey Stinger; 2026 [cited 2026 Jul 22]. Available from: https://honeystinger.com/pages/about-us
Disclaimer:
The content in this guide is for general information only and is not a substitute for professional medical or dietary advice. Always speak with your doctor or allied health team before changing your diet, exercise routine, or fuelling strategy, especially if you have a health condition or take medication. Please use this information as a guide only. Aid Station doesn't take responsibility for individual outcomes.
