The current study proposed an optical sensing material based on the immobilised aniline in filter paper coated with chitosan for the detection of hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) based on reflectance spectrophotometry. The reflectance intensities of the reagent were measured at a wavelength range of 250 - 500 nm before and after the reaction with the HMF. The sensing material was found to have an optimum response at pH 3.0 with immobilised aniline of 8.0 × 10-3 M. The relative standard deviation (RSD) of reproducibility and photostability were found 1.96 and 1.40 %, respectively. The results showed no significant deference between the HMF method and the high performance liquid chromatography standard method, with a correlation coefficient (R2) and a slope value of 0.99 and 0.96, respectively. By comparing the results obtained using the designed sensor with that obtained with established standard HLPC method, it was found that the HMF content in honey samples was in great agreement.