How To Make Hot Honey – Including Recipe!

Hot honey is a versatile condiment with an exciting flavor profile. This sweet and spicy condiment has been gaining popularity in recent years. But what exactly is hot honey?

How do you make hot honey? Making hot honey is a fairly easy process. All you have to do is to combine the honey with peppers of your choice and bring it to a boil. You can add a small amount of vinegar too. Then let the mixture steep and strain it.

This article includes everything you need to know about this sweet-spicy condiment.

Continue reading to get step-by-step instructions for making hot honey. You will also learn about all the best ways to eat it when you’re done!

What Is Hot Honey?

The combination of sweet and spicy flavors is nothing new to the culinary world. Hot honey is a sweet condiment with a kick of spice.

Hot honey is essentially plain honey infused with peppers to make it spicy. It may contain a few other ingredients for a better balance of flavors as well.

If you like sweet and you also like heat, hot honey is bound to become your next favorite condiment that you put on every food you eat. From pizza to ice cream and biscuits, hot honey makes any food exciting. 

What Is Hot Honey Made Of?

Hot honey is the simplest yet one of the most impressive condiments you can make at home. The two main ingredients you need to make it are honey and hot pepper. 

It is best to use real high-quality pasteurized honey to make hot honey. Raw honey is prone to crystallization. And you may want to avoid using honey with added flavorings too, such as ginger, mint, and rosemary. 

As for the pepper to add heat, you can go for various varieties depending on how hot you want the condiment to be. You can even use more than one pepper variety.

Some pepper options you have are Chile de Arbol, jalapeno, serrano, and habanero peppers, Aleppo pepper flakes, smoked paprika, Sichuan chili peppers, etc. 

So, you can use any peppers of your choice. Moreover, you can use both dried and fresh peppers. If you want to avoid any flakes or pepper particles, using large chunks of pepper to infuse the honey is a good idea. 

You can also use hot sauce to make hot honey for the same reason or if you don’t have any peppers or pepper flakes at hand. 

The third most common ingredient used in the making of hot honey is vinegar. While you can skip adding vinegar to your hot honey, this kitchen staple is great at balancing out the sweet and spicy flavors in the sauce.

The mild tartness of apple cider vinegar, or any vinegar you have at home, is what you need to make this honey condiment perfect. 

Another optional ingredient you can add to your hot honey is butter extract. This extract doesn’t affect the shelf life of the honey as it is not real butter. But it does enrich its flavor and creates a buttery mouthfeel for the condiment. 

What Does Hot Honey Taste Like?

If you have never tried hot honey, you will wonder what it tastes like. Well, the name of this condiment says it all. It is sweet thanks to the honey with a kick of heat thanks to the pepper added to it. 

The flavor of the condiment may slightly differ depending on the type of honey you use as different types of honey have different flavor notes ranging from floral and fruity to smoky and woody. 

The intensity of the spiciness depends on the type of pepper used to infuse the honey. 

Other ingredients that may be added to hot honey, such as butter extract and vinegar may slightly alter the overall flavor profile of hot honey. 

So, hot honey is a type of honey infused with heat. It tastes a lot different from regular honey even if it is a variety that is described to have spicy notes. 

Homemade Vs Store-Bought Hot Honey – Which One Is Better?

Hot honey is a condiment you can easily make at home. You don’t need many ingredients and a lot of time to make it. With this said, you can also buy hot honey. 

But which one is better, homemade or store-bought hot honey? The good thing about commercially manufactured honey is that most of them don’t contain any additives and preservatives thanks to the fact that honey is a very shelf-stable product by itself. 

Another advantage of store-bought hot honey is that it comes in convenient squeeze bottles. 

Making hot honey at home is a better option if you want to know what honey goes into your condiment and be sure of its quality. Additionally, you can use whatever kind of hot pepper you like and control the level of heat of the sauce. 

How Do You Make Hot Honey?

Making hot honey is very easy. All you need is good quality honey and only a couple of other ingredients to make this sweet-spicy condiment. 

There are numerous hot honey recipes on the internet. Here’s a variation of hot honey we recommend you try. 

Ingredients

• 1 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons of red chili pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

1. Add the honey into a saucepan. 
2. Add in the pepper flakes and a tablespoon of vinegar. You can use fresh peppers too. Simply cut two fresh chiles and add them to the honey. You can deseed the peppers if you want to tone down the heat. 
3. Turn on the stove to medium heat and bring the honey to a boil. As the honey boils, its viscous consistency will thin out a bit. This is normal. 
4. When the honey boils, remove it from heat, cover, and let it steep for around 10 minutes. Don’t let the honey cool off completely as you won’t be able to strain it when it thickens.
5. Strain the honey. This step is optional. You can leave the peppers in the honey if you like. Leaving the pepper flakes in the honey is a great way to let everyone know that the honey they are reaching for is hot. 

What Is The Quickest Way To Make Hot Honey? 

If it suddenly occurs to you that hot honey would go perfectly for what you will be having for dinner that day but you don’t have the condiment at home, use this quick hot honey recipe to prepare it with just two ingredients and in less than a minute. 

All you have to do is to add 4 teaspoons of hot sauce into 1/2 cup honey. Then, microwave the honey for 30 seconds. Give the honey a stir and your sweet-spicy condiment is ready. No one will ever guess how quick it was to make. 

How To Store Hot Honey?

The best way to store hot honey is an airtight container at room temperature. Store commercially manufactured hot honey in its original packaging if it’s undamaged and seals tightly. 

As for homemade honey, store it in a glass jar or an airtight plastic container. Don’t store honey in a metal container as it may react with the honey. 

Keep the hot honey away from direct sunlight. Don’t store it in the fridge as cool temperatures cause it to crystallize sooner. 

How Long Does Hot Honey Last?

Honey is very shelf-stable. Properly stored honey will remain safe for consumption for years and even decades. Though it should be noted that with time the flavor and aroma of honey deteriorate. 

And while many sources state that honey doesn’t actually spoil, it often crystalizes. Crystallization makes honey thicker and lighter in color.

Crystalized honey is safe to eat though the grainy texture may make it unsuitable for some recipes. Having honey as the main ingredient, it is not surprising that the shelf life of hot honey is quite long too. 

Given the proper storage conditions, hot honey will retain its best flavor qualities for at least 6-8 months. It will remain safe for consumption longer though it will gradually lose the intensity of its sweet-spicy flavor. 

If you have had your hot honey for longer than that make sure to inspect it before using it. Use the hot honey if it tastes, smells, and looks good.

Discard the hot honey if you notice mold in the container with honey. In case of using commercially manufactured hot honey, check the ‘Best by’ date of the product.

While it may not indicate the expiration date of the product, it is the manufacturer’s estimation of how long the honey will retain its best qualities. 

What To Eat With Hot Honey?

If you have never made or bought hot honey thinking that there aren’t many uses for this condiment, you may be surprised to learn about the many ways you can eat it. 

Hot honey pairs well with many foods. A drizzle of hot honey over the most common foods takes them to another level. 

1. Drizzle On Breakfast Sandwiches

Breakfast sandwiches can quickly get repetitive and boring if you eat the same combination of foods every day. And if you like savory breakfast sandwiches, you may find yourself rather limited in what you can eat. 

Eggs, bacon, cheese, avocado, and sausages are some of the most popular ingredients used for breakfast sandwiches.

Luckily, hot honey goes well with all of them. A drizzle of sweet and spicy honey over your breakfast sandwich will make it worth waking up to. 

2. Use It As A Pizza Topping

Hot honey on pizza is a trend you shouldn’t miss. There are two things you can do with hot honey and pizza.

First, you can drizzle it all over your pizza to create a symphony of flavors with the cheese topping. The saltiness of the cheese and the sweetness of honey are an unbeatable combination. 

Second, you can use hot honey as a dipping sauce for the pizza crust that is too boring to eat by itself. 

3. Use As A Dressing Or Marinade 

Honey is a popular ingredient used for marinades and salad dressings. So, why not substitute regular honey with hot honey?

Hot honey will balance out the flavor of the dressings and marinades while also adding some heat that you would otherwise add with the help of ground pepper or pepper flakes. 

Another reason to use hot honey in salad dressings and marinades is that it improves their consistency, making all ingredients stick together and mix well. 

4. Drizzle Over Sweet Treats 

Hot honey makes such a great duo with so many sweet treats. One of the best ways to indulge in the sweet-spicy flavor of this condiment is to drizzle it over vanilla ice cream.

Aside from its unique flavor profile, hot honey is also a lot healthier than many of the sugar-packed ice cream toppings you may use. 

As the glycemic load of honey is lower, it doesn’t cause blood sugar levels to rise as quickly as sugar does. 

Hot honey goes well with biscuits too. It enhances the sweetness of the biscuits while giving them a kick of spicy flavor. If you find the combination of sweet biscuits with hot honey to be too much, eat it with cornbread. 

The simplicity of the cornbread flavor is the perfect way to showcase the flavor of hot honey in all its beauty. Brownies are another sweet treat to try with hot honey. 

5. Add It To Your Charcuterie Board

As hot honey pairs well with meats, nuts, and different cheeses, it makes a great addition to any charcuterie board. 

Pour the hot honey into a small jar and fit it on the meat or cheese boards. It will give your charcuterie board some character and provide your guests with new flavor experiences. 

6. Use As A Dipping Sauce For Fried Chicken 

You may be used to dipping your fried food into ketchup and enjoying it in the most traditional way.

But if you like to have a little spicy kick with your fried chicken, pair it with hot honey. The sweet heat of hot honey complements fried chicken perfectly. 

7. Pair With Roasted Vegetables 

If you find roasted vegetables to be too boring, try them with hot honey. No need to come up with spice mixes and combinations. Roast the veggies with salt.

A drizzle of hot honey over the vegetables once they are cooked will do all the job instead of the extra seasoning you often add to the veggies. 

To tone down the spiciness of the hot honey, mix it with Greek yogurt. This will make a perfect dipping sauce for all kinds of roasted vegetables. 

8. Use Hot Honey In A Stir-Fry

No matter what combination of proteins and vegetables you are using, a dollop of honey along with some soy sauce and citrus zest will make it so much richer and tastier. 

9. Make Hot Honey Cocktails 

If trying out new cocktails is your thing, then hot honey is an ingredient you should start experimenting with.

From the good old Bloody Mary to a number of whiskey and rum cocktails, you will greatly enjoy the floral sweetness hot honey adds to cocktails followed by a mild burn. 

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