Application of Honey from <i>Hedera rhombea</i> as a Sugar Substitute to Design Functional Cookies for Controlling Carbohydrate Digestion

In this study, honey from <i>Hedera rhombea</i> was used as a sugar substitute in cookie-making to design functional cookies for controlling carbohydrate digestion. Honey from <i>H. rhombea</i> contained glucose (0.56±0.11 mg/mg), fructose (0.27±0.06 mg/mg), and phenolic compounds (46.61±0.05 mg gallic acid equivalents/100 g). When honey from <i>H. rhombea</i> was used as a sugar substitute in the cookie dough, it decreased the dough stability and increased the degree of softening from the farinograph compared with the control dough, which implies a weaker gluten network formation. Moreover, the honey influenced the baking performance by decreasing the spread ratio and hardness, resulting in the production of softer cookies with a dark yellow color. Finally, the cookies prepared with honey exhibited reduced amounts of reducing sugars against α-amylase because of the antioxidant activity of phenolic compounds within the honey, indicating slower carbohydrate digestion. These results provide insights into how to use honey as a sugar substitute to design functional foods for modulating the postprandial glycemic response.